Wake us when he uses them to charge his Tesla tractor.
From Hansen’s interview with Bloomberg News:
Q: What do you do in your own life to cut emissions?
A: We have covered our barn roof with solar panels, so we’re generating twice as much electricity as we use. And as soon as we can afford it we will put in geothermal heating. Then our property will be very energy efficient. We investigated a windmill, but it’s not allowed.
Anthony Watts showed off his solar panels on WattUpWithThat. He put them in as award against rapidly increasing electricity prices including peak-load pricing. They’re not all bad on local levels
As for geothermals, depending on location, there can be as little as a 5-10 year break-even time excluding any tax breaks or subsidies. For those people, it’s just intelligent investing.
They charge his I-pad.
PS His panels generate twice as much power as he uses (at this address) ‘cos he mainly lives somewhere else at someone else’s expense. Check his frequent flyer programme and lecture schedule.
He has a barn? Why?
In this instance at least, Hansen is backing his views with his own money. I’m OK with that for anyone even if it means he wears tinfoil diapers. It’s his desire to force everyone else that’s the problem.
Let’s avoid ad hominem attacks on solar panels and geothermal heating/cooling systems. There’s nothing wrong with them if you can afford the very high installation costs and don’t mind paying a premium for your energy needs. However, I’m perfectly happy to be on the grid and heat with natural gas. And, by the way, my lawn, trees and gardens seem to be enjoying a little extra CO2 – my yard has never looked so good.