PV Gap

Annette Said:

What are all of the benifits and risks of using solar energy?

We Answered:

Hey Bubbly, the benefits and risks are numerous, and different for all people depending on their location and lifestyle. Let me start by clearing a little air. We have been powering our home for 10 years now with wind and sun. We did not mortgage the bank for it, our home typically used $30 - 40 per month in electricity before hand, it was fairly efficient. It took around $13,500 for all the equipment and the amount I paid for a professional to put up the tower and help install some equipment. That includes all the converters, inverters, controllers and misc. stuff to make it work. Since then, our electric bill has averaged around $4 a month. Last year, there were two power failures in our county, each lasting about a day. In both cases, we were not aware of them, it's difficult to put a price on that. I would guess that our system will not ever make us any real money, but it's like growing you own tomatoes. It's cheaper to buy them at the store, yet many people go to the trouble and expense of gardening. We just grow electrons in our garden.

If you really want good information, there are lots of sources to look into, I will list some below. I wouldn't bother getting advice from hacks like us online, the business is too much of a hot button industry right now, especially with climategate and other arguments like it. So you end up with people that have never used a solar panel or wind turbine making statements like some other answers I've read recently getting all the press. Do your due diligence, spend time researching the subject from several sources, then make your own decisions. In the end, you might decide not to get involved at all, and that's fine, at least you will be well informed.

The best all around publication on this subject is probably Home Power Magazine, a bi-monthly periodical that gets into all the nuts and bolts of making your own energy. Many of the other sources below can be found at your library, or online, and are non profit groups that track these technologies. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo