NREL Physicist speaks Dear Richard, I saw a copy of your Dec.-Jan. issue over the weekend. I can understand the frustration that was evident in your opening remarks. There is nowhere near the level of support for research aimed at the wide scale implementation of existing hardware for residential use that would be evident in a rational energy policy. I'd like you and your readers to know that the researchers at The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) respect the work that you in the private sector have done in attempting to put this elegant form of energy production into practical use. However, speaking as a member of the five person group at NREL that was responsible for the development of the 32% efficient tandem PV cell (which no one can afford), I'd like to explain the rational that went into the creation of such a device. First, as a true believer in the merits of PV generated power, I can't help by think that any project that demonstrates the potential of the technology and stimulates the interest of the average citizen is beneficial to everyone involved in photovoltaics. If you're concerned that it represents a poor use of resources, let me assure you that this project was not funded by the DOE and the cost to the taxpayers way truly miniscule. Most of the work was done after hours by myself and my colleague Mark Wanlass. The device in question is a concentrator version of a cell we are working on for space applications. As you know, the economics of concentrator devices is very different than that of flat plate devices. For a concentrator cell, high efficiency is a requirement because the major cost is in the module and tracking system. Our ultimate goal is to develop the ability to grow these single crystal III-V compounds on inexpensive Si or Ge substrates. If we can accomplish this task, these devices will be immediately useful for utility scale power generation. I realize that one of the primary attractions to PV for you and your readers is the ability to get off the grid. While I wholeheartedly endorse the concept, the fact of the matter is that the majority of American citizens lack the initiative required by such a course of action. If we are successful in getting major U.S. utilities to generate significant fractions of their energy with PV, the net effect is the same as if that fraction of the utility's customers had stand alone systems (except they're still stuck with the bill). There are several companies that are producing concentrator systems for stand alone applications. If we can come up with a 30% efficient concentrator cell grown on a cheap substrate, I'm confident that someone will find a use for it. Perhaps some of your readers would see an advantage to cutting the size of their arrays in half. I think it's important to realize that we're all in this together. The work that you and your readers are doing is vitally important. You are demonstrating to the skeptic that this is a technology that deserves to be put into use immediately. I would only hope that you of all people would be aware of the need to seek to improve the technology and support research that pursues that goal. Yours, James S. Ward, Staff Scientist NREL Branch 4130, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393 Bravo Mr. Ward! Clearly some research is effective on the home sized scale; and some, like growing III-V cells on silicon substrates, is only possible in a research laboratory. The success of these Home Power systems rests in large part on breakthroughs by semiconductor physicists like yourself Ñ from PV cells themselves to the FETs which process this power. We applaud your work and the work of your colleagues on terrestrial solar systems at NREL. I especially applaud the fact that your concentrator PV project was done after hours, with funding for space cells. Isn't this indicative of how sick the R&D funding priorities have become? Chris and Richard 200W Continuous Get 200 watts continuous out of PowerStar 200. Bolt two heatsinks onto SIDES of inverter, use some silicone grease where they contact the sides. DON'T go drilling holes into the inverter case or you might stab a component. Just tighten the screws to clamp it like a sandwich. Take a small 12 Vdc "muffin" fan and mount it so it blows air through both sides of the heatsink. I mounted it in a small aluminum box with grilles on both ends, also installed two switches - one for inverter - and one for the fan. (I only use the fan when I draw over 100 watts) also I put a 30 amp fuse in the line and ran #6 copper for primary leads. For 2 years I used this inverter to power my 27" color TV (165 watts) and VCR (35W). Three other PowerStars are beefed up like this and operating perfectly at homes in the area where I installed "starter systems", operating whole house lighting using compact fluorescents. Do not attempt to exceed 200 watts continuous. If you live in a fringe area, you will get interference on channels 2-6 and FM. Strong signals - good VHF-FM antenna and pre-amp booster will take care of it. I have not found anything to filter the RFI. By the way, I have found the RFI much worse using the Statpower 250, especially on FM. Not all PowerStar 200 inverters are created equal! The units I ordered from J.C. Whitney are made in Scotland. All of the large transistors were mounted to the internal heatsink in these units. A unit ordered from a major solar catalog was made in Taiwan. Only a FEW of the transistors were mounted to the heatsink. Otherwise they were completely identical. The key to extending the life of semiconductors is to keep them cool! I also wanted to pass along my experience with Osram 15 Watt Reflectors C.F. used on PowerStar 200 and Statpower 250. There has been several sudden deaths of these lamps, one of them was mine and only had a few hours on it. The reflector lamps seem to run a little hotter in these units. I have had no problem with the standard EL Osram lamps. There has been no problem whatsoever using the Osram Reflectors on my Trace 2236 or my ancient Dynamote MB-36-3000, which collects a lot of dust lately. Aluminum heatsinks and silicone grease can be found at Radio Shack or at surplus outlets. Backwoods Solar has a muffin fan that's reasonable. The best VHF-FM antenna I have found is made by Winegard. Antenna model CS-5100 Booster Model CP-3800 The booster mounts on the antenna. Also the power supply to the booster can be 12 VDC. Just cut out the transformer. The shield of the coax is positive. Winegard Inc., 3000 Kirkwood St., Burlington, IA 52601. Kim Brettingen, Box 533, Finland, MN 55603 Kim Ð All genuine PowerStar inverters are made in Scotland and have been for some time. Some of the earlier ones were made in Hong Kong, but never in Taiwan. What you have there is a clone ripoff. There have been some reports of these clones lately, so buyer beware! Wonder if you're dealing with an authorized PowerStar dealer? Call PowerStar at 408-973-8502. While there's no reason that your extra heatsinking and fan idea shouldn't work to increase the continuous wattage output, you can't expect PowerStar to stand behind it if you blow it up. Anyone doing this mod should figure that they're on their own. I assume that your 30A fuse is at the battery source and is there primarily to protect your #6 leads. Otherwise, it's kinda redundant as there is an input fuse built into the unit. The Osram Reflectors run somewhat hotter even on grid power, but yours is the first I've heard of that went blooey on a POW-200. I'll look into that. Thanks for the tip on the antenna boosters. Bob-O Solar DHW permits Dear Home Power: I read with interest, the article titled "Things to Know Before Buying Solar DHW" by Steve Shewmake (Feb./ March 1992). The article is well written and very informative, however, one important area was left out, and that is Building Department regulations. Currently in Sacramento County, a building permit is required when installing a solar system. The reason a permit is required is to protect the consumer from such things as cross-connection (contamination of potable water systems) structural failures, and electrical hazards. While most contractors that I dealt with are reputable and professional, there are a few out there who give all the others a bad name. A good contractor will readily furnish his license number and references. When you apply for a permit, some of the information you will need is: job address, owner's name, contractor's name, contractor's address, contractor's license number, proof of workmen's compensation insurance, type of system, structural engineering (as needed), proof that all components are listed and approved, a sketch showing location of all system components and the size of structural members supporting them and type of roof covering. As with any project, always check with your local jurisdiction. Thank you. Barry Hutchens, Supervising Building Inspector, County of Sacramento Department of Public Works, Building Inspection Field Office, 4101 Branch Center Road, Sacramento, CA 95827 Thanks for the advice. Building to code, even in remote sites where inspectors don't frequent, is an excellent idea, and will save money, worry, and headaches in the long run. As these systems move from the backyard do-it-yourselfers into the market place of installing professionals, we respect the need for permits and inspections. Although none of us like the paperwork, these measures are the only way to insure safe, reliable technology. Ñ Chris The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has a solar domestic hot water rebate program to encourage SMUD customers with electrically heated water to install DHW systems. Call 916-782-4332 or write CAL SEIA, 801 Riverside Ave. Suite 201, Roseville, CA 95678. If your utility does not have such a rebate program, call 'em up and bug them until they do. And as the tax season approaches us, Oregon has tax credits for renewable energy systems, does YOUR STATE?? Therese Nameless Dread Shame on you for advocating use of Halon fire extinguishers - (HP F/M P 69) - they put out the ozone as well and there's no excuse for using them in this application and Halon hopefully soon will be outlawed. Good old CO2 heavy but cheap and effective works fine - in refrigerators too..No Name, Postmark GMF Denver, CO 802XX You are entirely correct and I apologise for recommending a Halon extinguisher. In fact, the extinguisher on our wall is a First Alert model FE2A10 that uses monamonium phosphate as its extinguishing material. This extinguisher uses no halogens, and is refillable instead of disposable. Cost is about thirty bucks. Richard. RV System Dear Home Power Magazine; I have been an avid reader of your magazine since discovering it a while back. I can now hardly wait for the next issue to arrive, and when it does It is quickly and thoroughly digested. As I ain't as young as I used to be I am thinking about retiring to my RV full time and want to experiment with solar power as my total electrical supply. I wish to make contact with other Home Power readers who are full time RV' ers and 100% off the grid. I am especially interested in any one who has designed PV mounting structures suitable for use on travel trailers or anyone having ideas on the problems of managing large battery packs in confined space and with the severe weight limits that go along with RV living... My electrical system is stock RV with a few added options such as heavier wiring, fans, TV, bed warmer, quartz lights and a short wave receiver. The wife, KB4OYY, and I are both amateur radio operators and as such and as such several ham radios will be included. I have studied the power requirements of our equipment and our life style and think a system consisting of 15-18 amps of PVs, a Heliotrope CC-20 Charge Control, a Cruising Equipment Amp-Hour + meter and 440 AH of golf cart batteries would be sufficient. Later we plan to add a PowerStar 1300 watt inverter to enable the use of a microwave oven. Jim Phypers Hydronic Heating System, as described in issue 26 of Home Power, has already given me other ideas for projects to add to the system. Any help or experiences other RV'ers could share with us would be appreciated. Also your feature, "Kid's Corner" is a great idea, Solar Works, Brad Rose and Home Power are to be commended for the efforts to expose our young to the wonders of Home Power Production. I am enclosing $20 for two more years of Home Power for the students at Penasco Elementary School, I also would like to challenge other readers to do the same for their local school library. This information should be available for all interested persons, especially our youth. Keep up the good work, Tom Blanchard, WA4UPO, 12051 Hwy 73 E., Mount Pleasant, NC 28124 ¥ 704-436-9589 Tom-It sounds like you've done your homework with the RV system you describe. The CC-20, CE A/hr+, and UPG 1300 are excellent choices for an RV. You might look into the Trojan T-125s for your batteries. I've heard of good success with them in a mobile situation. Echolite racks might be a good choice if you've got a flat roof. The fastilt models come up and lock down flat with a couple of thumbscrews. An ideal setup would have easily removable frames and polarized, waterproof module connectors. With a heavy "extension cord", you would be able to park the RV in the shade and the PVs in the sun for an extended stay. I haven't seen anything "off the shelf" like that yet. -Bob-O KG6MM Grid Weaning Great Magazine! Having just recently joined the ranks of solar power fanatics I'm still in the information gathering phase which I suspect will never truly end but hopefully this year will go a long way towards telling me what I need to know. Currently I have a 1 KW system with 7 Hoxan 4810 new panels and 2 Arco M51 used panels. A PowerStar 1300 provides AC power to my primitive load distribution system which I plan to upgrade when my friendly electrician returns from a 3 month job out of state. For instrumentation I have a BCM-12 digital voltage meter from the SunAmp Power Company and an Amp Hour meter from the Cruising Equipment Company. While the articles on Nicads are great and I will probably switch to them before my current Lead-Acid cells expire in 5+ years, keep providing information about Lead-Acid set-ups. Many folks just starting can't afford ideal batteries at 1st and information on how to get the most life from what you can afford is important. At present I have 10 220-Amp-Hr 6volt GolfCart batteries wired for a 12volt system at 1100 Amp-Hrs battery. With more ideas than budget, I'm spending a lot of time reading and dreaming. Over the next 3-5 years the system will be upgraded to a 5-10KWHr a day system, relegating the utility feeds to an emergency backup system. Most of the batteries in the house have been switched to nicads which now get charged by the sun. Thanks for the article in HP#4 warning about fake D cells. It turns out that Everyready sells such things without providing info on them showing their ratings. While their lower sized one seems fine, I found an alternate vendor that clearly labels the cell capacity for a comparable price, so I will probably just switch and write a nasty letter to Eveready and the store where I bought them explaining the importance of the product. Maybe they will change their ways but I don't count on it, so let the buyer beware. Unlike many Home Power readers, or at least the ones reviewed in the systems sections, I have ready access to the grid with the lines less than 500 feet from the house and my utility bills are ridiculously low, less than $100 gas and electric a month, but we all know the meter doesn't reflect the true cost of letting big companies provide us with power. At present the bulk of my energy budget goes to exterior lighting at night. While I would love to preserve the sanctity of the night as one reader suggested, in an urban environment night lights are a fact of life if you wish to deter impulse criminals. While working to cleanup the neighborhood it is nice to have lights that don't contribute to the local smog and CO problems and yes, they are high efficiency models (Fluorescent and Quartz Halogen bulbs) about 80 Watts worth. The TV and refrigerator are my next projects to switch over as soon as I get a few more panels. Over the past several months I have been able to shave about 10Kw Hrs a month from my grid usage with a combination of more PV and conservation. By the end of the year I will be below 100 Kw Hrs a month from the grid. When I chose to replace my current Fridge/Freezer, which was bought just before the Solar bug bit, with a SunFrost unit and converting the washer/dryer to more efficient motors I should have the excess capacity to start looking at converting my old VW to electric. In February I'm going to attend an overpriced government conference, Soltec '92, just because it's local and should provide some useful info. In July I'm planning on attending the Solar Technology Institute's advanced PV for Remote Homes class. Signed up for their family membership and depending on how it's set up may chip in $15 more to upgrade my Home Power subscription to first class, but will have to wait and see how they are coordinating the subscriptions with you folks. Sometime this next year I will be adding solar to heat our water but currently I'm just looking to see what's out there. One thing I have noticed is all the units use electricity as a backup. Why no gas fired units? Probably I will put in a system with no backup, just a 120-gallon storage tank, and installing some of the inline on-demand tankless water heaters to make it hotter if necessary. Also inclosed is a copy of the reader survey from HP#27, my 1st issue to warrant a mailing label. To add an additional option I would be willing to pay $20-$30 for B&W reprint of the original masters of issues 1-10 if it were offered. In the survey you don't make it clear what dollar amounts by each format choice mean. Are they your costs or approximate costs to the purchaser. Assuming your costs I'd say $30-$50 is what I'd pay. If just estimates I'd drop to $20-$35. Just got my copy of the 1990 Alternative Energy Source Book from the folks at Real Goods and recognize many articles as reprints from Home Power. I was especially pleased to find an article from Richard with Lead- Acid charge/discharge curves. Good luck to all and keep up the good work. P.S. On page 28 of HP#27 the picture was printed upside down so left and right are reversed. Oops. Don't let it bother you too much most people will spot it and occasional slips like that remind us we're human and to watch out for Murphy. Michael Kline, 2932 Hyder SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 ¥ 505-277-8148-Work, Internet mail - mikep@triton.unm.edu, bitnet mail - mike@unm An easy way to tell if you're getting burned on the "C cell in a D cell" package scam is by weight. Heft the 2 D cell package in one hand and a 2 C cell package in the other. The D cells should be noticeably heavier. If not, the fix is in. -Bob-O Hi, Michael. We too noticed that DHW heat exchanger tanks are only fitted with electric power for backup, not propane. Consider using the less efficient tube-in-tube heat exchanger to interface with the propane hot water heater/tank. Be sure to insulate the exchanger/pipes well, and use a circulating pump on the exchanger/propane heater loop. The Thermomax setup in Bob-O's home uses this technique to interface solar heated water with a propane fired backup. Richard High Lifter Pump Data Dear HP: As the author of the "Things that Work" article on High Lifter pumps, I'd like to respond to the letter from Dave Luckenbach as published in HP #26. Dave's letter put into question the efficiency of the High Lifter as opposed to ram pumps. First of all, there was an error in the way I described my test site. I stated that 6 gpm flowed through my supply pipe to the High Lifter, and Dave's efficiency calculations were based on that amount being used by the pump. Actually, at that time, 6 gpm was flowing into my settling tank from my spring but only a small portion of that was needed to supply the High Lifter. Further development to improve the cleanliness of my spring water reduced the flow to under 2 gpm, still more than enough to feed the High Lifter. I went back and did some more measurements to come up with an efficiency figure for the pump, which ended up being 78.6%. First I shut off the supply to the pump and carefully measured the total flow from my source tank, then I restarted the pump and measured the unused overflow from the tank. Subtracting, I deduced that the pump was using 1.19 gpm as its supply. Next, I measured the pump output at my storage tank above my house to be 0.154 gpm. I then calculated pump efficiency according to Dave's method: 1.19 gpm x 26 ft. head = 30.94 gallon feet of water per minute used; 0.154 gpm x 158 ft. delivery height = 24.33 gallon feet per minute of water pumped. Therefore, 24.33 / 30.94 = 78.6% efficient. Second, based on my experience to date, the High Lifter pump appears more suitable than ram pumps in low flow situations. The pump I used previous to the High Lifter was a Davey ram. This pump needed the entire 6 gpm my spring originally put out, and still would pump less than 175 gallons per day or 0.122 gpm. Admittedly this pump's impetus valve was very worn from years of debris flowing through it, and not a fair representation of a new ram pump. In recent months I have been testing a new, commercially available ram pump installed according to manufacturer's instructions, and have not been able to make it run on less than 2 gpm. I have not, however, given up on its potential for applications similar to mine. As I continue to experiment with non-electric pumps, I'll keep you posted on positive results. My conclusion is that a ram pump is likely to be as or more efficient in higher flow situations, but the High Lifter appears to be more appropriate for those of us with low flow situations an debris-free water supplies. Michael Welch, c/0 Redwood Alliance, PO Box 293, Arcata, CA 95521 ¥ 707 - 822 - 7884 Hydromaniac Dear friends; I haven't even finished reading your magazine and I'm already subscribing. I am enthused to read about different aspects of hydro usage as I am a hydromaniac. In the 5 years that I have been using our hydro, I have come from "So what is an amp?" to redesigning our entire system with my partner. I've had many challenges such as chipping ice out of a frozen hydro at minus 30¡F every day for a week and yearly, climbing into and cleaning out a 4' deep, 3' wide well casings full of silt and debris. Being a conservationist, I decided to use an existing system which was anything but optimum. thanks to my partner and Steve Willey (Backwoods Solar), my spirit endured and our power grew. Your magazine is inspiring as well as informative to a lay person as myself. For me, being self reliant and respectful of Earth means using her resources efficiently and purposefully. I would like to see articles about the spirit that drives us to be inventive, visionary and enduring in out goals of living harmoniously with Nature. Abundantly, Noreen Wenborne, 9465 Rapid Lightning Rd., Sandpoint, ID 83864 I have admiration for you, Noreen. You have obviously grown in the last 5 years. In response to your comment about the spirit of RE users I think you will be interested in the following letter. - Kathleen IEAN Dear Home Power Editor; Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Carolyn Erler; I am director of Independent Environmental Artists Network, a new organization dedicated to people who work with environmental elements as art, and who primarily do this on their own time, i.e., most are not actively seeking publication of their works, but are in need of correspondents for feed back. As for our members, a willingness to communicate, an enthusiasm for pooling ideas and sharing experience, is the only requirement for involvement. We are people Ð artists, though representing a rich diversity of professional backgrounds Ð who are not only exploring the boundaries of what constitutes an art form, but are also striving to assume a broader role in regards to the whole of nature. Being that the term "environmental art" seems to mean so much to so many these days, it would no doubt be helpful to you if I specified the kind of creative worker IEAN is seeking Ð although, please, what is mentioned below should be taken merely as a set of focal points. *Home-made passive energy installations: appliances, dwellings, related creative conceptualizations. *Creative stonemasonry. *Micro/macro organic and-or "found" architecture. *Original thoughtwork regarding that which may, in an enlarged sense, be seen as aspects of an overarching, autopoietic Geo-art. Some examples: rock metamorphism, the carbon cycle, petroleum formation, chemosynthesis, space lattices, symbiotic alliances, microbial mats, dissipative structures, bioluminous cells Ð the universe is the limit! We seek active, enthusiastic correspondence among workers in these general fields. The working goal of Independent Environmental Artists Network is for it to evolve into an art itself. This means an on-line art composed of creative workers communicating, resonating, breaking out of old patterns of competition and silence. While searching for various avenues through which possible contacts might be found for IEAN, I was made aware, through the Planetary Association for Clean Energy, Inc., of Home Power magazine. As a service both to myself and to those associated with IEAN, I was wondering if you might be able to send us any material (resource/address lists, sample issues, etc.) which could prove beneficial to this community of creative workers. Also, if you happen to know of someone among your friends and associates who is working in one of the above-mentioned areas, please urge them to write me at the address below. Thank you for your time, and for whatever you might be able to send our way. Sincerely, Carolyn Erler, Director, Independent Environmental Artists Network, POB 396, Rochester, New York 14603 Consider the word spread, Carolyn. - Kathleen Working System Having installed and maintained a stand alone system here for 3 years, I am glad for any opportunity to share what I have learned with others interested in home power. You can give my name, address and number to anyone in this area wanting to see home power. An electric vehicle has to come next! You serve as a guide and mentor for me as for so many others. Each issue an inspiration - when HP comes in the mail becomes for me a moment of rededication to earthkeeping. Thanks, Rich Meyer, 13416 CR 44, Millersburg, IN 46543 ¥ 219-642-3963 Thank you, Rich. Here is all the contact info for interested parties near you. - Kathleen Grid Interface Howdy Friends; I have read almost every issue of Home Power, there is no magazine I enjoy more, as the ragged edges of my abused copies attest. Your policy of reporting on real systems and applications, and hands-on tests cannot be beat. I'm sure that there are many people who read the magazine that live in grid wired homes and feel twinges of guilt. I'm one of those. I dream one day of moving into a remote AE-only home. However, for the time being, that is out of the question. Since the house is already wired, there is no cost savings in not having the grid strung to your house to offset the high cost of even a modest AE system. Another oft mentioned solution for people like me is a utility intertie (sellback) system. Even with the savings on a battery bank those systems are perhaps only economically reasonable with a huge wind generator; they are also very expensive. It seems to me there is a utility interface solution that makes sense for prewired or easily grid-connected houses. Such systems would use almost all the components of a totally AE system, but would need the addition of some kind of switching system. With proper conservation a normal house could install a modest AE system (which could be acquired in stages) and only have to resort to the grid during periods of heavy load or lack of wind and sun. The system would need some kind of automatic transfer switch that senses when the load is greater than the battery can supply. I'm sure there must be some such controller in existence. I believe running grid power into an inverter with a battery charger option may accomplish this, but I don't recall seeing it mentioned in any article. I would enjoy an article in HP on what is needed for this type of system and how it is set up. I would also love to hear from anyone who uses or has installed such a system. Sincerely, Mark Hart, RR3, Box 167, Battle Lake, MN 56515 ¥ 218-583-2480 One point I would like to make to you, Mark, is that the term AE (Alternative Energy) sounds as if we are taking a less attractive or efficient alternative to grid power. You know this just isn't true. We prefer the term RE (Renewable Energy) as it has a more positive connotation, saying in effect that RE users take nothing from the environment that is not replaced naturally. - Kathleen Hi, Mark. See Q&A in this issue for information about utility intertie systems. The time is coming, more quickly than we imagine, when home power producers will make much of this nations power. The grid will be our battery, the sun will be our source. Richard Home Power Politics Dear Home Power: I have enjoyed your magazine for some time now, but I was a little sorry to see "Power Struggle" by Kris Holstrom in your iss #27 (Feb/Mar 92). I would hate to see your wonderful magazine politicized. Politics can so easily muddy the clear beauty of Home Power and those who describe their conquests either alone or in groups living without grid power. By their nature, most could be described as individualistic, either scorning or managing without one of society's major products, grid power. Kris Holstrom's description of Hastings Mesa is at once wonderful and horrific. Beauty, independence, individuals and groups conquering isolation from grid power, but then the age old question - how to keep out "others" and encroaching urbanization raises its ugly head. I do not live in Coosada because I crave big city lights, but because I enjoy the individualism, quiet, and freedom to do my own thing. I do not look with favor upon the encroaching urban sprawl from Montgomery, but I am part of it as Kris Holstrom is part of Telluride's. We are just the leading edges. We are not in the wilderness. If the grid comes to Hastings Mesa, no one will be forced onto it, but individual economic decisions would make it likely that many will choose that route. I do not enjoy a group of self anointed property owners making decisions for other property owners. Some property owners, even with home power, may enjoy the rise in property values. Some will decry the lost natural setting. In either case, this is one area from which I would like to see Home Power steer clear, lest it risk being swallowed by those with a politically correct view, rather than being enjoyed by all of us with a passion for home power. Sincerely, Daniel Gubin, POB 10, Coosada, AL 36020 ¥ 205-285-7486 Daniel, I appreciate your point of view, just as I appreciate Kris's. Raises in property taxes, power lines and stray voltage are valid concerns. Politics will always be interwoven into home power production. In many cases it is small Davids battling the large Goliaths of population and power grids. We cannot escape the politics, but we can remain informed as to how they affect home power producers. Read on... - Kathleen Micro-problem A copy of this letter was FAXed to Home Power. Dear Governor Roberts: For purposes of identification, I am a physician, a legal resident of California but a property owner in the Siskiyou National Forest below Grants Pass in Oregon. The purpose of this letter is to address two comments to your office, one negative and one positive in content. I philosophically and practically share the growing concern relevant to energy conservation and the necessity to develop and employ existent alternative energy resources such as sun, wind and water. In order to modify and reverse the "greenhouse effect" producing a distinct global warming trend, the use of fossil and other non-renewable fuels needs to be reduced or curtailed. In a practical attempt to eliminate the use of a propane burning electric light plant, I have already instituted: A) The installation of photo-voltaic panels for electrical energy production. B) I have initiated the system design and state application for a MICROHYDRO-ELECTRIC GENERATOR to be installed on my rural property. Both of these installations, in tandem would virtually eliminate the need for the operation of a propane fueled electric generating plant. Instead of encouraging and facilitating my energy resource conversion to this alternative energy format, especially in respect to the microhydro- electric generator, the state of Oregon mandates a license fee of $1,000.00. This $1,000.00 represents the license necessary to install an object which is approximately one foot high and approximately one-half foot in diameter, which in reality represents an automotive alternator with a water driven wheel attached so that it produces electricity. I must at least communicate my protest at this levy. I understand the tax credit benefit of this installation to state residents. Nonetheless it seems this approach seems to be amicable to an interest beyond simple dollars and cents and amicable to a more global or generic planetary interest. Perhaps you, with your busy schedule, will agree and at least have some staff designate examine this policy and problem. Please understand that this letter is in no manner or form a criticism of the state personnel responsible for the administration of these regulations. In a positive way I must commend the water master staff, especially the hydroelectric division at Salem, Oregon. Personally, I have found their accessibility, professionalism and personal assistance recently rendered to my person a refreshing experience. In my opinion they represent a group that is a credit to your state government. I thank you for your attention and assistance with the above matter. Respectfully submitted, J. Robert Egan, M.D., Ste. 807 1441 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, CA, 92600 ¥ 714-644-1051 Robert- While I agree with you that a $1000. licensing fee for micro- hydro is ridiculous and should be lessened, I don't have a "in principle" problem with a small fee. Here's why. The potential for riparian stream damage can be great even with small water diversions. It depends on the flow of the creek, the season, the volume of the diversion, and what lives in the creek. In an ideal world, that small fee would go to pay for someone's time to help and encourage you to enjoy your hydrosystem with the least environmental impact. I realize that I'm in fantasy la-la land here, given bureaucracies and bureaucrats, but it's something to shoot for. -Bob-O AM Antenna Dear Home Power: Please renew my subscription. Sure like your magazine. For People who live beyond the range of FM radio and have to rely on AM radio 153 feet of antenna wire is just the right length for the 1000 KHZ of AM radio. This includes running into the house to the radio. Any length up to 153 feet (not more) will help if you are crammed for room. Cheap electric fence wire will work fine. If you're getting pretty good AM now, but hate that inverter hum, this antenna will bring in the stations strong enough to over ride the inverter hum. However, you will hear the hum when you tune the dial between stations. If anyone builds an antenna like this also make a ground deep into the earth, 3 or 4 feet and build jacks to plug into the radio or into the ground when there's lightning present. If your a DC purest and have no inverter hum this antenna will bring in stations you wouldn't believe. Be sure to insulate the poles or trees or what ever you hang the wire on. Plastic water pipe will work fine for that. Donovan McDonald, HC61 - Box 18, Winslow, AZ 86047