World population is growing 20 million people every 3 months

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by daletournier

. . . , I also agree nuclear is the way but in our modern protest over everything society, I cant see it.. . .

I grew up in a family with several nuclear physicists, and one uncle was even head of the AEC for a while some decades ago. In fact, it was his sailboat, moored behind his house in Centreville, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay, some old Herreshoff job, that introduced me to our sport, when I was a small child.

So don't get me started on this . . .

Nuclear power, even the primitive fission technology we have here, is actually the t*ts. It is just hands down the way to make energy, according to the choices we have today. Just look at France to see what embracing nuclear power can do for you.

My uncle died a broken man, convinced that political idiots were throwing away the energy security of the nation based on superstitions and prejudices.

But that too will pass, and we will come back to nuclear power, or rather, we already are.

The French have the best electrical power system in the world. They pay the lowest rates in Europe, and the system is constantly in profit. French people don't hesitate, to even heat with electrical power. They are totally independent of the oil producing states and the oil markets, and they don't emit any carbon at all. A tip of the lynch lid to the French, where power is concerned -- we could learn a lot from them.

[Mike OReilly]

Ken, $1500 CND = ~$1,125 US.

This is what we currently spend year round, for everything. On the boat, off the boat, for travel, food, booze, fuel, insurances, housing (on and off the boat), etc. Canada isn’t a cheap place to live, but that’s our current outlay for the past two years since we said goodbye to our land home.

We eat well, we drink well. We do what we want, we go where we want. And we also don’t have to work for six months out of each year to sustain this life.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

...Nuclear power, even the primitive fission technology we have here, is actually the t*ts. It is just hands down the way to make energy, according to the choices we have today.

+1

Anyone who calls themselves an environmentalist should be demanding we shift to nuclear. It is one of the great failures of the environmental movement that they embraced this nonsensical, anti-nuclear position.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

And you stay hooked up to the fuel dock and marina shore power.

When I chose to, yes. Right now I'm 150 miles away from the boat doing the work thing, so yes the boat is in a Marina, behind a locked gate, plugged in and the AC in dehumidify mode. I feel better with it there.
However barring some Zombie apocalypse or failure of the Government, the budget does allow being plugged into a Marina as often as we like. However I hope to go to where there are few if any Marina's, but if they are available and we would like to, we will take a Marina.
It's not a competition for us to see if we can live off of a dollar a day, or 10 gls of water a week etc.
For us, it's an adventure we hope, it's to have fun. If it's not fun, we will re-evaluate it and do something different.
Our Daughter has come up with a T shirt idea she want to have made for us, have an outline of the boat and have printed on it.
" Adventure before Dementia"

Wife and I are not real sure we like that, but I guess if your 18, it's funny. For us I guess it's too close to the truth?

[leftbrainstuff]

It's predicted to taper off quite sharply later this century. It's logarithmic not exponential.

Apart from the Catholic obsession with procreation birth rates have tapered off to below sustainable levels in most countries.

Add in a few wars, epidemics and the internet and i don't see population growth as a problem.

[rallyman1122]

Here is an interesting article about how big pharma is not interested in a safe easy male contraceptive that could help slow down population growth

New male contraceptive is safe, effective, inexpensive — and can’t find a company to sell it | National Post

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

So, what is the size of the battery bank for a 15 KW Solar system?
I'm assuming grid tie? If so how does that make you energy independent?

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I am familiar with grid tie systems, myself I do not think of them as making you energy independent. Independent means cut the cord, not tie into it. Me thinks it has more to do with a tax incentive, government support etc., than energy independence.
Don't get me wrong, I traded in an old Z28 I had laying around the first day the cash for clunkers was announced. I'm not Holier than thou.

Would you think for example If I decided to grow a garden that I should be able to force the local grocer into buying any that I decided was excess? Then of course we have to make it so that he keeps food on hand for those times I want more or the weather was bad or there wasn't enough rain etc., but he has to buy any food I don't want.
Think that is fair?

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Nope, I sold it and begin cruising full time in two months.
You keep the grid tie, and the snow too

Originally Posted by a64pilot

When I chose to, yes. Right now I'm 150 miles away from the boat doing the work thing, so yes the boat is in a Marina, behind a locked gate, plugged in and the AC in dehumidify mode. I feel better with it there.
However barring some Zombie apocalypse or failure of the Government, the budget does allow being plugged into a Marina as often as we like. However I hope to go to where there are few if any Marina's, but if they are available and we would like to, we will take a Marina.
It's not a competition for us to see if we can live off of a dollar a day, or 10 gls of water a week etc.
For us, it's an adventure we hope, it's to have fun. If it's not fun, we will re-evaluate it and do something different.
Our Daughter has come up with a T shirt idea she want to have made for us, have an outline of the boat and have printed on it.
" Adventure before Dementia"

Wife and I are not real sure we like that, but I guess if your 18, it's funny. For us I guess it's too close to the truth?

Then why are you so bothered by those of us trying to be self-sufficient and energy independent?

Personally, I couldn't care any less if one guy spends $500 to go camping on his boat or another wants to spend $20,000 per month to stay in the world's finest marinas and eat well. It's personal choice. But, I'll continue to point out hypocricy whenever I see it.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Personally, I couldn't care any less if one guy spends $500 to go camping on his boat or another wants to spend $20,000 per month to stay in the world's finest marinas and eat well. It's personal choice. But, I'll continue to point out hypocricy whenever I see it.

Congrats on expanding your solar system. Are the installation credits and the subsidies on the feed-in tariff at the same level as before?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Congrats on expanding your solar system. Are the installation credits and the subsidies on the feed-in tariff at the same level as before?

Right now, all that's being offered is a 30% tax credit, which means that if we pay $26,000 for the system and we have a federal tax obligation of $8,000, then we would get a tax return of $8,000 on the taxes owed. But first, the $26,000 would need to be paid to pay for the system, then we would essentially not have to pay $8,000 in federal income tax on that money. Nothing is free, we still need to earn the money to pay for the solar array.

Otherwise, any savings above that is just for the electrical bill savings. I don't count on any of the feed-in incentives, since last time when I spent over $40k on a system, I only ended up receiving less than $200 per year on the incentives for an 8kw system. That part was just a scam which profited a bunch of middle men.

When installing these systems, it's really more about saving money 8-10 years down the line during retirement.

[UAEguy]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Nuclear power, even the primitive fission technology we have here, is actually the t*ts. It is just hands down the way to make energy, according to the choices we have today. Just look at France to see what embracing nuclear power can do for you.
.

Human fear and government regulations have crippled the nuclear energy future. Unless there is a massive change in the way we manage nuclear power plant construction and regulation, it won't be competitive with the coming of the Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) technology which will make $0.20/W Solar a reality in the next decade. OPV will be produced by the kilometer on 60" wide PET film and no other power source will come close to the rate of payback nor the life of the investment. Solar power will crush the competition hands down.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by UAEguy

Human fear and government regulations have crippled the nuclear energy future. Unless there is a massive change in the way we manage nuclear power plant construction and regulation, it won't be competitive with the coming of the Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) technology which will make $0.20/W Solar a reality in the next decade. OPV will be produced by the kilometer on 60" wide PET film and no other power source will come close to the rate of payback nor the life of the investment. Solar power will crush the competition hands down.

Maybe in situations where real estate is not a constraint.
And that still won't solve the problem of intermittent supply.

[UAEguy]

Originally Posted by StuM

Maybe in situations where real estate is not a constraint.
And that still won't solve the problem of intermittent supply.

Ah StuM, glad to have you jump in on my bailiwick!

In the analysis of building a profitable solar farm, the cost of the land is the least important. It is possible to buy 250 acres of prime solar land in Arizona for less than $1M. On that 250 acres, it is possible to install 1 million square meters of OPV for $75M which includes grid tie and full balance of plant with solar-trac-rac. With this facility, at $0.12/kwh, revenues can exceed $25M/yr.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by UAEguy

Ah StuM, glad to have you jump in on my bailiwick!

In the analysis of building a profitable solar farm, the cost of the land is the least important. It is possible to buy 250 acres of prime solar land in Arizona for less than $1M. On that 250 acres, it is possible to install 1 million square meters of OPV for $75M which includes grid tie and full balance of plant with solar-trac-rac. With this facility, at $0.12/kwh, revenues can exceed $25M/yr.

Please tell us how you'd plan on getting the juice to the big city where it's needed and used the most?

[UAEguy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Please tell us how you'd plan on getting the juice to the big city where it's needed and used the most?

Are you asking me to show you the facility photos or a breakdown of the hardware or location relative to primary transmission?

But please, roll your eyes! I'll have fun with this one.

[UAEguy]

Here is an example of how to build solar farms in Arizona without having to pay a dime for the land & have a built-in customer.

There are more than 16 million square meters available for dual purpose coverage PV. (4000 acres)

In 2014 the Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Science and Technology (S&T) program selected a proposal submitted by the Phoenix Area Office (PXAO) to develop a white paper evaluating placing solar panels at the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal. The purpose of the white paper is to examine the fundamental considerations relevant to placing solar over or alongside the CAP canal system and its impacts. These considerations and impacts include operations and maintenance, structural, evaporation, costs (design, O&M, land vs over canal), authorities, and stakeholders.

Conveying water through the CAP canal system from the Colorado River to the terminus near Tucson requires a cumulative pumping lift of approximately 2,900 vertical feet. This requires large amounts of electricity to run the system's 109 pumps to lift approximately 1.5 million acrefeet (MAF) of CAP water. These pumps are located in 15 separate pumping plants. The 4 largest western pumping plants, located along the initial 120 miles of aqueduct, contain the largest pumps and create the majority of CAP's electrical demand. The amount of energy needed for these pumps totals 2.8 million megawatt hours per year which is equivalent to 320 Megawatts (MW) of continuous generation capacity. One mile of solar panels over the canal provided during on-peak hours 65 megawatt hours annually which is roughly 0.002 percent of the CAP canal energy requirements.

The CAP is the largest single end-user of energy in Arizona, getting more than 90 percent of its power from the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) (CAP, 2016); a coal power plant near Page, Arizona. The remainder of the required power comes from market purchases, Hoover Dam, and New Waddell Dam. CAP load demand is typically highest in the off-peak, non-summer period, averaging about 450 MW. During the May to August period, CAP load demand is typically reduced to approximately 200 MW due primarily to the associated economic benefits of marketing NGS peak power as “surplus power” during the peak summer demands. This excess power is marked to outside entitles on the open market. This demand cycle is the opposite of the solar radiation intensity (insolation). Insolation drives solar energy production in PV cells; more intense solar radiation produces more electricity which occurs in the late spring, summer and early fall periods.