[ShepherdsDog]

http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/technology-1/ ... solar.html

Doing a lesson on this and thought it was an interesting idea. There are many areas in Canada that could benefit from a similar policy.

[Gunnair]

Southern Okanagan might do alright with that.

[ShepherdsDog]

The southern prairies would also benefit from it as well.

[Regina]

Anyone been to Palm Springs? I was shocked at the amount of wind turbine farms they have. All different sorts of sizes too. The farms are huge and go as far as the eye can see in some cases. Saw some solar panel farms but nothing as large as these.

[Zipperfish]

Interesting approach. It would better, IMHO, if they simply made the economic case for residents. IOn the other hand, I'm sure its in the code that new homes have to have a furnace (in Canada anyways!) and be serviced with electrical. So what's a small solar generator on top of that?

[bootlegga]

ShepherdsDog wrote:

http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/technology-1/here-comes-the-sun-city-in-california-passes-law-requiring-all-new-homes-to-be-solar.html

Doing a lesson on this and thought it was an interesting idea. There are many areas in Canada that could benefit from a similar policy.

It makes sense - the last time I was in Victoria, I noticed a new home development putting solar powered water heaters on the roofs.



I wish it was feasible in Edmonchuck, but with our winters, it would probably be next to useless at least three or four months of the year. Still, Enmax has a program here in Alberta;

http://www.generatechoice.ca/solar-powe ... -benefits/

I'd be interested to find out how many takers they have had in the past year or so since they introduced it.

[ShepherdsDog]

we had solar powered water heaters on the roof of our place in Kaohsiung...not so great during typhoons or longer periods of cloud...not a fan of tepid showers

[bootlegga]

ShepherdsDog wrote:

we had solar powered water heaters on the roof of our place in Kaohsiung...not so great during typhoons or longer periods of cloud...not a fan of tepid showers

I'm not much of a fan either, but it is better, environmentally at least, than using natural gas to heat your water.

In China, they are on almost every rooftop from Beijing southwards. It sucks if you get the last shower of the day (I speak from experience), but every little bit helps.

Could you imagine if 1.2 billion people used natural gas to heat their water? They already produce too much CO2 as it is.

[raydan]

Those things are great for heating swimming pools though.

[Xort]

bootlegga wrote:

Could you imagine if 1.2 billion people used natural gas to heat their water? They already produce too much CO2 as it is.

So use nuclear power to make electricity to heat the water.

[raydan]

Hydro all the way!!!

[ShepherdsDog]

Can't... the Indians (and now the Metis) will bitch about flooding or lines

[Thanos]

bootlegga wrote:

ShepherdsDog wrote:

http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/technology-1/here-comes-the-sun-city-in-california-passes-law-requiring-all-new-homes-to-be-solar.html

Doing a lesson on this and thought it was an interesting idea. There are many areas in Canada that could benefit from a similar policy.

It makes sense - the last time I was in Victoria, I noticed a new home development putting solar powered water heaters on the roofs.



I wish it was feasible in Edmonchuck, but with our winters, it would probably be next to useless at least three or four months of the year. Still, Enmax has a program here in Alberta;

http://www.generatechoice.ca/solar-powe ... -benefits/

I'd be interested to find out how many takers they have had in the past year or so since they introduced it.

If Enmax wants to cover the cost they're more than welcome to put up as many solar panels as they want on my garage roof. It faces south and west and soaks up mucho rays even in winter, and would generate more than it costs by the time next summer rolls around.

[bootlegga]

Thanos wrote:

bootlegga wrote:

ShepherdsDog wrote:

http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/technology-1/here-comes-the-sun-city-in-california-passes-law-requiring-all-new-homes-to-be-solar.html

Doing a lesson on this and thought it was an interesting idea. There are many areas in Canada that could benefit from a similar policy.

It makes sense - the last time I was in Victoria, I noticed a new home development putting solar powered water heaters on the roofs.



I wish it was feasible in Edmonchuck, but with our winters, it would probably be next to useless at least three or four months of the year. Still, Enmax has a program here in Alberta;

http://www.generatechoice.ca/solar-powe ... -benefits/

I'd be interested to find out how many takers they have had in the past year or so since they introduced it.

If Enmax wants to cover the cost they're more than welcome to put up as many solar panels as they want on my garage roof. It faces south and west and soaks up mucho rays even in winter, and would generate more than it costs by the time next summer rolls around.

Dreamer!

Enmax charges you for the solar panels, but you have three different payment options;

http://www.generatechoice.ca/solar-power/pricing/

Still, it lets you feed power back onto the grid, so if its as sunny as you say, it should pay for itself (maybe more) over the course of its life.