benefit of thermal

jumper

I read that solar electric didn't help after storm Sandy. To save money solar electric installations use grid for storage. So when grid goes off so does your solar electric. Electric energy storage is expensive and doesn't last so long. Thermal storage should last indefinitely.

hot_rod

you need some energy from the sun

to have pv or thermal provide much energy. Battery based PV can provide some storage, money buys storage. Batteries have improved and come down in cost.



Thermal energy stores well but you still need some electricity to move it around. A passive or thermo-siphon solar thermal could keep you in hot water as long as the water supply from a well or utility is online.



Plenty of folks live comfortably off grid with solar PV and thermal, maybe some wood fired supplement, LP or diesel generator to recharge battery banks after long periods of no sunshine.



A woodstove with thermal -siphon DHW allows some heating, cooking and bathing, Some pv and batteries with low energy bulbs keeps the lights on. It all depends on your needs and wants.



Prepper Mania around here in Missouri. Bunkers, batteries, large water storage, dried food, weapons to out gun them "lesser" preppers, it's crazy. I'm blown away on how much $$ some are spending, and where that money come from, to live after everything crashes?



I suppose the timing is right all the excess Y2K survival inventory has just cleared out, now a new market develops.

SWEI

thermal storage

is a good idea even without solar collectors in my book.  Usually the simplest and least expensive method of peak shaving, it turns the coming increase of TOU-based tariffs into a major opportunity.

Kevin_in_Denver_2

PV electric generation when the grid is down

SMA, the inverter company, has partially solved this problem:

http://greenbuildingindenver.blogspot.com/2013/02/green-backup-power.html