[RE-wrenches] Myths, Schemes and Scams request

Sun Apr 13 14:33:06 PDT 2014

The "suicide cords" are common up here. Most that I have seen are on a
breaker, permanently wired and most have a dead piug covering the generator
ends of the cord. At least there are no live conductors exposed. Now if I
could just get a friend to stop leaving his on the basement floor everytime
it floods!

Bob Ellison

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ray Walters
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 5:13 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Myths, Schemes and Scams request

I'm game: let's do it.  I was just at Home Depot this weekend talking about
male male extension cords......

Ray

I also admit to, when in a whimsical mood, asking staff at Home Depot / Ace
hardware etc., how to make up a male to male extension cord so my Honda
generator can run my house in an emergency. One of these days I'll find a
co-conspiritor with a tiny camera and make an educational video of it. 

Dan Fink,
Executive Director;
Otherpower
Buckville Energy Consulting
Buckville Publications LLC
NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education Providers
970.672.4342

On Sat, Apr 12, 2014 at 6:53 PM, Dave Click <daveclick at fsec.ucf.edu> wrote:

If you also have the local electricians selling the kvar units as surefire
ways to save 30% on your electric bill, I'd nominate that as
myth/scheme/scam, though I hope most of those resellers are doing so only
because they're naive. There was also some absurd company a few years ago
which was selling a "3000W" module that looked suspiciously like a 200W
module yet could produce a steady 3kW even without any load and even while
in the shade. They had the clamp-on meter to prove it, so maybe they're
still selling off area code exclusivity off for a mere $50,000 initial
deposit.

Screen-shots from this would be fun-- one of the ubiquitous "$50 for this
complete guide to unplugging from grid by making your own solar panels"
http://www.powerfreedom.com/System/

The YellowBook ad from a few years ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hpHxEhO_DQ

I don't know where I got this picture-- from one of the "make your own solar
panel" things online. Lovely aesthetics!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bxhl3q6hrr9z5sp/DIY%20PV.png 

On 2014/4/12, 16:47, Allan Sindelar wrote:

Fellow Wrenches,
Last year I prepared an hour's presentation for our local Solar Fiesta on
"Energy Myths, Schemes and Scams". I covered mostly PV and the solar
industry, with a few slides about the physics of wind and those cute spinny
yard-art things called VAWTs.  I also hit on "it takes more energy to make a
PV panel than it will ever produce", the limitations of 25-year module
warranties, "free energy generators", James McKirdy, lunar modules, and
modules with fraudulent listings. This was what I was able to pull together.

The workshop was popular and I have been asked to give it again in a couple
of weeks. I'm looking for any suggestions that you may have for new or
additional material to update the presentation. Any ideas are welcome,
especially if you can provide links to good stories and slide materials.
This is for a general non-technical audience, but I have the freedom to go
in any direction I wish. So I'd like to be more than just entertaining, but
make points about value over price, using local installers with knowledge
and experience, etc. 

Beside my appreciation for the material, I'll offer in return to share an
editable version of the presentation for your own use (although it's a 14
meg PowerPoint file at present).

Thank you in advance for your suggestions of anything that gets your blood
boiling, that would be funny if it wasn't giving PV and clean energy a bad
name.
Allan

-- 

Allan Sindelar
 <mailto:Allan at positiveenergysolar.com> Allan at positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Founder (Retired), Positive Energy, Inc.

A Certified B CorporationTM
505 780-2738 <tel:505%20780-2738>  cell

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