Waste (was Smoke detector flameout ) [RE-wrenches]

[hugh piggott]

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At 12:18 am +0100 4/4/01, Phil Undercuffler wrote:
>My .02 on the waste issue, somewhat stream of conscious:
>
>     Telling ourselves that we're only wasting renewable energy and then
>running the generator to keep the system charged because of inverter idle
>and ghost loads is fooling ourselves.

Who said anything about running a generator? When the wind is low 
then the phantom loads get zapped with everything else.  I have them 
arranged in rows with individual switches so that I can massacre them 
in a quick burst.  While it is windy I prefer to have everything up 
and running.  As the volts drop, I get more and more mean.

If I relied on solar panels I would probably be agreeing with you. 
PV is expensive and very predictable.  Wind is cheaper and very 
variable.  Hardly any of my neighbours have controllers. They have 
big recycled batteries, small wind turbines, and voltmeters.  When 
the volts are up they use power liberally. This is pleasant.  When 
volts drop they get fussy about lights left on and phantom loads.

I wish I had a hydro, and then I could leave everything on all the 
time.  Nature is bountiful  :-)
-- 
Hugh

Scoraig, Scotland
http://www.scoraigwind.co.uk

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