Boycott Bali?

Bali, Indonesia. A place where my wife suggested we spend our honeymoon. I've never been and have never had the inclination to visit. Until recently perhaps.

Bali is well known for being a place where bogans and yobbos from Australia hang out. They get drunk, do drugs and behave obnoxiously. Not all Aussies behave that way, I might point out. It's a destination that is cheaper than visiting other capital cities on the mainland and the rules seem pretty lax so it is the dregs of our society are attracted to it, naturally.

All visitors to Bali are warned about the trafficking of drugs and the death penalty associated with such activity. As has been well publicised a couple of stupid Aussies were executed recently in Indonesia for their role in a drug syndicate after having been caught 10 years ago with their drug mules and 8.3 kg of heroin they were trying to import into Australia.

The do-gooders in this country rallied behind them, and the Australian government provided quite a bit of support during the appeals process, but they were executed for their crimes, according to Indonesian law, nonetheless. Now they are calling for us to "Boycott Bali". Really? If that stops all of the yobbos and druggies visiting Bali then perhaps it will become a nice, clean place to visit. Even an attractive place to visit. I might have to reconsider my stance.

By all means, boycott Bali. Make it a better place for respectable people to visit safe from the influence of our uncouth and uncultured.

Today In Solar News

Bit of a milestone with regards to solar news. Today marks the day that the exported value of my solar panels exceeded the import from the electricity utility. It's just a smidgen under six months since we moved in and two days over three months since the solar was installed. Not quite self-sufficient, would be if I'd installed (extremely cost-prohibitive) batteries, but an interesting point nonetheless.

Some stats
Average daily output of solar array: 18.7 kWh (on the downward trend as winter approaches)
Average daily consumption (grid and solar): 8.86 kWh (pretty steady)
Percentage of electricity exported (sold to utility): 80.85% (pretty steady)
Daily savings average: $1.89

Considering that the average US home consumes 909 kWh/month and, on current consumption, we are heading for 270 kWh/month, we're being reasonably conservative. The depth of winter, not that we really have that season in Perth, and the height of summer, which we have in abundance, will place a severe upward pressure on that figure.

I've become more of an electricity Nazi, which is hard to believe, since installing the solar panels. No point in wasting it as it still costs money to use and you forgo money if you can't sell it to the utility. Pity that the rebate level is only seven (7) cents per kWh when the purchase costs are 22.36 cents per kWh. I could be making money if these rates were the same.