Julian's Comments

Residual pressed cake would still feed the animals, and bulk out all sorts for human consumption... but what about all the CO2 given off in fermentation as well as combustion?.. and how long before the planet is one big cornfield?.. where would we grow the crops to EAT?

I can see there use in 'normally' unheated rooms, like porch rooms, etc. but the unit cost compared to having a single system, and distribution from a thermal store of some kind, would be far more cost effective... surely??

One must also consider that subsidies artificially keep the price high.. example: a manufacturer which could maintain it's margins and drop it's price 20%, through larger manufacturing numbers effciencies, won't, because of the subsidies... swallowed up as an extra margin.. so, pretending a 20% subsidy, a consumer should expect to of paid, net of subsidies, 60% of the 'old' price, but instead pays 80%, and the manufacturers make 120% of the margin they made before... whilst the general tax payer foots the bill for both subsidy and extra margin.

When selling power into the grid, it must be remembered that the generator only gets the WHOLESALE price... the grid has the job of delivering it, and the power company, the job of metering the user, and collecting the money, some time after having paid for it.. electric is like any other good.. each element in the chain needs a margin, in order to perform their task.. it is not a 'them and us' situation, but a 'them and them and them and us'... here in the UK 1 x KWH = about 14pence (circa 25c US) and the best buy price for domestic sell-back, is 8pence (less than 14c). As ever, it is the final seller who makes the best money, and should maybe be forced to buy a minimum of 25% (or more)of their power from renewable sources.. which would help generate more renewable production, which could then demand higher %, etc. etc.

I don't think the question was about creating some sort of air conditioning, but to capture heat that would otherwise vent to atmosphere... if this is the case, then you must be careful.. if an open fire, the chimney needs to be warm, to create the air current, that draws up the smoke (ever notice it smokes when first lit?) If you cool the chimney too much, it will smoke back into the house. I Suggest yo fit a 'continental loop' a simple copper coil, made from a long UNJOINTED pipe that can fit inside the chinney (if remaining size still legal), or around the flue liner.. one end inside the room at floo level, the other brought back down to other side.. heat convection will drive a flow, pulling cool air in, and 'blowing' VERY hot air out.. so protect against kids touching.

Being the born sceptic that I am, no-one sells off their products with this level of discounting, in a bouyyant market, unless a much newer, and cheaper technology is about to be released. I suspect that a new Solar PV product is about to be launched, which will use less, be faster and easier to produce and cost less as a result, which would make it impossible to shift existing stocks, or utilise exisiting manufacturing plants.. my guess would be spring of next year (2007) will see the launch on a limited availability to keep the price higher that it's long term target, yet still cheap enough to make it more attractive that existing modules.. with a sudden plundge in price once the technology is sold off to other producers.. circa 2010 for 'generally available' like current Solar PV.

..ok so I got the timing wrong but another article here on the renewable energy website http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=46677 talks about a new non-silicon plant opening in 2008.. in GERMANY..(which is maybe why Germany is holding off ordering silicon based products!) CIS technology is cost competitive, and highly efficient electrically..according to the article. Seems the editor didn't tip off the author of this article.

I'm a UK resident, I agree with Matt Pease above, we should be working together.. but like most things, private companies are ripping off the concept, with enormous margins that put people off investing... GBP700k ($1.3m) for a ONE megawatt wind turbine!!, or GBP550k ($1m) for a second hand one here in the UK. I am personally installing a Provenenergy WT15000 for my own use and selling back the excess.. but that still costs GBP34k ($65k) plus taxes! (and thats AFTER the grant refund of GBP5k ($9k)

So the power goes in from each project... so how will they control the feed off the Supergrid?? to individual contracts, if there are multiple input companies into the supergrid?... or will there be another layer, with another layer of cost...

There is always the opportunity, of course, of using the pellitiser earlier in the year, to pelletise grass for animal consumption in place of hay/haylage during winter, as being compressed, it would take up much less space in storage. liquid from the compression process could be put straight back on the field, as a totally 100% natural liquid feed.

It would have been useful if it had mentioned how many hours of sunshine it required to be effectively operational. Aslo a very expensive vandal target if used in the wrong location.

Love the PV paint idea... not as infeasible as it sounds, given multi-layer single coat paints, which have been around since the 80's.

As for the garments I would be very wary about the physical resilience to damage either from knocks and bumps, ot washing!.. or even rain and sweat.. those connections are hair-thin, and would need to be meshed like a net to provide single-connector resilience to damage, whilst providing lightness and flexibility.

I have every sympathy for the individuals concerned, who have lost so much... though the centre should have had adequate insurance to cover loss of personal property and the main fixtures of the centre... avoiding insurance is one thing, but doing so in an area with even the slightest risk of flood is daft... and why the fire at the same time? did someone cut corners on isolation?
renewables have a place, not just in the way we live, but WHERE they are used... I suggest the centre is placed on higher ground, where there is less shade, more wind, and no chance of flooding... my own venture is 135metres above sea level, and last flooded when the galcial ice was receding many tens of thousands of years ago.. great sun, from dawn to dusk, and a quirk if the undulations gave a perfect spot for the turbine.

At long last! with an official government document like this to support it, my intention to install a 15kw Proven wind turbine, to run my farm, and 'export' about 4K of electric into the grid, might just get through the local Planning authority... but what's the betting that the locals will object, on the grounds that if I have trespassers, it will spoil their view! :O)

Sorry.. forgot this was international.. that's 4,000 GBP per annum worth of over-generation