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Solar Power (for homes)
Anyone invest in panels for your home? What's the score with solar power for home use, anyway? My curiosity is piqued after receiving a spam email about something called citizenre (http://renu.citizenre.com/index.php) -- apparently they install and maintain panels for "free" while you keep paying the same utility rate for XX number of years. I suppose that means that if the panels make more than your home consumes, they get the payoff from the power company for energy produced.
Anyway, got me to thinking about solar power... just thought I'd ask.
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1992 300D 2.5T 1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold) 1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy" 1974 Triumph TR6 1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's) |
#2
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Currently pv panels are still quite expensive and home systems require a pretty large bank of storage batteries and an inverter. The cost recovery on the investment is practical, even here in Hawaii where hot water heating via solar panels is extremely popular. There needs to be a price reduction in the up front cost of the system before it can make economic, and not merely social, sense.
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#3
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Your utility company will lose some revenue, to the extent that the energy used by the house during daylight is produced by the PV cells. The other energy company gains revenue for energy supplied by the PVs, which I assume is metered and billed as if you were connected to a second energy company. I see no benefit to the homeowner... |
#4
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Only thing that caught my eye was the potential for freezing the rate for 25 years... IL's power rates are about to skyrocket when our rate freeze expires. If this site were the real deal (I have my doubts) and I could get it at current rates, and freeze them for 25 years, I might be interested. Looks like a long shot, though!
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1992 300D 2.5T 1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold) 1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy" 1974 Triumph TR6 1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's) |
#5
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I think new home builders should give solor panels as an option to new home buyers. At just a few grand more per house, I think it could be a great start to getting our selves on the path to renewable energy.
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My thoughts don't speak to this plan in particular but something to consider...
The weakest link in the solar equation is the banks of batterys so why use them... Just pump what you can't use out into the grid and draw what you can't generate back off of it.
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-Marty 1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible (Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one) Reading your M103 duty cycle: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html |
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As I understand it, the excess that you generate is pumped back into the grid and the power company pays YOU for it. I assume the batteries are for storing energy for cloudy days (or nighttime). Surely the energy co. doesn't pay the same rate for your surplus energy that you pay them for their power, so there *does* seem to be a benefit to storing power in some way. Maybe the battery (or other power storage) technology will catch up and make solar power more cost effective soon!
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1992 300D 2.5T 1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold) 1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy" 1974 Triumph TR6 1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's) |
#8
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What would be an improvement would be a PV unit capable of running an electric hot water heater. It would avoid running pipes to the roof for conventional solar hot water. My dad had solar hot water. He took care of it and fully understood its operation and limitations, but its much too complicated to be a mainstream item in homes.
I like the idea of selling power back to the utilities. It would be nice to make the power company a backup to your primary inhome system.
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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles 2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed 2005 Toyota Sienna 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible 1999 Toyota Tacoma |
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Jonathan 2011 Mazda2 2000 E320 4Matic Wagon 1994 C280 (retired) |
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1992 300D 2.5T 1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold) 1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy" 1974 Triumph TR6 1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's) |
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Many times the utility will only pay you for their cost savings of 'avoided' fuel, since they still have to amortize the capital cost of overhead lines and other distribution equipment.
In our area that means a charge of $0.10 to $0.12 for each kWh that you use, but credit of only about $0.03 per kilowatt-hour. Under that structure, you would pay $0.12 per kWh to the solar company, and receive only $0.03 in return, so it would cost you $0.09 for each kWh that the cells generated. As I said, I saw no benefit to that scheme... |
#12
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Indeed... but I'd like to chew their collective ear about this "pay the same rate for 25 years" bit.
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1992 300D 2.5T 1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold) 1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy" 1974 Triumph TR6 1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's) |
#13
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Pardon me while i butt-in.
Years ago I was thinking about retiring onto a houseboat. The roof would be solar panels. The engines ICE-electric. My thinking was like this. The solar panels create DC. Use the DC current to charge some storage cells. Use the cells to separate 2(O2) from H2 through electrolysis. Use the DC current to run an H2 compressor, exhaust the O2 into the water (and into the bubble tank for my fish). Run the ICE engine off of H2. The ICE drives a generator for both service and propulsion. Bot |
#14
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i was of the impression that the utilities had to pay the same rate for extra energy. by law. would that be a local law or national?
back when there were real energy credits i used to do a good business designing passive/ active solar homes. now i just try to maximize south facing glass whenever possible. on my house (which was designed after the tax credits had been killed) i have 12 large (12sf ea.) south facing skylights which sit at a 45 degree angle to the ground. we spend less to heat the house than to heat water, year round. best though the house in the winter is brighter inside than in the summer. the sun actually penetrates the house all the way and bounces off the north wall. passive solar integrated into the design of the house in a way that enhances the spirit of the house and its livability. tom w
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC] ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
#15
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This way they get a guaranteed income for 25 years, without worrying about power plant regulations, fuel escalation and other stuff. Neat scheme... |
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