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jpak

(41,757 posts)
Thu Feb 2, 2012, 01:13 PM Feb 2012

Believe it: Solar power works well in Washington

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120202/SCBJ02/702029849/1005/BIZ

Solar energy installations in the Pacific Northwest are proving their worth, despite persistent public misconceptions that winter’s overcast skies make solar technology useless.

Chris Herman, owner of Winter Sun Design in Edmonds, concedes winter solar rays aren’t as good as summer ones, but he knows that cloudy days still collect solar energy and that the region still can gain benefits from solar installations.

“People don’t realize that a passive solar home in Western Washington can still get 50 percent of its space heating from solar features, while adding less than 2 percent to the cost of home construction,” Herman said.

Credentials behind his views include his 25-year business venture designing houses with passive solar features, sustainable “green” building design and consulting services. He founded Solar Washington, the Northwest Eco-Building Guild and Sustainable Edmonds, and is interim president of the Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative.

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Believe it: Solar power works well in Washington (Original Post) jpak Feb 2012 OP
Are you shilling for company? ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2012 #1
What a stupid post jpak Feb 2012 #2
An answer worthy of Romney ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2012 #3
First I'm a shill, then I'm Mitt Romney and then I jpak Feb 2012 #4
Not to mention a snowbird ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2012 #5
Three for Three Fail jpak Feb 2012 #6

ProgressiveProfessor

(22,144 posts)
1. Are you shilling for company?
Thu Feb 2, 2012, 04:32 PM
Feb 2012

The reality is that physics is the same everywhere. Of course you can use solar power in Washington state. However, it is more costly, take more space, etc that installations in the Mojave desert.

This guy is talking about ground up designs, not retrofitting existing homes, which is the major share of the residential market.

I operate a solar plant. Its much larger than my residential needs and this point I am making money on it. Not sure I could make money on solar in western Washington. The PV yield is that much less than that here in the desert

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