PV Gap

Adrian Said:

Why did Reagan remove the solar panels from the White House?

We Answered:

He stated the solar panels interfered with the 'historical' look of the White House. Plus he didn't want to be caught in a catch-22 while he was promoting oil, oil, more oil... all we need is oil.. oil is the answer... meanwhile having solar panels at home.

Steve Said:

How do you find out Kw/hr usage of your house, Looking into solar panels and would like to know how big to go?

We Answered:

Look at your electric bill and see how many kwh you use a month, they usually give you a year's data. It may vary greatly based on heating and cooling requirements. To determine how big of a solar system you would need, enter the average monthly number into a calculator like this http://www.altestore.com/store/calculato… Remember that most people do not generate 100% of their needs, they just offset a percentage based on their budget.

Before you consider solar, you should look at energy efficiency first. For every $1 you spend on conservation, that's about $4 less you need to spend on solar.

You should also consider solar water heating. About 25% of your energy use is for heating water. Depending on where you are and how many people are in your household, you could provide 75% of your hot water for about $6000. There are tax incentives available that could pay for up to half of that. You could potentially pay for it in 4 - 5 years.