Posted by BobG on February 23, 2009, 2:23 am
On Feb 22, 8:12pm, m...@privacy.net wrote:
> You make it sound like Harbor Freight panels are not
> very good. If yes, how come?
==========================
=====================
Seems nutty to have a 250 watt inverter and 45 watts of panels. Thats
why I mentioned getting a couple of 120 watt panels.
Posted by Mel on February 23, 2009, 10:17 am
me@privacy.net a crit :
> Yes just want a "beginner" system..... not looking to
> power the house.... but just slow down outside meter
> some.
>
Before you plug anything in, even a "beginner system" you really need to =
check out legal requirements for grid connection where you live. Most
places in the world it i illegal to use "plug and play" grid connected
pv systems, because you need to go through a heap of permitting stuff.
Posted by vaughn on February 23, 2009, 2:50 am
> Sounds like you need a couple of 120 watt panels from Northern Tools
> and one of the 250 watt grid tie inverters from Buyers Island. I have
> one, and it works, but I only have ir running from Harbor Freight
> panels.
First: add up the cost of your proposed system.
Second: come up with a real-world idea of the power you might expect to
produce in a day. (figure 80% of the advertised output of your panels,
times perhaps 10 hours per day of full sunlight, and then expect to net
something less than that.)
Finally: Look on your power bill to find out what you pay for a Kwh, and
then do the math to figure out how long it will take your proposed little
system to pay itself. Having done that, you will do what I did...leave the
money in the bank.
Vaughn
Posted by BobG on February 23, 2009, 3:43 am
On Feb 22, 9:50pm, "vaughn"
> Finally: Look on your power bill to find out what you pay for a Kwh, and
> then do the math to figure out how long it will take your proposed little
> system to pay itself. Having done that, you will do what I did...leave the
> money in the bank.
==========================
==========================
==
If this guy wanted to buy an ice cream maker, would you tell him to go
find out how much a quart of ice cream costs, and how long it will
take to recoup his investment? Maybe he just wants a hitech toy. If
you buy a $000 tv instead of a $00 tv, is there a formula to see if
you are getting three times the pleasure of viewing? What is it with
pv that turns engineers into crabby old grinches? People dont ask if
your car is ever going to pay back. Its just a frivolous impulse
purchase based on look and feel. Let him buy his darn pv panels in
peace.
Posted by Tim Jackson on February 23, 2009, 8:21 am
BobG wrote:
> On Feb 22, 9:50 pm, "vaughn"
>> Finally: Look on your power bill to find out what you pay for a Kwh, and
>> then do the math to figure out how long it will take your proposed little
>> system to pay itself. Having done that, you will do what I did...leave the
>> money in the bank.
> ====================================================
> If this guy wanted to buy an ice cream maker, would you tell him to go
> find out how much a quart of ice cream costs, and how long it will
> take to recoup his investment? Maybe he just wants a hitech toy. If
> you buy a $000 tv instead of a $00 tv, is there a formula to see if
> you are getting three times the pleasure of viewing? What is it with
> pv that turns engineers into crabby old grinches? People dont ask if
> your car is ever going to pay back. Its just a frivolous impulse
> purchase based on look and feel. Let him buy his darn pv panels in
> peace.
>
The answer to your non-rhetorical question is, in a word, advertising.
When I see home energy / insulation systems being promoted as energy
saving, cost saving, carbon saving or whatever, that actually can never
recover the initial investment they are asking you to make, in any
realistic way, yes this engineer does turn into a crabby old grinch.
And yes I do ask if my car pays back and it does, in about a year. Else
I wouldn't have one.
I've nothing against big boys toys, but they shouldn't be confused with
anything important.
Tim Jackson
XML site map
> very good. If yes, how come?