My Solar Panel Power Project

MotorSeven · Jan 17, 2012

Rob-D said:
Here's some info on solsr panels for those who don't believe they are viable:e

The good news on solar power

Myth #1: Solar power cannot contribute significantly to the nation's electrical needs. Solar panels can help meet electricity demand on any scale, from a single home to a large city. For example, the solar energy that shines down on a 100-by-100-mile area of Nevada could supply the U.S. with all of its electricity. If these solar panels were distributed to the 50 states, each state would need to devote an area of about 17 by 17 miles to solar panels. The U.S. could also get enough land by using rooftops and vacant land. In fact, putting solar panels on the estimated 5 million acres of abandoned industrial sites in U.S. cites could supply 90% of America's current electricity needs.

Myth #2: Manufacturing solar panels creates pollution and uses more energy than the panels can generate over their lifetimes. Most solar panels pay back the energy used to make them in about one year. And with the panels generally lasting 30 years, they producing free and clean electricity for 29 of those years.

Solar-panel manufacturing is regulated by safety and pollution control standards, and it does create unwanted byproducts. But for each kilowatt generated by solar power rather than fossil fuels, the Earth avoids 9 kg of sulfuric oxide, 16 kg of nitrous oxide, and between 600 and 2,300 kg of carbon dioxide each year.

Myth #3: Solar power is unreliable and generates substandard electricity. Solar panels are reliable because they have no moving parts and have been tested by public and private organizations. Many solar panels have been tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories, just like electrical appliances. Warranties of 25 years are standard on most solar panels.

Solar panels connected to the utility grid generate the same power as that from power lines. Panels today are configured to meet the requirements of the National Electrical Code and the local utility and building codes. Once panels are installed according to these requirements, the owner receives electricity of the same quality as any other utility customer.

Rob

I have said this before, but could y'all imagine how different this country would be with at least one solar panel on every roof? Talk about creating jobs and making our grid self sustaining.....what a silly pipe dream eh?

sseelhoff · Jan 18, 2012

MotorSeven said:
I have said this before, but could y'all imagine how different this country would be with at least one solar panel on every roof? Talk about creating jobs and making our grid self sustaining.....what a silly pipe dream eh?

I've been researching solar for the new house we plan to build. Seems like Solar and Wind work better on a small scale, i.e. individual houses, than large scale, i.e. large scale generation. I can certainly see the effectiveness of adding alternate energy generation to the new house-especially as utility costs escalate.

guardianii · Jun 16, 2015

I have been looking to go off grid for 40 years now. The problem... the cost. Would you do this project again?

Redneck in training · Jun 16, 2015

guardianii said:
I have been looking to go off grid for 40 years now. The problem... the cost. Would you do this project again?

This thread is three years old. Things changed since then. The hardware is cheaper now but to go off grid is still expensive to do. It makes sense only if the power grid connection is cost prohibitive.
Why would you want to go off grid? If you get net metering and take advantage of tax rebate (it might expire at the end of his year) the ROI is reasonably short. If you are able install it DIY then the ROI is only few years.

Gitche Gumee Kid · Jun 19, 2015

Solar Renewable Energy Project July 2010 Slideshow by GitcheGumeeKid | Photobucket

There are 19 pics. Be sure they all show ( some times the slide show metric skips)
I know I'll never get a ROI in my life time but with the way the country's going I don't care. I'm grid tied with a Hybrid inverter.

GGK

dave1949 · Jun 19, 2015

Gitche Gumee Kid said:
Solar Renewable Energy Project July 2010 Slideshow by GitcheGumeeKid | Photobucket

There are 19 pics. Be sure they all show ( some times the slide show metric skips)
I know I'll never get a ROI in my life time but with the way the country's going I don't care. I'm grid tied with a Hybrid inverter.

GGK

Nice! Was the high pole mount to avoid shading, or getting closer to the sun?

Gitche Gumee Kid · Jun 19, 2015

dave1949 said:
Nice! Was the high pole mount to avoid shading, or getting closer to the sun?

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dave ,I actually had two reasons. The main one was to overcome a shading problem and the other was to put up some political yard signs.

GGK