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  • #31
    Originally posted by philpaine View Post
    Mike

    Is it OK for me to post details of my website?

    Phil
    Well, try it, and we'll see. Just a simple link. If it looks like a scam, we'll pull it. I cleaned a couple up this AM.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

    Comment


    • #32
      Hi Mike

      My website: www.solar-panel-home.net

      If you have comments/criticism please let me know. I have very recently update all my articles having read the posts on the forum.

      Thanks

      Phil
      www.solar-panel-home.net

      ps. rather than simply removing my postings, I would prefer that you tell me what the issues are so I can respond, thanks.

      Comment


      • #33
        i'll let Jason set his policys on this, it seems OK (but Busy with all the ad links in it)
        Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
        || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
        || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

        solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
        gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

        Comment


        • #34
          Hi Phil,

          First I want to say thank you for asking permission to post your link and the way you went about the situation. I appreciate it.

          To me your site is a classic example of someone who builds their website for the sole purpose of getting clicks to their affiliate program. The hyphenated keyword domain, the excessive affiliate link stuffing on every post etc. I see your point of view and think it's great you went above and beyond 99.9% of all the spammy affiliate blogs that are promoting this program. You seem to have a real interest in the subject and even though you went a unique route by purchasing the material and making it a review blog for these affiliate program, the first impression i get is "click me! click me!". As a buyer, how do I know you really did buy these? If they were that good, why deceit a potential buyer?

          Here's my issue. I have to set the rules and make it fair to every member. If I start making exceptions, just because you went about the nice way of doing business, before you know it this site will be filled with spammy affiliate links. I delete them everyday and who knows how many Mike is deleting.

          I'm trying to run a tight ship here and want to provide free, high quality information and discussions for people without bias opinions from posters who just want to squeeze in a link wherever they can. That's exactly what will happen if I start allowing people to post whatever link they want and the quality of this forum will be compromised.

          Your tagline for your blog is "Integrity and Honesty in ALL Things Renewable Energy." Earth4Energy and these other sites aren't honest on all their landing pages you see across the net. I betcha those testimonials are fake too. They say what they can to make the sell. period.

          What's wrong with the DIY solar links I posted in the first post? They are from people who thoroughly detailed their progress of making a solar panel and shared it as free information. It's a great start for people to learn from it and come here to discuss it with others who are doing the same thing. That's what this forum is about.

          I'll leave your link here in the thread so people can see the reviews of the material before they buy, but as far as posting it on every post you make, that is unacceptable. I hope you understand and continue to post here. I'll make a clear set of rules when I get some time and make it a sticky post in the Welcome subforum.

          Being a debatable topic, this could go on and on. I realize they provide an abundant amount of information, which is great, but they go the wrong way about promoting it and to me that's not honest. Even by your list above, the bad outweighs the good. Also, my strong opinion comes from the fact that I know you can get information about DIY solar for free, straight from people who have actually done it, and forums to offer the opportunity to discuss and learn further. Most likely people who buy these manuals will come here and do that anyway.

          Thanks again for being a member, I greatly appreciate it.

          Comment


          • #35
            Hi Jason

            Thanks for the considerate reply, I appreciate what you say and taking the trouble write it. I fully support your aims. Having actively participated in the FX and Affiliate market place, I am still amazed at the scams and outright dishonesty of many participants.

            I hope to remain an active member of this forum and as requested I won't include my website link on future posts.

            I know this can sound glib, but Integrity and Honesty really do matter to me. I am trying to build a website which is honest, objective, interesting and informative about solar and other forms of renewable energy. At the same time I need affiliate links in order to earn a living.

            I do not disagree with your criticisms of E4E etc. That is why I have recently changed my website to point out the falsehood of their claims and actually tell my readers not to buy these guides / kits unless they just want to construct a couple of solar panels as an interesting project. I also point out that they can buy solar panels for almost the same cost as DIY. I am trusting that this honest approach will not be commercial suicide!

            I will continue adding more articles on renewable energy. I very much hope that in time my site will be one that you include on your list of useful solar energy resource sites. It is certainly my intention to make it one of the best sources of renewable energy information on the Internet.

            In the meantime, I would value any comments / constructive criticism of the site. If there are areas where you believe I have compromised my tagline, please let me know. Just use the "Contact us" button on the top right of the landing page.

            Kindest regards

            Phil

            BTW - I didn't understand the last sentence of your 2nd para. I am not aware of deceiving anyone. Maybe you can use the "Contact us" button to explain. Phil

            Comment


            • #36
              My apologies for the misunderstanding Phil. I wasn't referring to you personally as being deceiving, I was referring to the ebooks.

              Comment


              • #37
                We appreciate

                Hi Jason, We all appreciate the efforts you, Mike and Aussie Bob put into this site. I have a small understanding of how many posts you must eliminate from what I do on another site.

                Thank you for a job well done and please keep it up.
                [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

                Comment


                • #38
                  Gulp, I just bought one and this is how I got to this site. I guess it was worth the $50.00 to get the expertise from you folks. I figured you couldn't do what I would like to do for a couple of hundred dollars, but I didn't know where to start. Thank you for shedding the light on these guys.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Here is a response from a solar professional regarding Earth4Energy:

                    "Now someone is getting rich, thanks to an affiliate program-- the Earth4Energy Ebook sells for $49.95, there's a DVD too, and has the same misinformation as the old book, updated with color photos and plans for an impossible wind turbine (8 foot PVC blades, small tape drive motor, no furling system, 1000 watts @ 20mph -- yeah, right). This Ebook (85 pages, large type, lots of white space) sells online under dozens of different names now. They all review each other, with glowing reports about how the utility pays THEM and how YOU can do all this too for only $200 in materials! What's scary and dangerous is that the ads all imply grid tie applications for this homebrew stuff:

                    "Don't pay for your electricity any longer...
                    Instead, the power company will pay YOU!"

                    But in the site FAQs:
                    "Will I learn how to wire the renewable power into my homes AC breaker panel?" "Wiring your own power into the AC breaker panel is very dangerous and is illegal unless it is done by a qualified electrician."

                    And then from the Earth4Energy Ebook:
                    "If you do not wish to go as far as connecting your system to
                    the breaker panel you can simply run your appliances
                    straight from your AC inverter. Running your appliances
                    straight from the inverter is easy and a very cheap option."

                    I assume this means the homeowner is to run extension cords around the house to each appliance? Oh my. I am currently working with other DIY renewable energy authors to get some real reviews up about Earth4Energy and all its affiliates.

                    They are selling tens of thousands of copies of this crap. The average person that buys these $49.95 Ebooks has NO clue about how any RE system, wind or PV, off grid or on, works. The websites cleverly do not mention that the $200 you spend for building your own plywood PV panels and toy wind turbines doesn't include a grid tie inverter, balance of system components, and signoff by a licensed installer or electrician...and at least where *I* live, the county inspector would go ballistic if he saw PV cells glued to plywood.

                    As someone who tries to encourage DIY RE, this whole thing is mortifying. It gives the entire RE industry a bad name (not just the DIY folks) because the implication is that professional RE installers are ripping the customer off with $1000 PV modules, when the customer could just build their own. We have a nice list of installations where folks that built our DIY wind turbines (a modified Hugh Piggott design) from our book "Homebrew Wind Power" (ISBN 978-0-9819201-0-8) have been successfully permitted and signed off on by the inspectors for both off-grid and islanding grid-tie. That's another reason this Earth4Energy Ebook thing infuriates me....the wind turbine information in there is both impossible in claimed power output and dangerous in application."

                    From Dan Fink @ http://www.otherpower.com/

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      thanks for all of this great info. hopefully more people find this topic before buying Earth4Energy

                      i found a few Earth4Energy ripoff reports also.

                      http://www.ripoffreport.com/Internet...erex-b94q8.htm

                      http://www.ripoffreport.com/Utility-...d-ea-w742w.htm

                      http://www.ripoffreport.com/Bait-and...ergy-27cj2.htm

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Thanks Jason, for posting my review of Earth4Energy and its ebook ilk.

                        I would like to re-iterate my main point -- the scam part of this whole thing is simply how the ebook is advertised. By saying 'can produce 80% of your home's electricity needs' and 'the power company will pay you' a grid-tied system is implied -- and no mention is made in the ads of the +/- $5k of grid tie equipment, permits, inspections, etc. needed for this. And, as was pointed out earlier in this thread, one PV panel and a tiny toy wind turbine are not going to cover even 10% of your home energy needs, unless (possibly) you live in Southern Zambia.

                        The local building inspector / electrical inspector is not likely going to allow home-built PV panels on your roof, and they will be required to come in and inspect before you can tie to the grid. I would challenge anyone reading this to send me a photostat of an approved rooftop installation of homemade PV panels, signed off by the inspector.

                        On the other hand, PV mounted in racks in the yard and small homebrew wind turbines on towers in the yard have been successfully permitted for grid tie -- but what's the use when your tiny turbine (as described in the ebook) or homemade PV panel can only make less than 20 kwh per month? That's $2 worth of electricity.

                        If the ad copy for these ebooks said you could power your remote cabin or hunting camp with them -- well, that's the information included. No scam there, other than that you can get all of it *for free* on the internet.

                        I consider Earth4Energy a 'bait and switch.' You only find out about grid tie after you buy the book. In fact they refunded my money when I complained about that.

                        DAN FINK
                        co-author, "Homebrew Wind Power" ISBN 978-0-9819201-0-8
                        contributing author, Back Home Magazine, Home Power Magazine, The Energy Self Sufficiency Newsletter, Lighting Today, and more.
                        "Ask the Experts" columnist, Home Power Magazine
                        Technical Director, http://www.otherpower.com/
                        Owner, Buckville Publications LLC http://www.buckville.com/

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          i was wondering about that clame from earth4energy .

                          build your own solar panels .

                          i never bought the book or any thing like that. i thought it was a bunch of bull.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            @solarforce - You can either spend your money on the books or get the same information from the net for free. Not much of a deal.
                            [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Originally posted by Aussie Bob View Post
                              There's actually a lot of good information in those DIY ebooks, but the claim you can go off the grid for $200.00, and it's simple to do so, is utterly ridiculous. I bought one (earth4energy I think) and some good info in there, but most of that info is available freely on the net anyways, for anyone willing to do some hunting about. Google is your friend. Also searching on youtube can be helpful too. Lots of DIY solar and wind project vids on youtube.
                              I Agree but no where Have I seen the ebooks mention go off the grid for $200.00, they do mention building a solar panel for $200 or less.
                              The problem I see is lack of reading vrs the probability to start with some sort of knoledge to where to start at, and you go from there I dont think anyone who would pay for something and not know what they are getting into.
                              I'd plan on knowing abit more of the elictricity side of calculation value, I am lost on that WOW!!
                              I do also have a plan to start taking off parts of my bill first and follow the next link in the so called chain lol

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Grid tied and off grid? depate

                                alot of good things mentioned in here and this thread thanks to the owner of this brought me to think abit more on this what I did not see much of is off grid would be better in such less costs things like your water well solar project I am interested in doing my self. I can not see where I would need a permit for this as it would be off grid running off battery in vented shed.
                                Surely this threads topic suport that end of the knoledge for a small fee alot less than yould pay for the degree.

                                Comment

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