SOLAR Panels?

Question

Hello from SO TX.. I would like to know if anyone out there has SOLAR PANELS on their home?

I have a 850 sq ft. house. I called Austin to a company that offers panels and installation. The cost $18,000.00, for 10 panels . The rep said we would save about 21 to 25% on our electric bill /mo. We use approximately 980 kw/mo. Our bill is around $140.00 / mo...I really don't think that's a good enough savings. We figure it would take 25 years to recoup our investment.

And where we live in TX it does not offer any incentives. The gov. allows you a $2000.00 tx break.

Answer 1

You are wasteful in your power usage. To use 980 kWh per month in such a small home is just unbelivable. Chage your lights to CFL (a 28 watt cfl is = to a 100 watt bulb) and use space heating and window A/C units. Unplug that tv set when not in use and same for other items. I found that our tv set alone uses amost 12 watts when turned off. You may say that is not much.. Well add in 4 tv sets and a couple of stereos and other items and do it for a years time. lots of waste. Our home is twice the size of yours and we only use on a heavy month about 500 kWh. With 1860 watts in solar power my last months electric bill was 19 dollars and most of that was meter fees.

18K is really about right and not bad. You will get back 2000 dollars if installed before the end of 2008 but it looks like we may be Bushed and they may not extend the tax credits.

Just have to wait for John McCain to get in office and hope he will do something about it. But McCain is running for a 3rd bush term.   Hillary is not going to make it in to office an every time Obama gets under pressure he gets so scared he starts stuttering. So he will just get walked on by big oil and big money. So better do it now while you can get something back.

Just to clear something up about the cost.. If you rent power you have nothing in 30 years but if you buy a system you have a system in 30 years.

As far as new lower priced solar modules.. BS!!! Big time

BS!!!

If they can make a 3000 watt solar module for 1 cent they can sell it for the current market price. So it would take a FOOL to drop the prices. So don't waste your time setting on your thumb waiting for this great lower price.

Ask Evergreen Solar if they lowered prices when the used OUR TAX DOLLARS to find a new way to make their panels. Well they found a cheaper way and did it and charge the same as anyone else. But that don't stop them from braging. If they can get your money and don't take it they woudl be fools.. Would you drop your price if people would pay the higher price? Plus someone would by them out and bring the prices back up anyway..

Answer 2

Unfortunately, your real world experience will be totally ignored by the under 30 environut crowd who thinks Big Oil is keeping you from putting up solar panels.

Answer 3

Have you thought about doing your own installation.... using causmeticly imperfect panels .... this could knock 40% off  your cost for an equvalent system.....

Answer 4

$18,000 invested at 5% interest would pay you $900 per year for the rest of your life.

If you spend $140 per month and would save 25% of that, you would save $420 per year.    To be fair, the savings would creep up with the electric rates but this would be off-set by maintenance cost and equipment attrition.

Answer 5

I'm in the California Foothills and the island of Mindanao... I have both solar panels (electric and water heating) and a single wind-generator since 2000.  We actually sell power to PG&E in California and are self-sufficient in Mindanao.

NOW, I'm confused with YOUR math... you say the Rep. suggests a monthly savings of $35 (25% of $140) which would be $420 / year.  If materials / installation are $18,000 less $2000 tax-credit:  it would  take 35 years to pay off $16,000 at $420 / year.

980 Kwh/ mo is some pretty heavy usage... I'd suggest trying to reduce that.  CFT's, lowering your AC setting, no lights if NOT in room, un-plugging "stand-by" appliances, and upgrading insulation.

At our 2000 sq ft California RANCH we only burn 400 Kwh per month, and that includes an 800 sq ft barn (admittedly we heat with a wood-stove).  We have 15, Sanyo 200 watt panels (3kw total) and generate an avg 900 kwh / month.  SO, we're selling BACK almost 500 kwh mo. to the "grid" on the photo-cells alone.  The 1kw wind generator averages another 20 kwh / month.

I THINK the company  YOU are working with is selling the EXCESS electrical-power back to the power-company behind your back !!

GOOD LUCK

Answer 6

Be glad you didn't buy.  The current products are dinosaurs, 50 year old over priced tech.  Don't lose hope though.  The thin film tech is just now starting production.  It's not yet available to the general public ( production for the next year is already sold out), but will be in the near future as production capacity increases.  It should drop prices to about 1/4 of the current price, and your recoup time will be about 7 years.

Go ahead and research thin film solar, and be thankful you didn't buy a product the government has to pay you to buy.