Thread: Really bad science

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We are going to build so many windlills for electric power to help combat global warming that the reduction in air temperature downwind of the windmill farms will creat another ice age!!!!!

Hey have you guys heard about leasing solar cells?
A friend from CT came this week. He's putting in a 9KW system. No cost for the install. It will provide 92% of his electrical needs right now. His total cost is zero. He locks in with a monthly payment of 148.00 a month for the next 15 years. As energy prices increase his stays the same. At the end of the lease he can choose to have the panels removed, or extend for five more years for 28 dollars a month lease! I guess everybody wins on this deal. You get fixed rate electricity, green renewable energy, the install company gets the state and fed. rebates, the lease company makes some cash on the l;ong term investment, and your price actually goes down after the 15 years are over. So far I think CT, CA, Colorado and New Jersey are offering similar programs.
I wonder if the biofuel guys are looking at the amount of vegetable oil, tranny fluid, machine oil and oil change oil recycling that is going on in the biofuel department? If I ran a farm or used a diesel engine for work I'd consider making biodiesel as show on truck tv show, it's pretty easy! There always seems pros and cons to everything!

Stovens, Interesting information about your friends system. I am curious if you have a link to and further information on this program.

I had a Home in Redding California for awhile. It was 16 miles from the nearest power Line. The Power Co. said they would bring me power if I paid the standered rate. The rate was $13.82 a foot from the closest power line. You do the math, that was not an option!! So I went with a stand alone Solar system good for seven days with no sunlight, or at least that was the way it was supposed to work. It used solar Voltic panels with a battery system for storage and I did have a generator for back-up, So I do have some amount of knowledge on solar voltiac systems. Your friends system at 9kw is something on the small side of a medium system. There is simple NO way that this system in CT will ever provide him 92% of his energy. He will be damn lucky to get 42% maybe and that is optimistic. The biggest user of electricity in any home is refrigeration and today a really good refrigerator use's somewhere in the area of 1800 to 2000 watts per hour when running. So his system is going to be taxed in an area where there is a lot of sun. I'm pretty sure that CT is not one of those places.

Also with solar panels costing on a average of $3.00 a watt your friends 9kw system would have a cost of $27,000 dollars. his total outlay over the 15 years at $148 a mo would be $26,720. Thats pretty good, but the very best panels made today have a full power life of somewhere around 8 to 15 years after that they lose about 30% of there output a year so they do have a diminishing power output. But this is a good deal.

So with the power Co willing to provide the system and If I am understanding the program the will do so for a monthly payment of $148.00 and that would also include his electric, I want me some of that. Any information would be great.

RS

Originally Posted by Hombre259

Stovens, Interesting information about your friends system. I am curious if you have a link to and further information on this program.

I had a Home in Redding California for awhile. It was 16 miles from the nearest power Line. The Power Co. said they would bring me power if I paid the standered rate. The rate was $13.82 a foot from the closest power line. You do the math, that was not an option!! So I went with a stand alone Solar system good for seven days with no sunlight, or at least that was the way it was supposed to work. It used solar Voltic panels with a battery system for storage and I did have a generator for back-up, So I do have some amount of knowledge on solar voltiac systems. Your friends system at 9kw is something on the small side of a medium system. There is simple NO way that this system in CT will ever provide him 92% of his energy. He will be damn lucky to get 42% maybe and that is optimistic. The biggest user of electricity in any home is refrigeration and today a really good refrigerator use's somewhere in the area of 1800 to 2000 watts per hour when running. So his system is going to be taxed in an area where there is a lot of sun. I'm pretty sure that CT is not one of those places.

Also with solar panels costing on a average of $3.00 a watt your friends 9kw system would have a cost of $27,000 dollars. his total outlay over the 15 years at $148 a mo would be $26,720. Thats pretty good, but the very best panels made today have a full power life of somewhere around 8 to 15 years after that they lose about 30% of there output a year so they do have a diminishing power output. But this is a good deal.

So with the power Co willing to provide the system and If I am understanding the program the will do so for a monthly payment of $148.00 and that would also include his electric, I want me some of that. Any information would be great.

RS

The CT deal is better than the CA deals availible,but there are several companies with different options out there.
One company I found here is Solar City at http://www.solarcity.com/
Another option is thru Akeena at http://akeena.net/cm/Solar%20Power%20Seminars/Home.html
There seems to be quite a few upstart companies starting now. I'd call a local installer and ask them, since the way I understand it they get the contracts to insstall the lease systems. It may not work for you, but for me I will attend a seminar and decide for myself. Seems to be a no brainer, unless power bills go down in the future!

Hombre
When I talked with Rob, he said they averaged out there kilowatt usage over the last three years, before meeting up with the solar lease people. He was originally looking at a 5 KW system, but the guy said why not meet almost all of your electrical needs. So they priced a system that should meet roughly 92% of their needs. From what I understand, it rolls your meter back while producing energy, and then spins foward while not. No batteries, no storage. Energy goes up the line to power company, and rolls meter back. In the winter I'm not sure if they get credits toward their bill for when they produce more than they need. Here in California, I'm pretty sure the power company won't pay for extra, but you only pay for net meter usage.
Seems like a great way to get into solar without the huge up front cash outlay. Redding by the way should give you lots of juice in the summer!

Originally Posted by stovens

.....I guess everybody wins on this deal. ......!

Everybody that is except those who pay taxes that go to subsidize these programs and the product producers. They get to pay for someone else's living expenses. Did he default on his mortgage too?......gee, then those of us who sacrificed all those years so we could have our mortgages paid up by the time we retire, now can pay for those who spent freely and irresponsibly. When are otherwise intelligent people going to figure out there's ALWAYS a cost to these "good deals", and it ain't cheap!

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Everybody that is except those who pay taxes that go to subsidize these programs and the product producers. They get to pay for someone else's living expenses. Did he default on his mortgage too?......gee, then those of us who sacrificed all those years so we could have our mortgages paid up by the time we retire, now can pay for those who spent freely and irresponsibly. When are otherwise intelligent people going to figure out there's ALWAYS a cost to these "good deals", and it ain't cheap!

Pretty mean spirited responses Bob.

Sorry Steve, not everyone can be manipulated by gratuitous guilting.

Originally Posted by stovens

Now again I open the door for more belittling comments...........

Originally Posted by stovens

Pretty mean spirited responses Bob.

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