12-01-2006, 04:07 AM
That's because $40,000 is an awfully expensive system! What are you running with that? Air conditioners and electric water heaters?
If you just take your electric bill into a solar place and say, "I need this much electricity each month" you aren't going to be able to afford to go solar. Other than the equipment, part of going solar is the attitude. Folks on solar use a lot less electricity.
We use about half or a third of what we used to when we were on the grid. Which means if you calculate payback by the amount of energy you've used while on solar and how much it would cost from the grid it takes even longer for the solar to payback - at least on paper. However if you calculate payback using amount on the bills you were paying while on the grid, then it pays for itself much quicker. Still, $40K is way too much. That would be a sixteen year payback time - although that is using today's electric rates and we aren't even mentioning "peak oil". That would be an entirely other topic.
You can start "going solar" without jumping into it for $40K. Switch over to a gas water heater, dryer and stove. Change all the lightbulbs in your house to compact flourescent bulbs. You don't have to change the fixtures at all. Put all your equipment with "instant on" and other ghost loads on a power strip which can be turned off - and turn them completely off when you aren't using them. When you go out of a room, turn the lights off. Don't just plug stuff into the wall without thinking about how much power it is going to use and if you need it. Yeah, those fountains are pretty, but do you really want to pay money to watch water run over rocks? If you do want to run one, just do it only while you are looking at it.
Read the labels of different electrical appliances. I have three fishtanks and they all use air pumps that pull 15 watts instead of the air pumps which use 200 watts. It is the little stuff like that which can all add up and cost you money EACH MONTH!
We will probably invest the money pretty soon in LED light bulbs. There are now white LED light bulbs which are strong enough to replace your basic 60 watt light bulb and they run on one tenth of the power. They also last a really long time (decades) and will fit any standard light bulb socket. If I could get some by Christmas, I think they'd make great presents but they aren't available on island yet.
After you have gotten your electrical usage down to a miniscule amount, then the solar system you would need to run it would be affordable. Although, if you are only paying a miniscule amount for your electric bill, then you have less reason to go solar.
Oh wellos!
If you just take your electric bill into a solar place and say, "I need this much electricity each month" you aren't going to be able to afford to go solar. Other than the equipment, part of going solar is the attitude. Folks on solar use a lot less electricity.
We use about half or a third of what we used to when we were on the grid. Which means if you calculate payback by the amount of energy you've used while on solar and how much it would cost from the grid it takes even longer for the solar to payback - at least on paper. However if you calculate payback using amount on the bills you were paying while on the grid, then it pays for itself much quicker. Still, $40K is way too much. That would be a sixteen year payback time - although that is using today's electric rates and we aren't even mentioning "peak oil". That would be an entirely other topic.
You can start "going solar" without jumping into it for $40K. Switch over to a gas water heater, dryer and stove. Change all the lightbulbs in your house to compact flourescent bulbs. You don't have to change the fixtures at all. Put all your equipment with "instant on" and other ghost loads on a power strip which can be turned off - and turn them completely off when you aren't using them. When you go out of a room, turn the lights off. Don't just plug stuff into the wall without thinking about how much power it is going to use and if you need it. Yeah, those fountains are pretty, but do you really want to pay money to watch water run over rocks? If you do want to run one, just do it only while you are looking at it.
Read the labels of different electrical appliances. I have three fishtanks and they all use air pumps that pull 15 watts instead of the air pumps which use 200 watts. It is the little stuff like that which can all add up and cost you money EACH MONTH!
We will probably invest the money pretty soon in LED light bulbs. There are now white LED light bulbs which are strong enough to replace your basic 60 watt light bulb and they run on one tenth of the power. They also last a really long time (decades) and will fit any standard light bulb socket. If I could get some by Christmas, I think they'd make great presents but they aren't available on island yet.
After you have gotten your electrical usage down to a miniscule amount, then the solar system you would need to run it would be affordable. Although, if you are only paying a miniscule amount for your electric bill, then you have less reason to go solar.
Oh wellos!
Kurt Wilson