Tedkidd
Member
I agree. Municipal utilities seems the way to get interests aligned in CA. Utilities are fighting it hard if I recall correctly?
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Plan: Off grid solar with a Model S battery pack at the heart
- Thread starter wk057
- Start date
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- Energy Environment Policy
If people actually paid attention to what large utilities and their regulators were doing to their ratepayers TODAY (never mind what they will do once solar becomes more prevalent) they would be appalled. Here in San Diego, the utility mothballed an almost brand new reactor due to cooling pipe cracks. Did the utility shareholders eat the huge cost of the now defunct reactor? Ha! The regulator ordered the ratepayers to pick up the entire tab AND give the utility shareholders a rate of return on their failed investment!
adiggs
Well-Known Member
Sounds like your utility's received an incentive to spend money on projects that fail, as failed projects earn a return, maybe don't need much (or any) in the way of staffing / ongoing expense, still earn money, AND leave the original need unfulfilled, thereby ensuring a follow-on project to actually attempt to solve the original problem.
If it's a public utility, then I suppose one option is to buy some stock, so you can make back some of the money being returned to shareholders. (Not very helpful - I know).
"Nearly new" is an overstatement. The current reactors, San Onofre 2 and 3, were put into service in 1983 and 1984, respectively. The owners did put a bunch of money into overhauling the reactors in 2009 and 2010. But I digress.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Why are we discussing reactors on this thread?.... anyway... the part that broke, the steam generator, was 'nearly new'...
MassModel3
Member
Why, you ask? Isn't it obvious? wk057 is putting a nuclear reactor in next as backup to his multi-peta-watt solar powered off grid battery storage environment. :tongue:
Sorry for the hijack, but didn't SD G & E sell their generation when California was deregulated?
The California utilities divested their fossil-fueled generation, but retained their nukes and hydro.
TheTalkingMule
Distributed Energy Enthusiast
Similar project on the front page of Bloomberg Business.
Battery Hackers Are Building the Future in the Garage
Battery Hackers Are Building the Future in the Garage
TheTalkingMule
Distributed Energy Enthusiast
That's actually my project.
Nice! I just looked at your location of NC and assumed it was someone doing the same thing. Congratulations on the well deserved media shout out!
I'm just across the bridge and will be coming to your place if/when the zombie apocalypse hits.
Edit: I see my confusion was that you've recently moved from Deptford to NC. Oh well, I guess I'll just fend for myself.
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I see your video is being trolled by Dan Fredericksen, who will tell you how you should have done it, even though it doesn't appear he's ever built anything.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Dan is a special troll, if only for his longevity and tenacity. He's been kicked off just about every EV discussion board, going back to at least 2007 and the old EVDL. It's always the same, your car is not aerodynamic enough or light enough, you aren't using the correct cells, and he wants it to be cheaper, and/or he wants to know how you can afford it. He may also discuss his experiences with aliens, and Jesus.
Tedkidd
Member
Oh come ON! No electrical engineering background, not an electrician, just something you did in 5th grade with your dad?!
Holy cow! And the work, immaculate like that. How?
The back story may be more interesting than the project.
Holy cow! And the work, immaculate like that. How?
The back story may be more interesting than the project.
Pretty much true. Did a mini-off-grid setup with my father way back using some old car batteries, a 1000W square wave inverter, and about 200W worth of super inefficient PV panels.
I've been a tinkerer since before I can remember. My family has told me stories that I don't even believe sometimes. (Apparently I removed and tinkered with a [not fully mounted] car stereo when I was ~2, among other things.) I've always dismantled every electronic device I could dismantle when I was little without getting in trouble... and then some.
Been doing programming and such since BASIC, done a bunch of hardware and software dev over the years, did do some work for an electrical contractor for a few months, along with random electrical work around my own homes over the years.
I pick up things pretty quickly, and I'll take my time to do things right. I've read the NEC cover to cover a couple of times (yep, I'm serious) and reference it frequently when I work on my project.
*shrugs* It's not that spectacular of a back story. Just a field I've always had a knack for. Other fields have proven more lucrative, so I tend to dedicate more time to those generally, but the hands on stuff has always been the best.
Tedkidd
Member
Thanks for sharing. Yes, it is interesting.
Now recite Pi from memory..... (I can't get past 5)
Now recite Pi from memory..... (I can't get past 5)
