Saturday, November 15, 2008

"You got to Prime the Pump"

You got to prime the pump.
The Greed that drives the oil companies causes them to buy up whatever technology might have the ability of competeing with the sales of oil. They buy it, not to use it, but to be sure that nobody does use it. They do not want people to have an easy way to power our world. They simply want to keep selling oil as long as there is oil to sell.
They bought most of the technology for the manufacturing of photo voltaic panels. The panels that are now on the market can produce about 7.5 watts of DC currect per square foot. A - (4 foot times 4 foot panel) can produce about 120 watts of power when ever the sun is shining. This is a lot of useful energy.
The typical roof on a single family home is about 900 square feet. This is a 14 foot wide (singlewide) 65 feet long. Like a singlewide moble home. This roof could produce 6750 watts of power at peak sun. It will produce about 40 to 50 KWH on a day that is sunny all day. My highest usage of power is during the month of august. My usage for that month is 425 KWH This amounts to about 10 days of full sunshine per month. It is reasonable to plan on 25 days of sunshine per month here in SC The other 15 days of sunshine could be used to power another home and half a home. I would end up with 750 KWH extra power from the space on my roof.
Why are we not doing this??? Because the 4 by 4 panel that yields about 120 watts costs about $700.00 So it would cost me $40,000 for the panels to cover my roof. That does not even consider the cost of installing them and wiring them and the electronic phaselocked inverter to feed the power into the line. The question that needs to be asked is why are these panels so expensive? The materials that they are made from are not that expensive. The most expensive component is the copper substrate.
The thing that makes them expensive is the huge amount of energy that is needed to manufacture these panels. The silicon must be in a molten state while the crystals are drawn. The companies that make these are mostly owned by oil companies and they use energy that is generated by using oil. The cost of these under these conditions will never change as they simply relect the cost of oil. What is needed is to PRIME THE PUMP. How do we prime the pump. We make panels and do not sell them. We put them on the roof to power the plant that makes the panels. This makes the initial investment a bit higher. But now the energy that is needed to manufacture pv panels will be coming from pv panels. No longer will the manufaturing cost reflect the cost of oil. As time goes on the cost will become less and less as we add more panels to the system that is producing the energy that is needed to make more panels. Do you remember the song Desert Pete by the kingston trio. If you Look down to the next page You will find what is needed

DESERT PETE.
I was travelin' West of Buckskin on my way to a cattle run, 'cross a little cactus desert under a hard bargaining sun. Thirsty down to my toenails, I stopped to rest me on a stump, but I tell you I just couldn't believe it when I saw that water pump. I took it to be a mirage at first. It'll fool a thirsty man. Then I saw a note stuck in a bakin' powder can. "This pump is old," the note began, "but she works. So give'er a try. I put a new sucker washer in 'er. You may find the leather dry.

Chorus: You've got to prime the pump. You must have faith and believe. You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive. Drink all the water you can hold. Wash your face to your feet. Leave the bottle full for others. Thank you kindly, Desert Pete.

Yeah, you'll have to prime the pump, work that handle like there's a fire. Under the rock you'll find some water left there in a bitter's jar. Now there's just enough to prime it with, so don't you go drinkin' first. Just pour it in and pump like mad and, buddy, you'll quench your thirst.

Chorus: You've got to prime the pump. You must have faith and believe. You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive. Drink all the water you can hold. Wash your face to your feet. Leave the bottle full for others. Thank you kindly, Desert Pete.

Well, I found the jar, and I tell you, nothin' was ever prettier to my eye and I was tempted strong to drink it because that pump looked mighty dry, but the note went on, "Have faith, my friend, there's water down below. You've got to give to really get. I'm the one who ought to know." So I poured in the jar and started pumpin' and I heard a beautiful sound of water bubblin' 'n' splashin' up out of that hole in the ground. Then I took off my shoes and drunk my fill of that cold refreshin' treat. Then I thanked the Lord, and I thanked the pump, and I thanked old Desert Pete.

Chorus: You've got to prime the pump. You must have faith and believe. You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive. Drink all the water you can hold. Wash your face to your feet. Leave the bottle full for others. Thank you kindly, Desert Pete.

The words to Desert Pete are from -Billy Edd Wheeler -