Staying up with all the changes in the solar energy field is tough. This weekend I was reading an article that was somewhat critical of the city of Houston Texas for not have subsidies in place.
It appears most want massive tax subsidies to jump start the solar industry in order to get more panels installed on homes.
It’s not a bad idea, yet still how many home owners will install them even with the subsides? Very few people today can afford the $10,000 or so after these subsidies have kicked in. Then no one even mentions the maintenance costs associated with keeping the solar panels performing at their peak efficiency.
It looks like the Texas legislature is working on a bill that would raise electric rates to pay for the $500 million it wants to give out in rebates over the next 5 years.
Are There Better Solutions To Solar Power Installations
I believe there is, solutions that address many of the issues associated with getting more systems up and running. The solution is renting solar systems, this does not set will with many of the small business that make a living off of selling and installing solar energy systems.
Rarely if ever do they talk about the upkeep and maintenance required, sure they will tell you how long the panels are supposed to last! Having spent 27 years repairing electrical and electronic systems, I know your going to need periodic check-ups and replacement of parts.
This up-keep of the systems installed could add 10′s of thousands to the overall cost of a system over the life span of the solar system installed on your home. To me it makes more sense to rent these units!
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In regards to the above comment ” Having 27 years experience I know you’re going to need periodic … ” Oh really, well I’m 52 years old and although I would never claim any mechanical mechanism will never fail. I need to ask you when the last time was that yours failed? When did you have to call out an electrician to repair your utility service system? I surely never heard of such failures. So what makes PV arrays any different then what you already have in place other than the burning of fossil fuels creating huge amounts of carbon within our atmosphere? I simply do not see your point. So help me to understand why you seem to know what most of us don’t?
Apparently once again we have another claim being made by someone with little to no knowledge of the subject. I even question the fact that you’re an electrician to start with. If you were I don’t think you would make such claims. Panel life 30 plus years, some are already over 20 years old and still do very well and they aren’t near the products we have available today …next… inverters, good for 10 years @ 100% warranty like most electrical components of their type, let’s see wire, wire lugs, breakers, junction boxes, conduit…and of course batteries if you have a backup system or you re off grid 100%, again about 6 – 10 years on many of the new glass filed deep cycle 12-24 volt batteries…So let’s see batteries and inverters may need to be replaced within the first 6-12 years…and the system will save you over a 100K on most medium sized PV arrays ( residential ) between 20 to 30 years… So how do you figure an average 50K plus savings is a bad thing? And this is a given not a suggestion or estimation..it’s a known fact at this point. It Could be much more but surely not less…. on a 30 year term evaluation! Set your power consumption rates at a minimum go GREEN and save the planet and your money! An average system is pretty much what you’re already paying now, so where’s the confusion coming from here? You’re telling me that if you were offered a deal with your bank that would save you 100K you would not take it? Well each to their own, I’ll take it… Go Green today opt out of future utility price increases.
It’s a no brainer….. 30% federal tax break, $3,500. In most states that you can carry over for ten years if needed with low to zero interest loans available…. Go Green…..today!
Interesting comments, from someone who does not leave a real name. Yes, you did not get the meaning of the post at all. There our companies out there today that really do have a much better model of bringing solar power to the masses.
The real issue is tax breaks have been there for decades, yet alternative energy has never taken off. It’s really easy to figure out if you follow the money trail.
The government does not want you generating free energy. They cannot give up their addiction to oil revenue. Until they figure out how to charge you for it.