3.66mwh total with a maximum of 7661W. That means that in March I generated a 1MWH of power. My meter has not advanced (on average) the whole month. It also means that for the second time I've generated more power than the system is rated to generate. Now witness the full power of this fully installed and operational solar electric system.
This really is so totally cool. I'm damn glad I got this done.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
BMW Z3 EV conversion by Tim Catellier
http://ev.gearboxmagazine.com/2010/03/16/tim-catelliers-2000-bmw-z3-ev/
This is an article about my friend Tim who just finished converting a BMW Z3 to all electrical. I've been reading along while he's been building it, and spent an excellent day hanging out talking and checking out the car when I was down in Phoenix last. I've got to say he's done an exceptional job on this and really proved he is an extraordinary man especially when it comes to resolving difficult problems. Many of the problems he ran into would have stopped me dead.
Here's his blog in case you're interested.
http://evz3.blogspot.com/
This is an article about my friend Tim who just finished converting a BMW Z3 to all electrical. I've been reading along while he's been building it, and spent an excellent day hanging out talking and checking out the car when I was down in Phoenix last. I've got to say he's done an exceptional job on this and really proved he is an extraordinary man especially when it comes to resolving difficult problems. Many of the problems he ran into would have stopped me dead.
Here's his blog in case you're interested.
http://evz3.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 1, 2010
Incredibly efficient solar panels.
http://media.caltech.edu/press_releases/13325
Flexible solar panels that can usefully absorb 96% of single wavelength light and 85% of all light and convert it to electricity. That is unbelievable. I could replace my entire array with about 1/3 the panels, or triple my energy production. I sure hope they get to market with a reasonable price soon.
Flexible solar panels that can usefully absorb 96% of single wavelength light and 85% of all light and convert it to electricity. That is unbelievable. I could replace my entire array with about 1/3 the panels, or triple my energy production. I sure hope they get to market with a reasonable price soon.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February Solar generation
Generated another 630 kwh this month for a total of 2.66gwh. Surprisingly the maximum has also gone up, not only wouldn't I have expected that in February, but it went up to 7460 which is quite a bit above the 6.72 for which the system is rated. I'm not sure what that means, but I'm damned glad it's working as well as it is.
Friday, February 19, 2010
solaris NIC admin and named configuration
on new sun servers to administer nics
dladm show-dev
-----------
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/excerpt/dnsbindcook_ch05/
named-checkconf to check named configuration
named-checkzone to check a specific zone
dladm show-dev
-----------
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/excerpt/dnsbindcook_ch05/
named-checkconf to check named configuration
named-checkzone to check a specific zone
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Contingency Planning.
A story:
Following the contingency plan was simple when the alarms went off. It was well written, concise and obvious. When I reached my assigned place I discovered the next stop was to read "Green Book Number 17". Green Book Number 17 was difficult to find at first because it was so small. Merely a thick paper cover and a single sheet of paper.
The single sheet of paper said only "Find box 17 on the lower shelf and follow instructions."
Box 17 was one of only a few boxes on the shelves and was about the size of a shoe box, only made of heavy metal locked with a combination lock. Likely the combination lock for the 6 digit number I'd been told to memorize last year.
The top of the box had a 3"x5" card on top that said "Open box while alone in locked room immediately." Simple enough, the room I was assigned for emergency use was just down the hall so I stepped in and locked the door. Everyone outside was going about their duties in an orderly fashion so no need for me to interfere.
Sure enough the number I had fit the box I had. Inside the box was quite a surprise, not what I'd expected at all. A box of syringes, a small mirror, a headlamp, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a box of sterile wipes, a 9 mm hand gun and 4 boxes of shells. Also a sealed red envelope with INSTRUCTIONS printed on it.
Inside the envelope was a set of simple instructions I found hard to grasp. Simple to list, difficult to execute.
"If you are following instructions which have led to opening this box, the base will be completely sealed in less than 10 minutes. Follow these instructions as quickly as you can, time is against you.
1. Look in the mirror. If the whites of your eyes have any bright yellow coloring find your next in command and give them this box. If not follow the rest of these instructions.
2. Inoculate yourself immediately.
3. Find your next in command and check their eyes. If no yellow is visible inoculate them immediately. If their eyes are yellow at all, shoot them in the head.
4. Repeat these steps for every person in your section of the building.
If in 4 hours no others have developed symptoms use the intercom to begin trying to contact Central Command.
Following the contingency plan was simple when the alarms went off. It was well written, concise and obvious. When I reached my assigned place I discovered the next stop was to read "Green Book Number 17". Green Book Number 17 was difficult to find at first because it was so small. Merely a thick paper cover and a single sheet of paper.
The single sheet of paper said only "Find box 17 on the lower shelf and follow instructions."
Box 17 was one of only a few boxes on the shelves and was about the size of a shoe box, only made of heavy metal locked with a combination lock. Likely the combination lock for the 6 digit number I'd been told to memorize last year.
The top of the box had a 3"x5" card on top that said "Open box while alone in locked room immediately." Simple enough, the room I was assigned for emergency use was just down the hall so I stepped in and locked the door. Everyone outside was going about their duties in an orderly fashion so no need for me to interfere.
Sure enough the number I had fit the box I had. Inside the box was quite a surprise, not what I'd expected at all. A box of syringes, a small mirror, a headlamp, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a box of sterile wipes, a 9 mm hand gun and 4 boxes of shells. Also a sealed red envelope with INSTRUCTIONS printed on it.
Inside the envelope was a set of simple instructions I found hard to grasp. Simple to list, difficult to execute.
"If you are following instructions which have led to opening this box, the base will be completely sealed in less than 10 minutes. Follow these instructions as quickly as you can, time is against you.
1. Look in the mirror. If the whites of your eyes have any bright yellow coloring find your next in command and give them this box. If not follow the rest of these instructions.
2. Inoculate yourself immediately.
3. Find your next in command and check their eyes. If no yellow is visible inoculate them immediately. If their eyes are yellow at all, shoot them in the head.
4. Repeat these steps for every person in your section of the building.
If in 4 hours no others have developed symptoms use the intercom to begin trying to contact Central Command.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Solar taxes.
One of the steps in this process that I've sort of doubted all along was the claimed tax refund from installing the solar. Well, I did my taxes and wow was I surprised. Not only did I get several thousand dollars back from my taxes for installing solar but I have an even larger hold over for next year because my deductions were too large. So I get a huge return this year (which is very good since it's going to save my ass) and next year I get a bigger than normal return.
At this point my total outlay for the installation is going to be about $13,500 for a 6.72Kwh system. Then I'll get another chunk back for it next year, probably dropping the total price to around somewhere around $11,000. I won't know for a while yet exactly what my payoff period will be for the system, but at the very least it's making it so that my hot tub increase in power use is offset. During the summer I expect to generate quite a bit more power than I use, even with the hot tub, and I intend to make the hot tub significantly more energy efficient before next winter.
So all in all, I would guess that I'll have this entire installation paid off in about 7 years, so then I should have about 13 years of profit from it before I have to replace it.
At this point my total outlay for the installation is going to be about $13,500 for a 6.72Kwh system. Then I'll get another chunk back for it next year, probably dropping the total price to around somewhere around $11,000. I won't know for a while yet exactly what my payoff period will be for the system, but at the very least it's making it so that my hot tub increase in power use is offset. During the summer I expect to generate quite a bit more power than I use, even with the hot tub, and I intend to make the hot tub significantly more energy efficient before next winter.
So all in all, I would guess that I'll have this entire installation paid off in about 7 years, so then I should have about 13 years of profit from it before I have to replace it.
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