Greetings from New Mexico! Yes, I, Chris Daum (along with my sweetheart), have relocated to NM as of late September. My comrade in madness, Larry Keogh, is still in Hamilton, MT, so now we are currently working from two business locations. Well, we do live in a changing world. Speaking of which…
The rescinding of the 30% residential tax credit for solar or wind power system investment is certainly not the end of the world for renewable industries. Thirty-five years ago, the price of a solar module was right around $10/watt or even more. Now it’s around a dollar a watt or even less. With utility prices rising (due to crypto, AI, EV popularity and data mining development, aging utility infrastructure), investing in a solar power system will still continue to be a hedge against utility inflation. Early this year, renewable energy and nuclear power displaced coal as the major source of electricity in the world. And due to the sheer economics of solar and wind, that is going to continue (at least, with the smart states and countries). And most utilities in this country have already raised their rates from 5% to 7% this past year, with increases coming in the future. It never hurts to be prepared.************************** |  Solar module deal du jour (these are priced in pallet quantity, and are sometimes but generally not available in lesser amounts). Call for availability, as the solar coaster changes rapidly!
- JA440, 440W bifacial module, JAM54D41-440/MB, 108 half-cell mono type, pallet quantity of 36 @ $335 each, so $12060 before shipping costs and applicable taxes.
- Thornova 440W 108 cell bifacial module, TS-BBT54(440), pallet quantity of 31@ $182 each, so $5642 before shipping costs and applicable taxes.
- Canadian Solar 440W, CS6.2-48PM-440, N Type TOPCon technology, pallet quantity of 31 @ $155 each, so $4805 per pallet before shipping costs and taxes.
- REC380W, N-Type Mono, pallet quantity of 33 @ $192 each, so $6336 per pallet before shipping cost and taxes.
- ZNSHINE440, ZXM7-UHLDD108-440, 440W 108 cell Mono type, pallet quantity of 33 @ $214 each, so $7062 per pallet before shipping cost and taxes.
Let us know if you need any specifications for these new solar modules.
There are still deals to be had.
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Wind power DOES make a difference! | | America Isn't Pivoting to Natural Gas. Distilled Earth, by Michael Thomas, August 25, 2025
https://www.distilled.earth/p/america-isnt-pivoting-to-natural Heard the chatter that natural gas is back? Not so fast. Data from Texas shows that renewables are still the main story in America's electricity sector. Renewables are faster – the current backlog for gas turbines is seven years while renewables developers’ average timeline is 12–18 months. Renewables are cheaper ($38–78/MWh to build a solar project vs. $48–107/MWh to build new combined cycle gas plants. Renewables are less volatile (e.g., long renewables PPAs lock in prices for decades, but fuel prices are more mercurial.) Just the facts!
|  SOL-ARK inverters: You don’t have to piece together multiple parts to get basic functions. This one does it all, does it better, and does it with simplicity. That‘s the line that jumps out when looking at the spec sheet for Sol-Ark Inverters. Does it all…Off-Grid, Grid-Tied, Time of Use, Peak Shaving -- and does it all with one unit. Those are some pretty good reasons for us moving from the “old reliables” that have sadly experienced major product support collapses and got us moving to what works. New products are plentiful with the evolution of our solar industry. And like all things new, some of the new products have much to learn. Good products with good specs that are also really loud might be suitable for locations where the equipment is located in a shed distant from living quarters. If the equipment is on the wall right outside the bedroom window or located near the TV room…not so good. And some of the new inverter technologies are quite loud; but there are no complaints from those who’ve purchased Sol-Ark. The 12KW Sol-Ark 120/240VAC inverter is $4859 plus shipping (and applicable sales tax), specially priced until December 15th. Click here for specifications:
We like and recommend Sol-Ark since the inverter can be installed without energy storage, or batteries can be added later without having to make that initial cost at the beginning, so this product is suitable for grid-tie and well as off grid. Sol-Ark installations result in a wise first dollar spent; and, are also available in a 15, 18 and 30KW units if your power needs are greater. View the PDF spec. sheet here. Rely on Oasis Montana to be on the lookout for your best fit. Call us for what you desire or envision. | Renewable Energy NEWS
How nuclear power relates to nuclear weapons (it’s complicated)
https://www.theguardian.com
Climate change is making food production more costly.
https://cleantechnica.com
Renewables cheaper than fossil fuels worldwide. Well DUH!
https://www.reuters.com
Just how many subsidies do fossil fuels receive?
https://ourworldindata.org
If you want to buy an EV before the tax credit expires, 7 things you need to know
https://cleantechnica.com
Solar powered vending machine?
https://www.pv-magazine.com
New report reveals U.S. transmission buildout is lagging far behind national needs.
https://cleanenergygrid.org
Old EV batteries provide back-up power for Texas.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com
Things you can do to keep your water well integrity
https://wellowner.org
Fossil Fuels Or Food: Which Is Worse For Climate Change?
https://cleantechnica.com
EPA officially rescinds $7 billion in committed Solar For All grants
Solar Builder Magazine
US energy secretary call for an end to all subsidies for solar wind
https://cleantechnica.com
Fish safe hydropower? New study claims 'high survival' of rainbow trout in specialized hydropower turbines
www.renewableenergyworld.com
Coal Is Linked To Cancer, Not Wind Power
CleanTechnica
Oil & Gas Pollution Linked To 90,000 Premature Deaths A Year In The US
CleanTechnica
The U.S. isn’t keeping up with the rest of the world. Investment in renewable energy increases globally, drops in the U.S.
https://www.axios.com
Importance of clean air! Air pollution can drive devastating forms of dementia, research suggests
The life and legacy of Johnny Weiss, an awesome solar pioneer!
https://www.youtube.com
China Is Leading The Way To A Fossil Fuel Free Future
CleanTechnica
Why Do Wind Turbines Have Three Blades?
YouTube
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are Just Stupid
CleanTechnica
Renewables are kicking coal’s dirty butt.
CleanTechnica
Offshore wind is booming worldwide (if not in the U.S.)
CleanTechnica
Backsliding: Over $24 billion in U.S. clean energy investment and 21,000 jobs lost in 2025
https://pv-magazine-usa.com It’s the sheer economics folks. Grid planners and experts on why markets keep choosing renewables.
UtilityDive.com
Importance of battery back-up.
UtilityDive.com | Efficient appliances are always a great way to save energy;
here are a couple of Energy Star rated refrigerators that might be of interest. 
FFBF121W offers a classic white finish, is 11.7 cu.ft., $1189, before shipping costs. Dimensions are 73”H x 23.5”D x 25.25”D, and this uses slightly less than 1100 watt-hours a day (or 1.1kwh). | 
This FFBF173SS is $1719 before freight, 16.1 cu.ft. capacity, with stainless doors; it’s 70”H x 30”W x 28”D, and uses slightly less than 1000 watt-hours, or 1 kwh, per day – remarkably efficient! |
We have more pictures and information available on these, as well as a variety of other appliances. We buy from several suppliers and have access to all types of refrigeration (under counter, French doors, freezers), medical refrigerators, drawer fridges, minibars, icemakers, commercial appliances including beer, wine and beverage units; kitchenettes, outdoor appliances, gas and induction ranges, washer/dryer combos, ADA products and a variety of healthcare equipment. If you can’t find what you seek where you’re at, give us a call, 406-777-4309 and we’ll see what we can find. | Quotable quotes* Man, if he so wills, can do so much for man, but only in the natural and human orders. We can be men only if we help each other. – Jean Toomer
* When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. — Thomas Jefferson
* Montana seems to me what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans. – John Steinbeck
* Once a country is habituated to liars, it takes generations to bring the truth back. – Gore Vidal
* Modern science has been a voyage into the unknown, with a lesson in humility waiting at every stop. Many passengers would rather have stayed home. – Carl Sagan
* A politician’s words reveal less about what he thinks about his subject than what he thinks about his audience.
– George F. Will
* People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
* The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
– Isaac Isamov
* When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong – faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late. – Frank Herbert (from Dune)
* Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein
* The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy — that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -- John Kenneth Galbraith
* Education is one of the blessings of life – and one of its necessities. – Malala Yousafzai
* Everyone needs to understand here that it’s up to you as a human being and as a United Stated citizen; it’s up to you to go out there and help. The door is open for us to help. I mean, democracy isn’t free. You have to put some work in. – Tab Benoit | | |
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