Archive for February, 2009
Solar Power Your Home
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
How long did your Solar Power generating system take to pay itself off?
For home solar electricity systems, which are connected to and selling back to the grid; how big is your system? and how long did it take to pay off its initial capital costs? … also where do you live, what is the sun availability in your area?
Good point Dave, ROR is a good idea, but doesn’t take into account the potential value of that initial capital, were it say, put into a high yield investment instead…
Gaby; that is an insane cost! I’m in australia, we get a 6000$ rebate off a $11000 installed system of 1.5kW, and then the buy back price of the electricity onto the grid is 47c/kWh … where electricity costs 20.8c/kWh. I feel very fortunate to be here, since this should take 6 years to make back the input cash.
This system is highly subsidized by the government though, but it looks like the middle men in ur system are taking a big portion of that
At this time here in Phoenix, which is one of the best places for solar power systems in the world (almost no cloudy days), the payback time (Break even point) is approximately 18-20 years. This is with great taxpayer funded subsidies they are offering that pays almost half the cost. This is a system that is tied to the grid and the utility company gives you credit for any power you produce in excess. The system consists of 12-18 solar panels, inverter / Controller, breakers and wiring needed. It looks like an average system is around $30,000 installed, but with rebates is only about $16,000. Some utilities even offer financing to help. Remember, this is Arizona. Most areas will not perform as well as here. One thing to keep in account is the controllers / rectifiers will need to be replaced, and most solar panels will not maintain peak efficiency for years. Most warranties seem to be 20-25 years on panels, and 5 years on controllers. Controllers can cost several thousand dollars.
It seems as soon as subsidies were added, the prices started going up. We need a not-for-profit solar equipment company to help keep the greed out of the equation. It is our taxpayer dollars going to the increased profits when subsidies are involved.
Just go to your local utility website and check out the special subsidies they are offering now. Most good utility companies will have an on-line calculator to estimate the cost, size of system recommended, payback period, and savings projections. Both our utility companies have this, and they are easy to use. Get copies of your electric bills. You will need some information about your past usage from them to get good projections.
Solar Panels For Your Sweet Home | Build Solar Panel For Your Home
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P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor $29.99 Empowers You to Save Hundreds on Electric Bills Electricity bills are rising. Now you can cut down on costs and find out what appliances are actually worth keeping plugged in. Simply connect these appliances to the Kill A Watt, and it will assess how efficient they really are. The large LCD display counts consumption by the kilowatt-hour, the same as your local utility. You can calculate your elec… |
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Honeywell Econoswitch RPLS740B 7-Day Solar Time Table Programmable Switch for Lights and Motors $36.00 The Honeywell RPLS740B 7-Day Solar Time Table Programmable Switch for Lights and Motors helps you save money by ensuring that your lights come on only when you need them. This unit works with incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent lighting, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use. It also works with ceiling fans, bathroom fans, pond pumps, and pool pumps. Featuring three operating modes and sev… |
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LED Projectables 11282 Solar System Night Light $5.39 Light Bulb:LED Globe rotates to project solar system on ceiling, the LED Planets Night Light projects a 3ft (approx.) solar system on 8 to 12 ceiling. Light sensing- on at dusk, off at dawn. Cool to the touch Long life LED – no bulbs to replace… |
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The Light Garden Lighted Willow Branch … |
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8-Position Battery Charger for Alkaline, NiMH, NiCad Batteries; AA/ AAA/C/D/9V RAYPS3R … |
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ReVIVE Series Solar ReStore External Battery Pack with Universal USB Charging Port for Portable Smartphones / E-readers / MP3 Players and More USB Powered Devices $27.99 Portable Extended Battery Charge Pack This easy-to-use, multi-functional charger let’s you take charging on-the-go. It’s equipped with a universal USB charging port & a powerful internal backup battery that stores backup power for when you are away from outlets. Charge it up by the power of the Sun, USB or an AC outlet to provide a full-charge to most mobile devices. It’s also designed with a conv… |
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Cisco-Linksys High Gain Antenna Kit for TNC Connectors HGA7T $20.00 Linksys – Network adapter antenna – omni-directional – 7 dBi (pack of 2 )… |
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PowerCost Monitor TM $99.99 As unobtrusive as a small electric clock, the PowerCost MonitorTM is a powerful real-time direct feedback display device that measures home electricity usage. It tells at a glance, in real-time, how much electricity your home is using in dollars and cents and in kW. Domestic energy use studies have demonstrated that real-time feedback yields energy savings anywhere between 10 and 20 percent. The … |
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Havahart SS-750RPX AC-Powered Electric Fence Kit for Pets and Small Animals 1-Mile Range $66.18 “Delivers a mild correction to break bad habits.Protects flowers, shrubbery, gardens and trash from unwanted critters.For dogs 15 pounds and above.Contains: an energizer, fence poles, ground rod, aluminum, 5 cotter pins, 1 ground clamp and 2 extra fuses.SizeColor “BCI – 278249… |
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Fi-Shock SS-440 Solar-Powered Low Impedance 10 Acre Medium-Duty Electric Fence Charger $107.80 The Fi-Shock Solar Fence Controller controls up to 5 miles of electric fence! Recharges its 4 Volt battery with a high efficiency, built-in solar panel. Controller delivers more shocking power than ordinary fencers. Low impedance provides 1/3 less battery drain. U.S.A. Application: Fence controller, Works With: Electrical fences, Amps: 3, Battery Required: Yes, Solar Power Compatible: Yes, Dimensi… |
