I'm also known around these parts for attempting to go off-grid in my personal living style, with varying degrees of success.
I'm not foisting it upon others by using APS as a sounding board for my green style of living, but I do see some very vitriolic responses to what may be a good thing, if properly implemented.
THIS is how we're going to go "green" in this country. Forward thinking citizens will invest in the technologies that are actually viable. You're picking stuff that works for you. The companies providing those products will have more money for R&D to scale them up to larger installations if their ideas pan out on a small scale.
I've got a coworker that just paid $21k to have a geothermal heating/cooling system put into his house. He's out in the boonies and used a combination of propane, wood, and corn to heat his house before this was put in. I swear cost effective heating solutions are this guy's hobby. He's putting money into solutions that work.
I've seen other guys online that have converted Geo Metros to electric motors for as little as $650 dollars. Sure it only goes 40mph and has a range of 30 miles, but that's what it got with the gas engine, right? :)
On Slashdot.org I've seen guys that rig up their central AC unit to solar panels and battery packs. They disconnect the AC unit from the house's power grid to keep it simple. If it's hot the sun's out, right? Makes sense to me, and they always have the options of plugging the unit back in if needed.
As for myself I keep trying to come up with a way to keep my driveway free of ice and snow without paying for the energy. I really don't give a rat's behind about the environment. I'm a cheap bastard that wants to save money on a plow service every year and never ever have an icy driveway.
I work in IT. I hang out with tech nerds and "green" energy is sorta the talk of the town lately. It's exciting and offers up opportunities for the home hackers. Out of this experimentation and cottage industry we WILL see some useful products.
Well, provided that the government doesn't get in the way of them coming to market.