Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the world of solar energy, expat life, and the unique dynamics of audience interaction. He begins by introducing the topic of becoming self-sufficient with solar energy systems, sharing his personal experience with installing them. He acknowledges the skepticism of his audience, humorously referring to himself as a 'blowhard podcaster.' He then transitions into a discussion about his background, revealing that he was once an engineer with a double major and a minor in biomedical, electrical, and satellite communications engineering. He jokes about his current status as a podcaster, explaining that he moved to Latin America without a job and eventually got lucky in his late 20s.
He discusses the nature of his audience's emails, noting that most are complimentary but he usually edits out the flattery. He mentions receiving some hate mail, which he finds amusing and even beneficial, as it gives him a sense of being 'nobody' until someone hates him. He then reads a piece of hate mail, which includes a joke about his mother's report card. He responds to a question from a listener named Paul, who asked about the need for transcripts when applying for jobs in Latin America. Johnny explains that while transcripts are not necessary, he humorously mentions his mother's academic achievements, including her being the top student in her class and receiving scholarships, which were ultimately not pursued due to her parents' traditional views.
In another segment, Johnny reflects on his own experiences with guilt, acknowledging that while teaching English in call centers can be an educational experience, it also comes with its own set of challenges. He offers practical advice on notarizing documents for those looking to teach English online, suggesting that getting only the first page of each document notarized is sufficient. He also promotes his Expat Insider seminars, highlighting the benefits of attending, such as networking, residency applications, and cost savings. He mentions a seminar expert, Mr. B, who provides guidance on teaching English to Chinese children online.
Johnny and Dave engage in a humorous and informative exchange about language differences between English and Spanish, particularly the order of adjectives and nouns. Johnny explains that in Spanish, the noun comes before the adjective, which is why places like 'cafe internet' are common in Latin America, unlike the English 'internet cafe.' Dave questions Johnny's claims about the cost of maintaining a pool in Latin America, suggesting Johnny's numbers are exaggerated. Johnny defends his statements by citing his experience with multiple pools in Latin America and the higher costs associated with importing equipment and electricity.
In another segment, Johnny discusses the challenges of maintaining a pool in Latin America, emphasizing the lack of pool covers and the resulting need for excessive chemical use. He contrasts this with the United States, where pool maintenance is more efficient and less costly. Johnny also addresses Dave's criticism of his views on Latin America, acknowledging the negative stereotypes but attributing them to the region's poor governance and the lack of quality in construction and daily life. He concludes by suggesting that people should vote with their feet and move to the U.S. for better living conditions, while also making a controversial historical reference to Alexis de Tocqueville's views on democracy and religion.
Johnny is confronted by Dave about his public persona and the perception that he is taking advantage of people by selling seminars. Dave accuses Johnny of 'suckering' Americans and questions his motives. Johnny responds by defending his seminars, stating that they are not a scam but rather a result of popular demand. He explains that he and his brother, along with a friend, have 13 electronics patents, which allowed them to retire early. Johnny clarifies that he never intended to start the seminar business but was pushed into it by requests. He also claims that attendees have never asked for refunds and that many have attended multiple seminars.
Dave questions Johnny's ability to maintain a low profile, pointing out that his fingerprint and podcast presence make it easy for authorities to find him. Johnny responds by explaining that he practices what he preaches, having no personal assets and avoiding social media. He also jokes about the prevalence of his name in phone books in Germany and Austria, highlighting the difficulty of identifying him. Dave continues to mock Johnny's views on the U.S., calling it a place in need of an 'enema,' and Johnny responds with a caveman-like defense, suggesting Dave doesn't get out much. The conversation ends with Dave making further comments about the poor conditions in Johnny's home country.
In another segment, Johnny and Dave engage in a back-and-forth conversation where Dave criticizes Johnny for his views and lifestyle, calling him a 'traitor' and a 'leech' for living abroad. Johnny responds by defending his position, arguing that Dave is more of a traitor by supporting corrupt institutions in the U.S. They then transition into a discussion about setting up a solar power system in Latin America, with Johnny offering practical advice on overbuying panels due to their decreasing costs.
Johnny discusses the affordability and availability of solar energy solutions, particularly in Latin America, and highlights the integration of solar technology with electric vehicles and air conditioning systems. He notes that solar panels have become significantly cheaper, with costs dropping to 30 cents per watt, making them accessible for the average person. He also mentions the rise of solar-powered electric car charging units and solar air conditioners, which are now available on platforms like Alibaba. Johnny emphasizes that these systems can be stand-alone and off-grid, and he suggests that while they are currently expensive, the technology is advancing rapidly, with future panels likely to be more efficient and require fewer units.
In the final segment, Johnny discusses the differences between residential and commercial solar panels, highlighting their size, efficiency, and cost. He explains that residential panels are smaller, lighter, and easier to install, while commercial panels are more efficient and can be used fewer in number. Johnny also mentions that commercial panels are often sold at a lower price on platforms like OLX and Craigslist in Latin America, as they are leftovers from large orders. He then shifts to talk about air conditioning, comparing split inverter units with traditional window units, noting that the former are more efficient and quieter, while the latter are cheaper but less efficient and noisier. Johnny concludes by advising expats to adjust their AC settings to a higher temperature in warmer climates for comfort and energy efficiency.
Topics
Self-sufficiency with solar energy systems, Johnny Mueller's background as an engineer, Audience interaction and email responses, Hate mail and its role in the podcast, Personal anecdotes about his mother's academic achievements, Teaching English online, Notarizing documents, Expat Insider seminars, Residency applications, Listener feedback, Language differences between English and Spanish, Cost of living in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:04 Johnny's Background as an Engineer 00:00:08 Transition to Discussing Audience Emails and Hate Mail 00:00:12 Discussion on the Nature of Audience Emails and Hate Mail 00:00:15 Reading a Piece of Hate Mail and Mentioning His Mother's Report Card 00:00:17 Response to a Question from a Listener About Transcripts for Jobs in Latin America 00:00:19 Humorous Anecdotes About His Mother's Academic Achievements 00:04:28 Guilt and Education 00:04:30 Teaching English in Call Centers 00:04:42 Notarizing Documents 00:05:14 Teaching English to Chinese Kids Online 00:05:56 Expat Insider Seminars 00:07:08 Listener Feedback 00:08:05 Introduction to the Language Difference Discussion 00:08:55 Focus on Expats' Experiences in Latin America 00:10:16 Transition to the Pool Cost Discussion 00:12:06 The Importance of Pool Covers in Reducing Chemical Use and Maintenance Costs 00:12:14 Johnny Mueller's Criticism of Pool Maintenance Practices in Latin America 00:13:34 Acknowledgment of Negative Stereotypes About Latin America 00:15:03 Johnny's Controversial Statement on Government and Governance 00:15:39 Accusation of Suckering Americans 00:15:55 Explanation of Seminar Revenue 00:17:27 Discussion on Maintaining a Low Profile 00:18:29 Dave's Mockery of Johnny's Views on the U.S. 00:19:19 Johnny's Threshold for Leaving the U.S. and the Criticism of His Lifestyle 00:19:37 Dave's Accusations of Johnny as a 'Traitor' and 'Leech' 00:20:27 Johnny's Counterargument: Dave is the Real Traitor 00:21:17 Johnny's Advice on Overbuying Solar Panels for a Solar Power System 00:21:47 Affordable Solar Panels in Latin America 00:22:24 Availability of Solar Air Conditioners 00:24:30 Standard Sizes of Solar Panels 00:24:46 Residential Solar Panels Overview 00:25:02 Efficiency and Cost of Commercial Panels 00:25:13 Finding Affordable Solar Panels 00:25:50 Air Conditioning Efficiency Comparison 00:26:54 AC Settings in Warm Climates
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] Before we dig in a little bit deeper into how to get the hell off the grid, becoming completely self-sufficient with the solar energy system, and some of my own personal tips on how it really should be done because I've done a few solar systems myself now. I know, I know. So what, Johnny? You may just think I'm a blowhard podcaster, but in a past life, I was a real engineer with a double major and a minor. Biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, and satellite communications engineering. So then you might ask, after all that, how did I get demoted to lowly podcaster? Well, how do you think I was able to go to Latin America as such a young guy? Didn't have a job when I came down, didn't need one. Well, through engineering-related things, I kind of got lucky in my late 20s.
[00:45] Real lucky. But we're not here to talk about that. So let's do a couple of emails first. By the way, remember on the last show, or the one before, I said I get lots of complimentary emails. Almost everyone who sends me one throws a compliment in on the end of it. When I read emails on the air, I usually edit the gushy stuff out. I was never one to accept compliments easily. I always felt a little bit funny about it. After all, you never know if it's just someone blowing smoke up your ass, huh? Anyway, you've heard me say that once in a while, I get some real hate mail, and in a backhanded way, it's kind of a good thing. You know, the radio business is a lot like that old Sinatra song. You're nobody until somebody hates you. Or something like that. I mean, really, who wants to be part of an ass-kissing mutual admiration society? Not only is that insincere, but it's pretty damn boring. That's why I could never be a politician, and I go out of my way to insult them whenever I can, even to their faces.
[01:34] So today I'm going to read a big fat, juicy piece of hate mail, just to show it's not all compliments and roses. Seems like some people out there would love to rip me a new anus. So just to show you my hat's not too small for my head, I'm going to read you a nasty one today. But first, this question from Paul, he asked about teaching English in Latin America and working at call centers down here. You know, there's millions of them. He says, Johnny, I was listening to a previous podcast of yours, and I just wanted to confirm something. If you are applying for a call center job or teaching jobs, should you be getting both your high school and college transcripts too? And if that's true, should I get every page of the document notarized? Then he says, Johnny, can you also please send me an email of your mom's previous report card?
[02:21] Speaking of my mother's report card, you know, my mother, you know, came from a family of 11 kids, a big old 100% German farm family. And she and all her sisters and brothers went to Catholic schools on through grade school and high school. They were bussed in every day from the farm out in the boonies to the nearest Catholic school in the Chicago Archdiocese. It was a big ass Catholic school too. I think 2,000 or so kids went there. And man, she has a story for the books. Listen to this. She graduated number one in her class for all those years through grade school and high school. She received top honors and when she graduated from high school, got a scholarship to practically any college she wanted to go to. But her mother and father being stodgy old German said, no, girls don't go to college.
[03:08] So they made her pass on the scholarship. Instead, she went to secretarial and stenography school. And when she got in that class, a huge class of probably 500 people, she was the top girl there too. And she won awards for being the fastest person to take shorthand on some kind of national test days to give way back when. Shorthand, man, talk about a paleolithic lost art, huh? I bet there isn't a single person under 40 who even knows what shorthand is. Then when she got married to my dad, a guy completely opposite of her, a happy-go-lucky sportsman who never graduated high school. A couple of years later as a secretary, she was totally bored and started going to night school, then day school and graduated university as Ex-Padetti says, with more degrees than a thermometer, ending up as a university professor.
[03:55] Oh, and along the way, she had six kids herself, good Catholic, you know? So, Paul, as for seeing my mom's report cards, that's not necessary because they're so boring. Straight A's all the way from kindergarten through high school. I'm not kidding you. She is one of the few people in that entire Catholic archdiocese that was able to pull that off, which is why she made all her kids go to Catholic school too. Of course, I hated school. That was always the troublemaker, so I fell off the religious wagon quite early. So, I did my time in Catholic school, and they disciplined the hell out of me. Got whipped, didn't whack the lot with rulers, but no hard feelings. I deserved it. Though I have to admit, it was an excellent education except for that master's degree in guilt. You listeners out there who went to Catholic schools, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But back to Paul's question about teaching English in call centers.
[04:42] I'd say, Paul, if you're thinking about teaching English at a helicopter schooler, we're going to a call center to get a copy of those transcripts. And as for getting every single page of the documents notarized, nah, I wouldn't go that far if it's a lot of pages. Maybe just get the first page of each set of documents notarized. That's not hard. In fact, I understand up in the States, if you go to your local bank, the one you've got a bank account with, they'll notarize documents for you, probably for nothing. Of course, if you go to a lawyer or notary, they'll charge you, but try your bank. Oh, and Paul, I assume you're also talking about one of the other things you can do all over the world that is teach Chinese kids English online. In fact, I personally know a few gringles and expats here in Latin America who are doing that and making 20 bucks an hour. You heard me talk about that on the show. In fact, I've got a bona fide, world-class,
[05:28] teaching English to Chinese kids expert, Mr. B. You remember him? Who, at my last few Expat Insider seminars, has been giving a half an hour presentation on just how to do that. He even offers to help and bone up gringles and expats on how to do that. That means even if you're in the States, you can Skype with him and he'll give you all the tips and put you on the fast track. He'll even consult with you and hook you up with the same companies he's working with. That's just another little added attraction for people coming down to my Expat Insider seminar. Next one, of course, launches on the 6th of July, goes for a week. The early bird discount's still in effect now till the end of May. Then we're back to the regular price, which is $500 more. And also, if you're coming down as a single and looking for a roommate, we can generally hook you up there, too. They'll save you an additional $750
[06:14] over the cost of a single at the seminar. And don't forget, if you come to the seminar, you could kill two birds with one stone. That is, go to the seminar at the same time, apply for your permanent or temporary residency and quiet them out. But remember, if you're thinking about doing that, you have to give yourself about a month to get all the paperwork together. Of course, I've known some people who put those documents together in two or three days, but a month is kind of the outside range. So that means if you're thinking about signing up for the seminar, you should sign up before June 1. That'll give you more than a month to get the necessary documentation together. And by signing up for the seminar, our seminar lawyer will guide you every step of the way and hold your hand through the process. For more details on the seminar, residency, and those famous
[07:00] John Galt post-seminar excursions, just go to www.thenewexpat.com, all one word, and click on Johnny's seminar link. And now an email that just came in from Dave. Lots of Dave's out there sending me emails. Anyway, with this Dave, he's telling me exactly what's wrong with me and my show. And since it is my show, I'll probably try to defend myself, but maybe I can't. All right, here it is. He says, Hi, Johnny. Starts out cordially enough, don't you think? He says, Johnny, I just can't hold back any longer. I really have to tell you a few things. Somehow, I don't think you're going to read this on your podcast. But since you can sure dish it out, perhaps you can take it as well. Let's see. Ah, me, Johnny, here. So, Dave, it's a challenge, huh?
[07:46] Okay, Dave, I'm in. Then he says, After many years already, I still listen to you twice weekly. But, big but here, it's not all good. I really like the shows where you get into things like solar panels, et cetera, but there are times when you really piss me off too. I know how you hate the A word. Awesome. Well, there's something that you say all the time that's more annoying than that. And many of your listeners may feel the same. It's when you say, I digress or, boy, do I digress. Johnny, I haven't heard anyone say that since I was a child and that was a long, long time ago. Don't you know, no one in the USA says that anymore? All right, Dave, me, Johnny, here. In defense of my caveman habits, I must say, Dave, I'm not in the United States.
[08:32] Then Dave says, on that note, Johnny, it's not cafe internet. It's internet cafe. Please speak to your mother about that one and she'll tell you which is the adjective and which is the noun. All right, Dave, me, Johnny, here again. In defense of that caveman habit, when in Rome, do as the Romans, when in Latin America, do as the Latinos do, when it comes to the language anyway. Obviously, people who tune into this show are looking to find out how gringos and expats live here in Latin America. The fact is, anyone who's ever visited Latin America or anyone who's taken a Spanish course, they know very well. There's one big difference between the English and Spanish language. They switch the noun and the adjective 80 to 90% of the time and that just means Dave has never visited Latin America
[09:20] or if he has, he's stuck with the gringos and doesn't speak Spanish because if he was walking around and happened to run into a place, a little mom and pop business that offers internet at a price, you'll see signs out front that say, Cafe Internet. Exactly the way I'd say it all the time because when you're here in Latin America and you're looking for one of those joints, you're not looking for an internet cafe, you're looking for a cafe internet. You get it, Dave? So in my defense, and I really shouldn't need one, it just means that Dave doesn't get around much in Latin America. Sure, I know up in the States when they did exist, they were called internet cafes. But down here, Dave, all the thousands and thousands of them are called cafe internets. Just remember, Dave, down here in Latin America, they switch the noun and the adjective most all the time.
[10:08] For example, in English, you'll say a greenhouse. In Spanish, a house green. Casa verde. But I digress, as usual. Then Dave says, Johnny, when you speak about conditions in the USA versus South America in general, including pricing or cost of goods, oftentimes you are way out of touch. Remember the show where you mentioned the cost of maintaining a pool? I couldn't believe that one. I've forgotten your exaggerated numbers, but I maintain my pool in Florida for an average of $20 per month or less. Johnny, when you state much higher numbers than reality, you lose credibility. Hmm, Dave. I'm not sure you're playing fair with the numbers, Dave. You've only had a pool in Florida, right? Not in Latin America, correct? In defense of my pool calculations,
[10:53] however often you think they may be, I've had, let's see, one, two, three, four pools in Latin America so far. And, you know, almost all of the pool supplies and parts, et cetera, come from the States. They're shipped down. Talking about high-quality stainless steel motors, fixtures, filters. The pumps, the electronic monitoring and chemical dispersion systems, skimmers, robot cleaners, et cetera. Not the cheap junk, but the high-quality long-lasting stuff that you want for your pool. I don't actually remember the exact numbers I quoted, but I stand by this after having four pools myself. No, not all at one time. That would be nuts. Anyway, replacement parts were always double what you'd be paying for them up in the States because you've got import taxes, shipping, et cetera. Then you've got electricity, and you have to run that pump, sometimes 24-7,
[11:41] if you've got a pool in Latin America. And here it's two to three times as much per kilowatt hour as it is up by you. And another thing, many people up in the States use pool covers, and that really cuts down on the amount of chlorine and other toxic chemicals you have to use. And it cuts down tremendously on the amount of dust and debris and dirt that gets into your pool, too. That's the stuff that makes your filters clog all that much faster and make your pump work harder and motor burn out before it's time. Not to mention it stops a lot of heat loss at night if you're in the higher altitudes and heat up your pool. So what's that got to do with anything? Well, surprise, surprise. Here in Latin America, nobody covers their pools. I've never seen it, except maybe with big first world hotel pools. That means they're always dumping and adding chlorine and other mostly imported noxious crap
[12:26] because the chemicals are always evaporating and dissipating. That means if you don't have a pool cover, which is the case here in Latin America, you're going to add twice as many chemicals as you do up in the States, maybe more. I did. If you don't believe me, ask around in your local pool supply store or look it up on the net. You know, I hear you, Dave. I get it. You have experience. You own a pool in Florida, right? The question is, how many have you owned and maintained here in Latin America? Down here, pool maintenance is not cheap. Not if you want to keep your pool first world nice and fresh. The only thing that is cheap is labor. Your pool boy, who will, by the way, have a tendency to under maintain and over chlorinate. And that's very hard on the equipment, which ties right in to Dave's next big complaint. He says, Johnny, anyone who actually listens to you closely, as I do,
[13:14] should be able to determine that going to live and work south of the border is, in reality, a brain-dead notion. Johnny, you speak of how ignorant Spanish people are, how they have no class whatsoever, how bad they are at things like construction, cutting corners, and how mostly they live like pigs, and then you wish to entice people to follow your lead and move there? Personally, I know all these things are true. They're fact, because Florida, where I'm from, has got a lot more than a share of those kinds of people, and they're the ones I wish you could entice back to their own countries. Johnny, you want people to get a Plan B to get out of Dodge before they close the barn doors, as they say. But when thousands of people are headed to the border to come here, we need better barn doors, better walls, et cetera. When you've got hundreds of thousands of so-called asylum seekers entering the USA,
[14:01] those numbers should tell everyone, how great, haha, it really is south of the border. All right, me, Johnny, here. I think I have to say a little bit something about that. My caveman defenses, you get the politicians and laws that you deserve. Time and time again, you vote for these lying, cheating, pus bags, and you expect things to get better? Now, I don't know if you remember your history, but there was a very famous French political thinker, historian, who wrote a very famous book called, Democracy in America, after he went on a fact-finding tour in the United States back in the 1840s, I think it was. One of his most famous quotes is, in a democracy, you get the government you deserve. He also said, I studied the Quran a great deal and came away from that study with the conviction that by and large, there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Mohammed.
[14:49] That's another subject, of course, but this coming from France's most famous political thinker, author, and historian of the 19th century. In other words, he was no lightweight. Bottom line, every Latin American country has the piss-poor government it deserves, and the USA, the piss-poor government it deserves, too. And you know, Dave, neither you or I or anyone can do a single thing about it except to vote with your feet. Or do what 95% of America does best. Sit on a sofa, suck down Red Bull and Cheetos, watch the retired Ascians and complain about taxes, terrorism, the Muslim hordes, illegal alien caravans, and then order up another pizza. But I digress, where were we? Oh, yeah. Then Dave says, Johnny, as for working or starting a business in Guatemala or Latin America,
[15:36] where do you make your money? Simple, you suck it from people living in Dodge and apparently you do very well by suckering Americans to pay for your seminars. Johnny, you can't fool all the people all the time, but you sure do get your share for shoveling a load of bullshit to your fellow Americans. All right, Dave, thanks for that insight. But just a word about my seminars and how I make my money. Dave, ye of little faith and incomplete information. Most don't know this, but my brother, an electrical engineer and another engineer and mathematician friend of ours, have 13 electronics patents. And because of that, we all were able to retire in our late 20s. But, you know, you can't really retire when you're still in your 20s. So, as for me, I went around the world for a year. That was my plan and I never came back.
[16:22] So, Paul, I don't need to do this show. I don't need to do the seminars. I don't need to do phone consults. And the fact is, you know, I never dreamed of doing this seminar business, but I had so many requests and emails. It was by popular demand that I started doing them at all. Well, that's how it came about some eight years ago. Fact is, I resisted it for a long time. I kept thinking, this is going to be way too much work. I don't want to do this. But people kept pestering me. And I thought, why not? Let's give it a go. One more thing about suckering people into coming to my seminars. In the eight years I've been giving them, I haven't had one single person say it wasn't worth it nor ask me for a refund. And, you know, I'm always glad to do that. If people aren't happy or satisfied, refunds are in order. But instead, at every single seminar,
[17:08] except the first one, of course, I've had repeat offenders some repeating three separate times. You know what they say, Paul, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Well, tell you what, Dave, I must be the greatest snake oil salesman in the world if I could sucker people into repeating my seminar three different times. Then, Dave says, Johnny, you also talk about keeping a low profile. Meanwhile, your fingerprint is as large as it gets. Your podcast goes out virtually everywhere. And if Uncle Sam really wants to find you, for any reason, all he needs to do is book a seminar. Who do you think you're fooling about staying off the radar? You couldn't be more on it unless you started a broadcast live video. Good point, Dave, but I've got a flimsy caveman excuse for that, too. Look, I do practice what I preach. I've got nothing in my name, including cars, houses, internet,
[17:55] phone, utility hookups, too. I'm not on Twaddle, Instagram, Fakebook, or any other anti-social media. Oh, and, by the way, if you go to Germany or Austria and look in the phone book, if they still have them, they're online now, so you can't look up names and addresses. You'll find in every small, medium, and large city pages and pages full of John Mueller's. It's like John Doe, John Jones, or John Smith in the U.S., one of the top five most common names in all of Germany. And the translation to English is John Miller, like the beer. You're a smart guy, Dave. I think you know where I'm going with this. Hmm, I'll give you a couple seconds here to figure it out. All right, then, Dave says, by the way, Johnny, if the U.S.A. needed an enema, Chicago is where they'd stick the probe.
[18:42] So I partially understand your misguided attitude. As for the rest of the U.S., it's not perfect, but far from what you portray. In fact, you've helped convince me that no better place on Earth exists. My caveman defense for that, Dave is, you don't get out much, do you? Then he says, Johnny, where you live, they've got potholes that wreck your car and you're limited to what car you can choose to drive because the idiots around you have zero respect for your property. You have driveway chickens and roosters crowing at all hours, lots of power outages, and you can't even have an ice cube in your drink or eat salad in a restaurant for fear of diseases all around you. When I need to carry a straw to purify my own water, then I might start thinking it's time to get out of Dodge. All right, Dave, all good points there. But maybe you can help me out here. Can you tell me how many hundreds of tons of Tyson chicken
[19:28] were recalled last week due to toxic contamination? It was all over the Internet, but for the life of me, I just can't remember. Then Dave says, Johnny, let's get real. You are essentially a traitor to this country, a bit like Hanoi Jane. If it were up to me, your American passport would be revoked and you would be forever banned to reenter the U.S. and maybe far worse, but it's not up to me. Of course, you have the right to live in any poop hole you like, but the level of a salesman without a conscience and leading others into becoming lemmings, you are at the top of the heap. There's no doubt you are good at what you do and most common, as you surely one of them, are professionals at misleading people for their own gain. As you say, Johnny, I'm saying this in the kindest possible way, but you're a leech and you suck the blood of fellow Americans, which is what I disdain. However, I still like listening to your podcast, but I digress.
[20:15] Signed, Captain Dave. Well, Dave, I'm hurt. I'm wounded, but thankfully, they're only flesh wounds, and I'm not going to try to talk you out of your opinion. But that bit about being a traitor is a bit excessive. Aren't you kind of glazing over the real traitors that are dragging the U.S. down the toilet bowl? The government, those pus bag deviate politicians that you voted for, and I didn't, the military industrial machine, Big Pharma, NSA, CIA, Homeland Insecurity, and all the other alphabet agencies, and when they come for your guns, Dave, I hope that works out for you. You know, I could be wrong. At least no one can ever say I didn't give equal time to my haters. I guess, Dave, that means I can't put you down as a reference for my next radio job, huh? Anyway, Dave, no hard feelings. You keep a listening, and I'll keep a digressing. All right, if you give me just a second
[21:01] to grab another box of Kleenex, we'll get into what's it now, part seven of setting up your own solar power system here in Latin America. Last show, remember, we talked about guarantees, and now they're kind of complicated and don't mean much because tech is moving so fast. However, here's one cardinal rule you should stick to. You can overbuy panels. That means you could add to that basic 5,000-watt panel system we've been talking about in the last few shows. You can always overbuy as many panels and as much wattage as you like, especially since the panels are no longer the most expensive part of the system. They're very inexpensive now and getting cheaper by the year. Matter of fact, just a few years ago, us engineers and tech guys used to say the magic number we're trying to achieve is a dollar per watt. Well, that goal came and went
[21:47] a couple of years ago, and now we're down to 30 cents a watt, an unbelievable achievement. Again, 5,000 watts for the panels is ideal for the average gringo in Latin America. At 30 cents a watt, that's 1,500 bucks, right? But if you plan on having a couple of electric cars in the future or some room air conditioners, then what? Those things are big-time power hogs. The thing is, in the very near future, in fact, it's happening right now, you'll be able to buy a solar charging unit for your electric car. When you buy the car, they'll sell the charging station panels and batteries, et cetera, as an option. Same thing with air conditioning units. In fact, that could lead you to some websites right now that sell solar air conditioners. They look exactly like your regular air conditioning unit, and they are too. You know, the split unit type
[22:33] that you want to use, not a window air conditioner hanging in the window. I'm talking about where you have a unit on the wall and a fan and condenser unit somewhere outside of your building connected by a wiring harness and some copper tubing. That's why they call it a split system, a unit outside and a unit inside the room. You're going to air condition. The cool thing is, no pun intended, they've got them so energy efficient these days that new units are twice as efficient as units you bought three or four years ago. Plus, companies are coming out right now with air conditioning packages that include solar panels. They're stand-alone systems that don't even hook up to your own house's electrical wiring. In fact, I'm looking at a page full of various units like that on Alibaba right now. They come with two to four standards size solar panels. So you get the split inverter AC unit,
[23:20] the panels and the lithium batteries. And there you have it, a complete stand-alone air conditioning system for any room in your house. And the price, well, anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000. But remember, you're completely off the grid with this system that's not drawing any power from either the grid or any pre-existing solar system you may have installed. Same thing with electric cars. Once you get one, you'll be able to buy the stand-alone unit that'll charge that car too. Or not, because you can still run at least one air conditioner and even charge an electric car with the existing solar system we've been describing the last few shows. But it will be kind of a balancing act because cars and air conditioners do draw a hell of a lot of current. Which is why, in my opinion, you're better off just sticking with the system I've been talking about. And if you add an air conditioner
[24:06] or electric car later, all you need is a little extra roof space, probably four panels for an air conditioning unit. And from about 5 to 10, if you've got an electric car. But we're talking about today's solar panels. In four or five years, you can be sure you'll only need around half as many. That's how fast things are moving. Speaking of solar panels, we've all seen stacks of them on people's roofs, right? And they're all about the same size. Well, it turns out there are generally two sizes of standard solar panels. The bigger panels, the ones you see installed on warehouses and commercial buildings, have 72 solar cells per panel. And those things are around 2 meters tall by 1 meter wide. A little over 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The slightly smaller ones, the ones you see on most residential homes, they have 60 solar cells per panel.
[24:52] They're around 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Therefore, they're a little bit lighter and easier to maneuver when you're installing them. The difference is, the big commercial ones, the 72 cell jobs, put out more wattage for their size so you can use fewer of them. Good to know if you've got limited space on your roof. And I'd say neither is better than the other. Except again, if you're short on roof space. But here's the thing. If you look on olx.com or the Craigslist here in Latin America, you'll often see the bigger panels very, very cheap, like $100 to $150 a piece, which can actually be slightly less than the cost of buying them from a place up in the States. And of course, you have to pay shipping and maybe taxes, maybe not, depending. The thing is, you see a lot of these panels new in the boxes on OLX and the various Craigslist clones here in Latin America because they're leftovers
[25:39] from big commercial orders. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's the way to go. So start looking on OLX and Craigslist now. All right, before I finish off the show, one more thing about having air conditioning here. I mentioned those split inverter air conditioners that everyone's using these days. They're so much more efficient than their older counterparts. But what about a regular window air conditioner? You see them around here all over the place, too. Well, the thing is, the split inverter air conditioners, as mentioned, are really high capacity in those window air conditioners. Although smaller, all in one unit, they're a lot more inefficient and a lot noisier than the split AC units. In fact, those split AC units are really quiet. The noisy parts, the unit sitting outside somewhere, the one with the big old fan in it. So if you want AC in one bedroom or other, whatever,
[26:25] think twice before you slap in an ugly window unit. Sure, they're much cheaper than a split AC unit, but in the end, they'll use a lot more power. All right, now, suppose you set your AC unit on 85 if outside is 90. You know, gringos and expats are used to having their AC set at 70 to 75 up in Cleveland. Well, once down here, soon enough, you'll find out, even if you have your AC set at 85 and it's 90 outside, your air will be completely dehumidified and it'll be very comfortable, so you don't need it set at 72 like you might think. All right, more to come to be continued next show.