PV Gap

Eddie Said:

Negative information on Solar Power?

We Answered:

I asked a local solar company to give me a quotation on some roof top solar panels. To make a long story short, their bid was $11,000 to install a setup which would make less than 6 kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity on an average day. At the highest electric rate I know, that's worth less than $1.80 per day. If you just treat the panels as an investment, it's a very poor one.

I personally believe that "going green" should have some benefits which are also green - as in the color of money. That is, we should choose ways to "go green" which save energy and (thus) money. I concluded that there were more efficient uses of $11,000 - like buying double pane windows, replacing an inefficient refrigerator, adding insulation to a crawl space, etc.

Casey Said:

Where can I obtain information regarding wind and solar power sources?

We Answered:

Have included a source for books on wind and solar energy.
Some of the more promising books available on this site are:
Designing with Solar Power
Solar Power Building Design
IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) I have this book and it gives a lot of tables dealing with R factors, U factors, lighting requirements, climate zones, HVAC power etc. Applies to both residential and commercial buildings. Your buildings would have to comply with this code anyway so it would be a wise investment

Marcus Said:

Can anyone furnishme with information about how solar power can be used to power household appliances, such as

We Answered:

Check out the website for GAIAM in California...http://www.realgoods.com has complete information on purchasing, sizing, installing solar power. If you want to power household appliances, without a connection to commercial power, you need a battery backup system of the proper capacity to power your appliances for the number of hours per day that you will use them. GAIM sells various books on the subject at a reasonable cost.