Now You Can Walk Into A Best Buy And Get A Solar System For Your Home

[Papageorgio]

I love solar. It's a beautiful thing. But for most people who own their own homes, purchasing the solar system is a better deal than leasing

I've done some homework - Here is the math- Disclaimer: this is a rough estimate only, your mileage may vary!:

Leasing saves you about 25% immediately. But it locks you in to a set price per KW hour for X-number of years with built in price increases for the next 30 years (or longer). Of course, you pay nothing out of pocket. You can save more than 25% - just look at the offering and scrutinize your usage and baselines. You will always pay more than the people that own their own grid tied systems, but less than regular utility customers.

BUT

With a purchase- you lay out some cash now (average of $25K for a 5KW system installed) , but get a far lower price for your home energy - forever. Also, because you OWN the system - it adds equity to your home (your house is cheaper to operate!). A properly designed "grid tied" system can expect to reduce your overall bill by 75%-90% (not accounting for cost of system). So really it comes down to time horizon- if you are selling in a few years - lease. If you are staying for a long time, purchase. Not sure?

Factor in 30% Federal Tax incentives, State, and in some cases local incentives, and you can expect a about payback period of 3-7 years.

Living in Los Angeles, Solar is definitely worth looking into.

Equity? Banks will not include Solar in the appraisal value, and if the Solar is not brand new, the value decreases, at ten years old, Solar is a negative impact on equity. Of course you can google this and quote press releases from the Solar vendors, it will be difficult to find a statement from Chase or Bank of America or any other lender, but there are plenty of positive statements from those who sell Solar.

Its almost impossible to find the truth beings that Google is simply a search engine for advertising, Solar companies have bought all the keywords you will search hence you will only find positive stories on equity and solar. Try and find actual facts from banks appraisals is almost impossible.

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

Hell, I'm not going to buy a place with $500 a month electricity, I have never paid over $200 in a month. You got some messed up rates.

 

[Zander]

Equity? Banks will not include Solar in the appraisal value, and if the Solar is not brand new, the value decreases, at ten years old, Solar is a negative impact on equity. Of course you can google this and quote press releases from the Solar vendors, it will be difficult to find a statement from Chase or Bank of America or any other lender, but there are plenty of positive statements from those who sell Solar.

Its almost impossible to find the truth beings that Google is simply a search engine for advertising, Solar companies have bought all the keywords you will search hence you will only find positive stories on equity and solar. Try and find actual facts from banks appraisals is almost impossible.

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

Hell, I'm not going to buy a place with $500 a month electricity, I have never paid over $200 in a month. You got some messed up rates.

I have a big house with a big pool.

 

[elektra]

OK, silly person, links to where the solar panels in California degrade in less than 10 years. How about less than 20 years?

You made the statement, I called you on it, provide your links or technical data and prove your post is true.

You posted a press release from an organization vested in Solar. Weak is your post

The Center of Alternative Energy in Switzerland is hardly a non-biased source. Nor is Switzerland a good place to determine the reliability of Solar with so little intense sun.

Further, why did they not measure the output under the Sun, why did they take them into a laboratory to do a "Flash Test". How do these panels perform under normal conditions, that information is not in the press release.

In other words, you have nothing. Here is where you can find real information;

http://www.oregon.gov/energy/RENEW/Solar/docs/PVGuide.pdf

What are you Old Crock, a Moron, there is nothing in your link, nothing, its a Marketing brochure from the government of Oregon, I know you Socialist pray and worship the Government, you do not need to prove it

You thought this Marketing Brochure had technical data in it. Get a clue.

 

[elektra]

I love solar. It's a beautiful thing. But for most people who own their own homes, purchasing the solar system is a better deal than leasing

I've done some homework - Here is the math- Disclaimer: this is a rough estimate only, your mileage may vary!:

Leasing saves you about 25% immediately. But it locks you in to a set price per KW hour for X-number of years with built in price increases for the next 30 years (or longer). Of course, you pay nothing out of pocket. You can save more than 25% - just look at the offering and scrutinize your usage and baselines. You will always pay more than the people that own their own grid tied systems, but less than regular utility customers.

BUT

With a purchase- you lay out some cash now (average of $25K for a 5KW system installed) , but get a far lower price for your home energy - forever. Also, because you OWN the system - it adds equity to your home (your house is cheaper to operate!). A properly designed "grid tied" system can expect to reduce your overall bill by 75%-90% (not accounting for cost of system). So really it comes down to time horizon- if you are selling in a few years - lease. If you are staying for a long time, purchase. Not sure?

Factor in 30% Federal Tax incentives, State, and in some cases local incentives, and you can expect a about payback period of 3-7 years.

Living in Los Angeles, Solar is definitely worth looking into.

Equity? Banks will not include Solar in the appraisal value, and if the Solar is not brand new, the value decreases, at ten years old, Solar is a negative impact on equity. Of course you can google this and quote press releases from the Solar vendors, it will be difficult to find a statement from Chase or Bank of America or any other lender, but there are plenty of positive statements from those who sell Solar.

Its almost impossible to find the truth beings that Google is simply a search engine for advertising, Solar companies have bought all the keywords you will search hence you will only find positive stories on equity and solar. Try and find actual facts from banks appraisals is almost impossible.

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

Hell, I'm not going to buy a place with $500 a month electricity, I have never paid over $200 in a month. You got some messed up rates.

I have a big house with a big pool.

You have a pool, so you do not care about the environment, a pool is a frivolous waste of energy, further, you do not pump your water with solar, wasting even more energy.

Green Energy nuts are all worried about reducing GHG emissions except when it comes to guilty luxury, swimming pools, air conditioning, new cars, drinking alcohol and sodas. Most are overweight because they are gluttons when it comes to food. In other words, they sit back drinking beer at the side of their pool telling us we are the ones destroying the world.

Get rid of the pool and quit burning CO2 simply so you can have fun, do you not care what your doing to the environment.

Hell, I bet Old Crock has a pool as well. Never mind how they destroy the environment, that don't count.

And in their fantasy world, Solar is perfect never fails, right.

I will post the failures later, and their are plenty of failures. Just thought I would leave this to be digested.

 

[Darkwind]

I prefer this:

Tapping the Earth for home heating and cooling | Green Tech - CNET News


and I don't have to worry about the weather.

 

[Old Rocks]

Equity? Banks will not include Solar in the appraisal value, and if the Solar is not brand new, the value decreases, at ten years old, Solar is a negative impact on equity. Of course you can google this and quote press releases from the Solar vendors, it will be difficult to find a statement from Chase or Bank of America or any other lender, but there are plenty of positive statements from those who sell Solar.

Its almost impossible to find the truth beings that Google is simply a search engine for advertising, Solar companies have bought all the keywords you will search hence you will only find positive stories on equity and solar. Try and find actual facts from banks appraisals is almost impossible.

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

Hell, I'm not going to buy a place with $500 a month electricity, I have never paid over $200 in a month. You got some messed up rates.

I have a big house with a big pool.

You have a pool, so you do not care about the environment, a pool is a frivolous waste of energy, further, you do not pump your water with solar, wasting even more energy.

Green Energy nuts are all worried about reducing GHG emissions except when it comes to guilty luxury, swimming pools, air conditioning, new cars, drinking alcohol and sodas. Most are overweight because they are gluttons when it comes to food. In other words, they sit back drinking beer at the side of their pool telling us we are the ones destroying the world.

Get rid of the pool and quit burning CO2 simply so you can have fun, do you not care what your doing to the environment.

Hell, I bet Old Crock has a pool as well. Never mind how they destroy the environment, that don't count.

And in their fantasy world, Solar is perfect never fails, right.

I will post the failures later, and their are plenty of failures. Just thought I would leave this to be digested.

My, what an ignorant person you are. Yes, I do have a pool. Heated with passive solar. From March to October, the only cost for heating the pool is the cost of pumping the water to the roof. And this is in Portland, Oregon.

Tell you what, get a job, get out of your single wide, and live a little. You only get one pass through this life.

 

[Zander]

Equity? Banks will not include Solar in the appraisal value, and if the Solar is not brand new, the value decreases, at ten years old, Solar is a negative impact on equity. Of course you can google this and quote press releases from the Solar vendors, it will be difficult to find a statement from Chase or Bank of America or any other lender, but there are plenty of positive statements from those who sell Solar.

Its almost impossible to find the truth beings that Google is simply a search engine for advertising, Solar companies have bought all the keywords you will search hence you will only find positive stories on equity and solar. Try and find actual facts from banks appraisals is almost impossible.

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

Hell, I'm not going to buy a place with $500 a month electricity, I have never paid over $200 in a month. You got some messed up rates.

I have a big house with a big pool.

You have a pool, so you do not care about the environment, a pool is a frivolous waste of energy, further, you do not pump your water with solar, wasting even more energy.

Green Energy nuts are all worried about reducing GHG emissions except when it comes to guilty luxury, swimming pools, air conditioning, new cars, drinking alcohol and sodas. Most are overweight because they are gluttons when it comes to food. In other words, they sit back drinking beer at the side of their pool telling us we are the ones destroying the world.

Get rid of the pool and quit burning CO2 simply so you can have fun, do you not care what your doing to the environment.

Hell, I bet Old Crock has a pool as well. Never mind how they destroy the environment, that don't count.

And in their fantasy world, Solar is perfect never fails, right.

I will post the failures later, and their are plenty of failures. Just thought I would leave this to be digested.

Yes, I love my pool, waterfall, jacuzzi, and slide. I take long hot showers too....I live in LA we have the pool on year round.

But that has nothing to do with the efficacy of Solar power.

My last house had a 2.7KW grid tied system- and an old school solar pool heater- I paid next to nothing for electricity. Never had a problem with the system - not even a roof leak.

Like I said before, it makes lots of sense "for me". If you don't like it, don't buy it.


PS- I have a 34" waist and I don't care how much energy you or anyone else uses.....

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

I have a big house with a big pool.

You have a pool, so you do not care about the environment, a pool is a frivolous waste of energy, further, you do not pump your water with solar, wasting even more energy.

Green Energy nuts are all worried about reducing GHG emissions except when it comes to guilty luxury, swimming pools, air conditioning, new cars, drinking alcohol and sodas. Most are overweight because they are gluttons when it comes to food. In other words, they sit back drinking beer at the side of their pool telling us we are the ones destroying the world.

Get rid of the pool and quit burning CO2 simply so you can have fun, do you not care what your doing to the environment.

Hell, I bet Old Crock has a pool as well. Never mind how they destroy the environment, that don't count.

And in their fantasy world, Solar is perfect never fails, right.

I will post the failures later, and their are plenty of failures. Just thought I would leave this to be digested.

My, what an ignorant person you are. Yes, I do have a pool. Heated with passive solar. From March to October, the only cost for heating the pool is the cost of pumping the water to the roof. And this is in Portland, Oregon.

Tell you what, get a job, get out of your single wide, and live a little. You only get one pass through this life.

The irony is absolutely delicious coming from you.

live a littel, you only get one pass through! THE SKY IS FALLING AGW WILL KILL US ALL!

 

[Old Rocks]

Apply some common sense.

If I am choosing between 2 houses and one costs $500 a month for electricity, and the other has a fully paid for grid tied solar system that reduces the bill to $100 per month and both houses are identical, which house are you going to choose?

I have a big house with a big pool.

You have a pool, so you do not care about the environment, a pool is a frivolous waste of energy, further, you do not pump your water with solar, wasting even more energy.

Green Energy nuts are all worried about reducing GHG emissions except when it comes to guilty luxury, swimming pools, air conditioning, new cars, drinking alcohol and sodas. Most are overweight because they are gluttons when it comes to food. In other words, they sit back drinking beer at the side of their pool telling us we are the ones destroying the world.

Get rid of the pool and quit burning CO2 simply so you can have fun, do you not care what your doing to the environment.

Hell, I bet Old Crock has a pool as well. Never mind how they destroy the environment, that don't count.

And in their fantasy world, Solar is perfect never fails, right.

I will post the failures later, and their are plenty of failures. Just thought I would leave this to be digested.

Yes, I love my pool, waterfall, jacuzzi, and slide. I take long hot showers too....I live in LA we have the pool on year round.

But that has nothing to do with the efficacy of Solar power.

My last house had a 2.7KW grid tied system- and an old school solar pool heater- I paid next to nothing for electricity. Never had a problem with the system - not even a roof leak.

Like I said before, it makes lots of sense "for me". If you don't like it, don't buy it.


PS- I have a 34" waist and I don't care how much energy you or anyone else uses.....

Well, since we pay high subsidies to all energy producers, I do care how much energy others use off of the grid. Those that are actually producing the majority of the energy they use are a positive to all of us. That is taxes for subsidizing new energy that we don't have to pay.

The economic sense of producing your own power, as you have pointed out, is there for all to see. And the price for large scale, 5 kw systems and above, continue to come down. Combine that with the advances is EVs and the batteries, and, yes, you can have it all without your neighbor having to chip in for what you have. In other words, home owned power, solar on the roof, ect. equals economic independence. Economic independence of the government and the energy corperations. Yet we see so many "Conservatives" totally against the idea. Very strange twist of ideology.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

You do not pay subsidies to all energy producers, dullard. Only the green energy gets subsides. What you call a subsidy is actually a tax break,. and they aren't the same.

 

[Zander]

You have a pool, so you do not care about the environment, a pool is a frivolous waste of energy, further, you do not pump your water with solar, wasting even more energy.

Green Energy nuts are all worried about reducing GHG emissions except when it comes to guilty luxury, swimming pools, air conditioning, new cars, drinking alcohol and sodas. Most are overweight because they are gluttons when it comes to food. In other words, they sit back drinking beer at the side of their pool telling us we are the ones destroying the world.

Get rid of the pool and quit burning CO2 simply so you can have fun, do you not care what your doing to the environment.

Hell, I bet Old Crock has a pool as well. Never mind how they destroy the environment, that don't count.

And in their fantasy world, Solar is perfect never fails, right.

I will post the failures later, and their are plenty of failures. Just thought I would leave this to be digested.

Yes, I love my pool, waterfall, jacuzzi, and slide. I take long hot showers too....I live in LA we have the pool on year round.

But that has nothing to do with the efficacy of Solar power.

My last house had a 2.7KW grid tied system- and an old school solar pool heater- I paid next to nothing for electricity. Never had a problem with the system - not even a roof leak.

Like I said before, it makes lots of sense "for me". If you don't like it, don't buy it.


PS- I have a 34" waist and I don't care how much energy you or anyone else uses.....

Well, since we pay high subsidies to all energy producers, I do care how much energy others use off of the grid. Those that are actually producing the majority of the energy they use are a positive to all of us. That is taxes for subsidizing new energy that we don't have to pay.

The economic sense of producing your own power, as you have pointed out, is there for all to see. And the price for large scale, 5 kw systems and above, continue to come down. Combine that with the advances is EVs and the batteries, and, yes, you can have it all without your neighbor having to chip in for what you have. In other words, home owned power, solar on the roof, ect. equals economic independence. Economic independence of the government and the energy corperations. Yet we see so many "Conservatives" totally against the idea. Very strange twist of ideology.

Conservatives love the idea of energy independence. For themselves and for the entire country. The problem arises when government gets involved and skews the market with tax credits, subsidies, and hand outs. When companies like Solyndra are given govt loan guarantees even when facing bankruptcy, it shines a negative light on the politicization of energy. We do not need govt picking winners and losers for political points.

Solar needs to be able to sink or swim on its own merits.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TruthSeeker56]

What happens 20 years from now when the panels die and it cost 25K to buy new ones and no one's offering a deal?
Or is the progression of the technology hopefully going to make the eventual upgrade inexpensive?

You are assuming that the U.S. power grid will still be viable 20 years from now.

That is a BIG assumption.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE is the key to survival.

 

[Old Rocks]

Yes, I love my pool, waterfall, jacuzzi, and slide. I take long hot showers too....I live in LA we have the pool on year round.

But that has nothing to do with the efficacy of Solar power.

My last house had a 2.7KW grid tied system- and an old school solar pool heater- I paid next to nothing for electricity. Never had a problem with the system - not even a roof leak.

Like I said before, it makes lots of sense "for me". If you don't like it, don't buy it.


PS- I have a 34" waist and I don't care how much energy you or anyone else uses.....

Well, since we pay high subsidies to all energy producers, I do care how much energy others use off of the grid. Those that are actually producing the majority of the energy they use are a positive to all of us. That is taxes for subsidizing new energy that we don't have to pay.

The economic sense of producing your own power, as you have pointed out, is there for all to see. And the price for large scale, 5 kw systems and above, continue to come down. Combine that with the advances is EVs and the batteries, and, yes, you can have it all without your neighbor having to chip in for what you have. In other words, home owned power, solar on the roof, ect. equals economic independence. Economic independence of the government and the energy corperations. Yet we see so many "Conservatives" totally against the idea. Very strange twist of ideology.

Conservatives love the idea of energy independence. For themselves and for the entire country. The problem arises when government gets involved and skews the market with tax credits, subsidies, and hand outs. When companies like Solyndra are given govt loan guarantees even when facing bankruptcy, it shines a negative light on the politicization of energy. We do not need govt picking winners and losers for political points.

Solar needs to be able to sink or swim on its own merits.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you have any idea how many billions of dollars our government gaurantees for nuclear?

 

[mamooth]

Best Buy must have really expanded, if they can fit solar systems in their stores. I wonder where they put the Jupiters.

 

[Zander]

Well, since we pay high subsidies to all energy producers, I do care how much energy others use off of the grid. Those that are actually producing the majority of the energy they use are a positive to all of us. That is taxes for subsidizing new energy that we don't have to pay.

The economic sense of producing your own power, as you have pointed out, is there for all to see. And the price for large scale, 5 kw systems and above, continue to come down. Combine that with the advances is EVs and the batteries, and, yes, you can have it all without your neighbor having to chip in for what you have. In other words, home owned power, solar on the roof, ect. equals economic independence. Economic independence of the government and the energy corperations. Yet we see so many "Conservatives" totally against the idea. Very strange twist of ideology.

Conservatives love the idea of energy independence. For themselves and for the entire country. The problem arises when government gets involved and skews the market with tax credits, subsidies, and hand outs. When companies like Solyndra are given govt loan guarantees even when facing bankruptcy, it shines a negative light on the politicization of energy. We do not need govt picking winners and losers for political points.

Solar needs to be able to sink or swim on its own merits.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you have any idea how many billions of dollars our government gaurantees for nuclear?

No I don't. Lay it on me...

 

[tinydancer]

You can't "do" just solar. Ideally you have solar, wind and omg a wood stove. You cannot rely on just solar to get off the grid.

 

[tinydancer]

Honest question. Anyone here ever lived off the grid? My husband and I have back in Ontario. It's not easy. Not easy at all.

We went completely primitive. Wood stove and candles. You learn to appreciate water when you pump it by hand.

I see all these posts by people who think its a "snap" to change over. It's not the case. And you have to be ready for some difficult choices on what you are going to cut out of your life.

 

[Old Rocks]

Honest question. Anyone here ever lived off the grid? My husband and I have back in Ontario. It's not easy. Not easy at all.

We went completely primitive. Wood stove and candles. You learn to appreciate water when you pump it by hand.

I see all these posts by people who think its a "snap" to change over. It's not the case. And you have to be ready for some difficult choices on what you are going to cut out of your life.

LOL. Of course I was quite young at the time, but we lived completely off the grid for about 6 months when I was a child. Drew our water from a well with a bucket on a rope. Cooked on a wood stove. And had an outhouse. Ever use an outhouse at -20 F? We had no refrigerator, and canned everything, including the deer that Dad shot.

Would I live that way again. Hell no. I would use a pick and shovel to dig a septic, and use solar and wind to charge batteries to have electricity for a computer as well as lights. Use LED's for energy savings, and super-insulate. Once was enough for that kind of living.

 

[ScienceRocks]

As far as I am concern freedom = having the ability to do something. Why shouldn't people have this choice?

 

[elektra]

Well, since we pay high subsidies to all energy producers, I do care how much energy others use off of the grid. Those that are actually producing the majority of the energy they use are a positive to all of us. That is taxes for subsidizing new energy that we don't have to pay.

The economic sense of producing your own power, as you have pointed out, is there for all to see. And the price for large scale, 5 kw systems and above, continue to come down. Combine that with the advances is EVs and the batteries, and, yes, you can have it all without your neighbor having to chip in for what you have. In other words, home owned power, solar on the roof, ect. equals economic independence. Economic independence of the government and the energy corperations. Yet we see so many "Conservatives" totally against the idea. Very strange twist of ideology.

Conservatives love the idea of energy independence. For themselves and for the entire country. The problem arises when government gets involved and skews the market with tax credits, subsidies, and hand outs. When companies like Solyndra are given govt loan guarantees even when facing bankruptcy, it shines a negative light on the politicization of energy. We do not need govt picking winners and losers for political points.

Solar needs to be able to sink or swim on its own merits.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you have any idea how many billions of dollars our government gaurantees for nuclear?

What is a "gaurantees"? Beings how you are superior and we are ignorant.

Either way irrelevant, tell us if any and how much has been defaulted.