Solar panels

My son had solar panels, with micro inverters, installed on his house and loves the system. I think the capacity was 4KW.

 

Our bungalow has solar panels installed before we bought.
Our electricity usage costs about £600 and we get a rebate for supplying the grid of £1700 annually.

 

I have looked at them. They make sense if subsidized. With no subsidy figured in, they dont really make you much money after you figure initial and maintenance cost. A private company put in a huge solar farm about 2 miles from my house. The land owner told one of my neighbors so far they had not had a month in which they covered their cost.

 

In my head I have. I've mulled over several different layouts for our abode as a backup system.

 

around here its like 46K, but get back around 28 K on credits....

 

In Texas, we have an abundance of natural resources to produce energy. Also, our own energy grid that can be isolated from all other states and self sustaining.

So far, in my immediate area, the cost compared to the return on investment is far to negative to be a sound investment.

Oncor doesn’t offer credits or buy back energy added to the grid in our area.

However, if I were young, building a house, I would have:

Ground source heat pump,
Solar panels,
DC lighting,
Rain water cistern for irrigation,
And (in this area) a subterranean storm storage shelter with periscope.
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That way the expense would be at least part os the amortization.

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I think after subsidy, the cost of their 4KW system was about $17,000. They save an average of 150/mo in electrical costs, so the payoff (neglecting interest if financed) is about 10 years. If the design life of the system is also about 10 years (and I do not have any idea how long they really last) then the investment seems a push. On the up side of course, you would have some daytime power (and if the more expensive battery storage is provided) night time power independent of the grid. The Democrats nearly destroyed the private electric companies in California by requiring they buy high and sell low. So the future if the Marxists gain control might argue in favor of solar.

 

Batteries are the big ticket items for the backup system I've imagined, one capable of running a refrigerator/freezer, some lighting, and do some charging.

 

We got solar because our city power costs went up 6 percent every year for the past three years. Love getting that 10 dollar power bill when I have been running my ac all summer.

 

They put a huge field in across from my sister's neighborhood. She then says that her electric bill hasn't gone down.

Well no kidding? You didn't pay for the land or the equipment, why would you think your bill would go down?

 

I've seen some pretty serious battery banks from some acquaintances in Alaska and Colorado. And they still kept propane generators on hand for running equipment.

 

Share the wealth....

 

What size system?

 

Cost too much

 

Im not going into 50,000 debt for solar panels