OT: Solar Panels

[UCGal]

[quote=jpinpb]Oh, has anyone considered wind? We get a lot of wind here. I think if I combine wind and sun, I’ll never have a SDGE bill ever again.[/quote]

I looked at it… Not cost effective… While we get good breezes… we don’t get the steady wind needed to make it pay off. (vs trade winds.) Also the tower size you need for traditional wind generators is prohibitive for most of suburbia. It works well on farms, and places with space. But since it’s reccomended that the turbine be 30′ above any nearby obstructions (other houses/buildings) it doesn’t fit within height restrictions for most urban areas.

There are some new, roof/house mounted wind turbines, with verticle axis – so they can be mounted lower… but it’s still pretty hard to find something that works in an urban/suburban setting.

I’m looking to see when the loopwing design gets more widely available… it only needs 3mph of wind to get it going… which is doable in some neighborhoods.

[briansd1]

Why bother installing solar at home?

Utility rates will have to remainin competitive when solar is widely available for cheap. SDGE will have to compete to remain relevant.

Why not let others be the early adopters and sit back and enjoy the rewards later.

A solar array will need to be maintained. More trouble for the homeowner. It’s like having a well. You get “free” water, but there are headaches that go along with it.

Having said that, I applaud those who are early adopters and who want to get off the grid.

[briansd1]

Why bother installing solar at home?

Utility rates will have to remainin competitive when solar is widely available for cheap. SDGE will have to compete to remain relevant.

Why not let others be the early adopters and sit back and enjoy the rewards later.

A solar array will need to be maintained. More trouble for the homeowner. It’s like having a well. You get “free” water, but there are headaches that go along with it.

Having said that, I applaud those who are early adopters and who want to get off the grid.

[briansd1]

Why bother installing solar at home?

Utility rates will have to remainin competitive when solar is widely available for cheap. SDGE will have to compete to remain relevant.

Why not let others be the early adopters and sit back and enjoy the rewards later.

A solar array will need to be maintained. More trouble for the homeowner. It’s like having a well. You get “free” water, but there are headaches that go along with it.

Having said that, I applaud those who are early adopters and who want to get off the grid.

[briansd1]

Why bother installing solar at home?

Utility rates will have to remainin competitive when solar is widely available for cheap. SDGE will have to compete to remain relevant.

Why not let others be the early adopters and sit back and enjoy the rewards later.

A solar array will need to be maintained. More trouble for the homeowner. It’s like having a well. You get “free” water, but there are headaches that go along with it.

Having said that, I applaud those who are early adopters and who want to get off the grid.

[briansd1]

Why bother installing solar at home?

Utility rates will have to remainin competitive when solar is widely available for cheap. SDGE will have to compete to remain relevant.

Why not let others be the early adopters and sit back and enjoy the rewards later.

A solar array will need to be maintained. More trouble for the homeowner. It’s like having a well. You get “free” water, but there are headaches that go along with it.

Having said that, I applaud those who are early adopters and who want to get off the grid.

[Aecetia]

The rebates are pretty good and if you use a lot of electricity, it is probably worth it. Beats burning up in the summer. Definitely worth having someone give you an estimate and have a free energy audit done on your home. We have had solar for a year and it cut the bills in half. Last high bill during the summer was for over 600. due to running the air conditioner. Next improvement will be new insulation. I know that SDG&E will probably figure out a way to raise rates anyway, but this was a solution for now. Love that free sun energy.

[Aecetia]

The rebates are pretty good and if you use a lot of electricity, it is probably worth it. Beats burning up in the summer. Definitely worth having someone give you an estimate and have a free energy audit done on your home. We have had solar for a year and it cut the bills in half. Last high bill during the summer was for over 600. due to running the air conditioner. Next improvement will be new insulation. I know that SDG&E will probably figure out a way to raise rates anyway, but this was a solution for now. Love that free sun energy.

[Aecetia]

The rebates are pretty good and if you use a lot of electricity, it is probably worth it. Beats burning up in the summer. Definitely worth having someone give you an estimate and have a free energy audit done on your home. We have had solar for a year and it cut the bills in half. Last high bill during the summer was for over 600. due to running the air conditioner. Next improvement will be new insulation. I know that SDG&E will probably figure out a way to raise rates anyway, but this was a solution for now. Love that free sun energy.

[Aecetia]

The rebates are pretty good and if you use a lot of electricity, it is probably worth it. Beats burning up in the summer. Definitely worth having someone give you an estimate and have a free energy audit done on your home. We have had solar for a year and it cut the bills in half. Last high bill during the summer was for over 600. due to running the air conditioner. Next improvement will be new insulation. I know that SDG&E will probably figure out a way to raise rates anyway, but this was a solution for now. Love that free sun energy.

[Aecetia]

The rebates are pretty good and if you use a lot of electricity, it is probably worth it. Beats burning up in the summer. Definitely worth having someone give you an estimate and have a free energy audit done on your home. We have had solar for a year and it cut the bills in half. Last high bill during the summer was for over 600. due to running the air conditioner. Next improvement will be new insulation. I know that SDG&E will probably figure out a way to raise rates anyway, but this was a solution for now. Love that free sun energy.

[afx114]

A couple of week ago JtR posted a great video interview with one of his clients who had recently installed solar. Lots of informative anecdotes from the homeowners on their experience and the current state of solar. They discuss the options available and elaborate on why they chose one option over another.

http://www.bubbleinfo.com/2011/05/28/solar/

[afx114]

A couple of week ago JtR posted a great video interview with one of his clients who had recently installed solar. Lots of informative anecdotes from the homeowners on their experience and the current state of solar. They discuss the options available and elaborate on why they chose one option over another.

http://www.bubbleinfo.com/2011/05/28/solar/

[afx114]

A couple of week ago JtR posted a great video interview with one of his clients who had recently installed solar. Lots of informative anecdotes from the homeowners on their experience and the current state of solar. They discuss the options available and elaborate on why they chose one option over another.

http://www.bubbleinfo.com/2011/05/28/solar/

[afx114]

A couple of week ago JtR posted a great video interview with one of his clients who had recently installed solar. Lots of informative anecdotes from the homeowners on their experience and the current state of solar. They discuss the options available and elaborate on why they chose one option over another.

http://www.bubbleinfo.com/2011/05/28/solar/

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