Life goes on, no, not the TV show.

So life goes on.

Yesterday was a full day - I made an extension to the solar panels (considering am off the grid, please see here). Also with the state electricity as erratic and non-existent as ever, and with the solar panel industry in Lebanon still picking up speed (here) and with communal generators being obnoxiously expensive, there seems to be very little options left. 

A family I know uses generator as a back up to the solar panels, meaning they use it just to fill the batteries from time to time. No matter, if I am saying "Life goes on" it is because really, I am not going to wait for the developments of the region to settle down for me to keep my things happening. Actually I was asked why do it now? Why not wait and see where the "wind blows"? my answer was "what if I keep waiting and waiting and nothing happens, winter will come soon and I need to have energy to warm the house and all that". 

Which bring us to the TV show "Life goes on" - LBC, a great show built around Corky (portrayed by actor Chris Burke) who had Down's Syndrome and his family (note that Burke had Down's Syndrome too). The only other time where "Wind Beneath My Wings" was sung to full-effect apart from the - debatable - movie "Beaches". Please do see about the show here. 

But again, these are some of the things you learn from having experienced war. You just go with life and live it. I once wrote in a poem something to the effect of "I saved something for later, but later never came to pick it up". And so here we are, solar panels doubled in the hope of bringing more energy into the house.

Solar energy: the end that justifies the means

So the other day the electricity bill came to the tune of 4,250,000 Liras (4 million 250 thousands liras) - that was for the months of September/October 2022. I refused to pay it. The reason? Ever since I installed my solar panels (here), I have switched off both the generator and the state electricity. So this number is unreal and I think they approximated it from previous bills. 

If I am recounting this instance it is because apparently Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper claims that around 40% of Lebanese households have switched to solar panels (or "clean energy"). I have been speaking about the environment since before it became a fad, doing conferences and spreading the word. Here's what the newspaper got wrong. It says that people have switched to solar panels "out of need" not for "environmental reasons". 

Again to be clear, spreading the green message is never easy or nice. But once everything starts to hit your pocket, suddenly logic seems clear. So basically, this is one of those cases where the end does justify the means. Sure, people in Lebanon are used to a very low pricing of the kilowatt (at the time prior to the 2019 crisis it was the cheapest in the region). And maybe people are not aware that solar panels need yearly cleaning (a small sum) or that during winter storms one really needs to manage well to make the energy last all day (even with 8 panels and 4 batteries I had 2 power cuts this winter - so I had to unplug our refrigerators for the day during winter storms for the batteries to last).

But these are very small inconveniences when 1) you are not paying electricity bills which became obnoxiously expensive 2) when you have electricity round the clock - yes, when well managed, even in winter 3) when you are avoiding the generator bill which also became illogical 4) when you don't have to wait for the state electricity which is incredibly erratic and untrustworthy.

I think what the newspaper failed to understand, is that sometimes - regardess of the reasons - the end does justify the means.

Lebanese International Solar Week Show

I already told you I moved to solar panels - which could have been my smartest decision in the last 4 years (here). The other day some "driveway philosophers" (as called by the wonderful Garrison Keillor) - including myself - gathered on my porch and we started comparing how many panels and batteries each installed, the efficiency of our system, if the participation to the communal generator was kept (mine was not) and apparently I was the only one totally off the grid (meaning not even Electricte du Liban turned on).

But all this to say how rampant solar power has become, and thankfully so. Is it efficient? Yes. Does it need wise use? Yes, especially during the winter storms. Is it money-saving? Despite the initial investment and compared to the obnoxious numbers Electricite du Liban and the generators are charging, yes it is.

Which brings us to the "Lebanese International Solar Week Show" at the Habtoor. I am not sure if a full such an exhibition is required but truth be told, perhaps some people still need converting. Also interestingly, there is no less than 4 different ads on the streets for different battery brands. By batteries I mean those rechargeable entities responsible for fueling your solar panels system.

It does say something when there are so many ads for the same kind of product on the market. And yes, the man who installed my own system is not even coping with demand at this point.