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surabi
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Of course it does. Desert has nothing to do with it. Solar panels work whenever there is sun. You think it's only sunny in the desert? I live in the
tropics. Half the people I know here power their homes with solar.
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RFClark
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Because of its shape BCS can be thought of as an island with a mountain range running down the middle.
“If you are looking for a waterway between land and sea, you can start by looking beneath your feet.”
“People think of rivers, which is a natural thing to come to mind,” said Nils Moosdorf, a professor of hydrogeology at Kiel University in Germany.
“But groundwater has an invisible connection that is usually not considered.”
Moosdorf himself was not aware of this connection until 2012, when, as a graduate student studying river transport, he attended a scientific talk
about how 10 times more groundwater leaves the Big Island of Hawaii than river water. “That was an eye-opener
because I never heard about groundwater going directly to the ocean before,” Moosdorf said. “And I thought, ‘Oh wait, that must be
interesting,’ and then I started to get into that.”
https://eos.org/articles/groundwater-is-the-hidden-connectio...
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surabi
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My little bubble that isn't in the desert, where you claimed solar doesn't work?
People use solar power all around the world. How much they can generate is only dependent on how often the sun shines, but it shines everywhere some
of the time and most of the time in tons of places that aren't desert. Sand and cactus is not required.
"The top installers of 2022 included China, the United States, and India. Japan, Brazil, the Netherlands, France, Mexico and Germany were also among
the top installers of 2022. The available solar PV capacity in Australia is now sufficient to supply more than 15% of the nation's electrical energy
while Honduras, Italy, Spain, Germany and Greece can produce between 9% and 14% of their respective annual domestic electricity consumption."
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by surabi]
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by surabi]
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by surabi]
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surabi
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You said solar doesn't work in a large number of places outside of the desert. That's patently false. Desert has nothing to do with solar power.
Pointing that out is neither rude nor aggressive.
Calling people names, like simpleton, is, though.
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oxxo
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That statement is demonstrably incorrect. Solar DOES work "in a LARGE number of areas that are outside of the desert environment." Perhaps you meant
to say that solar is more efficient in some areas (like the desert) than in other areas (like in the mountains with more shading by tree cover). I'm
not trying to put words in your mouth but that would be a correct statement.
In fact, solar panel technology development is making great strides to become more efficient on cloudy days! Yep, that was a welcome surprise to me!
With this new technololgy, solar panels will not be as efficient on cloudy days as sunny days, but the will become more efficient than before on
cloudy. How they do that, I don't know.
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JDCanuck
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Seattle or even further north here on Vancouver Island, we would require at least 2 times the sq footage of panels for the same annual output as Baja.
It should be noted that Pacific Coast of BCS has the best solar capability of Mexico, US and Canada, which makes that area particularly solar
friendly.
Regardless, there are lots of solar powered facilities up here and more being installed each year as costs continue to decline and grid power rates
increase. Even in Seattle their comparatively cheap grid power is more expensive than tier one CFE power in Baja, so the payback to install solar in
Seattle is not as poor in comparison as you would think, especially considering the rebates and subsidies from government not available in Baja.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by JDCanuck]
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oxxo
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Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  | Seattle or even further north here on Vancouver Island, we would require at least 2 times the sq footage of panels for the same annual output as Baja.
It should be noted that Pacific Coast of BCS has the best solar capability of Mexico, US and Canada, which makes that area particularly solar
friendly.
Regardless, there are lots of solar powered facilities up here and more being installed each year as costs continue to decline and grid power rates
increase. Even in Seattle their comparatively cheap grid power is more expensive than tier one CFE power in Baja, so the payback to install solar in
Seattle is not as poor in comparison as you would think, especially considering the rebates and subsidies from government not available in Baja.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by JDCanuck] |
 I wish they had a "LIKE" button on BN, it would make agreement much
more simple.
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JDCanuck
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| Quote: Originally posted by lencho |
Hard to compete; my understanding is that tier one is subsidized to below actual cost of production.  |
Thats my understanding as well. It makes it difficult to justify solar panels in Mexico until your power demand gets into the higher cost tier. I
still noted a lot of solar panels being installed in the residential neighborhoods in the Puerto Vallarta area when I was there 4 years back. I
guessed they must have been some of the higher power demand locals or they were already driving EVs or hybrids they wanted to charge. These were not
expats but locals, and I observed several trucks driving through the areas advertising solar systems, similar to the water and gas delivery trucks
that drive around even that long ago.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by JDCanuck]
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surabi
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The main reason people seem to put in solar in the PV area is for AC. Anyone who uses AC will certainly end up in the DAC rate without it, unless they
only use the AC very sparingly.
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surabi
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| Quote: Originally posted by oxxo |
In fact, solar panel technology development is making great strides to become more efficient on cloudy days! Yep, that was a welcome surprise to me!
With this new technololgy, solar panels will not be as efficient on cloudy days as sunny days, but the will become more efficient than before on
cloudy. How they do that, I don't know. |
Well, if people can get a sunburn even on a cloudy day, which they can, I guess it might work on a similar principal, although UV is only a small
part of the visible light spectrum that powers solar panels.
A cloudy day might seem dark, but plenty of light passes through clouds.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by surabi]
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JDCanuck
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| Quote: Originally posted by surabi | The main reason people seem to put in solar in the PV area is for AC. Anyone who uses AC will certainly end up in the DAC rate without it, unless they
only use the AC very sparingly.
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Hadn't considered that, but it makes sense. AC is fast becoming a necessity for more and more people.
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cupcake
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| Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck | | Goat: The remedy to increasingly hot temps to avoid heat related deaths is unfortunately more AC which will in turn drive temps even higher. Or...you
can move to a colder place like Canada or Alaska and delay the need for AC. Our provincial government is now handing out free AC units to try to keep
the hot season deaths down. |
This reminded me of a newspaper article I read many years ago while working in Phoenix, Arizona. The article reported on the house a man had built,
which used no AC but was cool throughout the hot season (most of the year). The lower half of the house was below ground level, but what really did
the trick was that the man had installed very large pipes below the foundation of the house, in a system which brought cool air up into the house.
Apparently, at a certain level below ground the air remains at a constant 55 degrees year around, regardless of the surface temperature. I am probably
not remembering this report 100% accurately, but I am sure I have the gist of it right.
I have always been amazed that nearly 100% of homes in arid regions exhibit landscaping that requires watering, when in all cases native vegetation
thrives, looks beautiful (at least to my eyes), and does so on whatever the annual rainfall is.
I had a septic tank, which would water two large trees, any excess being returned to the water table (currently I am between houses).
I lived in the Orient for years and became a water-wiper decades ago. No more toilet paper in the septic tank = many more years between pumping. No
paper in the public restroom?...no problem, I have my small water bottle.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by cupcake]
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surabi
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These folks knew how to cool their homes centuries ago. It's also beautiful architecture.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/07/28/world/iran-wind...
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cupcake
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Interesting article^^
I note the use of underground aqueducts for cooling, in addition to the wind catchers.
I've spent considerable time in some of the hottest places and always prefer a fan over AC.
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surabi
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| Quote: Originally posted by cupcake |
I have always been amazed that nearly 100% of homes in arid regions exhibit landscaping that requires watering, when in all cases native vegetation
thrives, looks beautiful (at least to my eyes), and does so on whatever the annual rainfall is.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by cupcake] |
One of the major obstacles in getting first-worlders to get on board with what we need to do to deal with the effects of climate change is the
attitude of indulging one's "wants" (as opposed to one's needs and what is practical).
We want tropical gardens and grass in arid environments, to have all foods which can't grow in our location available to us year-round, to spend less
money by buying cheap goods made in China, then say whatever we do to combat climate change is pointless as long as China continues to be a major
polluter.
People complain about being told what to do by their governments, but that wouldn't be necessary if everyone did the right thing on their own and
considered something other than their own desires, convenience and comfort.
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surabi
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I don't like AC either and only have fans. The only exception is appreciating AC in the car when stuck in heavy traffic when it's hot and humid out.
What I find bizarre is in Canada, when the spring and early summer drags on cold and rainy, Canadians say they wish real summer would come. Then as
soon as it gets warm, every store is refrigerated to Arctic temperatures and the employees are all wearing sweaters.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by surabi]
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JDCanuck
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Its true people survived to old age in the past in hot climates without AC, but old age was also a couple decades younger than present. I will accept
AC as a necessary evil if it contributes to people living 20 years longer.
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cupcake
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I am aware of the Harvard study reportedly linking AC to longer life. However, I feel I will live just as long without AC as I would with it.
Certainly, AC is better than dying of heat related illness.
For me, a person well-acclimated to hot environments, I find that AC gives me a general feeling of being unwell.
The negative symptoms of AC cited in this linked article are what I experience.
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/slideshow-what-ac-doe...
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oxxo
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| Quote: Originally posted by surabi |
I don't like AC either and only have fans. The only exception is appreciating AC in the car when stuck in heavy traffic when it's hot and humid out.
What I find bizarre is in Canada, when the spring and early summer drags on cold and rainy, Canadians say they wish real summer would come. Then as
soon as it gets warm, every store is refrigerated to Arctic temperatures and the employees are all wearing sweaters. |
As I said earlier in this thread, I lived on a small island, near the equator for 2 years. I had no electricity for two years and almost zero carbon
foootprint. I had no AC and no fans. Day temperatures were in the 90's and humidity was in the 90's. We received about 10" of rain a month, so I
devised a catchment system to catch some of the rain runoff, then boiled the water before drinking. I acclimatized to the weather quickly and as was
reasonably comfortable most of the time. And then there was always the warm lagoon to swim and the warm trade winds.
My point is, you can acclimate to almost any weather condition if you want to. I know that my Canadian neighbors in Los Cabos come down towards the
end of November and return home sometime in April. That is their way acclimating to weather! In the past, I would often avoid the winter "high
season" in Los Cabos and live there from May to the end of October - had the location all to myself.
The US Federal Government is now offering financial incentives for (not only Solar, but also) heat pump HVAC (that's both heating and cooling),
electric ranges, qualifying refrigerators and washer/elec. dryers and water heaters. Couple those installations with your solar panels and you can
run your house whatever way you want for virtually no cost (other than purchasing the amortized, subsidized equipment and the environmental cost of
manufacturing that equipment which is sustainable).
Why is it always so cold in a hospital/medical facility? Because bacteria, viruses, and germs proliferate in a warm atmosphere and die off in cooler
environments. But that is no excuse to keep your home at a freezing temperature. A HEALTHY person can easily ward off germs by acclimating to a
warmer, natural environment (outside ambient temperature). Some would call that "living like a refugee" and "three bowls of rice a day and a
bicycle," but maybe that refugee just might be healthier than you are!?
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surabi
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It always seemed to me to be taxing to one's body to constantly go from an air-conditioned environment to the outside when it is hot and humid out.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the temperatures one can withstand, though. Overweight people tend to have a hard time with the heat,
thin people with no body fat layer get cold easier. Some people have better circulation than others or other medical conditions that affect their
ability to adapt to temperature extremes. Women going through menopause often have a hard time with hot weather.
And the older you get, the more temperatures seem to affect people. Does anyone remember being too cold or too hot when you were a child? We'd stay in
the water til our lips were blue and our parents made us get out. We'd be told to put on a sweater and say, "But I'm not cold!" There was this crazy
game all the neighborhood kids came up with when I was a kid. We'd climb up onto the raised open garage door, in the small space between the door and
the ceiling, in the summer and lay there sweating. The one who could stay up there the longest won.
But for the most part, humans are just wimps and don't see any reason to acclimate if they can just turn on the AC or heat or afford to have homes in
more than one location.
There is an Airbnb host in Croatia who asked on a hosting forum if all Americans just always had either the AC or the heat on, as all her American
guests did, even when it was a very comfortable 70 degrees out and all they had to do was open the windows.
[Edited on 6-10-2024 by surabi]
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