[Milsurplus] OT: Solar Panels

[J. Forster]

And you didn't include the solar panel cost.

I've looked at solar also. My average power consumption is roughly 1 KW.
There is no way I can make it pay because the initial costs are just too
high.

Remember, the sun is only out part of the day, some days a year, and there
is always the geometry issue, unless you actively orient the panels. At a
guess, you'd need a peak capacity of 5x to 10x your average to make it
work out.

IMO, the only way solar pays is if it is heavily supported by tax
incentives...  other peoples money.

Furthermore, I suspect that the life cycle costs (battery and solar cells)
are systematically underestimated. I know they are for solar hot water
units.

FWIW,

-J0hn

================


> Probably considered OT, but I trust this group's good sense.
> Please reply off-list (unless a lot of people say they
> want to see the thread :)
>
> One of the more effective ways of using solar panels
> to help with your bill is to connect them through
> a "grid synchronizing" or "grid tie" inverter.
> These create a pure sine wave at a slightly higher
> voltage than the line, so that they actually feed power
> back to the grid.
> They used to cost like $2000, but the Chinese have
> gotten into the act and moved that decimal place
> to the left; you can get one for less then $200 now.
>
> I need some smart people to tell me
> if I have this right:
>
> I have 400 watts worth of solar panels.
> I feed these to a grid-tie inverter.
> Fudging for losses, let's say I can deliver 350 watts
> to the grid for about 14 hours a day (in the summer).
> That's 4.9 kWh a day.  Times 30 days is 147 kWh.
> My electric rate is 12.6 cents per kWh.
> That's $18.52 a month discounted to my bill,
> best case.  Average it out over the year for
> low-output days and let's call it $12 a month.
> That's $144 a year.  Payback time on that
> small system would be long.
>
> Hardly seems worth the trouble.
>
> 73 Dave S.
>
>
>
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