jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Aug 31, 2020 15:26:41 GMT -5
Anyone have solar panels? We don’t but live in northeast without lots of sun, also have a lot of trees and roof pitched wrong way. Nice to see all the large solar panels going up in commercial complex parking lots, commuter schools etc Extra benefit for cars parked under panels is summer shade and snow covered parking With the newer larger batteries solar and wind will become more practical to cover the down times of no sun and no wind
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mollyanna58
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Post by mollyanna58 on Aug 31, 2020 15:37:17 GMT -5
My parents' next door neighbors have solar panels all over the roof. They still had a generator going after Isaias come through a few weeks ago.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 31, 2020 16:03:34 GMT -5
My parents' next door neighbors have solar panels all over the roof. They still had a generator going after Isaias come through a few weeks ago. If you are hooked into municipal power, you have to have extra mechanics to be able to use your power directly. Otherwise your power will go into the city wires and if a work crew works on it, they will get electrocuted. You also need a battery if you want to store the power for night time use. I don't know how much the stuff is to get off the grid, but the batteries are around $10,000. If you don't have either of those, you are an extension of the power plant, rather than a stand alone, self sufficient home.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2020 16:12:57 GMT -5
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Aug 31, 2020 17:49:11 GMT -5
I know someone who had solar panels installed on their house. They use a lot of electricity. We compared houses and electric usage. They use nearly 2 times the power I do. They calculated a 7 year ROI (and that's if the cost of electricity doesn't go up).
I don't use much electricity - so it doesn't really make sense for me to do it. I will truly never see a ROI.
I don't think anyone thinks solar (wind or other options) are a one size fits all solution. I don't know why energy production has to be a "one size fits all" solution or an all or nothing solution.
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nidena
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Post by nidena on Aug 31, 2020 18:01:39 GMT -5
In case there are some nuggets of info that you can use, here's my post from July.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Sept 1, 2020 8:42:55 GMT -5
I was looking into a tesla roof - the roof tile is the solar cell - I like the look a lot better than standard roofing with solar over it.
It'd be interesting to see how close we could get to supplying our own electricity. We have some varieties on pitch with some quite high/peaky and I think would be really good for collection.
Maybe some day!
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Sept 1, 2020 9:02:36 GMT -5
I have a model S Tesla (loveit!) And apparently it cannot will be able to act as a backup electricity supplier We have a generator since our electric company isn’t reliable in storms. Would think about getting a Tesla wall unit battery if we didn’t have the generator Tesla made huge batteries for the Australians when electric supply was problematic . With increasing reliance on solar and wind power and coal oil and natural gas powered shutting down brown outs will become more common - see California last month. These huge batteries for electric storage will become more common
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Sept 1, 2020 9:57:03 GMT -5
We're just about ready to sign up for a solar install. Because we don't use that much electricity < $100 mth for a 2500 sq.ft. the pay off will take a loooooong time. We will have a back up battery but it's not a Tesla. The factors that are tipping us to going with the system are; 1. Less reliance on PG&E. It's an old system with lots of problems. They have predicted it's going to take 10 years to do the capital improvements needed to make their system more reliable. I think it's optimistic. This year is already going to set them back with the fires we are experiencing. And this time it's not their fault. Fire season is just starting. The fires we are currently experiencing are from rare summer lightening storms on the coast. 2. The only rolling black out we've had so far was for a whopping 15 minutes because the state grid was overwhelmed with demand. I think that scenario is going to happen with more frequency due to climate change. I think it's important that we all reduce our impact on the grid. Going solar and feeding excess back into the system is one way to do it. 3. DH is bored. He needs a new project. This actually may be reason #1.
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Sept 1, 2020 10:22:24 GMT -5
HaHa husband needs new project!
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nidena
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Post by nidena on Sept 1, 2020 13:51:09 GMT -5
We're just about ready to sign up for a solar install. Because we don't use that much electricity < $100 mth for a 2500 sq.ft. the pay off will take a loooooong time. We will have a back up battery but it's not a Tesla. The factors that are tipping us to going with the system are; 1. Less reliance on PG&E. It's an old system with lots of problems. They have predicted it's going to take 10 years to do the capital improvements needed to make their system more reliable. I think it's optimistic. This year is already going to set them back with the fires we are experiencing. And this time it's not their fault. Fire season is just starting. The fires we are currently experiencing are from rare summer lightening storms on the coast. 2. The only rolling black out we've had so far was for a whopping 15 minutes because the state grid was overwhelmed with demand. I think that scenario is going to happen with more frequency due to climate change. I think it's important that we all reduce our impact on the grid. Going solar and feeding excess back into the system is one way to do it. 3. DH is bored. He needs a new project. This actually may be reason #1. I think PG&E finally got the squirrels to stop playing around the transformers.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Sept 1, 2020 18:18:20 GMT -5
HaHa husband needs new project! It sure beats him TRYING to tell me what to do!
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Sept 1, 2020 18:30:01 GMT -5
HaHa husband needs new project! It sure beats him TRYING to tell me what to do! Lots for opportunities for mansplaining
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gambler
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Post by gambler on Sept 5, 2020 16:34:54 GMT -5
Thing that tired me off to solar is the charges the elec. Company puts on, can not get out of paying. In my case it would cost me more to change over. Before you do any thing check for a charge for company to maintain lines
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phil5185
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Post by phil5185 on Sept 6, 2020 8:43:47 GMT -5
"In spite of government’s best efforts to encourage innovation by solar energy companies and encourage Americans to rely more heavily on solar electricity, solar power continues to be a losing proposition," the report said. "American taxpayers spent an average of $39 billion a year over the past 5 years financing grants, subsidizing tax credits, guaranteeing loans, bailing out failed solar energy boondoggles and otherwise underwriting every idea under the sun to make solar energy cheaper and more popular. But none of it has worked."
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Sept 6, 2020 11:12:06 GMT -5
Yep hubs installed a switch so we didn't back feed into the electrical grid. He said always flip it first and I did. This was when we lived in Texas.
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Sept 6, 2020 15:36:33 GMT -5
We installed full house solar Feb 2019 with a battery. The system itself was about $14K and the battery was an additional $5K.
At our ages we'll never see a payback but it might help with the sale price of this home in the future.
In the summer our A/C usage is high and so is the sunshine to produce the electricity.
Our water heater has been solar for about 12 years and with the tax credits and such at that time we had a pay back in less than 2 years.
We have no complaints
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 6, 2020 16:22:38 GMT -5
"In spite of government’s best efforts to encourage innovation by solar energy companies and encourage Americans to rely more heavily on solar electricity, solar power continues to be a losing proposition," the report said. "American taxpayers spent an average of $39 billion a year over the past 5 years financing grants, subsidizing tax credits, guaranteeing loans, bailing out failed solar energy boondoggles and otherwise underwriting every idea under the sun to make solar energy cheaper and more popular. But none of it has worked." Don't you have anything newer than 2015?
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Nov 12, 2020 13:56:44 GMT -5
We talked about it but also decided we would not live to see the payback either.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Nov 12, 2020 14:09:32 GMT -5
I was looking into a tesla roof - the roof tile is the solar cell - I like the look a lot better than standard roofing with solar over it. It'd be interesting to see how close we could get to supplying our own electricity. We have some varieties on pitch with some quite high/peaky and I think would be really good for collection. Maybe some day! They are insanely expensive. I dont have that large of a house. And it was going to cost something like $80,000, possibly more if our structure lacked a certain amount of strength.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Nov 12, 2020 14:29:03 GMT -5
I was looking into a tesla roof - the roof tile is the solar cell - I like the look a lot better than standard roofing with solar over it. It'd be interesting to see how close we could get to supplying our own electricity. We have some varieties on pitch with some quite high/peaky and I think would be really good for collection. Maybe some day! They are insanely expensive. I dont have that large of a house. And it was going to cost something like $80,000, possibly more if our structure lacked a certain amount of strength. oof - I was estimating about 40kish for ours? Is yours a ranch style home? Ours is 2.5 stories, so not a lot of roof per sf of house... but I could have guestimated incorrectly? But I thought it had you put your address in.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Nov 12, 2020 14:34:13 GMT -5
I work for a utility that has an interconnection program and help process some of the applications. I see a lot of people using financing companies - basically leasing the panels over a certain time with the thought that the reduction in their electric bill can be sent over to payments on the panels instead. For some it works based on their values and wanting to encourage more sustainable sources of power. For some its just OK. For some it ends badly. I'd definitely not recommend going that route. I'm seeing the utilities setting up more "solar farms" which seems to be the most effective way to do it. You can buy shares in some of these in exchange for a reduced electric rate. Personally, I'd like to install 3-4 panels and not interconnect. The goal would be to have a battery they could charge, and a breaker to disconnect from the grid in case of an outage. That way we could continue to run the essentials until grid power restored and I wouldn't worry about injuring my coworkers either. We are on a time-of-use rate now with peak usage from 4-8pm. Panels on the front side of our house would be at their peak generation during at least the beginning of that time, which could help if we had a way to switch over to all solar/battery and then go back to grid power once peak was over. Probably wont pull the plug on that any time soon, but I also have an electrician in the family I could get to cover the labor at a much lower cost than those installation companies charge, that's for sure! The only way to really make it break-even is to know someone who can do it for you. Using the solar installation companies seems to be one of the worst ways to do it, at least around here.
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buystoys
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Post by buystoys on Nov 12, 2020 14:48:02 GMT -5
My cousin did a lot of research about solar vs. wind here in Texas. He said that solar would never beat wind for us. The problem there is having the space to put up a wind tower and getting permits to do so.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Nov 12, 2020 15:45:46 GMT -5
They are insanely expensive. I dont have that large of a house. And it was going to cost something like $80,000, possibly more if our structure lacked a certain amount of strength. oof - I was estimating about 40kish for ours? Is yours a ranch style home? Ours is 2.5 stories, so not a lot of roof per sf of house... but I could have guestimated incorrectly? But I thought it had you put your address in. It is ranch, approximately 1500 square feet. Maybe I am mis-remembering or maybe prices have come down a bit since I did the address thing.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Nov 12, 2020 15:46:37 GMT -5
My cousin did a lot of research about solar vs. wind here in Texas. He said that solar would never beat wind for us. The problem there is having the space to put up a wind tower and getting permits to do so. Watch out for that windmill cancer. It can be devastating.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Nov 12, 2020 15:51:27 GMT -5
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Nov 12, 2020 16:28:56 GMT -5
My cousin did a lot of research about solar vs. wind here in Texas. He said that solar would never beat wind for us. The problem there is having the space to put up a wind tower and getting permits to do so. Watch out for that windmill cancer. It can be devastating.
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buystoys
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Post by buystoys on Nov 12, 2020 17:56:27 GMT -5
My cousin did a lot of research about solar vs. wind here in Texas. He said that solar would never beat wind for us. The problem there is having the space to put up a wind tower and getting permits to do so. Watch out for that windmill cancer. It can be devastating. I already did the cancer thing. But thanks for the warning!
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