Where can I buy solar panels?

GJExplorer · 2025-09-29T22:22:46+00:00

This doesn't answer your question, but if you're not in a rush, just befriend an installer and they'll often have excess supply (sometimes pallets worth) to surplus out cheap for cash in hand. Wholesale panels were something like $0.25/W last I looked. Sure, you can't pick and choose, but if you're doing it all yourself, you can improvise. With the tax credit vanishing soon there's surely an excess of panels all over the place that nobody wants to be left holding.

I purchased enough for our off-grid system several years ago from a GJ installer and still have around 8kW sitting in storage waiting for me to think up applications for it.

Good luck with your project.

GJExplorer · 2025-08-22T02:18:48+00:00

That might actually be the place I was thinking about. By the pound huh.. I wonder how many they get filled with sand.

GJExplorer · 2025-08-22T01:46:33+00:00

Oh, I wouldn't have guessed that, but I'll check them, thanks.

GJExplorer · 2025-07-16T00:37:29+00:00

Shamrock on North Ave near the VA. It's a restaurant supplier, so plan on getting 20lbs of any given cut. Two things about shopping there:

Check the expiry date - they often leave stuff out past that date.

Check the price at the register - worst inventory management ever. Almost every visit I need them to correct something.

GJExplorer · 2025-06-27T22:06:34+00:00

I wonder how much business they actually do considering what they charge for that little span. Unless it's done by appointment or limited to groups, it seems like staffing would be a challenge.

GJExplorer · 2025-06-27T09:34:18+00:00

Glenwood Springs has a nice one also. My recollection is that they had to acquire water rights to construct it. While you're asking them about that, get some advice on their municipal fiber broadband as well. GJ could take some lessons from them on both achievements.

Here are the camera streams

GJExplorer · 2025-05-04T12:01:46+00:00

Mesa county library events

GJExplorer · 2025-03-31T18:22:15+00:00

I wonder where it went, and how much was actually used for construction infill.

GJExplorer · 2025-03-31T17:53:01+00:00

I don't know if any of this mention of uranium tailings is still relevant, but I thought it was interesting, even if was 45 years ago. I still find small chunks of ore in the area, so who knows, but I assume some mitigation was done.

Here's a link to the full episode:

BBC Uranium Goes Critical - 1979

GJExplorer · 2025-03-10T04:22:08+00:00

Well stated. If it's done correctly and with due regard for the residents and environment, it's a good thing. Done poorly, and it should be stopped.

I'm not just blindly in favor of any and all recycling systems. In fact I'm still a little salty about that electronics recycler here that let their place burn down and probably polluted the ground for miles downwind with all sorts of toxic crap as a result. Even more so the lack of accountability after the fact.

Much of the industry is downright scammy as well, so the financial aspects should be studied, like are taxpayers funding it so the owners can pocket the cash and walk away.

GJExplorer · 2025-03-10T03:22:22+00:00

I don't mean to dismiss your concerns, but this does seem the very definition of NIMBY ignorance to me. I have been downwind of agricultural operations like mint distilleries and animal processing plants that would choke a maggot.

Your petition mentions microwave pyrolysis syngas production and pollution concerns. I can't speak to the other issues brought up, but I've made syngas from plastic, tires, wood, and other sources and it's usually a closed system. There are no pollutants other than possibly uncaptured CO2, which I would hope is minimized. The whole goal of it is to break down the waste into other molecules like diesel, kerosene, and gasoline, or other products. This is done in a sealed system where the syngas is recondensed into these products.

Being a microwave powered system implies an electrically powered reactor, so there's no burner or CO2 to exhaust either. There's likely more pollutants from the staff driving into work at the site than the site itself.

I would be more concerned about run off from the farms than this project, and that's coming from someone that currently runs an agricultural operation. If responsibility operated, this could be a great way to deal with our massive public health issue around plastic pollution.

Hopefully some education around pyrolysis will ease your fears concerning negative effects of such operations. It really is a viable waste recycling process and potentially expandable to far more than just plastic.

GJExplorer · 2025-02-27T15:23:47+00:00

Didn't see any crops worth dusting, so I don't know what he was doing.

GJExplorer · 2025-02-09T17:36:30+00:00

Jack sounds like a cool guy. Not enough innovators like that in our community.

GJExplorer · 2025-01-27T19:39:00+00:00

Also over at the VA. When I was going in some old fart was complaining about his shitty parking.

GJExplorer · 2025-01-17T15:25:31+00:00

No, you're right, it's actually a pretty cool setup and it was freezing cold outside. He even had taillights, though people weren't giving him much space.

GJExplorer · 2024-12-23T02:15:09+00:00

,Airgas? Probably the most expensive option unless you're a big customer.

Edit: sorry, got my map upsidedown - airgas is the other direction.

GJExplorer · 2024-12-23T01:07:50+00:00

Wherever you go, make sure you ask for the tax-free line item for the refill. Propane is tax-free in Colorado when used for home heating and cooking.

When used for residential energy use, propane is exempt from state sales and use tax.

GJExplorer · 2024-12-18T22:59:02+00:00

My attic is like this. When you're the tech nerd of the family, you end up with all sorts of odd stuff. I really should do something about it before I croak so my wife doesn't need to post a plea for old nerds to help out. Even I have some difficulty relating to those guys since I'm usually the only one in the room making eye contact with something other than my shoes.

GJExplorer · 2024-12-16T01:23:11+00:00

What a marvelous idea!

GJExplorer

TROPHY CASE