tigerwoodKhorns Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Does anyone here use solar power for their home? If so, please let me know what is involved, what to look out for, forums that I shoudl join, etc. Please no lectures on how it will never work or political comments. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Solar Power is something that has interested me as well. From what I've read, the initial investment is steep and it can take decades to recoup through savings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 my father in law is working through this now. I believe he's setting it up simply to feed back into the grid for utility discounts and NOT storing it on-site to run the house. I know there are reasons (both regulatory and technical design) behind that decision but we haven't had enough time to really sit down and talk about that subject lately - so I'm not much help to you right now. i think he said the infrastructure would be amortized over 5-7 years. my brother in law uses solar panels to run his aquaponics operation, but that's small scale and not tied into the house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 5 to 7 years sounds reasonable. That's a lot quicker than what I have been reading. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantilope Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I do some work for our local transit agency and we installed a Solar System on top of some light-rail platforms to be more sustainable. I had to contact the power company and they came out and installed a net meter on the service and we installed the latest and greatest panels on the top of each platform. We then worked with a consultant that installed the system and a monitoring display at each platform and showed the power being saved at that moment in time and what was saved over a given duration. I am not anti-solar but I learned a few things along the way... Also to note our project was funded by Blue Sky funding so we did not pay for any of the infrastructure, it was a grant. We did not order the solar panels until the week prior to install - the reason is that the technology changes so fast that by the time we ordered them and had them made the panels would already begin to go obsolete and be outdated with newer ones being made cheaper and better. Over cast days and dirt significantly reduce the effectiveness of the panels, so much so that we have added a task to the maintenance workers of pressure washing the platform canopies weekly. In fact from November to January we have so few sunny days, offset by inversion, made worse by the 12 hour daylight that our canopies are nearly ineffective during those periods. Add a skiff of snow or grit and that's all she wrote. We opened the light-rail line in April of 2013. We do capture enough to run the led lighting and the passenger information signs for 24 hours, and get real close to a zero balance in the summer months. Our canopies are just not large enough for any really great savings. So as far as installing this on your home, think big, and think of a way to try and keep them clean. I think it's a great step in the right direction, but from my experience not sure much was gained from our exercise except as a marketing tool. If you have the right mindset of never receiving a return on the investment, more of a doing my part... it can be successful. If you have some questions I can try and help, but I only managed the project. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 5 to 7 years sounds reasonable. That's a lot quicker than what I have been reading. again, it's been about 6 months since we last talked about it and I only see more HAM infrastructure being erected. don't know if he's spent more time researching or if his facts have changed. i'm wondering if amortization is relative to your installation size. residential installations would be limited to specific roof sections and would likely not produce much power each day. out here we can dedicate whole sections of field to panel farms - more cost to build, but also more sun absorption per day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I have solar power. Put it in from the get go on the house I built back in 2009-2010. I am tied to the grid, no batteries to store up energy to use when the grid goes down. If you are tied to the grid they will make sure your inverter shuts down when power is out so you don't electrocute any of the utility workers. Here in sunny SoCal it makes sense to me. Free electricity. System cost about 15K after tax credits and rebates, plus they send me a check once a year for the extra energy I produce. So basically I heat and cool my home for free(heat pumps). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I have been really frustrated by our electric bills over the years and have looked into many options. Wind, solar electric, solar heat, outdoor wood burning furnace... none of them will work or pay off in my situation. There is a new possibility that I am considering though. Look into solar leases or PPA's (power purchase agreements). Basically, you lease the solar cells for a 20 year period. You might pay $40 a month on the lease but save $140 a month on electric bills. The company is responsible for all upkeep but they also keep any tax rebates that are available. If you find a good company and a good agreement it is a way that you might be able to make this work for only a couple thousand or maybe even $0 investment. I've got a lot of time off coming to me so I hope to research this some more. Report back if you find some good information! Maybe I just need to give the tubes a rest! Naaaahhhh! ...not gonna happen! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Great info. I am in Las Vegas and the sun always shines here. I see others that have solar and want to do my part, although these systems will get cheaper and cheaper and eventually really make sense. There is a company that will install panels on your home and sell you the power, but I'd rather just buy them myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) Fantasy land for most people I suspect. Fantasy that the return is worth the investment to be clear. Edited October 6, 2014 by JL Sargent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Some states offer much larger tax incentives for solar, along with federal incentives. Those states take it more serious. I would guess that Nevada, with all the sunlight, would be a good place to have some sort of solar help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I looked into this about 10 years ago or so. The pay-off was consistently said, even by the sellers of panels, to be pretty much equal to the life-span of the panels. So, now, you have stuff on your roof, besides shingles, to go wrong, need repair, cause leaks, etc. It just did not seem like a good idea. Buy an electric car, instead, if you want to feel good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) I use solar power to heat my pool "hot tub." Edited October 7, 2014 by Boxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) I have looked into this and even spoke with a scientist who is working on developing newer solar cells which are more efficient. At that time, which was about 3 years ago, the most efficient solar cells readily available were about 20% efficient. This means they can convert 20% of the available sunlight energy into electricity. The company was Sunpower I think. Solar energy is 1kw per sq meter. If a 1x1 meter solar cell is pointed directly at the sun at noon in the summer on a perfectly clear non-humid day, and the solar panel is 20% efficient, you could power 2x100 watt bulbs with it. Reduce any of those variables, and you get less power. Here is a nice snipped paragraph which talks about kwh per day. This is important, because at night there is 0 energy being converted, so short days, and steep angle of the sun along with weather effect your possible benefits. By the time it reaches Earth's surface, the energy in sunlight has fallen to about 1,000 watts per square meter at noon on a cloudless day. Averaged over the entire surface of the planet, 24 hours per day for a year, each square meter collects the approximate energy equivalent of almost a barrel of oil each year, or 4.2 kilowatt-hours of energy every day. Deserts, with very dry air and little cloud cover, receive the most sun—more than six kilowatt-hours per day per square meter. Northern climates, such as Boston, get closer to 3.6 kilowatt-hours. Sunlight varies by season as well, with some areas receiving very little sunshine in the winter. Seattle in December, for example, gets only about 0.7 kilowatt-hours per day. It should also be noted that these figures represent the maximum available solar energy that can be captured and used, but solar collectors capture only a portion of this, depending on their efficiency. For example, a one square meter solar electric panel with an efficiency of 15 percent would produce about one kilowatt-hour of electricity per day in Arizona. If you live in a high southern desert like Santa Fe, you could benefit greatly from solar. Where do you live? Wasn't it Texas? Edited October 7, 2014 by mustang guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) I have looked into this and even spoke with a scientist who is working on developing newer solar cells which are more efficient. At that time, which was about 3 years ago, the most efficient solar cells readily available were about 20% efficient. This means they can convert 20% of the available sunlight energy into electricity. The company was Sunpower I think. Solar energy is 1kw per sq meter. If a 1x1 meter solar cell is pointed directly at the sun at noon in the summer on a perfectly clear non-humid day, and the solar panel is 20% efficient, you could power 2x100 watt bulbs with it. Reduce any of those variables, and you get less power. Here is a nice snipped paragraph which talks about kwh per day. This is important, because at night there is 0 energy being converted, so short days, and steep angle of the sun along with weather effect your possible benefits. By the time it reaches Earth's surface, the energy in sunlight has fallen to about 1,000 watts per square meter at noon on a cloudless day. Averaged over the entire surface of the planet, 24 hours per day for a year, each square meter collects the approximate energy equivalent of almost a barrel of oil each year, or 4.2 kilowatt-hours of energy every day. Deserts, with very dry air and little cloud cover, receive the most sun—more than six kilowatt-hours per day per square meter. Northern climates, such as Boston, get closer to 3.6 kilowatt-hours. Sunlight varies by season as well, with some areas receiving very little sunshine in the winter. Seattle in December, for example, gets only about 0.7 kilowatt-hours per day. It should also be noted that these figures represent the maximum available solar energy that can be captured and used, but solar collectors capture only a portion of this, depending on their efficiency. For example, a one square meter solar electric panel with an efficiency of 15 percent would produce about one kilowatt-hour of electricity per day in Arizona. If you live in a high southern desert like Santa Fe, you could benefit greatly from solar. Where do you live? Wasn't it Texas? I live in the "Hood".... Edited October 7, 2014 by Boxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted October 7, 2014 Moderators Share Posted October 7, 2014 Never had solar power, but did have solar for hot water, in the south with our mild winters and even some cloudy days we never did have to turn on the electric water heater with 5 people in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) I live in the "Hood".... me too... Edited October 7, 2014 by Boxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 my brother in law uses solar panels to run his aquaponics operation, Ahhhh, aquaponics....sounds deliciously illegal....everywhere but Colorado and Washington state...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) Lost the formatting, but you get the picture. we are #2 on the list. People have solar here. Currently about a sum zero game, but it is getting better. Computers use to be really expensive a slow. Average annual sunshine in the sunniest major US cities. City % Sunshine Hours of Sun Clear Days Phoenix, Arizona 85 3872 211 Las Vegas, Nevada 85 3825 210 Sacramento, California 78 3608 188 Los Angeles, California 73 – 147 Miami, Florida 70 3154 74 Denver, Colorado 69 3107 115 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 68 3089 139 San Diego, California 68 3055 146 Salt Lake City, Utah 66 3029 125 an Francisco, California 66 – 160 Tampa, Florida 66 2927 101 Edited October 7, 2014 by tigerwoodKhorns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 I found this system for $14K: http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/eld/4684480263.html I just received an energy usage report from the power company. I need a bigger system than what they offer above, but not too much bigger. Looks like the recovery period is about 6-7 years and it is supposed to last 20 years (I do not trust warranties). Not bad. I started looking into this for moral reasons, but there is a cost savings. I need to replace my AC units and converting to the new freon is going to be expensive. I replaced one unit in 2007 and it is working fine and probably has another 7 years left in it (at least 3). If I replace the two other units with the current refrigerant (instead of upgrading all 3 systems to the new refirgerant), the savings will pay for most of the solar system, which will also eliminate my power bill, so the fact that the old refrigerant is not as efficient should not really matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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