[RE-wrenches] PV Assist

Sat Aug 17 14:19:35 PDT 2013

As you're aware William, being my mentor, I can't give you advice on your designs...none-the-less I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring of our talkabout (verbal walkabout)...

I've seen plenty of wealthy homeowners turn to solar initially for the savings and end up acquiring an affinity for saving energy which, as I've seen, can lead to an awareness on the importance of ecological preservation. Some have even put aside their more "conservative" sociopolitical ideologies and recalled their inherent desire to connect with their environment, a.k.a. become more hippied-out man.

We run up against this concept with every single solar panel we sell. Where is it manufactured? Not at the local, organic, free-range, fair-trade solar farm that's for sure. How much embodied energy and chemical by-product comes with each module (let's not talk about batteries)? Way, way, way too much. But for now, as this is the time of transition, solar is "the lesser of two evils". The underlying truth is that in order to establish a sustainable existence, at a bare minimum, we must not consume more resources than we produce. This is hardly possible given any modern lifestyle, even the most eco-friendly. Each and every one of us that are not living entirely off the land and putting back all the nutrients that we consume; despite our best intentions, recycling our plastic bottles, shopping at farmer's markets, driving electric cars, are slowly destroying our planet. So what do we do? We may not be able to save the earth but we can wake as many sleeping zombie-consumers as possible and see where that gets us. 

The way I see it, our good work is far from perfect but it's a modest means to a greater end and everyone must get on board, fast; even the gluttons; especially the gluttons. As it's been said, we're the pioneers. We're the messengers, the alarm clocks, and the catalysts of this paradigm shift. Energy technology is changing fast, in both the renewable and conventional sectors and we're the ones, selling solar to everything that breathes and has a pocketbook, that are helping renewables to beat coal, oil, natty gas, nuclear; and If we don't do it, who will? In order for the green revolution to contend and win we need to build bridges between the tree-huggers and the oil-mongers and that is accomplished not by creating an eco-elite but through persistent diplomacy...

...Hey, come back here with my soapbox!...

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: William Miller 
  To: 'RE-wrenches' 
  Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 5:56 PM
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

  Friends:

  I am a bit surprised at the responses I have gotten on this thread.  I appreciate the technical advice and I don't mind the polite philosophical discussion like the one below.  However, I received one reply, fortunately off-line, that was not very polite, to say the least.

  I have been advised to abandon the clients that don't fit someone's criteria of green living.  I don't think this is appropriate advice, especially if the adviser does not know what the whole story is. 

  For example, one of the aforementioned clients was sold a bill of goods by a now defunct local installer. He retired, bought the property, moved in with a generator and then waited way too long for the scam artist to build a system that would "power everything with the rays of the sun."

  Tens of thousands of dollars later the client fired the scammer and asked me to help as best I could.  He is on a fixed income, he lives with extended family, the daughter has severe health problems, the son in law is out of work, etc..  My client is in a tight situation, with no good choices.  

  Yes, I could tell the guy f*** you, you don't meet my standards.  But I am not that kind of person.  I am trying to help the customer get by as best he can by working as a team.  This, my friends, is the professional and humane thing to do, and I make no apologies.

  Have a nice weekend everyone.

  William Miller

  PS:  the "good" customers are not necessarily the greenest people, they are the ones that reduce consumption as best they can, do their homework, trust me and pay on time.

  Wm

  -----Original Message-----
  From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of penobscotsolar at midmaine.com
  Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 3:22 PM
  To: RE-wrenches
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

  Honestly, William, in these type of cases I usually walk away from the job if the customer isn't willing to reduce where possible. There is no such thing as a completely fool proof off grid PV system. Like a good lawyer, the best way to have a stellar record is to know which cases to take....just one man's opinion of course, but we get approached for many systems like this, particularly in the Caribbean and I have learned that there is such a thing as a good solar customer and also a bad solar customer.

  Daryl

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  _______________________________________________
  List sponsored by Home Power magazine

  List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

  Change email address & settings:
  http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

  List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

  List rules & etiquette:
  www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

  Check out participant bios:
  www.members.re-wrenches.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20130817/7131cc23/attachment-0003.html>