Very good advice here. I have done it twice. The first time around I grew fast and was happy. This second time I am unhappy as the organization is slower, less nimble and very little room to grow and learn. I hope you will have luck with your choice!
Don't forget wind energy as being price competitive for large utility scale renewable energy. Innovation is slower than solar, but in the near future we will be able to build wind farms in lower wind speed areas and offshore.
I have a friend who has been working on Hydrogen and fuel cells since 1999. He told me in 2001 that it was never going to happen for cars and that fuel cells just are not going to pay off except for a few instances that aren't really clear.
2016 he says the same thing. Fuel cells will never be the fuel for cars and no clear viable application. The issue is that you can't just go with hydrogen into a magical filter and split the hydrogen atoms and get energy without it costing multiple more then gas or electric.
I think the emphasis of the article is on the "obsess" verb, not on the "big" adjective. Big problems and theories are a fundamental driver but obsessing is not productive.
You make a very good point when you stress the importance of double blind studies of course. However, the problem of translating uncertain results into practice remains key in the medical research area. Who is going to fund your 100 studies with enough statistical power to reduce this uncertainty?
This reminds me of the stem cell research boom and bust of the late 90s and 00s. It turns out that the new and shiny toy doesn't work for everything. However, it's not really a bust, as AI, similar to stem cells applications, will continue to do wonders where it is the best tool for the job.
Energy markets are a bit complicated. Wind energy has a localized value that depends on local supply and demand supported by the associated transmission line. In any case, the price of any energy resource is based on what technology is "on the margin", i.e. what is the cheapest form of energy available at a specific time to satisfy demand. It turns out that US natural gas prices are driving all the renewable energy economics due to their current historically low price. Arguably, oil prices have less of an influence on renewables than the cost of natural gas.
Underrated comment. Texas can't build transmission lines fast enough to export their wind power, and some utilities are giving power away for free at night because of it.
Living in Texas, while almost every provider has a free nights plan now most won't give you very aggressive daytime rates that make them worth it compared to other averaging plans (Unless you have on premis solar). Air-conditioning during the day still drives the bulk of residential consumption. I'm waiting on energy storage like zinc-bromide to mature and drop in price or something better to come along.
There is a datacenter in AZ that takes advantage of low cost night power. They have giant underground tanks full of a proprietary solution that they cool down at night, and then during the day the use it to keep the DC cool. My guess is it's just antifreeze and water, mineral oil, or something similarly boring.
It should be almost trivial for a refrigeration mechanic to build a home scale system like what you have described to take advantage of free / cheap night time electricity.
It's just a heat pump with the cooling side heat exchanger immersed in glycol & water,storwge tank and a pump. Maybe some insulation. Add a heat a set of heat exchanges fir a secondary loop in to the house.
I know absolutely nothing of cooling and refrigeration, but it is an area I've been thinking of transitioning my career towards (burned out SysAdmin) and learning as a trade.
What you just described is something I actually overheard a couple of guys talking about at a neighborhood pub. A/C and Energy efficiency are bit topics in Central Texas as other posts mentioned.
Do you have any articles you'd recommend for someone with a passive interest in renewables that may cover residential projects like this?
Industrial refrigeration components are very modular, controllers capable of handling this sort of set up are available off the shelf.
The whol set up is pretty much identical to a chilled water data centre cooling set up but with a smaller chiller and a larger chilled water reservoir.
Ammonia would probably be better, I was just thinking on terms of something a fregierstion mechanic could hack together as a proof of concept in a couple of weekends.
