Saving Electricity Plans

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Tweak

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Hello,

So what are your plans for the future, how do you think you can best boycott Eskom?

I heard they are mis managing our money so badly. I feel it would be best if I decided to develop my own little gadgets to heat water etc instead of paying them to enrich a couple of well placed individuals and companies.

My plans for the future are to build a kind of solar coil or to use solar reflector panels (Parabolic Lenses) or Freznel lenses to focus the sun's rays and so doing boil water.
 
Tweak said:
You must be a wealthy son
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Not necessarily. Read an article on Moneyweb the other day which worked out that if you manage to jam the cost of the geyser into your mortgage bond then you save cash from day 1.

beans100 said:
Zero-point-energy
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I hear you. All the ZPMs I find though are depleted. :/


The thing that bugs me about this whole thing is that there doesn't seem to be a way to combine grid power and other sources effectively. e.g. I want it to run of solar panels, but use the grid to cover the shortfall. That way one could start w/ a small panel and just keep adding them as feasible. I asked and the electricians say it can be done...just not on a household budget. (25k I think it would cost)
 
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HavocXphere said:
Not necessarily. Read an article on Moneyweb the other day which worked out that if you manage to jam the cost of the geyser into your mortgage bond then you save cash from day 1.


I hear you. All the ZPMs I find though are depleted. :/


The thing that bugs me about this whole thing is that there doesn't seem to be a way to combine grid power and other sources effectively. e.g. I want it to run of solar panels, but use the grid to cover the shortfall. That way one could start w/ a small panel and just keep adding them as feasible. I asked and the electricians say it can be done...just not on a household budget. (25k I think it would cost)
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Yeah that sounds like a genius plan. But I'm trying to work on a shoestring budget. Because most people in my family can't spell the word "Saving up" :p 2 words
 
There was an article in the Sunday Independent a while ago. Some family relocated to the Karoo, 'off the grid style'.

The oke reckoned it would cost a packet to kit your house out with solar panels + a wind turbine or two. BUT, this cost could be a kind of 2nd mortgage, and he was of the opinion it could be paid off in <4-5 years. After which, you have 'free' power.

Sounds like a plan.

What we need on top of this, is what some 1st world countries have: Any surplus power you generate is fed back into the drid, for which you are paid. Not sure if that will kick off here though, as it's only the 'bladdy agents' that can afford such a setup anyway, now if Govt has to pay us for that power, it's another case of the rich beating down the poor... Which is unfortunate. We have good solar power potential, and could do well to explore such options.
 
Budza said:
There was an article in the Sunday Independent a while ago. Some family relocated to the Karoo, 'off the grid style'.

The oke reckoned it would cost a packet to kit your house out with solar panels + a wind turbine or two. BUT, this cost could be a kind of 2nd mortgage, and he was of the opinion it could be paid off in <4-5 years. After which, you have 'free' power.

Sounds like a plan.

What we need on top of this, is what some 1st world countries have: Any surplus power you generate is fed back into the drid, for which you are paid. Not sure if that will kick off here though, as it's only the 'bladdy agents' that can afford such a setup anyway, now if Govt has to pay us for that power, it's another case of the rich beating down the poor... Which is unfortunate. We have good solar power potential, and could do well to explore such options.
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yeah its truly sad to see our pioneering culture not taking advantage of this by developing new solar/wind gadgets to improve the quality of life in africa and also to make it a bit cheaper :p
 
Solar Gadgets

What about looking into replacing your lighting with inexpensive solar lights, a few at a time?
I have a few portable lights in my house that I have wall-mounted as room lighting but I can carry them around the house when I have a power cut (which has been happening more often lately). The light on them is pretty bright.

You can even buy bigger systems that have lights that attach to the roof and charge via solar, eventually you can replace all your household lighting and only keep what light you really need.

Check out this website: bonitcom . co . za
 
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[video]http://www.youtube.com/user/EnergyConservationTV?v=4iinIQLHl1A&feature=pyv&ad=6462893780&kw=photovoltaic%20cell&_$ja=kw:youtube.com|cgn:YouTube+PV+Cells|cgid:1806 915740|tsid:26923|cn:1.+TECG++YouTube+Promoted+Vid eos+Campaign|cid:62535380|lid:2256739340|mt:WebSit e|nw:content|crid:6462893780|bku:1&gclid=CLSumePypacCFYIlfAodAlrZAw#p/a/u/2/k3CSg6gkU0E[/video]

Little video about how PV panels are used in England and people get paid for using them when they feed electricity back into the grid.
 
Price increases are getting ridiculous. The Council says they will hike tariffs every year by around 20%.
 
[video]http://www.youtube.com/user/EnergyConservationTV?v=4iinIQLHl1A&feature=pyv&ad=6462893780&kw=photovoltaic%20cell&_$ja=kw:youtube.com|cgn:YouTube+PV+Cells|cgid:1806 915740|tsid:26923|cn:1.+TECG++YouTube+Promoted+Vid eos+Campaign|cid:62535380|lid:2256739340|mt:WebSit e|nw:content|crid:6462893780|bku:1&gclid=CLSumePypacCFYIlfAodAlrZAw#p/a/u/1/6hZrihDGyJU[/video]

They say quality PV systems can last for 30 years or more.

These guys provide a 12 year guarantee, these devices can even create current with cloudy weather.
 
Tweak said:
They say quality PV systems can last for 30 years or more.
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Hence no 2nd hand market.

Tweak said:
These guys provide a 12 year guarantee, these devices can even create current with cloudy weather.
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At a reduced rate...like 25%-33 of max.

Talked to some solar tech guys from Germany the other day. They reckon in a place like SA it makes more sense to go parabolic mirrors & thermal on a large scale, while PV is more suited to places like Germany.
 
HavocXphere said:
Hence no 2nd hand market.


At a reduced rate...like 25%-33 of max.

Talked to some solar tech guys from Germany the other day. They reckon in a place like SA it makes more sense to go parabolic mirrors & thermal on a large scale, while PV is more suited to places like Germany.
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Thats what I was saying all along :D

Use parabolic mirrors and freznel lenses but u cant buy them off the shelf here, thats why I was talking along the line of PV cells. At least I can buy them locally..

I wonder if I study electrical engineering with power specialization if I could build my own turbine / power plant to give power to a small community :D

This is really interesting stuff

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_thermal_energy
http://cleantech-israel.blogspot.com/

Thanks havoc for sharing your german techy's advice, now I know in which direction I should focus my dreams.
 
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Tweak said:
Thanks havoc for sharing your german techy's advice, now I know in which direction I should focus my dreams.
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Sure. Just remember its a case of go big or go home. Won't work well on a consumer/home scale.;)

If your interested in this type of stuff also check out the molten salt tech. Solar energy around the clock despite bothersome issues like nighttime.:cool:
 
Tweak said:
...I heard they are mis managing our money so badly. ...
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Our money?

You pay Eskom for the power that you used...doesn't it become their money? When you pay Pick n Pay for your vegetables what they do with this money is surely not your concern?
 
satanboy said:
Our money?

You pay Eskom for the power that you used...doesn't it become their money? When you pay Pick n Pay for your vegetables what they do with this money is surely not your concern?
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Eskom is a public entity...PnP is a private entity. Consequently taxpayers can reasonably expect that it is used efficiently & effectively.
 
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