I noticed the homedepot / Costco are selling solar panel systems.. pretty interesting stuff. I would try getting a few free estimates and mull over it. J
There was a mini-fad back in the 80's where people in our neighborhood were putting up solar cells on their houses. I don't know how much they saved, if any, but it's been around for a while. I was thinking about getting solar cells installed, but I'm not sure my HOA would allow it - I haven't asked. I also don't know how well they stand up to the possibility of hail damage.
I swear I was just thinking of this today... My physics teacher was really into this as well, and had this whole thing planned out where his water would be heated by solar power, and that water would also keep his house cool by circulating thru the walls or something... and a few windmills and stuff, it was a great idea, and its always intrigued me.. i would love to do this to my house (when, if, i get one)
Two grand is kinda low. Well, according to this post of mark's: The majority of the discounts don't seem to come from the Federal government tax break. Being able to recuperate the solar panel cost in 3 years is freakin' impressive, if this guy's story is credible. Actually I'd be happy if I can recover my cost in 5 years. Maybe OK with 7 years, but not with 10 years.
Morning Droxford Sorry for the late response! I got caught up in the Yankee game last night! Most of my links deal mainly with New York State, but here are a few that I think will be helpful. AMERICAN SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY (ASES) www.ases.org MILLION SOLAR ROOFS www.millionsolarroofs.com NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY www.nrel.gov NATIONAL CENTER FOR PHOTOVOLTAICS www.nrel.gov/ncpv/ SOLAR ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION www.solarelectricpower.org SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION www.seia.org U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY http://www.eere.energy.gov/ U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL www.usgbc.org INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE POWER www.ispq.org SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEM DESIGN TUTORIAL http://www.eere.energy.gov/
Good info mark. Thanks! Is that guy's story also from a website? I think many of us here very much want to read some more "testimonials" like that.
that's still not cost-effective, in my view. that assumes you will absolutely be in the same house for 7 years just to break even, without even beginning to factor in time value of money. this sort of technology needs to get a lot cheaper very quickly. way too cost-prohibitive for way too many people at this point.
I understand. It used to be that the solar panels would take decades to pay for themselves, which is why they didn't get much popularity. Those estimates I made are completely unfounded - I have no idea how much a solar panel setup would reduce my electric bill (of course, that depends on the solar array). The big questions are: How much do I have to spend on a solar panel setup to reduce my electricity bill by at least $150? How efficient is that solar panel setup after factoring in the time-value of money? What kind of lifespan can I expect from the solar panel array and equipment, and how much does it cost to replace parts?
Okay guys, following the links on one the websites provided by mark, I found this one findsolar.com, which automatically redirects you to http://www.ebike.net/solar/. Clicked "MY SOLAR ESTIMATE" button on the left -> entered the state and county for my house -> chose "Electric (PV)" solar sytem option -> entered $200 montly electric bill. Based on 50% electricity provided by the solar system and $0.0781/kWh rate currently charged by my utility company, the assumed installation cost (before rebates, incentives or tax credits) is $100,000!!! SAVINGS & BENEFITS include Increase in Property Value: $35,516 Exempt from Property Tax: No Accelerated (5 yr) Depreciation (Installation type: Residential ): No First-year Utility Savings (after tax): $1,058 Average Monthly Utility Savings (over 25-year expected life of system): $148 (Assumed Utility Inflation Rate 3.78%) Average Annual Utility Savings (over 25-year expected life of system): $1,776 25-year Utility Savings: $44,395 Return on Investment (ROI): 74% Years to Break even (Includes property value appreciation): 22 years!!! Greenhouse Gas (CO2) Saved (over 25-year system life): 315.0 tons (630,000 auto miles) I kinda think it will take a miracle for the cost to come down to a somewhat manageable low 5-figure amount, even with all the rebates, incentives and tax breaks. Although still open to any ways to cut cost, I am not very encouraged at this point. Some real life examples may help.
Well mark, of course that number is meant to scare those faint-hearted. Notice the estimate cost assumes 0 rebates and tax incentives. Reading from DoD's site, it seems that it's very probable that the initial cost is somewhat manageable. However, this does not look good:
Wow! Though that's exactly the kind of estimating app that I was looking for, it's very discouraging. My calculation came out to be $88,000. The only thing I've found that talks about Texans getting subsidies was the max of $2,000 that I mentioned earlier. That's a big bummer.
