[at-l] RE: Windmills

[Bob Cummings <ellen@clinic.net> (Bob Cummings)]

"Hmmm - the cost of energy production wasn't what became uncompetitive - it was
the over-regulation, extended licensing process, constantly changing  safety
requirements and the court costs for fighting the anti-nuclear  lawsuits, Jim
claims.

He may be right. I have no way of knowing. But since the beginning of the
nuclear age, the nation has been run by administrations and Congresses that
mostly supported nuclear power, my guess is that most of the regulations were
needed.

Jim is wrong however, when he says, "Even passive solar isn't benign. Those
solar cells have to be manufactured - as do the control and distribution
equipment. And the basic materials for those things have to be mined - generally
on land that "somebody" thinks  should remain "wild"...." in further comments on
my energy comments.


Here we are talking about totally different things. Passive solar in my book is
designing a house so as to make maximum use of the sun for lighting and heating.
Generally that involves  putting the kitchen and breakfast nook on the south
east to catch the first rays of morning sun through the windows and patterning
the home to match natural light and solar heat with household activities
throughout the day, while confining bedrooms and baths and such to the north.

The solar "cells" on my house are ordinary windows, most of which are arrayed on
the south to catch the sun. I did design in one north window, useful when the
kids were growing to watch for school buses on wintry days.

Nor do I have more than the normal complement of windows, if anything my house
is underglazed by modern standards. Why? Too many windows cause houses to
overheat during the day and to lose excessive amounts of heat at night.

Even on frigid coastal Maine a passive solar house can be designed that gathers
at least a third of its home heating needs from the sun, without adding anything
to the cost. I know because I designed, built and live in such a house -- and
even wrote a book telling others how to do likewise. A passive solar house need
not cost a penny more than a standard house costs, since the same materials in
the same quantities are used in both. The difference is in the design.

Jim says other wise things in a post that I mostly agree with. I urge everyone
to read it. But don't just swap 100 watt bulbs for 60 watt bulbs, swap them for
16 watt and 20 watt florescents, which are starting to plummet in price. This
very afteroon I replaced my last incandescant bulb for the new low energy
replacements.

 And while you are reading Jim, remember PASSIVE SOLAR IS FREE ENERGY -- well
except for the cost of some faded drapes and slip covers.

Weary