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Momgonepostal

(2,871 posts)
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:12 AM Apr 2013

Does anyone here have a solar energy system?

(Repost from the Lounge and Frugal Living)

We just had a solar sales guy leave, after a very aggressive pitch. It sounded like it could be a good thing, but I know NO ONE who has done this. There's a cool federal tax credit out there now that would pay back 30 percent, plus another smaller, rebate from the local utility company. Any experiences, good or bad with this? We're in Central CA, so we have a lot of sun, and use the AC a lot during the summer.

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Does anyone here have a solar energy system? (Original Post) Momgonepostal Apr 2013 OP
PM Javaman. nt wtmusic Apr 2013 #1
This message was self-deleted by its author rightsideout Apr 2013 #2
Is there a reason the array isn't uniform on your roof? OnlinePoker Apr 2013 #10
We had to have a slightly different layout done because of some vent stacks SeattleVet Apr 2013 #11
I did it without a sales pitch. defacto7 Apr 2013 #3
My town has one RobertEarl Apr 2013 #4
Have had my system for over 10 roody Apr 2013 #5
What is a swamp cooler? longship Apr 2013 #6
Evaporative cooler. Straw or some such material is kept wet eridani Apr 2013 #7
Oh oh. I did forget to empty roody Apr 2013 #8
Hey, I have them. PM me. :) nt Javaman Apr 2013 #9
Thirty years ago customerserviceguy Apr 2013 #12
I have a solar pool heater phantom power Apr 2013 #13

Response to Momgonepostal (Original post)

OnlinePoker

(5,702 posts)
10. Is there a reason the array isn't uniform on your roof?
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 12:14 PM
Apr 2013

Last edited Tue Apr 23, 2013, 04:57 PM - Edit history (1)

It kind of looks like different blocks of panels so I was wondering if some of them were installed at different times (I'm thinking primarily of the ones on the right hand side). Do you notice a reduction of heating needs in the summer from the sun not beating down directly on the roof or would that just be negated by ceiling insulation in the attic? What was the total cost of the system and when do you foresee payback for this cost? What part of the country is this in?

SeattleVet

(5,468 posts)
11. We had to have a slightly different layout done because of some vent stacks
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 04:19 PM
Apr 2013

and other rooftop things. I'm guessing that's what's going on here too.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
3. I did it without a sales pitch.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:22 AM
Apr 2013

Did it myself. If you like DIY it's doable. If you want the business approach it works too though it has a longer payoff/depreciation time.

Solar is great! I've never had a second thought about it.

 

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts)
4. My town has one
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:30 AM
Apr 2013

It is producing on average about 125 dollars a month savings. Not well situated tho.

Solar works and it works better when it is well situated. And given that grid electricity prices are doing nothing but go up, now is the time to get in on the market.

roody

(10,849 posts)
5. Have had my system for over 10
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:32 AM
Apr 2013

years in N Cal. Love it. I pay very little for electricity, but don't use AC, swamp cooler here. I only have 9 panels.

longship

(40,416 posts)
6. What is a swamp cooler?
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:37 AM
Apr 2013

And what do you do about the eels???
(Just kidding, I just like the humor of having a swamp cooler with eel problems.)


eridani

(51,907 posts)
7. Evaporative cooler. Straw or some such material is kept wet
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 05:36 AM
Apr 2013

A fan blows cool air resulting from evaporation. This will only work in comparatively dry climates, though.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
12. Thirty years ago
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 08:28 PM
Apr 2013

I had a solar hot water heater. Got a loan from my utility, and a grant from the Bonneville Power Administration (for sending in a postcard a month with statistics off of a monitoring device) that paid for the whole thing. Also, got a 40% Carter energy tax credit for the whole thing, even the part paid for by the Federal grant.

And this was in Washington state, and I'm talking the "wet" side. We had cloudy weather for a large part of the time, and the thing provided zero benefit from about mid-October to mid-April. But in the summers, hoo boy, there was so much hot water, that I was glad they installed a mixing valve to add cold water to the hot water line, so that the temp wouldn't get above 120 degrees (didn't want the kids to scald themselves with boiling water). It worked very well, and the only thing that went wrong with it was that it was attached to the house that the ex got in the divorce. Oh, well.

Durability? Well, of course, I haven't set foot in that house in over twenty years, but Google Earth still shows the panels on the roof, which I figure probably has been replaced already. The builder used some really cheap materials, it wouldn't surprise me if the composition shingles needed replacing, and if the solar water heater was toast, it would have been removed by now.

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