Comments on: How to unplug from the Grid http://www.off-grid.net/2008/12/08/how-to-unplug-from-the-grid/ Microgeneration, Fuel Cells, Environment, inverters, free stuff, Solar panels, Wind turbines, Hydro power, Biomass, Solar power, wind power, water power,Rainwater, Resilience, Survival, Bushcraft, affordable homes, eco-Architecture, Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:43:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: meat-head http://www.off-grid.net/2008/12/08/how-to-unplug-from-the-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-224635 meat-head Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:15:15 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/?p=2941#comment-224635 Veg-Head versus the New Scientist.....hmmmm, i wonder which one to side with? This chap, or woman, has obviously really got vegetables inside their head. Living off the grid obviously does not appeal to everybody, and if you really do want to try to persuade large groups of people to become more environmentally responsible it will take more than silly websites like this one, and crazy hippies like this veg-head who clearly can't see things from the perspective of the majority. Why don't we get rid off all the big bad companies, and return to the forests? PS, I love meat! Grrr. You can keep your vegetables, stick them where the sun does not shine. Veg-Head versus the New Scientist…..hmmmm, i wonder which one to side with? This chap, or woman, has obviously really got vegetables inside their head.

Living off the grid obviously does not appeal to everybody, and if you really do want to try to persuade large groups of people to become more environmentally responsible it will take more than silly websites like this one, and crazy hippies like this veg-head who clearly can’t see things from the perspective of the majority.

Why don’t we get rid off all the big bad companies, and return to the forests?

PS, I love meat! Grrr. You can keep your vegetables, stick them where the sun does not shine.

]]> By: ronski http://www.off-grid.net/2008/12/08/how-to-unplug-from-the-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-220574 ronski Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:24:17 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/?p=2941#comment-220574 I too read this article, and I was slightly amused by the photo depicting someone using an iron that was powered solely by the sun. It was absurd...but there was no pretence that it was anything else. It must be understood that the New Scientist is written FOR scientists or those people who have a healthy interest in science, NOT for the general public - although, to be fair, much of the publication is written in such a way that much of its content should be understood by most readers. To put this in context, we must consider the solar irradiance at the earth's surface, or the amount of power originating from the sun that falls on each square meter of the earth (ref: Wikipedia/Sunlight). This value is approximately 120 watts/sq metre. Now, the iron I use has a power rating of 1200 watts, meaning that I would need to collect the sun's energy from a total surface area of 10 square meters, IF I had a conversion efficiency of 100% ! This is certainly not the case. Assuming a conversion efficiency around 20% (feasible but currently expensive), we would need a surface are of 50 square meters! That's approximately the floor area of my lounge, where I am writing this. And that's assuming that the sun is directly overhead and there are no clouds. Not always the case in the UK. I too read this article, and I was slightly amused by the photo depicting someone using an iron that was powered solely by the sun. It was absurd…but there was no pretence that it was anything else. It must be understood that the New Scientist is written FOR scientists or those people who have a healthy interest in science, NOT for the general public – although, to be fair, much of the publication is written in such a way that much of its content should be understood by most readers. To put this in context, we must consider the solar irradiance at the earth’s surface, or the amount of power originating from the sun that falls on each square meter of the earth (ref: Wikipedia/Sunlight). This value is approximately 120 watts/sq metre. Now, the iron I use has a power rating of 1200 watts, meaning that I would need to collect the sun’s energy from a total surface area of 10 square meters, IF I had a conversion efficiency of 100% ! This is certainly not the case. Assuming a conversion efficiency around 20% (feasible but currently expensive), we would need a surface are of 50 square meters! That’s approximately the floor area of my lounge, where I am writing this. And that’s assuming that the sun is directly overhead and there are no clouds. Not always the case in the UK.

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