MossRoad
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Why will it be an economic disaster?
Solar - Green?
- Thread starter widefat
- Start date
- Views: 2178
Why will it be an economic disaster?
Jim Nelson
Platinum Member
In 2014 we put in a solar system that was basically free due to a buyout of a stock package my wife had inherited some 40 years earlier. Long story short, we didn't pay attention to what was happening to the account and they closed it for lack of activity and sent the wife a nice check.
After some time of wondering what to do with the money a little investigating showed us that it would pay for a solar system with a 30% rebate rather than paying taxes as regular income if we held on to it.No brainer.
The first year at settle up time the utility co owed us $9.00,break even,just what we wanted so we were happy. The next year it was $200 +/_,the same the next 2 years. This year it was $560,YIKES. Of course there were variable weather conditions, which greatly effect it, but also some gouging by the utility co. who hate roof top solar.
We have saved money every year and since it was "free" it has worked but not what we expected. We could upgrade with additional panels but since we have micro inverters which are gen 4,which have been updated a few times to gen.8?, I'm not sure if we would have to replace all of them to make the system compatible which would add considerable cost. Right now we are going to sit tight a while and see if they ever get the battery systems figured out. Or maybe just wait and let the Grandkids worry about it when we're gone.
cqaigy2
Super Member
North Carolina is putting in loads of solar. Those, used to be, tobacco growers are renting the land and growing a progression of plants, for feed on the land while grazing animals on it. Win win for them.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
There are some solar panel fields in my area and they are ugly. I can't tell what is worse, the panels in the field or the fence that was put up to hide the panels but which does not.
The huge wind generators are worse. We have seen them in Scotland and Ireland and they really f.... up the view. Many countries are Europe are putting up wind generators at sea and producing quite a bit of power. At sea they minimize the destruction of the view but I wonder if there is enough shallow sea bed to produce the amount of power needed. Some of the countries are pushing hard to eliminate use of oil and gas. I don't think it is law/regulation yet, but in Ireland they are talking about all new housing to use electric heat instead of oil. I don't think they use gas from what I could see but I could be wrong. There is a gas/oil field off the east coast of Ireland that would be a huge boon to the economy and the tax man but the greenies want to ban gas/oil production around the island.
There is at least one place where the local government approved a wind mill site to use certain sized generators. The company then put in larger generators and the neighbors were screwed. One of the nearby houses is on a hill and the danged wind mill is all but in their face so to speak. The noise and flickering would be horrible to live near.
Later,
Dan
The huge wind generators are worse. We have seen them in Scotland and Ireland and they really f.... up the view. Many countries are Europe are putting up wind generators at sea and producing quite a bit of power. At sea they minimize the destruction of the view but I wonder if there is enough shallow sea bed to produce the amount of power needed. Some of the countries are pushing hard to eliminate use of oil and gas. I don't think it is law/regulation yet, but in Ireland they are talking about all new housing to use electric heat instead of oil. I don't think they use gas from what I could see but I could be wrong. There is a gas/oil field off the east coast of Ireland that would be a huge boon to the economy and the tax man but the greenies want to ban gas/oil production around the island.
There is at least one place where the local government approved a wind mill site to use certain sized generators. The company then put in larger generators and the neighbors were screwed. One of the nearby houses is on a hill and the danged wind mill is all but in their face so to speak. The noise and flickering would be horrible to live near.
Later,
Dan