wrote:
Rod Speed wrote
wrote
Rod Speed wrote
wrote
Rod Speed wrote

It isnt. Largely because the MUCH higher capital cost cant
be justified economically. In spades in France where the
bulk of electrical power comes from nukes which dont even
consume natural resources in the generation of the power.

I neglected to question the cost of energy in France. What is it?

Nothing special, because they have a lot of nuke generators now.

It isn't fair to denigrate the construction costs of solar, and ignore
the construction and infrasturcture costs of a nuclear power plant.

What matters is the cost TO THE INDIVIDUAL.

The individual considering which way to go with hot water
gets no say on what the state chooses to do with nukes.

Nor do I have any input as to whether various rebates and incentives
are the right way for the community at large to go. I can only look
at the impact that the programs have on my situation.

Those are still the cost to the individual.

You sure you're paying 30c for offpeak ?

http://www.pge.com/rates/tariffs/ResTOUCurrent.xls

Like I thought, that 30c is utterly bogus.

The baseline rate is only $0.08. That rate is very stable, but also
is not very much energy per month, varying by the season and location.

Plenty for off peak hot water.

And what matters is the OP's offpeak power rate, not yours or mine.

As always. The local conditions for that person are all that matters.

Yes, and FOR THE OP, ITS HIS ELECTRICITY COST THAT MATTERS.

Not yours or mine.

Solar insolation, utility rates, Tax laws, appraisal patterns, cost of
labor, cost of materials, construction codes, etc. It's hard enough
to make comparisons across different utilities in the same state,
much less the 50 states here, or to a different country.

And I said that FOR THE OP, ITS UNLIKELY TO
BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE TO GO SOLAR.

Mine is completely integrated into the house design,
7 8'x8' patio doors on the north side of the house which
is 100' running East/West. I'm in the southern hemisphere.

I saw a house recently built that looks like all doors on the long side.

Yeah, thats pretty much what mine is at the E and W ends of the
N wall. There's a section in the middle which has normal wall, with
two normal windows in the kitchen area of the two main rooms,
and the N bathroom, but its mostly glass otherwise.

I thought that was for the view.

Mine is that on the S side, that side has a public park.

I hadn't pondered the orientation.

A look at Google Earth makes me think all those
doors are Southwest exposure, but that should be
hot in the summertime, without deciduous tree cover.

Yeah, I have no windows at all on the E and W sides.

6' eaves all down the N side, calculated with the sun angles
to let all the sun in in winter and none in the summer.

That is sorely lacking at my house. Stubby eaves at a steep
angle, so I can't even add additional cover in a pleasing fashion.

Yeah, mine's a flat roof.

I might have a closer look at that house with
no trees. Maybe it has long shallow eves.