Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

techntrek
techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Mildly interesting, but I wanted to post because you will cringe as I did when you get to the 7th picture.

http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/22/life-without-lights-the-global-energy-crisis/?hpt=hp_c3
4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    lg.07.jpg

    Looks great to me! :p:p:p
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    Poooof magic blue smoke situation!
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  • James
    James Solar Expert Posts: 250 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    Looks just like mine!!!
    (absolutely just kidding)

    I'll say a prayer for them...
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    And the next headline will be: "Community in NM Living Without Utilities Burns to the Ground"
    Followed by: "Solar Energy Deemed Dangerous"

    This sort of thing gives RE a bad name. :grr
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  • Fe-Wood
    Fe-Wood Solar Expert Posts: 96 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    I think it illustrates the need for further education in RE. These people clearly have a need and don't seem to have the resources to fulfill that need safely.

    I think if I lived closer and had a better understanding of how this stuff really works. I would figure out a way to go there and at least offer a free weekend seminar of safe and cheep installation methods.

    Could be great publicity too! The other face of RE...
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #7
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    Yep, at least my goal here is to educate... We all like to have a bit of fun--but at the expense of others, not so good. We run the risk of pushing folks further away from sources of information about safety and how to better meet their needs.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    I'm not disagreeing with you, but perhaps CNN is distorting the picture a bit. It's possible that they want to create controversy on this community (That is what keeps readers interested). I'm sure their are plenty of other residents with properly configured batteries.
    Fe-Wood wrote: »
    I think it illustrates the need for further education in RE. These people clearly have a need and don't seem to have the resources to fulfill that need safely.

    I think if I lived closer and had a better understanding of how this stuff really works. I would figure out a way to go there and at least offer a free weekend seminar of safe and cheep installation methods.

    Could be great publicity too! The other face of RE...
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    although i agree that should be cleaned up as it could potentially cause a problem, i don't understand why people should get down on solar because of it. do accidents like sleeping with lit cigarettes get an ok or are more acceptable than this? do fire departments call for the banning of cigarettes based on the number of fire hazards those cigarettes have been proven to have? in both cases the fire potential is caused by carelessness (other health aspects of cigarettes aside for this illustration) in the use of both products. why do people give cigarettes the benefit of the doubt and don't have an outcry for their banning, but solar gets scrutinized for how some people wire their system?

    solar is a good thing, but my point is is that solar is quickly condemned or brought to light for any incidence that occurs while cigarette incidents are somehow normal or ok?:confused: often the news reporting fires caused by cigarettes are routinely pooh poohed not just by the news, but by the public too. let a solar incident happen and the whole industry is being questioned with many people saying to themselves, is that safe?

    sorry for my taking this little editorial this far, but it goes to show how most people are screwy in how they think as cigarettes, being a known deadly hazard that has routinely burned down many houses and caused many deaths, have been routinely dismissed. now let something they know little about like solar rarely cause an incident (let alone the thought of an incident) and, well, you know. go figure.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    As a rule, the news media is pretty far from being the unbiased reporters of truth it should be.
    But in fairness to them, I'm sure they don't know that is an example of dangerous wiring. After all, the people who hooked it up and got it working don't.

    I just worry that such poor installs will lead to disasters and then the story will not be "how great solar power is" but "how dangerous solar power is". There already are certain people with that prejudice, and it's entirely unjustified. Like Niel says, there are plenty of hazardous things out there as it is. But because they are "old" and solar is "new" the old risks are accepted and their resultant tragedies accepted whereas the new risks seem to bring a clarion call for banning right away.

    Maybe someone should do a study on the psychology of solar vis-a-vis public acceptance. :roll:
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  • Slappy
    Slappy Solar Expert Posts: 251 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    disaster....yes,...... but from looking; they are in a situation of using on what they have available. and to do the best they can for what they got. ???
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    slappy,
    yes, that could be, but we aren't just talking of what is available here. if they lack the wire then they should bring the batteries closer together and not have wires hanging in the air and strewn all over the place. heck, even i am not mister neatnick, but that is a potential hazard in that photo. i am assuming they mickey moused it just to get things up and running, but they have to take the extra step here if they plan on making it permanent. if it was a matter of $ on hand then i would've sacrificed a few batteries to arrange it a bit better and then they could've added those batteries a bit later. i'm sure what they needed to make it better would not have cost quite that much to do even after the mickey mousing it together.
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  • Slappy
    Slappy Solar Expert Posts: 251 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Photo essay on CNN, on a community in NM living w/o utilities

    yes neil, I agree 100%. ;)
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