There was a twister in Lowndes County today.
The only property damage we saw was to this house on Cat Creek Road,
which now has a pine tree draped across it.
The house roof appears undamaged.
There are no reports of anyone being hurt. Everyone is accounted for.
Then the tornado came through the woods to Quarterman Road: Continue reading
Paul Wolff explains weatherstripping on his door on Tybee Island.
Inexpensive and very effective.
Here’s the video:
Weatherstripping —Paul Wolff, Tybee Island, 2012 02 17
renewable energy,
Paul Wolff, The Volta Collaborative (TVC),
Tybee Island, Chatham County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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After the
ribbon cutting for a new solar installation in Bryan County,
Dr. Sidney Smith talked about
a distributed commodity market in solar power,
plus
large private investment utility-scale solar plants,
and then he told LAKE about
the
Georgia Energy Trust Fund.
Here’s the video:
Georgia Energy Trust Fund —Dr. Sidney Smith 2012 02 17
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
We donate 1.5% of the money we make to this trust fund for the county…. Now we invest that money in Georgia bonds for the county. And then the county only gets half of the interest So the funds we donate for these counties will grow forever as a result of what we’re doing with the trust fund…Continue readingIt’s invested in us, roads, airplanes, deep water, stuff like that.
And that’s the key actually.
Yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission work session lasted only eight (8) minutes,
as you can see in the videos.
Maybe they will say more tonight.
Here’s the agenda.
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After the ribbon cutting for the new Tabby Solar and Lower Rates for Customers installation in Richmond Hill, I asked Dr. Sidney Smith about using electric meter technology for utility-scale solar plants, for example 1-5 megawatts, for which there is private venture capital seeking opportunities.
Here’s Part 1 of 2:
Private investment in utility-scale solar plants Part 1 of 2:
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Dr. Smith said that was possible, plus he’d already been talking to some potential German investors,
If our system works as we have designed, they’d like to invest 100 million or more.
That would be quite a bit of solar energy!
Here’s Part 2 of 2:
Private investment in utility-scale solar plants Part 2 of 2:
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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Lowndes County Board of Commissioners Work Session Meeting held February
27, 2012, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Here’s
the agenda.
Here’s a playlist:
Videos of Lowndes County Commission Work Session 2012 02 27
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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Dr. Sidney Smith explained how the electric meter he’s developed
uses cellular technology to facilitate direct billing from
solar generator and customer.
Gretchen asked him what if they generate more than they use.
Dr. Smith said they wouldn’t.
I asked what if they added more panels.
He said they could, but there are trees in the back.
Here’s Part 1 of 5:
Enabling a commodity market in solar power: Dr. Smith’s electric meters Part 1 of 5:
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
He forgot about the parking lot out front where the panels he just connected are located: no shading there, and plenty of room for more solar panels.
Dr. Smith said the best places for solar are where there is no shade and near power poles. Gretchen asked how do you finance? Dr. Smith answered, Continue reading
Drs. Sidney Smith and Pat Godbey and their customer
cut the solar ribbon in Richmond Hill, Georgia,
17 Febuary 2012:
To commemorate the future of power in Georgia and the future for our children.I didn’t get the customer’s name; sorry.
You, too, could be a customer or a seller of distributed solar power if SB 459 gets out of committee and through the Georgia Senate and legislature into law. Contact your state senator today!
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Here’s the video:
Cutting the solar ribbon in Richmond Hill 2012 02 17
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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Dr. Smith speculated that Georgia Power might try to stop
solar installations like
the one he just opened in Richmond Hill
last Friday.
But can you imagine the power company coming and cutting our power offDoes Georgia Power really want to be seen opposing Lower Rates for Customers?and telling Dr. [inaudible] he has to pay more money? I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Maybe so, since Georgia Power
opposes SB 401, which would
facilitate exactly what Dr. Smith is doing.
You can help pass SB 401.
Call
your state senator, or
sign the petition.
Here’s the video:
Can you imagine the power company coming and cutting our power off? —Dr. Sidney Smith 2012 02 17
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Our goal is simply to make power available to all people at the lowest rates….He remarked this was their second installation. The first was at the Driftaway Cafe. They have another planned. A fourth one was supposed to be at a nearby orphanage, but Georgia Power wouldn’t allow it.
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While
opening a solar site in Richmond Hill last Friday, Dr. Sidney Smith said Georgia Power thinks it owns your sunshine:
It’s a personal freedom issue and a personal rights issue. And also it’s an issue of our future generations.But I know that we’re going to come out on top…. The reason we’re going to come out on top. You’re going to choose a higher power bill, or a lower power bill? Now, I know you’re going to say I want a lower power bill.
Here’s the video:
Does Georgia Power own the sunshine?
South Eastern Pathology Associates,
Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),
Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
As Dr. Smith told the AP a few days later:
We have a property rights issue: Who owns the sunshine, and does a property owner get to do anything he wants with it?” Smith said. “Georgia Power says he can use it to grow grass, get a sunburn, but he’s not allowed to change it to electricity. That’s not correct.”
And it goes beyond just generating your own power for
lower rates for yourself as a customer.
Why not be able to sell it to somebody else who wants it, too?
This is just the first step. In a way and a process that we’re ultimately going to be able to sell power out of Bryan County back to Atlanta, bringing dollars back from Atlanta to Bryan County.And Lowndes County can do the same. Atlanta wants our water? Sell them sunshine instead!
SB 401 can help with that. If you want it to pass, you can sign the petition or call your state senator.
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