I had a great idea! Solar panels on my house. They have some great tax incentives, and with the energy savings, that has to be a great plan, right?
I called to get some pricing and to see if my home is a good candidate. I wasn’t sure if it would be since I have many trees. The guy on the phone was a huge help. He asked me some questions about the size of my house and my current energy usage. He seemed surprised when I told him. Apparently I use a lot less than other people with the same size house. Some of that is probably due to my large trees. He pulled up my house on Google maps, and it felt a little big brotherish when he asked if I had a trampoline and described my property perfectly. Turns out I have a spot and am a good candidate.
Sit down. The price for the basic system starts at $23,000.00. I thought maybe he said it wrong. I was thinking $10,000.00 maybe? After tax credits and rebates, my out of pocket would still be over $11,000.00. Ouch. Way more than I can afford. It would also be a while before it paid for itself. Not to mention I will need a new roof in the next few years and it’s $1500.00 to move them and put them back. Double ouch.
I did hear the technology is changing rapidly and these might be more affordable in a few years. Maybe I should get a windmill instead? I haven’t priced those yet. And I don’t have an HOA. If I did, that would require a new blog on how many days before I’m kicked out. :)
Okay – I have a question, is the panels that are so expensive or the installation?
Both? It’s a process. :)
http://www.libertynrg.com/store/
I like this one better: http://sunelec.com
I hope they do become more affordable soon. The bill I hate paying the most is my energy (gas/elec) bill. I’ve been thinking of both solar panels and a windmill for several years but the high cost puts both out of my reach.
I was able to setup a rain barrel system for our front yard. We’ll be adding a larger system next year for the back yard.
As far as buying solar panel parts and installing them myself, that’s out of the question. I have far too many unfinished projects in my garage as it is. lol
Yeah, I thought about the installation thing myself, as I do most stuff around my house myself anyway. Looks a little intimidating. :) My friend that did the research said about 5 years. He’s one of those people that researches everything and reads instruction manuals. LOL My dilemma today is where to purchase an air filter for my AC unit. That’s technically not on my list.
more options;
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/10/inexpensive_diy.php
http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-solar-panel-kit-90599.html
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200328805_200328805
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200441246_200441246
http://www.solarroofs.com/
http://cgi.ebay.com/600W-24v-Wind-Turbine-Hybrid-Solar-Wind-Power-Generator-/250687052157?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wind-Solar-Turbine-Generator-24V-Hybrid-1200W-Max-/170529612232?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0
http://cgi.ebay.com/4KW-GRID-TIED-SOLAR-POWER-SYSTEM-COMPLETE-PACKAGE-/380194130514?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0
I finally had a chance to look at these. The choices are overwhelming! I do plan to revisit this. :)