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Can solar costs keep shrinking?

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Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#361

Post by MrLeap »

kingkongjaffa wrote: post #209
caymanjim wrote: post #204

I spend four months of the year traveling in an RV. Two years ago, I budgeted over $6000 for my desired solar setup (at least 1200Ah of battery, at least 2400W of solar, plus various controllers and other components). It was expensive enough for me to hold off, and more importantly, I didn't have the space on my current RV for the solar panels. In just the two years since then, prices on batteries and panels have dro…

> I intend to buy undeveloped land far from civilization I'm always intrigued by this notion, I know plenty of Americans have this kind of plan, but it's never quite as remote as they think, because, y'know you're still in America somewhere. Unless you're thinking of somewhere in northern Canada. I'd love to know where is considered 'far from civilization' on the continental US.

My picks were devils elbow MO, or climax springs MO or tightwad MO

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#362

Post by sbierwagen »

caymanjim wrote: post #359
ericd wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah makes sense (that 12V is just implied for RVs). I'm used to dealing with 48V, since I'm doing this for a house, and it seems like they specify batteries both ways in that world. I wonder who uses 24V. Anyway, thanks for explaining it.

I'm also not really sure why one would pick 24V for most applications. 12V makes sense for RVs, boats, etc. because a lot of devices are designed to operate directly off 12V. 48V makes sense for houses and solar installations, if for no other reason than smaller-gauge wires (and is a big reason I'm considering it; 00 gauge wires are enormous and unwieldy). But 24V? You're likely not running much natively off 24V, so…

Heavy vehicles often run on 24V. (Trucks over 26k GVWR, earthmovers, military equipment)

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#363

Post by jimt1234 »

kingkongjaffa wrote: post #209
caymanjim wrote: post #204

I spend four months of the year traveling in an RV. Two years ago, I budgeted over $6000 for my desired solar setup (at least 1200Ah of battery, at least 2400W of solar, plus various controllers and other components). It was expensive enough for me to hold off, and more importantly, I didn't have the space on my current RV for the solar panels. In just the two years since then, prices on batteries and panels have dro…

> I intend to buy undeveloped land far from civilization I'm always intrigued by this notion, I know plenty of Americans have this kind of plan, but it's never quite as remote as they think, because, y'know you're still in America somewhere. Unless you're thinking of somewhere in northern Canada. I'd love to know where is considered 'far from civilization' on the continental US.

Alaska

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#364

Post by credit_guy »

EcommerceFlow wrote: post #37

I used to be radically pro-nuclear, but after seeing some of the data of solar growth and realizing we could just scale things up (like building iphones), I'm fully on board with the Elon strategy of solar + powerbanks for storage.

I continue to be radically pro-nuclear (but I'm also pro-solar and pro-wind). Especially given Elon's example with SpaceX, how you can drop the cost of some technology by a factor of 10 or 100. Elon's idea was that the floor on the price of something is the cost of the raw materials. Everything else can be optimized. The cost of a nuclear power plant is most likely one thousand times the cost of the raw materials. Can we drive it down by a factor of 10 or 100? If not, why not? And if we can, can we increase the world's energy production by a factor of 10, or 100?

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#365

Post by [deleted] »

jacobolus wrote: post #348
nl wrote: post #343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slab City is 100 miles from San Diego and only 160 miles from Los Angeles! That's not remote - remote should be classified using a decreasing population density over distance function. Remote is somewhere like Nullarbor, which is 183 miles from Ceduna (population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullarbor,_South_Australia

That's not remote: there's a paved road that goes there! Remote should be somewhere that requires weeks of travel by sailboat or camel to get to.

[deleted]

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#366

Post by caymanjim »

DaoVeles wrote: post #354
pjc50 wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Far from "civilization", but still surrounded by lawfulness so you don't have to deal with warlords taking your solar panels.

There a few people I know who live off grid, they all say the same thing. The longer you are out there the closer to 100% you will be challenged for your stuff. Be it a semi-local crazy, warlord, gypsies or cult few have heard of - they all want resources that are closer than the alternative and they are aware that you are the only defense. Another factor of this living is that once the honeymoon period wears off, th…

This is certainly a concern. I'm early 50s now and have no medical issues or physical limitations (ok, aside from fatness). I'm pretty handy. I can fix what needs fixing. My tolerance for problems and delays is high. But it won't be long before I start falling apart and will want to be closer to medical resources for myself and service providers for my stuff.

I'm not looking for a forever home. I figure I might live in the middle of nowhere for a decade or so and then who knows. Maybe move closer to town and have a nice place to visit part of the year.

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#367

Post by caymanjim »

jimt1234 wrote: post #363
kingkongjaffa wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I intend to buy undeveloped land far from civilization I'm always intrigued by this notion, I know plenty of Americans have this kind of plan, but it's never quite as remote as they think, because, y'know you're still in America somewhere. Unless you're thinking of somewhere in northern Canada. I'd love to know where is considered 'far from civilization' on the continental US.

Alaska

Tempting. Been there and loved it. Lots of cheap land. Not the best place for solar power and those winters are rough. And it's really far from family. I don't need to see family more than a few times a year, but if I lived in Alaska it'd likely be once a year.

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#368

Post by MuffinFlavored »

aegis4244 wrote: post #345
caymanjim wrote: post #204

I spend four months of the year traveling in an RV. Two years ago, I budgeted over $6000 for my desired solar setup (at least 1200Ah of battery, at least 2400W of solar, plus various controllers and other components). It was expensive enough for me to hold off, and more importantly, I didn't have the space on my current RV for the solar panels. In just the two years since then, prices on batteries and panels have dro…

If you're looking for some inexpensive land that can be fairly remote you might do worse than Cochise county AZ. The county has an opt out permit program as long as you have at least 4 rural acres. You can build whatever you want, no permits, no inspections. There are some restrictions. No bank will give you a mortgage, can't sell or rent it out within 2 years. You can live in your RV while you build, for 2 years I t…

> I did the full time RV bit in a class A. Hated it.

What were you a fan of instead?

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#369

Post by analognoise »

caymanjim wrote: post #204

I spend four months of the year traveling in an RV. Two years ago, I budgeted over $6000 for my desired solar setup (at least 1200Ah of battery, at least 2400W of solar, plus various controllers and other components). It was expensive enough for me to hold off, and more importantly, I didn't have the space on my current RV for the solar panels. In just the two years since then, prices on batteries and panels have dro…

Where are you sourcing parts and do you have a suggested parts list?

Re: Can solar costs keep shrinking?

#370

Post by salad-tycoon »

gcanyon wrote: post #353
caymanjim wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd love to know where is considered 'far from civilization' on the continental US. There are many interpretations and levels of remoteness. In my case, I want to be away from the sights and sounds and crowds of anything that would be considered urban or suburban. My prime criteria is that I don't want to see another person unless I choose to. I don't want to see a road with cars on it, I don't want to see another…

>don't want to be more than an hour away from urgent care If it's an hour away, does it really qualify as "urgent" care?

Think you can keep a finger or hand on ice for a few hours. Should be “fine.” Aneurysm, MI, stroke? Not so fine but, call of the wild.
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