PV Gap

Herbert Said:

i am searching for solar home power plant and its costing in india which is suitable to run all home equipment?

We Answered:

that is not a hit project i.e., it is not that useful and handy
government is giving subsidiary
try to collect details from government sites or search google
long back i tried but found it was not handy

Dawn Said:

Why are so little people getting solar power for their homes in Australia?

We Answered:

The main issue is the cost of solar panels. I think one needs to reside in your house for over 20 years before you start making money on solar panels (well pay them off).

The other main issue is that government subsidises coal powered electricity (hence why our electricity rates are so little). The government invest millions of dollars every year into the coal industry and research (and then further subsidise the cost of electricity to users).

Maybe if we had to really had to pay the 'real' price of coal powered electricity we would be more willing to swap to solar energy.

There is already the technology for every house in Australia to run on solar panel alone (if the industry became bigger the prices would fall and the efficiency of the panels would increase).

Lastly, I found it funny that the government removed the rebate for households earning over $100,000. How many households earning under $100,000 are going to be able to afford solar panels (and I am sure they would put essentials before solar panels). I personally thought the government should have kept the rebates and introduced fines for households earning over $XX that didn't have solar panels (get the rich to increase demand thus decrease price so that the poorer can afford then).

Lee Said:

whats the pros and cons for a family of 5 making the new home solar power?

We Answered:

Hey Hotmumma, I applaud you for looking into solar power. In my experience, when you look into solar power, the one thing there is an abundance of is misinformation.

We live in a home that has been powered by the wind and sun for 10 years now. Our solar array fits quite nicely on the space provided by our one car carport, it generates 1.4 kilowatts during peak sun, and does not need thousands of square feet of space. Our entire system, including the wind turbine, battery bank and other electronics costs less than $15,000 USD. After state incentives, tax deductions and the small amount we receive selling carbon credits to industry, our cost is just under $10,000. We do have a small, efficient home, just under 1,200 square feet, but the point is clear, you don't need to mortgage your sisters second home to pay for it. We still have the utility company here, but our monthly bills average about $6. I would estimate our payback at 10 to 12 years, but that is not the main reason we did all of this.

Last year, there were two power failures in our county, each lasting about half a day. In both cases, we were not aware of them. It's difficult to put a price tag on something like that. There is also the fact that when we do a load of laundry, or run the TV, we are not adding CO2 to the air and mercury to the water because our power is not sourced from a coal power plant. In a few years,we plan on replacing one of our cars with a plug in hybrid, which will charge from our solar array once we add a few more panels to it, at a cost of about $1,000. This will allow us to have transportation in town with virtually no environmental footprint, or any need to buy gasoline.

Beyond our own personal benefits, having a solar powered home has made us the defacto expert on the field in our town. To that end, we started running solar power seminars at our local school several years ago. We spend an hour or so with the 5th graders in school, hooking up a panel, battery, and some small loads so they can learn how it works. Then they run a field trip out to our place to see a working solar powered home first hand. Our hope is that in several more years, they will grow up to persue the same thing you are today.

Powering your home from solar power requires more than mere technology however, it requires some lifestyle changes. People who grow their own tomatoes know a great deal about soil, watering, bugs and sunlight because they have to. Even though it might be cheaper to buy them at the store, they go to the trouble to maintain a garden. People who grow their own electrons instead of buying them at the power company have a similar curse. They have to know where each one goes in their home. When you power your home from renewable sources, there is no such thing as an, "Average House," or "Standard Size Panel." Every situation is different. No matter how well you plan your system, or how many contingencies you allow for, there will always be a day where you have a shortage of power. Most solar homeowners I know have a generator for just such a shortage, but they work hard to run it as little as possible. Like I said, it's a lifestyle, and only you can decide if it's right for you. What I would suggest is you do some more research, beyond asking people who have never tried it for advice over the internet. First get a subscription to Home Power Magazine, the only periodical devoted to these things. Then check out some of the non profit groups I have listed below. Learn what you can, try to make it to one of the renewable energy fairs in your area. In the end you might decide not to get involved at all, and that's fine. At least you will be well informed. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo

Troy Said:

What's the best bang for the buck solar home power upgrade?

We Answered:

My neighbor did this here in NY and he spent about $25K to go to solar. He sells back extra power he uses to the electric company. He also got a rebate from the electric company to pay for half of it. So you may have to put out a lot of money but I think he got about 25% refunded to him immediately and then he get some money every month for selling the electricity to the power company.

A super way to go right now because oil will go so high that electric bill will quadriple within 2 years time and so you will be very glad with any solar projects you took on. The sooner the better cause one year from now half the country will want to invest in this!