In the wake of an overheated solar market and the global financial crisis, Spain has slashed its renewable energy subsidies. And the solar boom under the Mediterranean sun has gone bust — a stunning reversal of fortune: In 2008, 40 percent of the world's solar installations were in Spain.
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Pictures: Spanish Solar Energy
Spain’s solar energy boom of the past decade has waned, but the Iberian peninsula nurtured innovative technologies that may pave the way for future large-scale renewable energy.
I have heard that those subsidies were so 'over the top' that – this is NOT a joke – it was making financial sense for people to shed light at night at their solar panels (!!) – and so they did!!
))
I have heard that those subsidies were so 'over the top' that – this is NOT a joke – it was making financial sense for people to shed light at night at their solar panels (!!) – and so they did!!
))
Shit, they pitched my idea!
Because power company here charge me electricity on 20c per kw and buy electricity my home generate by Solar for 25c, I'm thinking just rewire the cable, redirect the electricity arrive at home back to the grid, a 5c profit per kw could cost me nothing. And I can run this business daily and nightly.
Shit, they pitched my idea!
Because power company here charge me electricity on 20c per kw and buy electricity my home generate by Solar for 25c, I'm thinking just rewire the cable, redirect the electricity arrive at home back to the grid, a 5c profit per kw could cost me nothing. And I can run this business daily and nightly.
Nice. Molten salt is the way to go. We could do with some more of that solar goodness here. I hope something comes of the CSIRO research facility in Newcastle. The only downside I'm aware of is that they're pretty water intensive (cleaning the mirrors) so not ideally suited to dusty desert conditions.
Nice. Molten salt is the way to go. We could do with some more of that solar goodness here. I hope something comes of the CSIRO research facility in Newcastle. The only downside I'm aware of is that they're pretty water intensive (cleaning the mirrors) so not ideally suited to dusty desert conditions.
Got 2.0kw Solar system (10 huge solar panels) installed on the top roof of my home yesterday. Electricity generated immediately afterward. Feeling guilt free now after I put money on rainwater tank and solar
What next? Wind farm? Fusion lab at home?
Got 2.0kw Solar system (10 huge solar panels) installed on the top roof of my home yesterday. Electricity generated immediately afterward. Feeling guilt free now after I put money on rainwater tank and solar
What next? Wind farm? Fusion lab at home?
Nice. IMHO wind farms are for Dutch tulip gowers. Fusion lab FTW!
Nice. IMHO wind farms are for Dutch tulip gowers. Fusion lab FTW!
+Terrence Miao next thing is… watch out the water tank!!… at our home after just 6 months of working ok!, the "valve" thing developed some problem that it would sometimes get stuck, leading to tap water pouring in.. filling it all and overflowing away… so before we noticed… wasted lots of clean tap water… so instead of savings got a $650 water bill for the period… btw, a label on the tank/valve actually says to "check" for that and that "it's not the manufacturer responsibility" if you get a large water bill… btw does anyone know how to fix the stupid valve, so that it works properly 100% of times (i.e. shuts off after having a need to fill in the tank a little bit from the tap water, during dry periods) and not just 50%…??
+Terrence Miao next thing is… watch out the water tank!!… at our home after just 6 months of working ok!, the "valve" thing developed some problem that it would sometimes get stuck, leading to tap water pouring in.. filling it all and overflowing away… so before we noticed… wasted lots of clean tap water… so instead of savings got a $650 water bill for the period… btw, a label on the tank/valve actually says to "check" for that and that "it's not the manufacturer responsibility" if you get a large water bill… btw does anyone know how to fix the stupid valve, so that it works properly 100% of times (i.e. shuts off after having a need to fill in the tank a little bit from the tap water, during dry periods) and not just 50%…??
+Oleg Kiorsak Wow, you must got a complicated watertank solution at home. My one simply collect water from down pipe of the roof, so I can water the garden without using too much precious clean water from tap. But no connection to tap at all. I bought the tank and installed myself.
+Oleg Kiorsak Wow, you must got a complicated watertank solution at home. My one simply collect water from down pipe of the roof, so I can water the garden without using too much precious clean water from tap. But no connection to tap at all. I bought the tank and installed myself.
+Terrence Miao ah, ok!… our "solution" was built as part of the unit/townhouse we bought… the tank (in fact 2 of them) collect water and then there is an electric (!!) pump that pumps it up (as up as to next floor btw) into the pipes that connected to flush the toilets (or at least I really hope it's only to those pipes!!
… now, obviously in dry periods the tank would occasionally run out of water – then a valve engages and fills in the tank (up to about 20% – based on my "unit testing") of the tank… around 20% full mark the valve is meant to shut and stop pouring in tap water into tank… but it does not do that all the times… sometimes it gets stuck (in an UN-deterministic manner) and I need to use (in addition to "manual" monitoring) another "manual procedure" – unscrew a little cover plate on top of the tank and "tickle" the valve with the screwdriver a bit – then it raises up and shuts the tap water stream…
in overall, pretty much like a typical corporate IT solution!!
)
I am thinking of an improvement – to tie some rope/wire to the valve's lever, so I can "jiggle" it without unscrewing a plate first every time…
)
+Terrence Miao ah, ok!… our "solution" was built as part of the unit/townhouse we bought… the tank (in fact 2 of them) collect water and then there is an electric (!!) pump that pumps it up (as up as to next floor btw) into the pipes that connected to flush the toilets (or at least I really hope it's only to those pipes!!
… now, obviously in dry periods the tank would occasionally run out of water – then a valve engages and fills in the tank (up to about 20% – based on my "unit testing") of the tank… around 20% full mark the valve is meant to shut and stop pouring in tap water into tank… but it does not do that all the times… sometimes it gets stuck (in an UN-deterministic manner) and I need to use (in addition to "manual" monitoring) another "manual procedure" – unscrew a little cover plate on top of the tank and "tickle" the valve with the screwdriver a bit – then it raises up and shuts the tap water stream…
in overall, pretty much like a typical corporate IT solution!!
)
I am thinking of an improvement – to tie some rope/wire to the valve's lever, so I can "jiggle" it without unscrewing a plate first every time…
)
+Oleg Kiorsak Heard of these grey water pipe set up for new house, but you are the first one writes a review
Simple toilet flushing system is getting complicated when the builder tries to satisfy rebate policy politicians asked. I don't understand why not has a switch in the bathroom, let you manually switch which flushing water to use?
+Oleg Kiorsak Heard of these grey water pipe set up for new house, but you are the first one writes a review
Simple toilet flushing system is getting complicated when the builder tries to satisfy rebate policy politicians asked. I don't understand why not has a switch in the bathroom, let you manually switch which flushing water to use?
+Terrence Miao outside, on the tank itself there is a "bypass" lever, which essentially takes tank and electric pump out of the loop… I figured out in dry season (like it was in February) makes more sense to operate in "bypass" which I did… now there is lots of rain so it's back to the "complex loop"…
)
+Terrence Miao outside, on the tank itself there is a "bypass" lever, which essentially takes tank and electric pump out of the loop… I figured out in dry season (like it was in February) makes more sense to operate in "bypass" which I did… now there is lots of rain so it's back to the "complex loop"…
)
I'd like to live with solar panels, but I'd have to convince my landlord first and then they'll probably put up the rent
I'd like to live with solar panels, but I'd have to convince my landlord first and then they'll probably put up the rent
+Terrence Miao +Kieran Simpson +James Gemmell
honestly I refuse to 'buy' into all this energy-saving-by-little-guy thing until such times when it will no longer be necessary to luggage two woolen jumpers and a jacket to the office places supermarkets and shopping centers in summer to avoid getting freezing and also get undressed in winter in the same places because of some crazy custom that is apparently established in "western" countries that the climate inside must be always kept in direct invert proportion to climate outside… especially cooling – is the least energy-efficient thing by all laws of physics… ??!!
+Terrence Miao +Kieran Simpson +James Gemmell
honestly I refuse to 'buy' into all this energy-saving-by-little-guy thing until such times when it will no longer be necessary to luggage two woolen jumpers and a jacket to the office places supermarkets and shopping centers in summer to avoid getting freezing and also get undressed in winter in the same places because of some crazy custom that is apparently established in "western" countries that the climate inside must be always kept in direct invert proportion to climate outside… especially cooling – is the least energy-efficient thing by all laws of physics… ??!!