Electric on islands

[Dr. Green]

I have no vested interest, other than the truth. I believe you are not that well informed about solar energy, or solar panels. If people have a good southern exposure for most of the day, solar energy is a better deal than the power company. Plus, for those who are on the grid - if NHEC customers, you can produce your solar power for yourself AND get paid by NHEC for producing it, even though they don't use any of what you produce. I can't think of a better deal than that.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Dr. Green

I have no vested interest, other than the truth. I believe you are not that well informed about solar energy, or solar panels. If people have a good southern exposure for most of the day, solar energy is a better deal than the power company. Plus, for those who are on the grid - if NHEC customers, you can produce your solar power for yourself AND get paid by NHEC for producing it, even though they don't use any of what you produce. I can't think of a better deal than that.

OK then, post some actual data.

What is the cost (panels, batteries, installation) for a solar power system that can provide 100% off the grid supply for an average home in Massachusetts or New Hampshire? And by this I mean a "normal" home where the consumer doesn't have to dramatically alter their lifestyle to account for appliances and electronics that consume energy when in off/standby mode.

How many watts is this system? How much runtime do you get from the battery bank (for night time, and the days where sunload is very low)? What is the realistic (not best case) maintenance plan for the system over 20 years? What will the system wattage be rated for in 5, 10, 15 and 20 years?

You call me uninformed, and I may be, however every time I research solar power as a direct replacement for grid power the costs don't add up. It always has caveats, where the system isn't reliable enough so you have to keep your utility power "just in case", which erodes the value of the system (and let's face it, if you're doing this for budget purposes there are about 18 days a year that you'll produce ANY excess power to "sell back" to the grid, and that will net you about $20). Or, you have to make adjustments to your lifestyle to reduce energy usage (which is fine, but if you do that, your cost for power from the utility company also decreases).

Right now, solar is pretty much the most expensive option for energy generation, especially in small sites. It is popular only because it is not practical for a home owner to run their own coal or nuclear plant, and because windmills present zoning problems in most places.

[tis]

I have to agree with you brk. Dr. Green was one of the people I spoke at length with and he told me it would not be practical for us to use solar. You get a little bit of electric savings and that is it.