SunTechnics Energy Systems - checked them out?

scesnick · May 15, 2006

( This is why BP have adopted the slogan 'Beyond Petroleum' whereas originally BP was the acronym for 'British Petroleum'. ] )

I learn something new every day !!!

_RaT_ · May 15, 2006

The company realised a decade or so back that fossil fuels are running out and that they had to turn to renewable systems 

They realized there was huge market potential and like any smart business, jumped on it. They still cannot produce enough panels to satisfy the worlds needs.

_RaT_ · May 15, 2006

The company realised a decade or so back that fossil fuels are running out and that they had to turn to renewable systems 

They realized there was huge market potential and like any smart business, jumped on it. They still cannot produce enough panels to satisfy the worlds needs.

Jagmandave · May 15, 2006

I got a quote from them (BP Solar), it was going to be a little over $50K for my 2700 sq ft home - I passed..........

Jagmandave · May 15, 2006

I got a quote from them (BP Solar), it was going to be a little over $50K for my 2700 sq ft home - I passed..........

inveresk · May 15, 2006

Jagmandave,

Even small systems are quite expensive but $50k sounds like a big system.

In the UK I ran a company that designed, supplied and installed renewable energy systems. Last one we were involved with before I sold up a few years back was 9kw peak (which is a big system), part solar, mostly wind, and ran to about $30k US.

Small dc turbines such as the Swift Turbine, with a generating peak of around 1.5 kw watts can be purchased for around $2800. For larger, grid connected systems of 220 volt and around 6kw, installed costs at that time in the UK were from about $20,000.

Prices have come down since then and with a larger market in the USA, systems should be cheaper than in the UK.

inveresk · May 15, 2006

Jagmandave,

Even small systems are quite expensive but $50k sounds like a big system.

In the UK I ran a company that designed, supplied and installed renewable energy systems. Last one we were involved with before I sold up a few years back was 9kw peak (which is a big system), part solar, mostly wind, and ran to about $30k US.

Small dc turbines such as the Swift Turbine, with a generating peak of around 1.5 kw watts can be purchased for around $2800. For larger, grid connected systems of 220 volt and around 6kw, installed costs at that time in the UK were from about $20,000.

Prices have come down since then and with a larger market in the USA, systems should be cheaper than in the UK.

scesnick · May 15, 2006

( ,part solar, mostly wind, and ran to about $30k US.)

Am i hearing you right? a 9KW ( 9,000 watt ) system for $30,000? What would that be in KWH a month? around 1 KW? Is that a complete system? if so that is about $20,000 cheaper than anything i have seen on the web. Where can I find that system?

scesnick · May 15, 2006

( ,part solar, mostly wind, and ran to about $30k US.)

Am i hearing you right? a 9KW ( 9,000 watt ) system for $30,000? What would that be in KWH a month? around 1 KW? Is that a complete system? if so that is about $20,000 cheaper than anything i have seen on the web. Where can I find that system?

inveresk · May 15, 2006

Scesnick, the system was put together in-house.

The design/build contract our group had (I think it was in 1994) was for a low ecological impact house in rural Perthshire and included sheep's wool insulation in the walls and a good deal of recycled stone in the walls. The design also included 15 square metres (150 sq.ft.) of solar thermal panels linked to an underfloor radiant heating system.

The renewable system cost was around £20k installed and at the rate of exchange at that time, converted to around $30k US. The exchange rate now would alter that to $36k US. We had 8kw wind, 1 kw solar, grid intertied, no battery back up.

There are no nett-metering rules in the UK so the client could only get the power company to pay 10% of buy price for surplus energy pushed back into the grid. As I understand it, nett metering rules in the USA would usually mean 25% or better buy back price.