In the tropics, this would be excess electricity that could be used, say, to power an OLPC (XO) laptop.

Global Heating changes the game...we'll all need less energy just to live and work.

So yes, 10% of what we need today, maybe 110% of what we need tomorrow!

I suspect the $300 could be better spent, if energy efficiency or reduced GHG emissions are the aim.

a sibilant intake of breath

But what if conservation reduced home power needs to 100kwh per month?  50 from that small wind machine and 50 from a solar panel?

That changes the whole equation.

Using LED lights, LCD computer/TV moniter, geothermal heating/cooling.  It is possible with available technology to affordably get to that level of conservation.

If this whole change over had a payback period of 10 years, would it be worthwhile to divert the 10s of billions in corporate welfare to fossil and nuclear and oil and gas corporations in order to subsidize that payback period down to 7 years?

I think it would.  The benefit to our whole society would justify shifting those subsidies and tax breaks from multinational corporations (who are experiencing record profits and growth, due in large part to bribery and kleptocracy)to individual home, farm, and small business owners.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

Make it magnificent!  Check out the payback on these wind machines built by cooperative friends and neighbors.  It's an amish-like collective approach without the religion and using time proven, simple technology.

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind.html

This is a creative economy, mixing collective action with capitalist small business.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

Is there is a solar panel that can produce 50kWh in December?

If the sunshine in Colorado has an average power of 100 watts for the sunniest five hours of the typical December day, 3 square-meters of 12%-efficient solar-panels would produce 180 watt-hours in a day, and 5.4 kWh for the month.

How did you come up with 50 kWh?

Dual axis tracking flat plate insolation is 5.5 kWh/m2/day December Colorado * 0.12 * 3 m2 * 31 days = 61 kWh / December

Flat Plate Tilted South at Latitude - 15 Degrees is 4.5 kWh/m2/day December Colorado * 0.12 * 3 m2 * 31 days = 50 kWh / December

Of course, these are the same people who freak out at the concept of line-drying clothes (how crass!), while also paying for "spring breeze" fabric softener to mimic the experience.  So maybe it's their priorities that need to change.  Still, they have the power to veto a project like this, so could we design something a bit more visually pleasing?

-- A.

Taking accounting to the extreme since 2004.

To many of us there is nothing quite so ugly as a hummer and a mcmansion.  unless it is the owner of those monstrosities that are killing the natural world we revel in.

I guess it is hard for the anti-natural to understand exactly how ugly they seem.  An idiot limboob spraying round up on the weeds by his mail box?  Hideous.

A dumbass cutting brush on his "ranch".  Revolting.

Huge wind machines out on the prairie.  Beautiful.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin