First thing you need to do is get rid of that flexible ductwork.
First thing you need to do is get rid of that flexible ductwork.
We pay an average of $275.00/mo to heat/cool our house (3780sf). 9'0" Ceilings, LoE glass on all windows, R-38 in the attic, R-19 in the walls and R-30 in the crawlspace. Temp is kept at 74 average, solar vent fans in the attic though one attic space needs to be replaced. Exterior lights on timers, deck lights were replaced with LED's, drive will be soon. We just switched to budget billing but peak months in the summer the first year were about $350.00.
We just finished the apartment over the detached garage for my wife's office which I'm sure isn't going to help the bill any.
If anything I'd say the 10 seer heat pumps have as much to do with high bills than anything.
Some good friends of ours did solar on their house. They've had issues with theirs for the last few years and wouldn't do it again.
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
You might take out a dozen before they drag you from your home and skull fuck you to death. Marsh Chicken 6/21/2013
Here's some info on a new Tesla battery I just tripped across. It's apparently being introduced via Solar City solar company in CA.
Thought someone here might be interested in the future...
http://ecowatch.com/2015/05/05/elon-...zergnet_518175
"The San Mateo, California-based solar supplier is the first in line to incorporate Tesla’s new batteries, offering a “turnkey residential solar battery backup system” at a price point that’s more than 60 percent less than previous solar power storage products, SolarCity announced.
SolarCity has already started taking orders for Tesla’s residential batteries and will begin installations in October. According to Bloomberg, customers can prepay $5,000 for a nine-year lease on a 10 kilowatt-hour system. Customers can also buy the entire system for $7,140. The prices reportedly include installation, a maintenance agreement, the electrical inverter and control systems."
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Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue
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"Keep your powder dry, Boys!" ~ George Washington
"If I understood everything I said I'd be a genius." ~ 'Unknown'
Any updates? Hogan how did that deal work out for you?
So my sister recently had a system installed on their house and they very pleased with it. I had the same company come out and do a site survey and followed up with an estimate.
Claim to produce 93% of my power needs. 6 years ROI.
Sounds simple enough but there is more red tape to it than that...at least where I looked.
I would not put solar panels on my roof unless I had a new roof...or if part of their deal is that they will take down and replace your panels for free when it's time for you to get a new roof. And remember, those panels only have a 20 year life span. I can think of other things to do with my $50k
These LG panels claim a 30 plus year life span
My deer camp is off-grid. The closest electric pole is a little over three miles away and the power company wanted $30k to run the line to my property so I have a solar set up.
Cost ~$7k installed. Two 250 watt panels, charge controller, four 400Ah batteries, feeding a 3.5kW inverter. The inverter was 1/2 of the total price. It does enough to run everything I need so far. LED lights, ceiling fans, tv, college fridge, 220 well pump, AC, etc.
Night time is is a balancing act though. Amps are your enemy. I cut the well off during the night to keep it from cycling. Think about what lights I have on, etc.
We use propane for the stove, water heater, and heaters. I also have a 10kW propane generator that I can plug in if needed.
During the day the solar can keep up with the AC (room window units) I've not tested the solar capacity with the AC running all night yet. Plan on doing that this weekend. When in doubt, I'll just cut on the generator.
Gettin old is for pussies! AND MY NEW TRUE people say like Capt. Tom >>>>>>>>>/
"Wow, often imitated but never duplicated. No one can do it like the master. My hat is off to you DRDUCK!"
Not many things exposed to the sun and weather last 30 years.
1986 Fords do....,
Wonder what bad storm with some hail would do to solar panels?
I got a quote last night from Vinint, they are going door to door in the Forest Acres area looking for south facing roofs with a clear view. Said they've already done 100 houses around Columbia since November, and expect to do 1000 more homes in 2016,
Basically it's $40K worth of panels with a 20yr lease....$127/mo for the first year and has the potential to go up 2.9% each year after that.
They showed me the panel layout on my roof, by their calculations I'll cover 80-90% of my electric bill through SCE&G.
I ran the numbers this morning....it's a 17-20% ($375-$450) savings per year for my home once you factor in the payment to Vinint.
Last edited by welltaut; 03-10-2016 at 08:54 AM.
I wouldn't lease crap to have (for more or less) permanently affixed to my roof. Especially not for 17% savings. I'd buy the panels my self for 100% savings.
What happens when you need to replace roof? Does company come out and take them down and reinstall for free?
There are a lot of Federal kickbacks right now and that's why you see a lot of these solar companies coming out of the wood works. They are just chasing the dollar.
Think about when you use the most power - is it at night when you're home, or during the day when the sun is shining? Then check to see how excess power that you produce will be credited back to you. I believe that SCE&G does net metering, which actually makes it better for the customer with solar while shifting some of the burden to the rest of their customers. Don't just trust someone trying to sell you solar panel's calculations. It works out for very few people.
I looked into a company that my MIL suggested. Apparently Glenn Beck told her they were trust worthy and a great company.
They would install the panels for you for free or at least at a low cost. But you had to do a 20 year contract or so with them. They were selling your unused power back to the power company and then charging you for any additional power you used.
But after reading a lot of reviews, the problem is that when you are making excess energy during the day, they are selling that and you are buying from them at night when you are home.
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