I see an economic diasater coming...

[the_big_m_in_ok]

I put two large solar panels together to charge up a car battery(keep it topped off).Each put out about 18 volts for a total of 80 watts.80 watts per hour of sunlight.So if I used it once a week ora little  more the system provided enough power.I used only 12 volt tv,radio and lights.

You live in a house where the landlord doesn't have the right to barge in and look at everything you have.  I'm in an apartment, so that's out.  But the two panels you had still would have worked in my case on a small battery, even if I had an inverter.  I only used my electric shaver about 5 minutes a day.

An invertor wastes power.

Yeah, small inverters aren't very efficient.  I just didn't have the money to buy better parts at the time.

So I kept it real simple.keep all wires less than 20 feet long or DC losses kick in.

Heavy wire for long lengths and very heavy wire for very long wire runs can keep losses to a minimum.  Heavy wire is expensive, though.

I placed the two solar panels in my living room windows.I maintained that system for 8 years.triffid

Very good.  That'll work, even through glass windows.  They need to be clean, however, but they should work.

--Lee

[the_big_m_in_ok]

I hate to be all gloom and doom.Here was a refreshing story on Gma this morning.                                                http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/savings-makeover-york-family-nets-58288/story?id=12452935

they were able to save this family $58,000 a year.

Good, triffid.
However, I do have some rather "doom & gloom" news:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/22/news/economy/build_america_bonds/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

I wondered why the City of San Francisco was fixing so many sidewalks a couple of years ago.  Now I know.
It's about to end for a fairly large number of cities.

I expect this will have some impact on the building/construction trade industry.

--Lee

[triffid]

something amusing to look at.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ZbIs89Mk0&feature=player_embedded    The worlds smallest solar powered electric car.triffid

[triffid]

Some more of the same     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpF_FtF0TkE&NR=1

[the_big_m_in_ok]

something amusing to look at.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ZbIs89Mk0&feature=player_embedded    The worlds smallest solar powered electric car.triffid

Well, I did see this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/07/earlyshow/main4998592.shtml

I'll have to try and wait 'til it stops raining here in San Francisco to see the video.  They won't allow me to watch YouTube here where I am now.

On topic:
http://bigpeace.com/jxenakis/2010/11/19/stability-of-europe-threatened-by-ireland-financial-crisis/
http://www.generationaldynamics.com/cgi-bin/D.PL?r=bp33&d=ww2010.i.garrett071009

That second article is a "hum-dinger", so to speak.  We're Germany in the 1930's and China is the U.S. in the 1930's.  Almost the same situation with a whole lot more money in circulation.

--Lee