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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As you're aware William, being my mentor,
<EM>I</EM> can't give <EM>you</EM> advice on your designs...none-the-less I
figured I'd throw my hat in the ring of our talkabout (verbal
walkabout)...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>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.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>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...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>...Hey, come back here with my
soapbox!...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=william@millersolar.com href="mailto:william@millersolar.com">William
Miller</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">'RE-wrenches'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 16, 2013 5:56
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] PV
Assist</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><!-- Converted from text/plain format -->
<P><FONT face=Arial>Friends:<BR><BR>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.<BR><BR>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. <BR><BR>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."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>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. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>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.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Have a nice weekend everyone.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT size=3 face=Arial>William Miller</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT size=3 face=Arial>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.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT size=3 face=Arial>Wm</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT size=3 face=Arial></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff size=4 face=Arial></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=4
face=Arial></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=4 face=Arial></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff size=4 face=Arial></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=4
face=Arial></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=4 face=Arial></FONT><BR><BR><FONT
size=3 face=Arial>-----Original Message-----<BR>From:
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org [</FONT><A
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org"><FONT size=3
face=Arial>mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</FONT></A><FONT
size=3 face=Arial>] On Behalf Of penobscotsolar@midmaine.com<BR>Sent: Friday,
August 16, 2013 3:22 PM<BR>To: RE-wrenches<BR>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] PV
Assist<BR><BR>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.<BR><BR>Daryl<BR><BR></FONT><BR></P></FONT>
<P>
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