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Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
the gov will give you 30% of what you paid for it.(at tax time). should pay for itself in 3 years. if you make too much power you will get a check from the power company.
the gov will give you 30% of what you paid for it.(at tax time). should pay for itself in 3 years. if you make too much power you will get a check from the power company.
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
Did a bit of looking into it as part of one of my classes this past semester. In short you probably won't get it to pay for is self until about 15-20 years down the road. Especially if your tiniking to have it feed a battery bank which you would then pull your power off. If your looking to just have it assist and feed to the house rather than charging a battery bank it may do a little better. Where the smaller residential systems for wind and solar are really more feasable is if you don't currently have power run to the property. Then it can be cheaper to set up off grid than to pay the cost of running the utility to the house. The thing is there is no reason for the cost to be as high as it is.
For example to set up a snall 600 watt wind charger without a battery bank your looking in the area of $6000. Or I can go buy a 3500 watt that runs off of a gas motor for about $450. Now which of these has more technology in it??????
Did a bit of looking into it as part of one of my classes this past semester. In short you probably won't get it to pay for is self until about 15-20 years down the road. Especially if your tiniking to have it feed a battery bank which you would then pull your power off. If your looking to just have it assist and feed to the house rather than charging a battery bank it may do a little better. Where the smaller residential systems for wind and solar are really more feasable is if you don't currently have power run to the property. Then it can be cheaper to set up off grid than to pay the cost of running the utility to the house. The thing is there is no reason for the cost to be as high as it is.
For example to set up a snall 600 watt wind charger without a battery bank your looking in the area of $6000. Or I can go buy a 3500 watt that runs off of a gas motor for about $450. Now which of these has more technology in it??????
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shootist2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> should pay for itself in 3 years. if you make too much power you will get a check from the power company.</div></div>
I call BS, if that were true then there'd be A LOT more people jumping on solar power. Who wouldn't want solar if after 3 years you were break even and never had another power bill.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shootist2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> should pay for itself in 3 years. if you make too much power you will get a check from the power company.</div></div>
I call BS, if that were true then there'd be A LOT more people jumping on solar power. Who wouldn't want solar if after 3 years you were break even and never had another power bill.
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
But rhys, you're paying for the "privilege" of being "green".
But rhys, you're paying for the "privilege" of being "green".
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
We did a run up on this in one of my engineering classes and proved that solar power is a loosing method of power (it has a negative EREI). You have to get the 60% efficient panels which are the best that NASA can do and cost thousands per square inch in order to make enough power to make it pay for itself. I can run down the math if you need to see it.
You're better off getting a small wind turbine, but even that takes forever to break even and that's if you have a constant wind source.
We did a run up on this in one of my engineering classes and proved that solar power is a loosing method of power (it has a negative EREI). You have to get the 60% efficient panels which are the best that NASA can do and cost thousands per square inch in order to make enough power to make it pay for itself. I can run down the math if you need to see it.
You're better off getting a small wind turbine, but even that takes forever to break even and that's if you have a constant wind source.
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shootist2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> should pay for itself in 3 years. if you make too much power you will get a check from the power company.</div></div>
I call BS, if that were true then there'd be A LOT more people jumping on solar power. Who wouldn't want solar if after 3 years you were break even and never had another power bill. </div></div>
It's actually more like 5 years with the government subsidizing half of it.
Tax deductions can be taken 100% the first year.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shootist2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> should pay for itself in 3 years. if you make too much power you will get a check from the power company.</div></div>
I call BS, if that were true then there'd be A LOT more people jumping on solar power. Who wouldn't want solar if after 3 years you were break even and never had another power bill. </div></div>
It's actually more like 5 years with the government subsidizing half of it.
Tax deductions can be taken 100% the first year.
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shootist2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> should pay for itself in 3 years. </div></div>
LMAO, nope! Not even close. It depends on the efficiency of the panels and even with the best ones your still 20+ years into a break even point. Not the mention that doesn't account for the replacement batteries which will keep you in a continuous debt cycle i.e. you'll never break even. Sorry but the math doesn't lie.
If it worked, everybody would have them...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shootist2004</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> should pay for itself in 3 years. </div></div>
LMAO, nope! Not even close. It depends on the efficiency of the panels and even with the best ones your still 20+ years into a break even point. Not the mention that doesn't account for the replacement batteries which will keep you in a continuous debt cycle i.e. you'll never break even. Sorry but the math doesn't lie.
If it worked, everybody would have them...
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
The calculations also depend upon your location, and the cost of constructing power to your place if it is not already so equipped. But, the ROI pretty well still sucks. Don't forget that most people will have ongoing battery maintenance and either 12 appliances, or the losses through conversion back to 120 volt service.
Not Ready For Prime Time!
The calculations also depend upon your location, and the cost of constructing power to your place if it is not already so equipped. But, the ROI pretty well still sucks. Don't forget that most people will have ongoing battery maintenance and either 12 appliances, or the losses through conversion back to 120 volt service.
Not Ready For Prime Time!
Re: Anyone out there on Solar?
There are at least three kinds of solar power installations.
1. You have access to commercial power, but want to take advantage of the tax credits, and will feed excess produced power back to the commercial power company, often at a favorable rate. You will not have batteries and inverters to power your location when there is no commercial power.
That kind of installation can pay off in a few years.
2. You don't have any commercial power, and it will be very expensive to pull it to your location. You will need large battery banks and inverters for utility power.
That kind of installation <span style="font-style: italic">may</span> pay off in a few years, depending on how expensive commercial power access would be, but, as Carnivore mentions, periodic battery replacement is both required and expensive.
3. You will have both commercial power inexpensively available, and batteries and inverters for power when no commercial power is available.
That installation cannot pay off. If you want backup AC power, buy a generator.
There's lots of information on the web about these issues. This is <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">not</span></span> the place to do that research.
There are at least three kinds of solar power installations.
1. You have access to commercial power, but want to take advantage of the tax credits, and will feed excess produced power back to the commercial power company, often at a favorable rate. You will not have batteries and inverters to power your location when there is no commercial power.
That kind of installation can pay off in a few years.
2. You don't have any commercial power, and it will be very expensive to pull it to your location. You will need large battery banks and inverters for utility power.
That kind of installation <span style="font-style: italic">may</span> pay off in a few years, depending on how expensive commercial power access would be, but, as Carnivore mentions, periodic battery replacement is both required and expensive.
3. You will have both commercial power inexpensively available, and batteries and inverters for power when no commercial power is available.
That installation cannot pay off. If you want backup AC power, buy a generator.
There's lots of information on the web about these issues. This is <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">not</span></span> the place to do that research.
