OT: Solar Panels

[patb]

I’ve seen solar hot water payoff in 3-5 years with very little effort

It’s also a starter system, the kids learn to clean bird poo
And you dry run it

[scaredyclassic]

i ran through all the numbers. it can definitely work for most people. my problem is I have this superfancy roof with fragile handmade clay tiles from Mexico. I don’t want anyone screwing around on my roof, even if it’ll help save the planet. I would definitely have purchased them for the roof. For around 30,000 i would get the equivalent of $277 in electricity in today’s prices. to me that would be worth it, esp because you can now finance 25,000 via the fed govt POWERSAVER program 20 year mortgagelow interest rates.

i also got a quote for panels ont he ground, but the same amt of electric would cost 43,000. not quite worth it. if i could finance the whole 43 i mightve gone for it. would be about a wash but it would be cool.

[scaredyclassic]

i ran through all the numbers. it can definitely work for most people. my problem is I have this superfancy roof with fragile handmade clay tiles from Mexico. I don’t want anyone screwing around on my roof, even if it’ll help save the planet. I would definitely have purchased them for the roof. For around 30,000 i would get the equivalent of $277 in electricity in today’s prices. to me that would be worth it, esp because you can now finance 25,000 via the fed govt POWERSAVER program 20 year mortgagelow interest rates.

i also got a quote for panels ont he ground, but the same amt of electric would cost 43,000. not quite worth it. if i could finance the whole 43 i mightve gone for it. would be about a wash but it would be cool.

[scaredyclassic]

i ran through all the numbers. it can definitely work for most people. my problem is I have this superfancy roof with fragile handmade clay tiles from Mexico. I don’t want anyone screwing around on my roof, even if it’ll help save the planet. I would definitely have purchased them for the roof. For around 30,000 i would get the equivalent of $277 in electricity in today’s prices. to me that would be worth it, esp because you can now finance 25,000 via the fed govt POWERSAVER program 20 year mortgagelow interest rates.

i also got a quote for panels ont he ground, but the same amt of electric would cost 43,000. not quite worth it. if i could finance the whole 43 i mightve gone for it. would be about a wash but it would be cool.

[scaredyclassic]

i ran through all the numbers. it can definitely work for most people. my problem is I have this superfancy roof with fragile handmade clay tiles from Mexico. I don’t want anyone screwing around on my roof, even if it’ll help save the planet. I would definitely have purchased them for the roof. For around 30,000 i would get the equivalent of $277 in electricity in today’s prices. to me that would be worth it, esp because you can now finance 25,000 via the fed govt POWERSAVER program 20 year mortgagelow interest rates.

i also got a quote for panels ont he ground, but the same amt of electric would cost 43,000. not quite worth it. if i could finance the whole 43 i mightve gone for it. would be about a wash but it would be cool.

[scaredyclassic]

i ran through all the numbers. it can definitely work for most people. my problem is I have this superfancy roof with fragile handmade clay tiles from Mexico. I don’t want anyone screwing around on my roof, even if it’ll help save the planet. I would definitely have purchased them for the roof. For around 30,000 i would get the equivalent of $277 in electricity in today’s prices. to me that would be worth it, esp because you can now finance 25,000 via the fed govt POWERSAVER program 20 year mortgagelow interest rates.

i also got a quote for panels ont he ground, but the same amt of electric would cost 43,000. not quite worth it. if i could finance the whole 43 i mightve gone for it. would be about a wash but it would be cool.

[jpinpb]

But did you guys listen to the story. They’re talking thin solar panels, like the size plastic bags that newspapers come in. I really want something like that. Then you don’t have to worry about your roof. I just wonder how far out this would be. If 5-10 years out, then I think I’d rather wait.

Remember when tv satellite dishes first came out and they were just monsterous?

I want solar, but now I’m conflicted. I am not the type to buy just b/c there is a credit b/c around the corner might be something worth buying w/out the credit. I just love the idea of alternative energy.

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.

[jpinpb]

But did you guys listen to the story. They’re talking thin solar panels, like the size plastic bags that newspapers come in. I really want something like that. Then you don’t have to worry about your roof. I just wonder how far out this would be. If 5-10 years out, then I think I’d rather wait.

Remember when tv satellite dishes first came out and they were just monsterous?

I want solar, but now I’m conflicted. I am not the type to buy just b/c there is a credit b/c around the corner might be something worth buying w/out the credit. I just love the idea of alternative energy.

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.

[jpinpb]

But did you guys listen to the story. They’re talking thin solar panels, like the size plastic bags that newspapers come in. I really want something like that. Then you don’t have to worry about your roof. I just wonder how far out this would be. If 5-10 years out, then I think I’d rather wait.

Remember when tv satellite dishes first came out and they were just monsterous?

I want solar, but now I’m conflicted. I am not the type to buy just b/c there is a credit b/c around the corner might be something worth buying w/out the credit. I just love the idea of alternative energy.

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.

[jpinpb]

But did you guys listen to the story. They’re talking thin solar panels, like the size plastic bags that newspapers come in. I really want something like that. Then you don’t have to worry about your roof. I just wonder how far out this would be. If 5-10 years out, then I think I’d rather wait.

Remember when tv satellite dishes first came out and they were just monsterous?

I want solar, but now I’m conflicted. I am not the type to buy just b/c there is a credit b/c around the corner might be something worth buying w/out the credit. I just love the idea of alternative energy.

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.

[jpinpb]

But did you guys listen to the story. They’re talking thin solar panels, like the size plastic bags that newspapers come in. I really want something like that. Then you don’t have to worry about your roof. I just wonder how far out this would be. If 5-10 years out, then I think I’d rather wait.

Remember when tv satellite dishes first came out and they were just monsterous?

I want solar, but now I’m conflicted. I am not the type to buy just b/c there is a credit b/c around the corner might be something worth buying w/out the credit. I just love the idea of alternative energy.

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Author]

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