Greening Your Home - Looking to go solar
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seebeew
01-08-08, 06:02 PM
I am looking to install (have installed) a 10k (give or take) PV system for my home. I have had a few companies out here and have read much info that is on the web. What I am looking for is maybe some advice or info that I should know before I actually go ahead...
My avg yearly usage is 10k to 12k. I still need to do some more greening (CFLs..) so that may come down a little. I have a front roof that faces WSW and a some real estate to do a ground mount ( prob enough to fit 8k-12k depending on effciancy)
Are they any brands or technology to stay away from? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
My avg yearly usage is 10k to 12k. I still need to do some more greening (CFLs..) so that may come down a little. I have a front roof that faces WSW and a some real estate to do a ground mount ( prob enough to fit 8k-12k depending on effciancy)
Are they any brands or technology to stay away from? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
furd
02-03-08, 12:25 PM
What do you mean when you state that your "avg yearly usage is 10k to 12k"?
Usage of WHAT? What does "10k to 12k" mean? Are you trying to say that you use between 10,000 to 12,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year? I would find that rather difficult to believe.
I live alone in a 1,550 square foot house. My AVERAGE DAILY electrical consumption is between 10 and 12 kilowatt hours and I am considered by most to be a fairly lower consumer of electric power. If I were billed on a monthly basis (my billing is every other month) I would be paying about 25 to 30 dollars or on a yearly basis between $300 and $360 a year for electricity.
A 10,000 watt (nominal) photo voltaic panel array with the requisite inverter, switching and net metering would probably cost in the neighborhood of $12,000 or more not considering any possible tax breaks. That would mean that not considering any maintenance on the equipment AND that it operated at full output it would take over thirty years to break even assuming the cost of purchased power was constant.
On the other hand, if I took that same $12,000 and invested it at 2% for thirty years, compounded annually, it would return $21,736.34.
Quite honestly, the photo voltaic is a rather poor investment.
Usage of WHAT? What does "10k to 12k" mean? Are you trying to say that you use between 10,000 to 12,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year? I would find that rather difficult to believe.
I live alone in a 1,550 square foot house. My AVERAGE DAILY electrical consumption is between 10 and 12 kilowatt hours and I am considered by most to be a fairly lower consumer of electric power. If I were billed on a monthly basis (my billing is every other month) I would be paying about 25 to 30 dollars or on a yearly basis between $300 and $360 a year for electricity.
A 10,000 watt (nominal) photo voltaic panel array with the requisite inverter, switching and net metering would probably cost in the neighborhood of $12,000 or more not considering any possible tax breaks. That would mean that not considering any maintenance on the equipment AND that it operated at full output it would take over thirty years to break even assuming the cost of purchased power was constant.
On the other hand, if I took that same $12,000 and invested it at 2% for thirty years, compounded annually, it would return $21,736.34.
Quite honestly, the photo voltaic is a rather poor investment.