# Anyone going/gone solar?
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic
**Created:** [May 5, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302 "2009-05-05T07:36:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/41 "2009-07-02T10:22:49Z")
Heads up for anyone that wants to dabble.
You can get these right here in Springville for $629.99
[http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay\_10551\_10001\_49245\_-1\_\_\_\_\_\_?rFlag=true&cFlag=1](http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_49245_-1 ______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1)
I went with the solar panel for $149.00 lol
I may get the wind mill later.
Just learning and dabbling for now. 🙂
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### Author:  [@greenbull](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/greenbull)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/42 "2009-07-02T10:29:34Z")
That honeywell is interesting, Doesn’t look like much of a base though. Wonder how it does in high winds
> [@Blue Eyed Devil](#):
>
> Heads up for anyone that wants to dabble.
> You can get these right here in Springville for $629.99
> [http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay\_10551\_10001\_49245\_-1\_\_\_\_\_\_?rFlag=true&cFlag=1](http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_49245_-1 ______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1)
>
> I went with the solar panel for $149.00 lol
> I may get the wind mill later.
> Just learning and dabbling for now. 🙂
Cheaper on amazon for the air-x
> **[Amazon.com : Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator : Power Generators :...](https://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-44444-12-Volt-400-Watt-Generator/dp/B000C1Z2VE)**
>
> The Sunforce 44444 400 Watt Wind Generator uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics. Constructed from lightweight, weatherproof cast aluminum, this generator is also a great choice for powering pumps or charging batteries...
517 after tax with free shipping
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2009, 11:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/43 "2009-07-02T11:19:17Z")
^Glad I waited. I knew one of you guys would find a better deal.lol
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/44 "2009-07-02T12:11:22Z")
Agree with the non cost effective in NY.
The numbers save you very little and if you stay in the same place for 30 years, it barley saves you money. A lot of people I work with were into it and did all kinds of research and number crunching.
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/45 "2009-07-02T13:21:08Z")
Wait, what? They were crunching on barley? What?
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### Author:  [@ILC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILC)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/46 "2009-07-02T13:23:35Z")
you could do this pretty cheap…
[http://www.olino.org/us/articles/2009/03/19/building-my-own-solar-panel](http://www.olino.org/us/articles/2009/03/19/building-my-own-solar-panel)
Like this guy… ebay the solar panels… and garbage pick the rest of the materials… Obviously some stuff is going to cost you… but there are super cheap alternatives
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/47 "2009-12-15T13:28:34Z")
Bumping this thread because my neighbor applied for a variance for a wind mill. lol
He claims it is only 55 decibels at the highest and the wind would be louder than 55.
It is 120 feet tall.
I almost fell over when he said it would supply half of his needs and would cost $70,000.
Sounds like an expensive hobby. (there are nice tax incentives but still…)
[http://www.bergey.com/](http://www.bergey.com/)
After a quick look at the website they are about $29000. Not sure where he came up with $70,000.
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### Author:  [@Paulo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Paulo)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/48 "2009-12-15T14:28:11Z")
God damn that thing is ugly. lol
But I like it. Keep us updated on whether or not he gets it. I wouldn’t mind hearing some feedback based on first hand experience.
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### Author:  [@JustinH](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JustinH)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/49 "2009-12-15T14:58:51Z")
Jesus, I have never hit 100 for a month for electric. Usually 45 bucks, the highest months when AC is running hits 80 per month.
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### Author:  [@66impalass](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/66impalass)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/50 "2009-12-15T15:57:26Z")
> [@Blue Eyed Devil](#):
>
> Bumping this thread because my neighbor applied for a variance for a wind mill. lol
> He claims it is only 55 decibels at the highest and the wind would be louder than 55.
10 a light whisper
20 quiet conversation
30 normal conversation
40 light traffic
50 typewriter, loud conversation
60 noisy office
70 normal traffic, quiet train
80 rock music, subway
90 heavy traffic, thunder
100 jet plane at takeoff
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### Author:  [@n20junkie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/n20junkie)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/51 "2009-12-15T18:32:35Z")
I dated a girl that had family with a brand new wind turbine. That mother F’r was loud and ugly. They spent a good 10-15k on it, so it wasn’t a cheap one. If my neighbor had one of those going all summer, I would shoot it with a shotgun for sure.
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### Author:  [@n20junkie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/n20junkie)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/52 "2009-12-15T18:34:33Z")
> [@Blue Eyed Devil](#):
>
> ^Yeah, if they don’t like free power.😉
> Anything big enough for my neighbors to hear would have to be HUGE.
Bullshit. the smaller blade diameter, the higher the tip speed, the louder they are. They are fuckin loud, way louder than anyone would think.
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/53 "2009-12-15T18:53:46Z")
That doesn’t make sense to me. The smaller the diameter the less distance traveled therefore lower speed. Unless you are saying they are much higher rpm.
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### Author:  [@n20junkie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/n20junkie)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/54 "2009-12-15T19:00:00Z")
Turbines need to convert wind to power. If you have low surface area due to a small diameter, then you low torque and have to spin it faster to extract the power. If you have lots of surface area, you have lots of torque, and you can spin it slower.
Its the old HP formula, torque x RPM = HP
How much HP do you need to drive your generator?
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### Author:  [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/55 "2009-12-15T20:12:42Z")
Mike,
You could be making parts for home wind mills. You have an entire shop at your disposal. Most homemade windmills utilize a motor from some sort of older NC or CNC unit…do you have anything broken or out of commission you can rob a motor from? You should work with one of your designers to come up with something and test it at your plant. You can do all testing and development at your shop, power your shop for validation purposes, manufacture and sell.
This is a win win and I bet there are even some grants available for such ventures.
DO IT.
Don
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/56 "2010-01-25T10:07:22Z")
^Wow, I just now saw your post Don.
My neighbor made the Buffalo News. There is a town code that limits accessary strutures to 15’ in resdiential areas so he was denied based on that. The thing is he is in agricultural not residential zoning. There are plenty of structures in the area that are taller than 15’. Maybe they were constructed before the code existed.:gotme:
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### Author:  [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2010, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/57 "2010-01-25T10:13:52Z")
You should totally look into this.
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/58 "2010-01-28T07:27:58Z")
^I just might, the biggest challenge is that I have no electrical engineers on staff.
Aurora is now considering a moratorium on wind turbines to pretty much ban them for 6 months until the town can create some regulations which they should have done about 8 years ago when this last came up.
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### Author:  [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/anyone-going-gone-solar/67302/59 "2010-01-28T07:55:57Z")
Apply for grants, then hire and EE 🙂 Most of it is mechanical anyway 🙂
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