PV as an investment [RE-wrenches]

[john at gosolar.co.nz]

Back-yard pools in Kansas........ hey, I grew up in Kansas and we didn't have
any fancy back yard pools and didn't know ayone that had any either - that was
California stuff.  When we were teenagers and not out drag racing ourselves or
driving around Wyandotte Co lake, for fun we took our girl friends out into
wheat or corn fields and watched the bugs crawl up the staulks, or
whatever......

yes this has been a good thread - I think we've all learned others shared
concerns about when people raise the dreaded 'payback' term,

                                                            John V,
Christchurch, N.Z.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar" wrote:

> Very good thread indeed,
>
> I use the boat example.  It's derivative of Bill Roush's.  I tell them about
> the person with the new bass boat (or insert whatever luxury item may be
> popular in you area).
>
> Did he buy a 20 yr old pontoon boat with a 5 hp motor because he really
> wanted a bass boat that could also pull two skiers?
> (Implying regular energy is comparable to the old bass boat and any old joe
> could go out get a old pontoon boat)
>
> No he bought the bass boat.  (Green Energy and the person I am talking too
> implied)
> And he (you) bought that bass boat (green energy) because he wanted it and
> that's what he believed in.  Does it make any sense to get a bass boat.  Of
> course it does if that's gives you pleasure.  Now amortize the cost of the
> boat over the year into $/use and it comes up to over a $1000 per use for
> most folks as they only get to use a boat a few time a year.
>
> A PV system is a bargain compared to that!
>
> Warning ... Confession Alert System Activated....
> We all have our luxury items or hobbies or whatever you want to call them.
> I'll tell you all something I realized the other day.  I was flying over
> Kansas in a single engine plane at about 1000' coming home from a glorious
> day at the Heartland National Drag Races.  Funny cars breaking 300mph, that
> use 10 gallons of nitro meth in a 1/4 mile.  Nothing to green about that but
> I had free starting line tickets so who could blame me.  We flew over house
> after house that had a pool in the back yard.  I couldn't help that it's
> things like those back yard pools that we are competing with.  We are asking
> the average guy with a wife and 2.3 kids to make a choice between a solar
> energy system and it's very intangible benefits to that pool, something his
> entire family can enjoy.  I doubt many "average" families with 2.3 kids can
> afford both.  As a father of a young child with 1.3 on the way I realized
> that given the choice between the pool and more solar panels I'd choose the
> pool every time and I'm pretty green.  What's that say about average
> "Americana".
>
> Travis Creswell
> Ozark Solar
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Allan Sindelar" <allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
> To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 8:29 PM
> Subject: Re: PV as an investment [RE-wrenches]
>
> > Wrenches,
> > Please continue with thoughtful responses to this thread. We're regularly
> > asked this, too, and we need a good response. As I have done with a few
> > other essential threads, I will save all of the good postings on this
> topic,
> > edit them to a single document that we can hand out to customers asking
> > about payback, and make it available to other wrenches who request it.
> This
> > is good, important stuff. It is a "consciousness shift here folks... that
> is
> > why the change to renewables is so much more complicated than what seems
> to
> > be so obvious..."
> > Allan at Pos Energy
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Todd Cory, Bald Mtn. Solar" <toddcory at jps.net>
> > > Good thread...
> > >
> > > Another reply I have come up with to the usual payback question is to
> ask
> > them why they
> > > think it is with energy, "cheaper is better"? I ask if when they bought
> > their vehicle or
> > > home, did they look for the rock bottom, cheapest thing they could get?
> Of
> > course not,
> > > so I point out that likewise, some kinds of energy are different (and
> > better) then
> > > others.
> > >
> > > Yes, that $500.00 used, rusted out, 1967 pickup will move your body from
> > point A to B,
> > > just like brown, carbon based power will light a bulb or run the TV, but
> > green power is
> > > different and better because it is clean... but like a Lexus, it does
> cost
> > more.
> > >
> > > I also then point out how the current cost of brown power does not begin
> > to include the
> > > long term environmental consequences of using it. I tell them that their
> > children's,
> > > children's, children will get to pay that bill. I encourage them to be a
> > leader, be an
> > > example to others and make the only intelligent choice for the health of
> > future
> > > generations on our planet.
> > >
> > > We are dealing with a consciousness shift here folks... that is why the
> > change to
> > > renewables is so much more complicated then what seems to be so obvious
> to
> > us that are
> > > on the "other side". Again, 70+ % of what I end up doing is education of
> > the customer...
> > > too bad the schools don't teach people to think outside the box better.
> >
> > - - - -
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> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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> To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>
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