PV Gap

Barry Said:

How much would it cost to have new insulation, solar panels and water heater?

We Answered:

For the insulation, decide what type you want, then search Home Depot's website for a price.

For a solar hot water heater, if that's what you mean, call up a local Solar Installer. It will be in the neighborhood of $3-5k.

If you mean solar electric panels, Southern California is one of the best places, due to the rebate structure of SoCal Edison, PLUS the new uncapped federal tax credit coming on-line next year. Again, you need to decide how much power you want to put up. After all rebates, it could end up being $4-5 a watt. Again, a local solar installer in your phone book can give you a ballpark figure.

You can also find prices on photovoltaic kits at www.partsonsale.com . They're in the Palm desert, I think, not far from the hypothetical house's location. By the way, if you had just Googled "solar panel prices", that, and a lot of other places, would have come up. It's really not that hard to find.

Lauren Said:

SOLAR Panels?

We Answered:

You are wasteful in your power usage. To use 980 kWh per month in such a small home is just unbelivable. Chage your lights to CFL (a 28 watt cfl is = to a 100 watt bulb) and use space heating and window A/C units. Unplug that tv set when not in use and same for other items. I found that our tv set alone uses amost 12 watts when turned off. You may say that is not much.. Well add in 4 tv sets and a couple of stereos and other items and do it for a years time. lots of waste. Our home is twice the size of yours and we only use on a heavy month about 500 kWh. With 1860 watts in solar power my last months electric bill was 19 dollars and most of that was meter fees.

18K is really about right and not bad. You will get back 2000 dollars if installed before the end of 2008 but it looks like we may be Bushed and they may not extend the tax credits.
Just have to wait for John McCain to get in office and hope he will do something about it. But McCain is running for a 3rd bush term. Hillary is not going to make it in to office an every time Obama gets under pressure he gets so scared he starts stuttering. So he will just get walked on by big oil and big money. So better do it now while you can get something back.

Just to clear something up about the cost.. If you rent power you have nothing in 30 years but if you buy a system you have a system in 30 years.

As far as new lower priced solar modules.. BS!!! Big time
BS!!!

If they can make a 3000 watt solar module for 1 cent they can sell it for the current market price. So it would take a FOOL to drop the prices. So don't waste your time setting on your thumb waiting for this great lower price.

Ask Evergreen Solar if they lowered prices when the used OUR TAX DOLLARS to find a new way to make their panels. Well they found a cheaper way and did it and charge the same as anyone else. But that don't stop them from braging. If they can get your money and don't take it they woudl be fools.. Would you drop your price if people would pay the higher price? Plus someone would by them out and bring the prices back up anyway..