daedong
Veteran Member
In Australia there is development of new solar panels that are cheaper to produce.
Sliver CellTM
Sliver CellTM
Solar Panels and a Tractor
- Thread starter Matteo92065
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AntrimMan
Gold Member
Now that is some serious stuff.
If you don't mind I have a few questions...
When you figure 5-6 years payback what do you use for an electric bill factor?
How did you anticipate future electric costs?
If you don't mind me asking, just what was your electric bill before the installation?
Obviously the output is reduced on cloudy or rainy days, do you go to the grid on these days?
How effective are the panels during clear winter days when the angle of incidence becomes less favorable?
How do you heat your water?
I did say I had a few didn't I?
Man that is some nice set-up.
TIA,
Martin
If you don't mind I have a few questions...
When you figure 5-6 years payback what do you use for an electric bill factor?
How did you anticipate future electric costs?
If you don't mind me asking, just what was your electric bill before the installation?
Obviously the output is reduced on cloudy or rainy days, do you go to the grid on these days?
How effective are the panels during clear winter days when the angle of incidence becomes less favorable?
How do you heat your water?
I did say I had a few didn't I?
Man that is some nice set-up.
TIA,
Martin
RichNJKubota
Gold Member
Payback is determined by the amount of electricity the system produces and the amount of money I get for my SRECs. Solar Renewable Energy Credits. NJ requires a certain small percent of a utility's power to come from renewable resources. The utility must buy SRECs (1 SREC = 1000KWH) or pay a $300 fine per SREC to the state. The value of the SREC is market based and changes daily.
My cost for the system was $28k. It produces about $2k of electricity/yr. and $3.2k of SRECs. So $28k/$5.2k per yr = 5.4 yr payback.
Our house is total electric with solar heating integrated into the design of the house. Backup heat during cloudy days is from a wood stove and an electric heating coil. We use more electricity in the winter than we generate but make it up in the summer when our electric usage is lowest but electric generation is greatest.
In NJ we have net metering. That means that what we pay for electricity - the utility company has to pay us the same amount. We are paying $0.12/kwh. So they pay us $0.12/kwh for any power we push back to the grid. The grid is like a big storage battery to us.
Water heater is electric.
In the winter the power output of the system is lower than in summer. That's because of the shorter winter days. The angle of the sun changes but our pole mounted arrays track the sun. They have electronics and motors to move the panels throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. In NJ, trackers generate about 25% more power than fixed mount types of arrays.
When people ask where I got the money for the system I point to my 20yr old car. Instead of car payments I've been sending that check to a savings account. Instead of a new car I got a PV system.
I hope that answers your questions and if it doesn't see our website. There is more info on the PV system there.
www.home.earthlink.net/~haytown
Rich
My cost for the system was $28k. It produces about $2k of electricity/yr. and $3.2k of SRECs. So $28k/$5.2k per yr = 5.4 yr payback.
Our house is total electric with solar heating integrated into the design of the house. Backup heat during cloudy days is from a wood stove and an electric heating coil. We use more electricity in the winter than we generate but make it up in the summer when our electric usage is lowest but electric generation is greatest.
In NJ we have net metering. That means that what we pay for electricity - the utility company has to pay us the same amount. We are paying $0.12/kwh. So they pay us $0.12/kwh for any power we push back to the grid. The grid is like a big storage battery to us.
Water heater is electric.
In the winter the power output of the system is lower than in summer. That's because of the shorter winter days. The angle of the sun changes but our pole mounted arrays track the sun. They have electronics and motors to move the panels throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. In NJ, trackers generate about 25% more power than fixed mount types of arrays.
When people ask where I got the money for the system I point to my 20yr old car. Instead of car payments I've been sending that check to a savings account. Instead of a new car I got a PV system.
I hope that answers your questions and if it doesn't see our website. There is more info on the PV system there.
www.home.earthlink.net/~haytown
Rich
RichNJKubota
Gold Member
Over the years I've seens several articles about some comapnay that has a breakthrough in PV technology. So far I've not seen any of these get to market and I've always wondered what happened. Perhaps this one will see the light of day!
Rich
Rich
have_blue
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In Australia there is development of new solar panels that are cheaper to produce.
Sliver CellTM )</font>
One of the best things about silicon-based solar cells is they last for ~35 years. I didn't find anything on life expectency of the new cells.
Sliver CellTM )</font>
One of the best things about silicon-based solar cells is they last for ~35 years. I didn't find anything on life expectency of the new cells.
SPIKER
Elite Member
I was reading about the roof shingles that are PV cels, and are nailed in place some 3 yrs back. very interesting and the way new homes should be done! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif only wish I could afford the upfront costs... even with the gov grants that 20K upfront for a small system is still 20K more than I want to spend... I could swing it if it was a garenteed grant of 50~75% payback even in 2 yrs ...
MakrM
MakrM
