On Feb 13, 6:31*pm, "Ralph Mowery" wrote:
"Robert" wrote in message
....
On Feb 13, 4:16 am, Harry Johnson wrote:
Where I live, we are running out of fossil fuels.
Maybe we should capture free energy from the sun?
Not if it takes more fossil fuel to excavate, refine,
manufacture and distribute a solar panel than the
energy the panel can produce during it's working life.
It is a toy for people who can get government subsidies.
Here's a real world example:
A 25 watt panel costs about $125 . *That is the cost
to produce the panel and get it into the hands of a
homeowner -- i.e. *the selling price, typically.
Use Dallas as a location. *10 cents per *kwh
*and a yearly average of 5.5 hours of "full sun" per day.
OK *$125 *means *1,250,000 watt-hours of electricity
That means * 1,250,000 / (5.5 x 25) *= *9091 days of
* power generation at full panel ability.
That means 9091/365 = * 24.9 years to break even on
cost of generated power, assuming zero maintenance
and zero damage from rain and hail.
An unsustainable scenario.......
And if you figure in the cost of external infrastructure
that's needed --- batteries, wiring, power converter,
installation costs, maintenance on the infrastructure...
..... the business decision is a no-brainer....
Solar is a TOY, *unless there is no other possible
way.......Even a gasoline generator is more
cost-effective...
Here is a real world example of solar power. *I have known *the fellow for
over 30 years and have listened to two short speaches of his . One about 2
years ago and another this week.http://www.kenclifton.com/wordpress/
For his house, he usually has a surplus of power he sends back to the power
grid. * One of his last power bills was showing a negative $ 50. *The power
company will not pay him for the excess powe,but atleast it does not cost
him.
I think he said right now you could get about a 60% tax credit so the cost
is less than half the list price.
He does not put up small 25 watt panels, but 4500 watt panels that are about
16 feet square if I remember right. *Don't remember if they were 17,000 each
or that was the total of what he had before the tax credit.
One point he made was that everything the power company tells you, do the
opposit. *One example is he uses metered power. *That is he pays for power
at the same rate it is bought back at. *There is another way that you buy
power at a higher rate and they pay you less for your power.
He has lots of good points that many over look.
Yes you are about right.
In the UK we are paid for all the power we generate.
The rate is tax free and inflation linked.
The return is about 18% on outlay for me.
The deal you get now is less good but better than leaving money in the
bank at near zero interest rates.