Manufacturers on the list? [RE-wrenches]

[Richard Perez, Home Power magazine]

<x-flowed>Hello Travis

At 14:01 -0800 2/27/01, Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar wrote:
>I am confused (even more than usual).  We are talking about the main list,
>not the lead list? Right?  But anyway here goes..
>
>How are we defining manufacturer?  The range is this industry is very large.
>  Backwoods and Dankoff are manufacturers (sort of) yet we welcome them on
>the list.  Of course they are still privately owned by the founder of the
>company (as far as I know).  They aren't in the solar business because they
>believe it to be a excellent " potential profit center" nor are they owned
>by someone who desires to move themselves into the industry that still has a
>way to go.

I long ago gave up caring why folks went solar, either as individuals 
or as multinational corporations. It's enough for me that they go 
solar.

It's enough for me that their energy is clean, I think it 
unrealistic, and probably undesirable, to demand that their "karma" 
be so also.

>
>But Siemens, on the other hand, is quite a different story.  To put it in
>scale... I would bet that Siemens revenue last year just from 20 amp single
>pole breakers @ 3$ each represents more revenue than the solar industry in
>total has done since its beginning.

PV manufacture is inherently capital intensive. You won't find a Mom 
& Pop cranking out cells from their garage.

I suggest that large traditional energy companies be given a pat on 
the back for investing in RE manufacture--even if it's more PR than 
PV. The only way we are going to make solar the dominant energy 
source of this planet is with the help of these heavy economic 
hitters.

>
>Is this list for them?  No, it's for dealer/installers and small business'
>committed to the industry,  not mega billion dollar corporations or
>corporations doing their best to get there.

Without the corporations manufacturing PVs, inverters, wind 
generator, and batteries, there would be no industry. I think that 
you need to shed the chip on your shoulder and realize who your 
coworkers are. We share a common goal here.

>
>If I want them to answer a question I'll ask them myself!  If they don't
>have the courtesy to answer me I'll tell my fellow Re-Wrenches.  If they
>make me happy I'll report that to.  If they take issue with something I've
>said (after reading the archives) then they can contact me.  We are all
>pretty easy to find.
>
>Travis Creswell
>Ozark Solar

I see no reason why free interchange of technical information between 
Wrenches and manufacturers cannot benefit everyone on this list.

Richard

------------------------------------
Richard Perez
Home Power
PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520  USA
Tele: 530-475-3179
FAX: 530-475-0836
Subscriptions: 800-707-6585
mailto:richard.perez at homepower.com
Web: http://www.homepower.com

- - - - - - -
To send a message:
 RE-wrenches at topica.com

The archive of previous messages: 
 http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette:
 http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

To unsubscribe send a message to: 
 RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

To check out the other RE-Wrench participants:
 www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine: 
 www.homepower.com

For info contact list moderator by email:
 michael.welch at homepower.com

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  -- Learn More. Surf Less. 
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

</x-flowed>