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is solar power worth the expense?

Steve

Well-known member
for a few years now I have looked into putting up solar panels, but even with New Jerseys' generous rebates and fed tax credits the real costs are not within reach..

Even if I pay in full, and I can save financing costs, but I then lose the interest/dividends the money would have earned. so paying in full is not a real savings.

according to the salesman it would take 12 years to recover the costs,


by my calculation it is more like 18- to 20 for a real dollar payoff even if I err on their side and everything goes according to their literature..


has any one on here actually put them in and seen a good return for their money?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Thanks to our socialist green leader, you'll see the return on your investment much sooner. It's not that the price of solar will go down, it's that he's going to drive the price of "regular" electricity up.

Alternative energy lacks the technology to compete with coal, nuclear, natural gas, etc.... in a free market. Obama knows this, so his answer is to manipulate the market with his horse-crap cap and trade scheme so that the cost gap will narrow.

Part of this "Change you can believe in".
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I've seen about the same as far as cost now...But the articles I have been reading suggest that as more emphasis is put on it-and usage of solar equipment becomes more available- the cost will drop dramatically- like it did with computers and cell phones....

The same with the home use wind turbines...
 

per

Well-known member
I have a small turbine and two sets of panels for pumping water. Free power is very expensive but has a place. Here in Alberta you can pump electricity back onto the grid. If there are no breakdowns, and there will be, It is a 12 to 14 year pay back depending the cost of money. There are some pretty interesting things happening in passive heat and hydronic heat systems. Solar hot water tubes can have a 10 year payback if the household can use hot water more during the day and heat can be stored in tanks and underground. I have a set that will be installed when the snow goes. Solar walls can have a very short pay back and can be made instead of purchased.

The average solar panel today has a 7 year carbon footprint assuming you can find a way to recycle it when it is done. Of course many here know that carbon is actually plant food and we are currently in a 7 year cooling period.

Free power is expensive. :wink:
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
per said:
I have a small turbine and two sets of panels for pumping water. Free power is very expensive but has a place. Here in Alberta you can pump electricity back onto the grid. If there are no breakdowns, and there will be, It is a 12 to 14 year pay back depending the cost of money. There are some pretty interesting things happening in passive heat and hydronic heat systems. Solar hot water tubes can have a 10 year payback if the household can use hot water more during the day and heat can be stored in tanks and underground. I have a set that will be installed when the snow goes. Solar walls can have a very short pay back and can be made instead of purchased.

The average solar panel today has a 7 year carbon footprint assuming you can find a way to recycle it when it is done. Of course many here know that carbon is actually plant food and we are currently in a 7 year cooling period.

Free power is expensive. :wink:

Did you read that article about the McKnight's at Halkirk?
 

per

Well-known member
I have now. I can take you to several ranches that had their turbines up and ready to hook up on Jan 1, 09. This is going to be a fun thing to be into in the near future. They will become more affordable and in the mean time there is always a way to sell this stuff on a philosophy.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
per said:
I have now. I can take you to several ranches that had their turbines up and ready to hook up on Jan 1, 09. This is going to be a fun thing to be into in the near future. They will become more affordable and in the mean time there is always a way to sell this stuff on a philosophy.

It's been along time coming. I was at Orrin Hart's back in the 70's and he belonged to the Small Energy producers back then. they were working on a way to back feed power into the grid. 35 years later it's happening. :roll:
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
per said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
The Western Seducer

I always get the "depressor" late.

You mean you don't get it until your dad is done with it. :wink:

I go read Dad's at his place and drink his coffee. :D

So that is why everyone comes to my house and sits at my kitchen table and reads the papers on a regular basis - and drinks my coffee and eats my bacon and eggs and those wonderful muffins the old girl makes.

And here I thought it was my sparkling personality and my wifes great legs.

I never really noticed they all sat at the far end of the table and just read that paper - plus all the other papers and magazines my old girl gets - for free of course.

Helps when you are a regular contributor to about four or five or more of them. Her, not me.

We could not afford it otherwise.

Maybe I will start charging admission.

BC
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
Solar power - just an opinion at this stage - but....

1. It is worth the expense if it costs big bucks to run power in to a site.

2. It is not worth the expense if you have to borrow the money. I hate debt.

3. It is worth the expense if you can make the pay back come in under 10 years - just my opinion.

4. It is well worth it if you want to tell the utility to get stuffed and go it alone - besides you can count on power to go up in price between now and the ten year mark - if your maintenance costs can be kept under that increase you are away to the races.

All the above is based upon opinion and anecdotal evidence at this time. 8)

Cheers

BC
 

Tex

Well-known member
Steve, I haven't seen a real return on solar yet either. If there was, we would have solar farms in the West where they get more consistent sun.

If the price of energy goes higher and stays there and the costs go lower, it may pay in the future. Not right now.

I have read where they are coming up with much lower costs for solar cells but that has not been translated by the market into solar panels into anything that has a real pay off here in the U.S. except with the exceptions mentioned before like distance from the grid.
 

per

Well-known member
Broke Cowboy said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
per said:
I always get the "depressor" late.

You mean you don't get it until your dad is done with it. :wink:

I go read Dad's at his place and drink his coffee. :D

So that is why everyone comes to my house and sits at my kitchen table and reads the papers on a regular basis - and drinks my coffee and eats my bacon and eggs and those wonderful muffins the old girl makes.

And here I thought it was my sparkling personality and my wifes great legs.

I never really noticed they all sat at the far end of the table and just read that paper - plus all the other papers and magazines my old girl gets - for free of course.

Helps when you are a regular contributor to about four or five or more of them. Her, not me.

We could not afford it otherwise.

Maybe I will start charging admission.

BC

Ha Dad gets his in town 3 or 4 days ahead of mine. He gives me the 411 before I get mine. I should really save the money and read his. Harts were miles ahead of the trend. There are several versions of Solar Walls around here inspired by Harts Shop.
 
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