What is the ideal renewable energy source?

[Blaithin]

A lot of an "Ideal renewable source" is going to depend on location.

Wind turbines are hugely economical, where there's enough wind.

Solar is great, where there's a lot of sun.

Geothermal would be a goal of mine to have, but that's really location dependant.

When I was in Australia I was amazed at the solar there. Every other house seemed to have solar panels on the roof and separately a solar run hot water tank. Can't see the hot water tank being very useful in our winters but then, a lot of solar isn't. But the more solar is worked with and used, the more efficient it gets, the more likely it is to be more economical in our country.

Same applies to any method. Wind turbines have come leaps and bounds. What the ideal renewable source is today could easily be completely different in ten years.

[wakopa]

the governments will do the right thing , its was pretty well automatic that we were going to get windmlls in our area with no money from the taxpayer and close to a millon dollars in tax revenue each year for our municpality.crooked greg made sure we didnt get them and they went to north dakota, now im glad we didnt get them.

[Retired]

Has anyone done the math on burning firewood?

The typical firewood exercise looks like this:

Drive diesel truck to woodlot, lots of idle time,

Use gas powered chainsaw to cut down trees, delimb, and top.

Use diesel powered skid steer or tractor to move, load and unload trees

Chainsaw again to buck up the wood

Gas powered wood splitter, or hydraulics from diesel tractor to split the wood

Run quad in middle of winter to move wood from shed to house

Hire chimney cleaner who brings big diesel truck, which screams for half an hour while cleaning chimney.


Now, if I took the energy content of all the fuel that went into creating that firewood, and burnt it directly in my furnace, could I heat my house and save all the work?


No doubt that burning wood should be more efficient, renewable, sustainable, but I think it would involve axes, swede saws and horses.

With a break down like that you must be a gov offical or an oil employe

[farming101]

Wood? think again

Accounting of our first year heating with wood:

Stove pipe installation, etc.: 1,500.00
Chain saw: 459.99
Gas & maintenance of chain saw: 46.95
Four wheel drive pickup: 36,999.99
Maintenance on pickup: 200.00
Replace rear window on pickup: 150.00
Replace rear window on pickup: 150.00
Log splitter: 1,495.99
Fine for cutting unmarked trees on Provincial land: 1,500.00
Fourteen cases of Pil: 363.72
Fine for littering: 350.00
Tow charges for retrieving pickup from creek: 400.00
Emergency room fee from removing splinter from eye: 300.00
Safety glasses: 9.99
Replace living room carpet: 1,395.00
Repaint walls and ceiling: 40.00
Fifteen acre woodlot: 37,500.00
Taxes on woodlot: 950.00
Replace coffee table (chopped up when drunk): 225.00
Divorce settlement: 65,500.00

Total first year cost: $149,536.63
Savings in conventional fuel: -1250.00

Net cost of first year’s wood burning: $148,286.63

[burnt]

Wood? think again

Accounting of our first year heating with wood:

Stove pipe installation, etc.: 1,500.00
Chain saw: 459.99
Gas & maintenance of chain saw: 46.95
Four wheel drive pickup: 36,999.99
Maintenance on pickup: 200.00
Replace rear window on pickup: 150.00
Replace rear window on pickup: 150.00
Log splitter: 1,495.99
Fine for cutting unmarked trees on Provincial land: 1,500.00
Fourteen cases of Pil: 363.72
Fine for littering: 350.00
Tow charges for retrieving pickup from creek: 400.00
Emergency room fee from removing splinter from eye: 300.00
Safety glasses: 9.99
Replace living room carpet: 1,395.00
Repaint walls and ceiling: 40.00
Fifteen acre woodlot: 37,500.00
Taxes on woodlot: 950.00
Replace coffee table (chopped up when drunk): 225.00
Divorce settlement: 65,500.00

Total first year cost: $149,536.63
Savings in conventional fuel: -1250.00

Net cost of first year’s wood burning: $148,286.63

Do you speak with a Ruskie accent perchance? With a breakdown like that you must be Albertafarmer5's ex-wife...

ahahaha!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

With a break down like that you must be a gov offical or an oil employe

Genuine question I don't know the answer to has anyone ever kept track of their fuel usage. I may be way off base and it's much more efficient. But I doubt anyone has ever checked ?

[tweety]

I like how you bought the safety glasses after the eye injury. Exactly how i operate.

[bucket]

Farming101

Priceless. ....too funny.

[farmaholic]

101...I think you left out the DUI fines , vehicle impound fees, and cost of losing your driver's license.

[farming101]

I won't take credit for the cost of wood burning post.
But if if got a laugh well, laughter is the best medicine

[blackpowder]

I just wanna know where you get a divorce for $65k.
Now that's funny right there!!