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The Water Cooler
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Are solar panels worth the investment?
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<blockquote data-quote="Kenneth Braud" data-source="post: 3623597" data-attributes="member: 46858"><p>They won't run your AC in the case of a power outage in summer. A portable generator will as well as other essentials. </p><p>Every time you transfer energy from one form to another, you lose a considerable %-age of energy. Using solar for lights and low voltage apparatus, will work just fine, but will take some rewiring. </p><p>A new build or remodel would be a good time to have the system installed. They will have to be replaced within 20 years or if technology improvements dictate considerable savings. I plan on having them installled if and when I build after retirement. My spot lights are solar/battery and they work just fine so far, but it's only been 3 years. I've had other solar devices (small security/safety lighting) fail just after a year... dug into them and found it was the battery and there was no way to replace them... </p><p>The prices for solar panels are coming down and an enterprising person can build their own. They are a 'Fad' at this point, so you have to be very careful who and how you deal with these folks... if they have a phone bank of folks calling customers, it is a fad. I applied for a job at one of them and most of their employees were phone banks and installers... don't see them sticking around very long.</p><p>Also, remember, anything installed on your home has limited warranties and you will be responsible for repairs. Your power grid has been there and subsidized by the government for decades and you pay monthly for the use/maintenance.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kenneth Braud, post: 3623597, member: 46858"] They won't run your AC in the case of a power outage in summer. A portable generator will as well as other essentials. Every time you transfer energy from one form to another, you lose a considerable %-age of energy. Using solar for lights and low voltage apparatus, will work just fine, but will take some rewiring. A new build or remodel would be a good time to have the system installed. They will have to be replaced within 20 years or if technology improvements dictate considerable savings. I plan on having them installled if and when I build after retirement. My spot lights are solar/battery and they work just fine so far, but it's only been 3 years. I've had other solar devices (small security/safety lighting) fail just after a year... dug into them and found it was the battery and there was no way to replace them... The prices for solar panels are coming down and an enterprising person can build their own. They are a 'Fad' at this point, so you have to be very careful who and how you deal with these folks... if they have a phone bank of folks calling customers, it is a fad. I applied for a job at one of them and most of their employees were phone banks and installers... don't see them sticking around very long. Also, remember, anything installed on your home has limited warranties and you will be responsible for repairs. Your power grid has been there and subsidized by the government for decades and you pay monthly for the use/maintenance. [/QUOTE]
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