http://www.care2.com/greenliving/going-solar-or-going-for-broke.html
Going Solar or Going for Broke?
Some girls dream of diamonds. I have always dreamt of solar panels. When I was a child in the ’70s, I remember hearing about solar energy and thinking that someday it would be everywhere—a solar energy farm on every roof. What happened?
Last weekend, my husband and I took a field trip to Real Goods in Hopland, an innovator in solar technology, and as we wandered around the grounds checking out all the panels and reading the educational boards (note to self: take nephew there when he gets a little older), I was reminded once again why solar energy is the smartest choice for alternative energies. Why? Because it has no adverse affects on the environment, unlike hydro–which requires water, another precious resource—or wind power (the fickle nature of wind apparently makes it problematic). Feel free to debate me on these points, as I am not an expert on renewable energy and am always looking to learn more, but for now I’m going to be a cheerleader for solar. S-O-L-A-R, go solar!
So why aren’t there panels on top of every house and office building? Because the one problem with solar is that it seems to be out of the average person’s reach financially.
This is not an insignificant problem. I looked it up, and apparently the reason solar panels cost so much is that they are made from silicon crystal, which is grown from pure silicon—an extremely slow and expensive process. Because of gravity and how the crystals are grown it is very hard to grow large flawless (my diamond analogy is seeming more and more relevant, isn’t it) crystals. And the bigger the crystal the harder it is to make it perfectly flawless, a requirement for it to work.
The good news is that EcoGeek reported last summer that price of solar is expected to plummet as these problems are addressed. The article says prices for traditional silicon-based panels should fall from $3.66 per watt (2007 figures) to $2.14 per watt in 2010, and more impressively, thin-film PV should go from $2.96 to $1.81 per watt.
But in the meantime, I decided to do a little research about how much it would cost to outfit my 940-square-foot home with solar panels. I found this handy solar calculator and got to work figuring out what it would take to go solar.
So if I’m using an average of 200 kW of electricity per month and I want to offset 100 percent of that (might as well go all the way), it’s going to cost me about $13,000 to buy and install the solar panels I need. That’s a pretty hefty chunk of change, but I gotta say it’s not as much as I thought it would be. Especially when you take into consideration the 30 percent tax rebate, which is $3,900, plus rebates from PG&E.
Unfortunately, since my house is worth about 20 percent less than what I paid for it four years ago and my husband is one of the millions of people who was downsized last year, it’s still out of reach. Of course my husband’s got all that free time on his hands, maybe I should get him working on these DIY solar panels. Finally, my worst eco-sin—drinking diet soda—could pay off in a way that will help the planet!
But more likely I’ll file away the information and start saving for a sunny day. Who knows, it could even help the resale value of my house. Although, as a wise co-worker who got solar panels put on her house last year said, you don’t do it because it’s a sound financial investment—you do it because it’s the right thing to do.
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add your comment »Go Solar! What about the money you will save on your utility bill? If you were to save 80% each month on your utility bill that would quickly add up! And if you didn't use all the power produced by your solar panels, then your meter would actually go backwards which means a credit on your monthly bill!
MakingEnergy.info
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Go Solar! What about the money you will save on your utility bill? If you were to save 80% each month on your utility bill that would quickly add up! And if you didn't use all the power produced by your solar panels, then your meter would actually go backwards which means a credit on your monthly bill!
MakingEnergy.info
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I think solar power's fantastic and have solar hot water myself. But it looks like wind could be the one to save the world. A recent Stanford study rates it at the top, followed by concentrated solar power (mirrors heating a tower of water):
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16419-top-7-alternative-energies-listed.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
"The US could replace all its cars and trucks with electric cars
powered by wind turbines taking up less than 3 square kilometres – in
theory, at least. That's the conclusion of a detailed study ranking 11
types of non-fossil fuels according to their total ecological
footprint and their benefit to human health.
The study, carried out by Mark Jacobson of the atmosphere and energy
programme at Stanford University, found wind power to be by far the
most desirable source of energy. Biofuels from corn and plant waste
came right at the bottom of the list, along with nuclear power and
"clean" coal."
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2009/january7/videos/407_flash.html
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/EE/article.asp?doi=b809990c
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I too wanted to go solar and convinced my hubby it was the right thing to do...then the boom was lowered...not only was the expense beyond what we could afford, with housing prices plummeting we couldn't even add the cost to our HELOC because that had been frozen along with the financial institution we went through...bummer! Just when everyone finally "gets" it and wants to do the right thing, our houses aren't worth enough to be able to do it. Here's hoping with our new administration and boom in infrastructure promised, we'll be able to do the responsible thing before too long.
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People who are in a position financially that allows them to invest several thousand dollars in something would be wise to consider solar panels for their homes instead of buying bonds. The income from solar power is tax-free, its value does not fluctuate much from year to year, its inflation-adjusted value is really rising, it reliably and effortlessly produces income for decades, and it is something you can see and enjoy every day. It has more energy savings bang for the buck than a Prius. Financial incentives for every state are located at dsireusa.org. A calculator to figure how much electricity you can make at your location is at pvwatts.org. You need a spot on the ground or on your roof that faces somewhere between southeast and southwest with no trees readily visible from that viewpoint. Home solar power systems are tied to the grid so your utility functions as a perfect rechargeable battery. As a solar homeowner I can tell you that making solar power is very satisfying and highly recommended.
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The panels will produce DC voltage. Your house uses and the power company sells AC. If you do not have an array of storage batteries, what happens on cloudy days? Do you simply have no choice but pay for the grid? To be off that grid, batteries are vital. Intuitively, I understand that the hot, dry, sunny Southwestern states are the ideal places for solar power systems. What about the northern states? I need to find a book that focuses on the brass tacks and not the ideals. Can anyone recommend such a resource?
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I remember watching the international channel a while back about a sweet solar "panel". If I recall, it was at Gifu University in Japan and experts found a way to make solar panels in glass & it only looks slightly tinted. I saw some "solar skylight" applications on it, too, as I think some residential neighborhoods near Gifu were trying them out.
I have found nothing on the internet since that show (gosh it was have been over 2 years ago now...); anyone know what I'm talking about? I'm dying to learn more about these glass/transparent solar panels. And I think they're pretty efficient, as well...
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Have you thought about "renting" solar panels? There are some companies that will install the solar panels on your roof and the company will still own the panels - you just sign an agreement to purchase the power supplied by the panels (at a cost that is less than the electricity you're getting from the grid, so it works out for you). It is worth investigating!
Also, the panels do not need to be fed into batteries - they can be fed back into the grid when you're not using the electricity - meaning they're providing green power for someone else and offsetting dirty power. In a place like California, you get paid for feeding that electricity back into the grid. As for their longevity, the cold shouldn't bother them (just glass and metal), although heat can make them less efficient over time - still, solar arrays in Sacramento have been supplying power for 30 years with only a little loss in efficiency.
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I share your long and abiding interest in solar power, and I, too, cannot afford it. I see that the panels will supply a trickle of power, but don't they need to feed into a large, heavy, and toxic array of storage batteries? Batteries, just like car batteries, don't last and will need to be disposed of or dumped and periodically replaced. I confess to not having studied the matter (I can't afford it either way), but it seems to me that few if any people understand the realities of the full solar circuits. What is the life expectancy of the panels themselves? How many harsh winters can they survive? For that matter, how many harsh summers can they survive? If anyone knows of a book or other resource that looks directly at the actual "engineering" dimensions of home solar systems, please let me know.
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