Posted by Ross Contino on June 12, 2008, 9:11 am
Hello:
I am completely a green newbie. I live in the northeast US in a typical
suburban development on 0.25 acres. On that 0.25 acres I have a two
story colonial home with many cut peaks and a first floor foot print of
60 feet by 30 feet (a box shaped home). I also have a pool occupying
most of my yard and numerous ordinances with which to contend.
Three boys, my wife and myself are energy pigs in this house. We are
starting to think more green because our state is set to "deregulate"
electricity next year. When our sister state, Maryland, did this
everyone's electric bill doubled. I expect no less.
I have already replaced all my lights with fluorescents, cut the pool
filter from 24/7 to 12 hours a day and have become the energy police
with my kids. All appliances that can be gas are, and all electrics are
energy star. Heating for the home is gas. The pool filter hours and
light bulbs are new, the rest is long standing.
Reviewing the last year's energy consumption from my power bill we
average 800 kw per month 9 months per year with 2700 kw (!!!!) when the
pool and air conditioning is running 3 months over the summer.
In order to offset half my bill I would have to generate 20 kw per day,
correct? And a 1 kw array of photovoltaic shingles is costs about
$7000.00, so I extrapolate a cost of $140,000.00 to offset half my bill?
Is that the way this works? I just want a simple grid system no
batteries. I just want to spin my meter backwards!!
I have done some reading from public library and online...but would like
someone just to tell me if I have thought this out correctly?
Posted by bealiba on June 12, 2008, 8:35 am
> Hello:
> I am completely a green newbie. I live in the northeast US in a typical
> suburban development on 0.25 acres. On that 0.25 acres I have a two
> story colonial home with many cut peaks and a first floor foot print of
> 60 feet by 30 feet (a box shaped home). I also have a pool occupying
> most of my yard and numerous ordinances with which to contend.
> Three boys, my wife and myself are energy pigs in this house. We are
> starting to think more green because our state is set to "deregulate"
> electricity next year. When our sister state, Maryland, did this
> everyone's electric bill doubled. I expect no less.
> I have already replaced all my lights with fluorescents, cut the pool
> filter from 24/7 to 12 hours a day and have become the energy police
> with my kids. All appliances that can be gas are, and all electrics are
> energy star. Heating for the home is gas. The pool filter hours and
> light bulbs are new, the rest is long standing.
> Reviewing the last year's energy consumption from my power bill we
> average 800 kw per month 9 months per year with 2700 kw (!!!!) when the
> pool and air conditioning is running 3 months over the summer.
> In order to offset half my bill I would have to generate 20 kw per day,
> correct? And a 1 kw array of photovoltaic shingles is costs about
> $7000.00, so I extrapolate a cost of $140,000.00 to offset half my bill?
> Is that the way this works? I just want a simple grid system no
> batteries. I just want to spin my meter backwards!!
> I have done some reading from public library and online...but would like
> someone just to tell me if I have thought this out correctly?
To spin your meter backwards you have to produce more than you use.
30 x 175W panels will run your meter backwards for 9 months of the
year with 5PSH/day and show a small profit.
You are unlikely to get 5 PSH/day during the 9 months. OTOH 30 x 175W
panels RRP Australia = $47,520 AUD and will provide a substantial
saving on your energy bill for the year. Payback will depend on power
cost rises and you may feel that the money could be better used to
further reduce your energy use in other areas. Insulation etc.
Posted by Solar Flare on June 12, 2008, 8:43 am
Your concept is right on the money but your figures are off, I think.
You used kW as if it was an energy consumption figure. Not correct. It
should have been kWh and half would be about 13kWh.
PV shingles are one of more expensive toys and not the way to go unless you
have money to burn. If you did you probably wouldn't be worried about the
costs of energy.
Energy will never be as cheap, or reliable, anywhere else, as the from the
grid. You will not compete. Without government paybacks and subsidies you
may not even break even financially on your investment in your lifetime.
Most people cannot generate enough to pay back the loan interest (or
financial investment loss) on the material costs. If they could PV
manufacturing plants would utilize their own products. They don't.
Your cutbacks were the best start you could have done. Economically there
isn't much else unless you want to kick the kids out, fill in the pool, turn
off your A/C and get a smaller and/or more insulated house. Solar thermal
hot water is typically economically viable. Windows blinds used and awnings
strategically placed can offer some thermal advantages to HVAC.
Best of luck.
> Hello:
> I am completely a green newbie. I live in the northeast US in a typical
> suburban development on 0.25 acres. On that 0.25 acres I have a two story
> colonial home with many cut peaks and a first floor foot print of 60 feet
> by 30 feet (a box shaped home). I also have a pool occupying most of my
> yard and numerous ordinances with which to contend.
> Three boys, my wife and myself are energy pigs in this house. We are
> starting to think more green because our state is set to "deregulate"
> electricity next year. When our sister state, Maryland, did this
> everyone's electric bill doubled. I expect no less.
> I have already replaced all my lights with fluorescents, cut the pool
> filter from 24/7 to 12 hours a day and have become the energy police with
> my kids. All appliances that can be gas are, and all electrics are energy
> star. Heating for the home is gas. The pool filter hours and light bulbs
> are new, the rest is long standing.
> Reviewing the last year's energy consumption from my power bill we average
> 800 kw per month 9 months per year with 2700 kw (!!!!) when the pool and
> air conditioning is running 3 months over the summer.
> In order to offset half my bill I would have to generate 20 kw per day,
> correct? And a 1 kw array of photovoltaic shingles is costs about
> $7000.00, so I extrapolate a cost of $140,000.00 to offset half my bill?
> Is that the way this works? I just want a simple grid system no
> batteries. I just want to spin my meter backwards!!
> I have done some reading from public library and online...but would like
> someone just to tell me if I have thought this out correctly?
Posted by Eeyore on June 12, 2008, 9:14 am
Solar Flare wrote:
> Your cutbacks were the best start you could have done.
Absolutely !
> Economically there
> isn't much else unless you want to kick the kids out, fill in the pool, turn
> off your A/C and get a smaller and/or more insulated house. Solar thermal
> hot water is typically economically viable. Windows blinds used and awnings
> strategically placed can offer some thermal advantages to HVAC.
Also, a couple of thoughts. Got a huge plasma TV ? They alone can use so much
power that you may need to turn the room's a/c on ! Replace with LCD.
Don't buy a dual CPU 3.6GHz PC or whatever unless you really need one. You can
get energy efficient PCs these days and few people need 'mega-PCs' except for
boasting rights (gamers excluded).
For example, I keep looking on ebay for certain model CPU chips I can use in my
PC here that are just as fast (they're designed for laptops) but us half (or
less) the power. I worked out the payback time is just one year. And now,
certain manufacturers are bringing out low-power desktops too.
Oh - and DON'T 'upgrade' to Windows Vista. It requires the latest most energy
inefficient hardware.and is still no faster than XP. Ina recent policy change
Microsoft announced that XP will continue to be available for another two years
on 'lower spec' models.
And energy is more than just electricity. What car(s) do you drive ?
Graham
Posted by Ross Contino on June 12, 2008, 10:33 am
Eeyore wrote:
>
> Solar Flare wrote:
>
>> Your cutbacks were the best start you could have done.
>
> Absolutely !
>
>> Economically there
>> isn't much else unless you want to kick the kids out, fill in the pool, turn
>> off your A/C and get a smaller and/or more insulated house. Solar thermal
>> hot water is typically economically viable. Windows blinds used and awnings
>> strategically placed can offer some thermal advantages to HVAC.
>
> Also, a couple of thoughts. Got a huge plasma TV ? They alone can use so much
> power that you may need to turn the room's a/c on ! Replace with LCD.
>
> Don't buy a dual CPU 3.6GHz PC or whatever unless you really need one. You can
> get energy efficient PCs these days and few people need 'mega-PCs' except for
> boasting rights (gamers excluded).
No plasma or widescreen TV's, but I am a computer geek - 2 desktops, 3
laptops, 3 gaming stations, and a printer on a wireless network in the
house. That does not include the kids Gameboy DS's that use the
wireless to trade Pokemon's all over the world.
> For example, I keep looking on ebay for certain model CPU chips I can use in my
> PC here that are just as fast (they're designed for laptops) but us half (or
> less) the power. I worked out the payback time is just one year. And now,
> certain manufacturers are bringing out low-power desktops too.
>
> Oh - and DON'T 'upgrade' to Windows Vista. It requires the latest most energy
> inefficient hardware.and is still no faster than XP. Ina recent policy change
> Microsoft announced that XP will continue to be available for another two years
> on 'lower spec' models.
>
> And energy is more than just electricity. What car(s) do you drive ?
Actually, we are pretty good here with regard to cars. I have a minivan
that is almost 9 yrs old and has 60k miles and a small car that is 6 yrs
old with 16k miles. We don't really go anywhere but on family
vacations. We live one mile from work and I recently got the old beater
bike out the attic!
>
> Graham
>
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> I am completely a green newbie. I live in the northeast US in a typical
> suburban development on 0.25 acres. On that 0.25 acres I have a two
> story colonial home with many cut peaks and a first floor foot print of
> 60 feet by 30 feet (a box shaped home). I also have a pool occupying
> most of my yard and numerous ordinances with which to contend.
> Three boys, my wife and myself are energy pigs in this house. We are
> starting to think more green because our state is set to "deregulate"
> electricity next year. When our sister state, Maryland, did this
> everyone's electric bill doubled. I expect no less.
> I have already replaced all my lights with fluorescents, cut the pool
> filter from 24/7 to 12 hours a day and have become the energy police
> with my kids. All appliances that can be gas are, and all electrics are
> energy star. Heating for the home is gas. The pool filter hours and
> light bulbs are new, the rest is long standing.
> Reviewing the last year's energy consumption from my power bill we
> average 800 kw per month 9 months per year with 2700 kw (!!!!) when the
> pool and air conditioning is running 3 months over the summer.
> In order to offset half my bill I would have to generate 20 kw per day,
> correct? And a 1 kw array of photovoltaic shingles is costs about
> $7000.00, so I extrapolate a cost of $140,000.00 to offset half my bill?
> Is that the way this works? I just want a simple grid system no
> batteries. I just want to spin my meter backwards!!
> I have done some reading from public library and online...but would like
> someone just to tell me if I have thought this out correctly?