Solar Power

**Sport** · 04-18-2007, 04:11 PM

I got solar power for my house. I'm very happy with it. Just got it up on Saturday, so I don't know how low my bills will be, but even though it's been cloudy since, my meter has been running backwards all day long. Most summer months my bill should be $0 or a credit, then the winter months it should eat into that credit or be low.

**dragonfly** · 04-18-2007, 04:20 PM

Congrats. I hope it goes well for you. If I could afford it, I would do it too.

**Sport** · 04-18-2007, 04:23 PM

For me, it should pay for it's self in 8 to 10 years. It also gets a mindset of electrical conservation. The goal is no bill, so every little bit counts. When you are paying $125-$150 a month, what is one light more or less. Now I'm constantly watching where all the watts are going.

**nsmith1957** · 04-18-2007, 06:22 PM

If you don't mind saying, what did an array that size cost?

**Barry Digman** · 04-18-2007, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Sport

I got solar power for my house. I'm very happy with it. Just got it up on Saturday, so I don't know how low my bills will be, but even though it's been cloudy since, my meter has been running backwards all day long. Most summer months my bill should be $0 or a credit, then the winter months it should eat into that credit or be low.

Details. We need details. Manufacturer, output, costs, savings, maintenance requirements, etc.

**Focus on Bees** · 04-18-2007, 08:37 PM

I'm jealous. Looks great, I'd like to do that within the next couple of years. Need more details..

**Wayne Smith** · 04-18-2007, 10:10 PM

I second the request for more details including what rebates etc. you got and the anticipated kwh output per year. Looks great, what kind of inverter did you get?

**Chrissy Shaw** · 04-18-2007, 10:18 PM

I love mine. Two panels, 128 watt, one 80 watt run my lights on all but the cloudiest days. The larger panel is in a bear fenced bee yard right behind the house. For a thief to get it they mus enter the first fence, pass the two dogs, surmount the fencer and wire and lift fifty pounds of glass off a pipe while on a ladder, all the while avoiding the two story colony next to it.

Chrissy

**kenpkr** · 04-18-2007, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by CSShaw

For a thief to get it they mus enter the first fence, pass the two dogs, surmount the fencer and wire and lift fifty pounds of glass off a pipe while on a ladder, all the while avoiding the two story colony next to it.

Chrissy

Sounds like a pretty costly solar outfit (from the potential burglar's standpoint)

It's what I'd call multiple deterrents!

**zknife** · 04-19-2007, 07:53 AM

Very Nice. I would love to do that someday.

JC · 04-19-2007, 08:36 AM

Does your system use batteries with 12volts., 24 volts, or 48 volts? On the other hand, is your system high voltage (400 - 600 volts) with no batteries?

**Sport** · 04-19-2007, 08:54 AM

It's a 5 kw system and I had it professionally installed. It has 28 panels each one is 180 watts. I could have saved some money if I did the installation myself, but the installer also did a 200 amp upgrade at the same time, he did all the paperwork, and he gets the rebate, so that much isn't out of my pocket. The whole thing cost 38k before rebates and everything. It's the rebates that make a big difference. The rebate that the local power company is giving is 3.75 per watt. That makes a total rebate of nearly 19k, so I just had to pay 19k. NY gives a 5k tax credit and fed gives a 2k tax credit, so the whole thing is going to cost me 12k after I get my tax money back next year.

The manufacturer is Evergreen Solar, located in MA. The inverter is a Sunny Boy 6000 watt, so if I wanted to add some panels at some point I wouldn't need to get a new inverter. There is no maintenance because there are no batteries. I'm not off the grid. If I did that, then I wouldn't be eligible for the rebates. During the day the meter spins backwards and at night it goes forward.

Electricity here is very expensive. I pay about 18 cents per kWh. That's including the fuel surcharge that they tacked on a few years ago. Now they call it a distribution charge. All in all, if the utility company doesn't raise the rates, it will pay for itself in about 8 to 10 years. If they do raise their rates it will be even faster, and they always raise the rates

**bluegrass** · 04-19-2007, 01:07 PM

I was going to say it would have cost him more than that house if it were not on long island

12k is not bad....and I love the energy buyback laws....I have a friend in Vermont who was solar and wind running his house....I think that cost him close to 25k self installed.

**Chrissy Shaw** · 04-19-2007, 08:50 PM

So i did that with the panels, but look at these others, all up in them kilowatts and here i am with a silly five batteries, $100 controler and one of those yellow inverters. Oh well, it sure beats the candles of the first winter, but no one lined up to steal my candles.

Chrissy

**wayacoyote** · 04-22-2007, 04:46 AM

So what would be the bare minimum to get started with if someone was on-grid and simply wanted to wade into the water and get a system started (focused more the "rolling back" meter type system)?
Waya

**bluegrass** · 04-22-2007, 05:15 AM

WAYA
The buy back law goes state by state.....unfortunately Kentucky being as slow as it is and with all this coal power has no reason to have a buy back law

I have been looking into it for two years and have yet to find any intrest in getting one. There are only a handful of states with the laws and inclued California, Colorodo, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Mass, and two or three others that I am forgetting? Some cities also have the laws.
Until we get a law here there is no point in buying a system....a few years after you do the law will pass and you will not qualify for all the rebates....I sit here and wait.....it will come. I am pretty sure Alabama doesn't have it yet either.

**Focus on Bees** · 04-22-2007, 11:11 AM

I just emailed them, hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

Thanks Sport !!

**Hobie** · 04-23-2007, 06:43 AM

That's awesome! I'd love to do that, except, thank you Lake Erie, it is cloudy here 90% of the time. I've been thinking about installing wind power, put PA, in their infinite wisdom, is only offering tax credits on solar, and my budget isn't quite there to finance it myself yet.

**bluegrass** · 04-23-2007, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Hobie

That's awesome! I'd love to do that, except, thank you Lake Erie, it is cloudy here 90% of the time. I've been thinking about installing wind power, put PA, in their infinite wisdom, is only offering tax credits on solar, and my budget isn't quite there to finance it myself yet.

The income tax credits expire this year, wonder if they will be renewed?

**drobbins** · 04-25-2007, 06:18 PM

an interesting thought about solar
photo-electric panels are somewhere in the neighborhood of 15% efficient
solar hot water heaters are much higher, I think as high as 80%
I heat my house with hot water and have been thinking a solar water array makes sense
of course it does no good in summer (other than shade the roof)
it all depends on what you want to get out of it, electric power or heat, but it's something to think about

Dave