On 10-17-97 Kyle Hearn wrote to all... 
 KH>... if there is any way to solar power a first floor apt  
 KH> with a western exposure or if it would be worth it at all  
 KH> for the time being. 
Probly not. 70% of solar power being the hours just before and 
after solar noon... you'd loose at least half. 
 
As to a remote homestead... A new manufacturing method for the 
solar panels is in production.  Look for prices to continue to 
fall significantly over time.  I would not buy panels until at 
the last minute unless you see the economy becoming unstable, 
and wish to be set up before a crash. 
 
Earth bermed house on a SSE facing slope with diciduous trees; 
shade in the summer, sun in winter, no AC needed.  Full sun in 
the 3-4 hours before and after solar noon; earlier or later in 
the day, the lower angle has too much atmosphere for much over 
10% of rated panel power, even if on a tracker. 
 
Convert a chest type small freezer to a fridge- dick around on 
the thermocouple if you havta. 4X8 foot of solar will run it. 
I have run a peltier on 12v @ 5-6 amps, water cooled it with a 
line from my spring, and got frost on the 5"x5" condensor.  It 
would keep the milk cold in a large picknic cooler, that I had 
added more foam insulation around... 3-4 cu ft. 
 
Another 4X8 foot array to power the rest of the house, stereo, 
9" 60 watt color tv/vcr, one of my 12 volt desktop computers,
RV florescents (when the tiny tube burns out, you can rig up a 
large long lasting tube of the same wattage that works years) 
a few halogens [bright but power hungry] and normal car bulbs 
in the rest of the house- yard light, shop, bath, etc. 
 
I have used inverters to run infrequently used stuff, like a 
blender, cake mixer, vacuum, etc. I have also seen inverters 
*fry* Canon BJ printers.  some stuff nowadays has PFC types 
of power supplies, and no telling how it will react to the 
jags in inverter output.  IF you see "PFC" skip it. 
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 * OFFLINE 1.58 * Pessimist= an optimist in recovery 
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