Solar panel questions?

Question

I live in a duplex with my parents and sister. (i am 15). i need to convince my parents to get a solar panel.

can you describe the financial benefits of buying solar panel(s).

could you look at the chart on this site and explain what it says for virginia. http://solarhome.org/solartaxincentivesbystate.html

what type of solar panel? what wattage would be helpful my my three bedroom 1.5 bathroom duplex in northern Virginia(outside DC)?

we have not the biggest budget. so what would some important things to remember or look for in a solar panel so we get the biggest bang for our buck.

Answer 1

Just to put your plan in perspective, Ontario province offers to buy power from solar installations at $0.42 /kWh... the price they decided would be needed to induce people to install panels and the hardware needed to sell power to the utility.

We buy power from the utility for about $0.18 /kWh on a 24 hour basis, or about .24 for daytime power.

With a 42 cent kWh, it is practical to cover the whole roof with panels and sell all you produce, then bring in power from a neighbour to power your house.

Solar panels also provide heat, free. But the panels require that heat be removed from the panel, either you use it or you blow it away.

A shadow on one part of your array of panels can block current from going through the whole array. All parts of an array need to be equally illuminated.

Insure for wind and hail damage.

Install a simple flat panel thermal hot water heater only if you choose not to use the excess heat from your photovoltaic panels.

There are new developments  not yet on the market that should reduce the cost of Photovoltaic power below the cost of nuclear power, if you choose to wait for them.

Answer 2

There are no financial benefits to buying solar panels. The cost is too prohibitive. That's why they are not common. If you want to do something, stop following the hype. The biggest bang for the buck is to conserve. Turn off your lights, live in a smaller house, turn down the heat and turn up the a/c. Walk more and drive less.

Answer 3

"A solar panel" would produce enough electricity to power a 75 watt lightbulb when the sun is shining.  Not much.

I just bought 24 panels that will eliminate my electricity bill entirely, but I'll still pay a $70 a year service charge for the privilege of remaining on the "grid".

My cost for the solar array?  $26,000.  

If I had to finance it, it wouldn't be cost effective.  Since we don't have to finance it, it makes it worthwile.  It will pay for itself in a little over 10 years.  

Electricity is going up in cost.  Dollars are going down in value.  My investment of $26,000 in solar panels will result in an ever increasing dollar return with very little depreciation in terms of the panels degrading in effectiveness (they lose about 3% of their yield over a 10 year period.

If you rent, you would be attaching the solar array to your landlord's structure, and would therefore lose your right to take it with you when you move out.  The alternative is to somehow construct a free-standing array on a trailer or something.  

Solar is expensive.  Not because it costs so much to manufacture the panels, but because the power companies lose money every time one is sold.

.