alt.energy.renewable

> > Well, here's the thing. I figure that if you were to install
> > your device on every home in the US, then you would reduce residential
> > use of heating oil by roughly 10%. I have looked at passive solar.
> > It's great during sunny days when it isn't cold out. Not so much for
> > rare events like:night. It would be pretty much useless here in
> > upstate NY due to the pervasive winter overcast, Reallistically, there
> > is a relatively small set of applications for which it is appropriate,
> > and none of them involve a total heating solution. At best, they are
> > supplemental as-available heating. So, we need roughly 200
> > multibillion dollar projects annually to replace the declines in oil
> > production. Great.
>
> New information: the pair of panels shown at the link I posted
> earlier were adequate to keep that building at a comfortable
> temperature round the clock even through cloudy days and nights
> with temperatures below 0F.
>
> More: it was on one of those overcast days in Red Oaks Mill, NY
> that I got the only burn I've ever had from one of my flat panel
> collectors. I'm familiar with the weather conditions you're
> talking about and can assure you that overcast doesn't prevent a
> good panel from producing real heat.

There are 3 options here morris, you are A) lieing, B) dreaming,
or c) REALLY cherrypicking your houses.
My house takes 25-30 thousand BTUs/hour to heat full time on a 0
degree day. That means that *in the full desert sun* I would need 24
meters squared of 100% efficient energy collection *and* energy
storage for 500,000 btus to be delivered over the course of the
night. Now, I will grant you that my house isn't the best insulated,
but that's keeping it 65 degrees. most people use at least that much
energy to heat their homes. Lemme guess, the "example" home you are
using is a earth sheltered greenroofed home. Say 800 square feet at a
construction cost of $750k? One of those? I was wrong, installing
those panels of yours on every home in america would save far less
than .5% of our oil consumption. Assuming that they get 100%
conversion of full desert sun, they will *still* only produce an
absolute maximum of 42 thousand btus per day, or enough to keep the
average house warm for 1.5 hours. But that's just reality here in the
trenches, don't let it bother you.

> > My objective is to arrange things such that me and mine survive
> > this. The fact is, people gonna die. A lot of people, nothing you're
> > gonna do is going to prevent that.
>
> I don't think a group of 250 civilian men, women, and children
> constitute a viable defense force - I wish you luck.

Try it.

> > You are making some rather wildly offbase assumptions about the
> > efficacy of government, the nature of civilization collapse and the
> > ability of government to remain in control of situations far from
> > urban centers.
>
> Probably. I think you're picturing a sudden collapse - and I see
> a slower process in which there's a determined effort to maintain
> as much control as possible for as long as can be managed.

Yes, I am picturing a collapse over 1-5 years. beyond that
there's no managing it.

> > > How much thought have you given to feeding and sheltering or
> > > re-settling refugees? Are you imagining that they would not have
> > > significant impact on your life? A non-inclusive plan is a
> > > non-starter...
>
> > A fair amount. Governments tend to concentrate refugees, so they
> > are really not the main problem. The main problem is the roaming
> > gangs. That's what the armed friends are for.
>
> See my comment above.
>
> > Again, good luck with that. Hope you succeed. REALLY do. Just
> > don't see a road from here to there.
>
> Your good wishes are appreciated. If you run out of pellets,
> you'll know where to find me. :-)

The wood pellets are for the car, good old-fashioned cordwood
heats my home.