Comments for [as the] Radar Sweeps http://blog.kucheck.net Flying, Playing, and Working - Preferably in That Order Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:12:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 Comment on Cordero Has Gone Solar by Rob http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-1116 Rob Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:59:53 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-1116 Excellent technical and customer service feedback. Heritage Solar should be turning your cost back as well! I've requested a quote as well. $21k is cheaper than a stupid car, and with all the other insane costs of living, we'll likely stay here in Riverside awhile. I like the ROI especially and the fact that costs are quickly recaptured by home equity. Personally I look forward to blasting the A/C during the 105 degree days. In the past we usally run about 90 degrees in the house because we cannot afford to run the A/C. In addition, I signed up for the SCE 'shut off' device for my A/C, which will save another $200 off my bill, but they rarely use that option (per a doctor who referred me to this program). Excellent technical and customer service feedback. Heritage Solar should be turning your cost back as well! I’ve requested a quote as well. $21k is cheaper than a stupid car, and with all the other insane costs of living, we’ll likely stay here in Riverside awhile. I like the ROI especially and the fact that costs are quickly recaptured by home equity.

Personally I look forward to blasting the A/C during the 105 degree days. In the past we usally run about 90 degrees in the house because we cannot afford to run the A/C.

In addition, I signed up for the SCE ’shut off’ device for my A/C, which will save another $200 off my bill, but they rarely use that option (per a doctor who referred me to this program).

]]> Comment on Cordero Has Gone Solar by John Marshall http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-697 John Marshall Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:07:29 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-697 Alan: As I write this, I am waiting for my Heritage rep to get here with contact in had for the installation of a 28 sanyo panel system. We hope to have enough room on the roof to be able to add more panels in the future, expecting that some sort of a plug-in hybrid car is in our future for the little trips around town. We just bought a low miles 2007 E-320 mercedes diesel. Drove it back from denver and recorded an honest 36.5 mpg. With ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, great new technology (turbo charger, 7 speed transmission, common-rail direct injection, a particulate trap etc.) I get at or near hyrid mileage with lots of passenger and trunk room. Our solar installation is designed to hit nearly 100% of our current usage, and I have a suspicion that we will encounter 'usage creep' as my wife tells me to stop following her around flipping off the lights. Alan: As I write this, I am waiting for my Heritage rep to get here with contact in had for the installation of a 28 sanyo panel system. We hope to have enough room on the roof to be able to add more panels in the future, expecting that some sort of a plug-in hybrid car is in our future for the little trips around town. We just bought a low miles 2007 E-320 mercedes diesel. Drove it back from denver and recorded an honest 36.5 mpg. With ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, great new technology (turbo charger, 7 speed transmission, common-rail direct injection, a particulate trap etc.) I get at or near hyrid mileage with lots of passenger and trunk room. Our solar installation is designed to hit nearly 100% of our current usage, and I have a suspicion that we will encounter ‘usage creep’ as my wife tells me to stop following her around flipping off the lights.

]]> Comment on Aptera Typ-1, #824 by akucheck http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/26/aptera-typ-1-824/#comment-696 akucheck Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:33:40 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/26/aptera-typ-1-824/#comment-696 The economics of PVs make good sense today in many areas. You may want to look at an earlier post here, http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/ for details. This 24-panel system is supplying much of the need of 5 adults. I can't wait to eliminate my use of gasoline for something as simple as moving around on the surface of the earth. ;>) The economics of PVs make good sense today in many areas. You may want to look at an earlier post here, http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/ for details.
This 24-panel system is supplying much of the need of 5 adults. I can’t wait to eliminate my use of gasoline for something as simple as moving around on the surface of the earth. ;>)

]]> Comment on Aptera Typ-1, #824 by Aptera Typ- 1 #829 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/26/aptera-typ-1-824/#comment-695 Aptera Typ- 1 #829 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:30:37 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/26/aptera-typ-1-824/#comment-695 I am right behind you with my delivery position of #829. I have been reading everything I could find on the Aptera in the last 3 hours. Most of the blogs dated before october-november were dominated by naysayers who could not say anything positive about the Aptera. But with the updated Aptera web site, the naysayers seem to have disappeared into the woodwork. I became interested in EV autos after driving several of them at the Electric Vehicle Symposiun 23 December 2. At the show I bought the book "Plug-in Hybrids The Cars That Will Recharge America. After getting home and searching the web for EV's, I found the Aptera EV. With my enthusiasm for an EV I finally convenced my wife to let me make a deposit for the Aptera Typ- 1. With the global warming situation, Plug-in Hybrids and EV's seem to be the best way to go. I am seriously considering some PV panels to really make the Aptera shine. I am right behind you with my delivery position of #829. I have been reading everything I could find on the Aptera in the last 3 hours. Most of the blogs dated before october-november were dominated by naysayers who could not say anything positive about the Aptera. But with the updated Aptera web site, the naysayers seem to have disappeared into the woodwork.

I became interested in EV autos after driving several of them at the Electric Vehicle Symposiun 23 December 2. At the show I bought the book “Plug-in Hybrids The Cars That Will Recharge America.

After getting home and searching the web for EV’s, I found the Aptera EV. With my enthusiasm for an EV I finally convenced my wife to let me make a deposit for the Aptera Typ- 1.

With the global warming situation, Plug-in Hybrids and EV’s seem to be the best way to go. I am seriously considering some PV panels to really make the Aptera shine.

]]> Comment on Cordero Has Gone Solar by akucheck http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-694 akucheck Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:08:18 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-694 Ken: Thanks for the comments. Clearly, a solar solution is not one-size-fits -all-everywhere; in SoCal it's an easy call. And I haven't seen numbers on embodied energy for solar panels; that would be interesting. A good friend long ago pointed out that while my Insight gets very good mileage he gets even better numbers by working from home and walking or biking where he needs to go. True, true. Also not universally applicable, though. Have a great year, stay in touch. ak Ken:

Thanks for the comments. Clearly, a solar solution is not one-size-fits -all-everywhere; in SoCal it’s an easy call. And I haven’t seen numbers on embodied energy for solar panels; that would be interesting.

A good friend long ago pointed out that while my Insight gets very good mileage he gets even better numbers by working from home and walking or biking where he needs to go. True, true. Also not universally applicable, though.

Have a great year, stay in touch.

ak

]]> Comment on Cordero Has Gone Solar by Ken Boak http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-692 Ken Boak Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:26:42 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/06/09/cordero-has-gone-solar/#comment-692 Alan, Nice sight - a big solar array on the roof. The solar is really making a big dent in your air-con bill, and helping to pay back on your initial capital investment. In energy terms however, it will probably take around 7 years before it's paid back the kWh it too to manufacture it and transport it. Here in the UK here, we don't really need air-con, - just as well because we don't get anything like the sun of Southern California. Solar pV is of marginal benefit here, and the cost per peak watt is far more than you pay in the USA. Instead, I have found ways of trimming my power bill down to just 2600kWh per year, and I have now invested in a vegetable oil fuelled combined heat and power system that heats the house in winter and generates all my power too. I'm installing a woodstove/furnace for home heating to offset my natural gas consumption. I hope to make a big dent in my 13300 kWh per year natural gas consumption. Working from home has reduced my annual mileage from about 12,000 to just 6000. Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year Ken London Alan,

Nice sight - a big solar array on the roof.

The solar is really making a big dent in your air-con bill, and helping to pay back on your initial capital investment.

In energy terms however, it will probably take around 7 years before it’s paid back the kWh it too to manufacture it and transport it.

Here in the UK here, we don’t really need air-con, - just as well because we don’t get anything like the sun of Southern California.

Solar pV is of marginal benefit here, and the cost per peak watt is far more than you pay in the USA.

Instead, I have found ways of trimming my power bill down to just 2600kWh per year, and I have now invested in a vegetable oil fuelled combined heat and power system that heats the house in winter and generates all my power too.

I’m installing a woodstove/furnace for home heating to offset my natural gas consumption. I hope to make a big dent in my 13300 kWh per year natural gas consumption.

Working from home has reduced my annual mileage from about 12,000 to just 6000.

Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year

Ken

London

]]> Comment on RADAR and Chance Encounters by akucheck http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/04/radar-and-chance-encounters/#comment-656 akucheck Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:27:34 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/04/radar-and-chance-encounters/#comment-656 I am impressed and fascinated by this sort of thing. And you are too kind... I am impressed and fascinated by this sort of thing.

And you are too kind…

]]> Comment on TED Book Club by chocolate covered musings http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/05/ted-book-club/#comment-652 chocolate covered musings Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:58:14 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/05/ted-book-club/#comment-652 congratulations. sounds like you've made it into 'the inner circle'. neat books too! congratulations. sounds like you’ve made it into ‘the inner circle’. neat books too!

]]> Comment on RADAR and Chance Encounters by chocolate covered musings http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/04/radar-and-chance-encounters/#comment-646 chocolate covered musings Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:07:00 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/12/04/radar-and-chance-encounters/#comment-646 i believe it happens all the time and passes us by unnoticed. i believe we get glimpses of it every now and again and go 'WOW' does this sh*t happen all the time? i also think our wee brains would overload and blow a fuse or two if we were capable of noticing it all the time. i also believe that the more we are aware of our surroundings in this present moment, the more we notice such things. so.. should you be impressed? you tell me. should you? are you? (i think you'd make a great writer) :) i believe it happens all the time and passes us by unnoticed. i believe we get glimpses of it every now and again and go ‘WOW’ does this sh*t happen all the time? i also think our wee brains would overload and blow a fuse or two if we were capable of noticing it all the time. i also believe that the more we are aware of our surroundings in this present moment, the more we notice such things.

so.. should you be impressed? you tell me. should you? are you?

(i think you’d make a great writer)
:)

]]> Comment on ST07, Day 16, Friday, August 3 by Sam & Bonnie http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/08/07/st07-day-16-friday-august-3/#comment-77 Sam & Bonnie Thu, 23 Aug 2007 06:06:23 +0000 http://blog.kucheck.net/2007/08/07/st07-day-16-friday-august-3/#comment-77 What a fabulous - and challenging - trip. Additional love and hugs to the "hood ornament"! CAVU Bonnie (and Sam) What a fabulous - and challenging - trip.
Additional love and hugs to the “hood ornament”!
CAVU

Bonnie (and Sam)

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