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Across the Fence:  solar energy cheap  |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 08 2010 : 6:29:13 PM
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Hello, Does anyone know how to do or get solar energy cheap?
thanks
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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MamaCrunch
True Blue Farmgirl
161 Posts
Nasvhille
TN
USA
161 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2010 : 06:19:58 AM
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Oooo! I'm interested in this, too! DH and I have talked about going solar as our Christmas gift to ourselves, but we really can't afford crazy expensive.
Farmgirl #2162
Just tryin' to homestead in the middle of a suburban neighborhood!
Blog~ http://thelittleboygreen.com <<I've been slackin' on the updates! |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2010 : 10:07:16 AM
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Ok, we have been extensively looking in to this because we want to be totally off grid and we will be once we get a small system. And there really is no cheap way. How many KW of electric do you want to produce? Do you want grid tied or off grid? To give you an example we want about 4 kw to power our house and farm, and we use less than half the national average. The cheapest INSTALLED system is $31,000 and that is GRID TIED and only supplies 80% of our electric - no batteries on this system but it is eligable for a tax credit. The average seems to be $7 a watt (a kw is 1000 watts) for the panels plus inverters and install costs on top of that. Now if you want off grid you can add $10,000 to $20,000 for enough batteries to power your 4kw system and there are NO federal credits for off grid. We want to install it ourselves in hopes of keeping the cost down. We just got a quote from backwoods solar for $55,000 for all the componants to put the same size system in. Told you not cheap. Next we looked at a used system and a used array of 8 panels, no inverter, 10 years old and used (much better technology avaliable now, but still trying to save on cost) is $1000. It supplies 450 watts, so that will only power 4 -100 watt light bulbs, plus you need to get an inverter, which for that small wattage would be $1000. Maybe you can get it used also but it is still a lot of money to run 4 light bulbs. Now we found a system that has a small wind turbine and 2 panels that supplies 1.4 kw max output for $6,000 but the system is junky looking and we are waiting on someone to call us back from the company to answer a few question. It is the best price so far but I really am not pleased with the quality. You can buy a cheap panel at harbour freight but it will only power one light bulb and to me is a waste of $200 bucks. You also have to remember that once you go with solar you really have to cut out hair dryers, clothes dryers, freezers, toasters, anything that produces heat, and other needless appliances and switch to gas refrigerators and washing machines, so there is the cost of converting some appliances on top of the systems cost. My advice to anyone looking into this is to cut back as much as you can, and try to get your bill as low as possible first. If you decide to go with a grid tied system remember that you will still be writing a check to the electric company for your basic service fee and any extra you use that month. Plus with a grid tied system, when the power is down you also have no power. So a grid tied system is no security if you get an ice storm or such. I wish there was a cheaper way to do this, but we have been looking into this for over a year. If I find a way, I will let you know.
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2010 : 2:04:56 PM
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Yes Alee, you can do it but they do not seem to like to do it. A grid tied system has an automatic shut off that when the power goes down it shuts your solar system down because the power needs somewhere to go. If the power has nowhere to go like if the power goes out yet the panel is still producing energy, it can burn up your inverter and various other components. We figure you need to put a transfer switch in and have a second wiring schematic the system can switch over from grid to battery. You may also need a second inverter which again can be thousands of dollars. When you get a grid tie system they put a new electric meter in so that it can spin backwards so if you have a surplus of energy you feed it back into the grid. So you will need to bypass your meter when you switch over to the battery. The installers poo-poo this idea because a grid tied system is installed very differently that an off grid system and they will have to wire you for both. You may have to do it yourself, and once again the cost soars up with battery ($1000 for 1- 12v deep cell battery- you would need a couple for emergency power, 10 plus to power your house), Inverter $1,000-$5,000 and up depending on amps, wiring, etc. It is crazy the prices they get for this stuff. I was told by 2 different installers that at the end of this year the power companies are going to be able to raise rates and not have a cap regulated by the PUC. Therefore the prices of alternate energy will go UP because demand will go up. You just can't seem to catch a break. I am still on the case of searching out the cheapest and best way to do this.
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Room To Grow
True Blue Farmgirl
974 Posts
Deborah
Kingston
Georgia
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2010 : 5:01:56 PM
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Jane, You have really done alot of research. And I thank you so much. I am going to let my DH read this and see what he says.
Thanks Again
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
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kpaints
True Blue Farmgirl
1564 Posts
karen
cheney
wa
1564 Posts |
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granitelakegoatgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
76 Posts
Amy
Libby
MT
76 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2010 : 9:16:12 PM
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Just went to a seminar on emergency preparedness and self sustaining lifestyle. It was basic but they really recommended a company on Sandpoint, ID called _________ solar. I bet you can google it, i just forget the first name.
~Amy~ THE BEND IN THE ROAD ISN'T THE END OF THE ROAD UNLESS YOU REFUSE TO TAKE THE TURN
Wish I could stay home more to be a fulltime homestead wife/mom....SOMEDAY! Part time will have to do for now! |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2010 : 05:36:29 AM
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Yep Amy, thats Backwoods Solar. They gave us the $55,000 quote. They are a great company, come highly recommended, and carry everything you would ever need, but that price is way more than we can spend. I won't live long enough to get my investment to pay off.
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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chickenjanedoe
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Sandy
Claypool
Indiana
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2010 : 4:09:30 PM
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Dear Jane,
If U or Hubby are handy u might checkout the website otherpower.com It has been loads of help to us. It also helps to start small, check out your local TSC or farm store for some reasonably priced invertors-1000 watts at about $150. find a solar panel that is smaller, say 10 or 20 watts and a good deep cycle battery or two and go from there.
Livin out there,
sandy |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4745 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4745 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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FreedomAcresFarmGirl
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
Brenda
Ogilvie
MN
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2010 : 1:35:04 PM
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This is so sad for me to read. We moved into our house 6 years ago. The power company at that time wanted $9000 to bring the power lines 1/3 of a mile. We said no thank you and have been living off grid ever since. We put our solar system in ourselves 6 years ago for a little less than $8000. We have just recently begun to add wind as well. We're loving it and we'd NEVER go back to the grid willingly :-) It makes me so sad to hear that it is so much more expensive now - just 6 years later. We have seen used panels around that we may add to our system, we haven't decided yet. You can read more about how we live, what our system is/looks like etc... at my blog... freedomacresfarm@blogspot.com
~Brenda
www.freedomacresfarm.webs.com
Do what you can with what you have where you are. ~T. Roosevelt |
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Across the Fence: solar energy cheap |
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solar energy cheap
