Solar Panel Installation

Your Questions About Roof Solar Panels

Helen asks…

why don people get solar panels as an alternative for energy?

ok i had this idea of getting 5 big sloar panels put them over the roof of my room and put one of those multiple outlets onto it so i can connect more electical devices. this way the electricity bill wont be as high and it would be eco friendly. would that be eligal? and is it a good idea?

Michael answers:

Dawei is right, it’s insanely expensive. Also, I guess it depends on where you live. You’ll see a lot of those in warmer and sunnier climates. In Spain, if you go to Andalusia, you’ll see lots of them, huge fields and valleys filled with those, as far as the eye can see. It’s pretty amazing. Up north, where they get more rain and wind, you’ll see more windmills, in the mountains and grouped together by hundreds. It’s a pretty amazing sight, in the midst of all those vineyards and olive trees.

Mark asks…

If you’re living in a van, would it be possible to install a solar panel to the roof of the van?

Michael answers:

Absolutely, and with a 12 volt battery storage system and an inverter you could use it at night and power 115 volt items like a laptop or charge a cell phone.

Linda asks…

Should all new built houses have solar panels incorporatedin their roofs?

This will help reduce householders’ heating/light bills,etc.

Michael answers:

I’d love to see this. I’m looking to move house in about a year and would love to see that offered in a new build.

Michael asks…

solar panels, which are the best?

what are the best and cheapest solar panels for roofs or not?

Michael answers:

Wait 2-5 years to buy solar panels, trust me i build, design, and install them.

James asks…

I live in Hungerford,Berkshire,RG17 . Do I have to apply for planing permission to have a set of solar panels?

fitted to the roof of my house . If yes which form do I need.
Sandy
for domestic hot water fitted to the roof of my house .

Michael answers:

Just the normal planning application form from your local council.
Of course all laws apply to Hungerford the same as evrywhere else in the United Kingdom.
If you don’t believe me, run up and down the High Street with a gun – doubt you would get much further than Stan James the bookie if you set off from the river bridge !!!

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Your Questions About Solar Energy Panels

George asks…

Energy changes renewable energy solar panels?

What are the energy changes for a circuit being powerd by a solar panel thanks

Michael answers:

Vs. Coming off the grid?

Solar panels produce lower voltage DC. Household components want AC at a higher voltage (110VAC at 60Hz in the US)

To be useful, generally you have an “Inverter” which increases the voltage and alternates it. You also probably have a pile of storage batteries since otherwise you’ll have no power during the night or bad weather.

These days, people have hybrid systems, getting power both off the grid and from a local power source (windmills, solar power). Some don’t bother with storage on the idea that they put power INTO the grid when they are generating more than they need locally, and take it out of the grid when they aren’t producing enough. They use their local power company as a very large (cheap) battery.

You can only do this if your local power company will pay you for power you generate – but many states in the US require power companies to do that.

However, if you are cut off from the grid, you obviously can’t do that.

You can, of course, NOT use standard household components, but rather use low voltage DC components (like what people use on small boats). They exist, but they are more expensive. However, then you don’t require the inverter.

As soon as you want to use a standard voltage component, however, you end up getting an inverter. Its too bad because he process of changing voltages is inefficient. You lose a lot of power in the process.

Lizzie asks…

How energy-productive are solar panels, compared to natural gas?

Also, what’s the solar panel’s rate of producing electricity?

Michael answers:

Solar panels really can’t compete with fossil fuels of any kind.

They’re great for low power consumption applications, but I doubt we’ll ever see solar powered steel refineries or heavy manufacturing plants.

A solar panel that produces 175 watts is about 62″ x 33″ (5 feet by almost 3 feet). 175 watts is enough to power a couple light bulbs; you’d certainly never cook anything on it.

On the other hand consider how much heat and light is produced by a small natural gas fireplace or stove burner. It would take a lot of those 5 foot long solar panels to equal that.

Nancy asks…

How much energy could be generated by adding solar panels to the Alaskan Pipeline?

Using low-end, i.e. cheap, solar panels, based on existing technology, how much energy can be generated by adding solar panels to the total length of the Alaskan Pipeline? And if possible, how does that compare with the energy of the oil being pumped through the pipe. Not sure what the light cycle is along the pipe.

Michael answers:

Probably very little, it’s at such a high latitude. Anchorage gets way less than half the annual sunlight that LA does, for example:

http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/solar-insolation-levels/

The trans-Alaska pipeline is about 800 miles long. Let’s assume you could fit 1.5 metres wide of panels all along the pipeline, and the efficiency of these panels is 10% (First Solar CdTe are the cheapest, and 8-10% efficient modules. Silicon is more expensive but generally higher efficiency).

The surface area is 1.9 million square metres, which will receive an average of 4 million kWh/day at Anchorage levels of sunlight, or make 0.4 million kWh/day of electricity (ofc, lots more in summer than in winter!)

0.4 million kWh is the energy content of about 2,300 barrels of oil.

However, you must remember that here you’ve accounted for the efficiency of the solar panels but not the efficiency of the oil. If you burn the oil in a car engine, you’ll average 12-20% efficiency in general (and that’s not accounting for the energy needed to dig up, process & distribute the oil or make the solar panels). Assuming you’re using the oil to drive, it’s equivalent to about 10,000 barrels of oil per day, or 3.65m a year.

Joseph asks…

were in ontario are they putting solar energy panels?

i am doing a hw assinment and have not been able to find the answer to this question

Can u plz help me

Michael answers:

Wolfe island off Kingston in Lake Ontario

Jenny asks…

do the holes in the ozone layer affect how much energy solar panels receive?

Michael answers:

The more sunlight that gets in the more power out of a solar panel. Less ozone more sunshine.

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Your Questions About Electricity Games

James asks…

How much electricity a computer consume?

I live on a farm and bills for electricity are about 130€ per month. We already use a lot of electricity, but now I was thinking to start playing video games again, but I dont wanna spend too much electricity. In December I was using the computer all day and the bill was 200€, but I think it was that high cause of Christmas lights.

So how much electricity uses a regular computer? Can you compare with something? Any tips how to save energy?
Ok but I also wanna see, if compared with a TV or something.

Michael answers:

This depends on the rate your electric company sets. Modern computers are rated to handle a maximum of about 300 to 400 watts. However, this maximum is hardly ever reached. Normally, your computer may only be consuming around 100 – 200 watts. Electric companies sell energy by KWh (Killo-watt-hours). So divide 200 watts on average by 1000, and multiply that by the rate.

For example, if the rate were .05€ per KWh, it would cost (200/1000) * .05 = .01€ per hour. So if you ran your computer 8 hours per day, it would cost you 7.2€ per month. If you had a high end computer that used 400 watts on average, it would cost you 14.4€ per month.

Sharon asks…

The electricity isnt working in the game room?

Ok so me and my friend were in the game room and we were running the xbox tv and computer we usually have both xboxs on and 2 computers but this time we didnt. Well all of a sudden the electricity cuts off and we use to be able to hit the reset button in the bathroom but then it stoped working, so whats wrong?

Michael answers:

Do you really expect us to know the specifics of your particular installation or building without a little more information? Is there power in the rest of the building? Have you checked the fuse or circuit breaker box? Is there a grown-up in the house that you can ask?

Charles asks…

Can I claim my internet and/or electricity as tax expenses as a freelance writer?

I work from home reviewing computer-based video games for a living, and the articles are published online. I spend maybe 6 hours a day working on articles, so it goes without saying that without internet (or electricity) I could not do my job. Can I claim these things as expenses? And would I have to file form 8829 if I did, or could I just add them to my Schedule C?

Michael answers:

Of course they are how you make your living. Without them you could not earn an income.

Linda asks…

pokemon gold version for game boy where to find electricity pokemon?

in pokemon gold version for game boy where do you find electricity pokemon? i need one to beat the big fire bird pokemon in the tin tower…… and how do you get the move paralyze? and for what pokemon do you get it for?

Michael answers:

There are 2 good Electric Pokemon in Gold.One is Magnemite & the other mareep.

To get Magnemite go to route 38.
It learns Thunder Wave at lvl 21.

To get Mareep or Flaafy(evolved form of mareep)
Go to route 42 or 43.
It learns thunder wave at 16or 18 not sure of the lvl though.

Flaafy & Magnemite both evolve at lvl 30 to their respective final form.

Jenny asks…

Has any parent pruchased their child a childrens playhouse for the backyard that has electricity?

Today there are tons of backyard childrens playhouses that one can purchase for $5,000 to $8,000.

Have you purchased one for your children? Does it have electricity?

Do you allow them to sleep in the playhouse overnight?

Are these playhouses insulated and cozy or just wooden boxes?

Are the doors and walls safe and sturdy? Or are these playhouses dangerous meaning someone can break in if your children are inside playing board games with the door closed.
If your childs playhouse had a heater inside would you be more likeley or less likely to let them use it to play board games and read in during the afternoon?

Would you close the playhouse door while you leave your children inside to play games or read?

Michael answers:

All of your questions are about parenting. I think you need to ask your friends or relatives to advise you on those question, not people on the web.

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Your Questions About Pv System

Lisa asks…

which are the top 10 solar companies in the world?

those who manufacture pv systems

Michael answers:

1) Solar World 91
2) Trina Solar 89
3) First Solar 87
4) REC 87
5) Sun Power 85
6) Yingli Solar 72
7) Sharp 0 8) Suntech 0
9) Canadian Solar 0
10) Hanwa SolarOne 0

Laura asks…

why pv street lighting system is not recommended for urban area?

Michael answers:

Ask in Science, it’s not a Wordplay question.

Mary asks…

Why does the term PV appears in the open system energy equation and not in that for a closed system?

Thermodynamics

Michael answers:

Open/closed to what? You have to consider the constraints on the system. Usually the PV term refers to the WORK energy aspect of a process (as opposed to the heat energy aspect TS).

But your question is way too vague for any meaningful discussion. There are a lot of ways of manipulating the equations and controlling the system in order to replace or ignore various state parameters.

Donna asks…

How to calculate PV of this problem?

A boiler permit cost $1800 with a escalation rate of 0% and a interest rate of 8%..the life of the system is 20 yrs ..however the permit is renew every 3 yrs..now the answer is Present Value (PV) = $1996.06 ..but i do not know how to get there

Michael answers:

Maybe there’s a typo. I get $6996.34. Could the leading 1 really be a 6?

I threw the problem into Excel, rather than use formulas:
Year-PMT-Int-PV
1-1800-1.000000-$1,800.00
2-0.00-0.925926-$0.00
3-0.00-0.857339-$0.00
4-1800-0.793832-$1,428.90
5-0.00-0.735030-$0.00
6-0.00-0.680583-$0.00
7-1800-0.630170-$1,134.31
8-0.00-0.583490-$0.00
9-0.00-0.540269-$0.00
10-1800-0.500249-$900.45
11-0.00-0.463193-$0.00
12-0.00-0.428883-$0.00
13-1800-0.397114-$714.80
14-0.00-0.367698-$0.00
15-0.00-0.340461-$0.00
16-1800-0.315242-$567.44
17-0.00-0.291890-$0.00
18-0.00-0.270269-$0.00
19-1800-0.250249-$450.45
20-0.00-0.231712-$0.00
ANSWER(SUM) ===>$6,996.34

Jenny asks…

What sort of PV Inverter should i get?

Hi Guys,

I’m sort of a newbie in solar technology and student researching on the topic on PV inverter. Was wondering could anyone recommend me good grid-tied and off-grid inverter for each of the mention types of inverter possible to implement into PV systems for me to start off my research?

I’ve tried searching online but there’s so many variant of inverters that i’m quite lost what to pick because i’m sort of new in this area.. So please pardon me for asking such question in the open..

1. I’m required to identify the inverter’s mechanical, electrical and general/environment specific parameters.
2. Reasons for the chosen types of inverter?
3. A pure output sinewave inverter is preferred rather than a modified sinewave.

Michael answers:

An inverter selection is done for 4 parameters
1. What is your peak power load on the inverter?
2. Do you want a cheap (square wave) or a better psuedo-sine wave one
3. Do you want a grid tie inverter?
4. 120 VAC 60Hz or 230 VAC 50 Hz output? (easy to pick this one)

#3 is selected if you want to sell excess power back the the power company. This one has to be approved by the power company.

#1,4 is obvious

#2, you should get the psuedo-sine wave version if you are driving any electronics.

You are required to list those parameters? By who? Mechanical is just the size and weight. Electrical are listed above. Environmental ??

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Your Questions About Pv Cells

Richard asks…

Need help with the RATE function in MS Excel?

I am trying to find the interest rate of a loan using this function, 60 monthly payments, $92 monthly payment and the initial loan amount was $4,495. When I put in =RATE(correct cell for nper, correct cell for pmt and I am guessing that PV is the initial loan amount), all i get is the #NUM! error.
I just changed the $4,495 to a negative and got 1%, so that’s wrong still?
I changed it to your way and it was also 1%, so does that mean that you just have to make one of them negative or is this just a coincidence?

Michael answers:

The 92 should be negative.

Using your values initially returned 1%, but this is a rounded figure. If you click the “Increase Decimal” button, it will show that it is 0.7%.

If you used a -4495 and still got 1%, then it probably doesn’t matter which one is negative. Whenever I use this function I make the payment negative because I would be “paying out” that amount.

Laura asks…

How do I create a PMT formula in Excel?

I have looked up the PMT formula (Pmt( interest_rate, number_payments, PV, FV, Type )), but I am not sure where to plug my numbers in. The question I am trying to solve is below:

In cell H4, enter a PMT function to calculate the monthly payments based on the amount to be financed. Assume that the loan period will be 60 months, and make the reference to the amount to be financed (in F4, which is 0.0) a negative value in the function (so that your result will display as a positive value). Format cell F4 using the Currency style with two decimal places. The principal is $30290.

And here is what I think the formula should look like: Pmt(0.0, 60, 30290, FV, Type ); assuming that I FV & type are optional.

Please help (:

Michael answers:

What is the interest rate???

=PMT(interest rate/month,60,-F4)

F4=principal balance

Charles asks…

Thermodynamics Question!?

Question:
The mercury manometer shown in the figure is attached to a gas cell. The mercury height h is 120 mm when the cell is placed in an ice-water mixture. The mercury height drops to 30 mm when the device is carried into an industrial freezer.

picture link

http://session.masteringphysics.com/problemAsset/1073972/3/knight_Figure_16_50.jpg

What is the freezer temperature in Celsius?

——————–
My thoughts:
1. the volume of the gas should be negligible because of a hint that is given with the question. (The right tube of the manometer is much narrower than the left tube. What reasonable assumption can you make about the gas volume?)
2. Using the ideal gas law (PV = nRT), and with V constant, the only variables I would worry about are P and T.
3. The temperature of ice water is 0 celsius and thus 273 kelvin.
4. My attempt was ratio of pressure equals the ratio of temperature. so, (30mm/120mm) * 273K = 68.25 which is -204.75 Celsius. This answer is however wrong though. I don’t know what i’m doing wrong.
5. Does it matter that pressure is measured in mm here? How would one convert this mm measurement to pressure in Pascals?

Michael answers:

Set up the ideal gas law for both situations:
P1*V = n*R*T1
P2*V = n*R*T2

Amount of gas is unchanged, and any change in volume is neglected.

Gather and separate variables:
P1/T1 = n*R/V
P2/T2 = n*R/V

Equate the parts which are unchanged:
P1/T1 = P2/T2

Solve for T2:
T2 = T1*P2/P1

NOW, to discuss the units:
All temperatures must be in absolute scales (Kelvin or Rankine), and obviously both the same units.
All pressures must be ABSOLUTE pressures. Because the top of the manometer is exposed to the background air rather than a vacuum, the pressures in units of mmHg are gauge pressures, not absolute pressures.
It doesn’t matter what units you eventually use for pressure, as long as they are the same, and as long as you use absolute pressure.

How to get absolute pressure from gauge pressure:
P_abs = Pbg + Pgauge

Thus:
P1 = Pbg + P1g
P2 = Pbg + P2g

Substitute:
T2 = T1*(Pbg + P2g)/(Pbg + P1g)

Data:
T1:=273.15 K; Pbg:=760 mmHg; P1g:=120 mmHg; P2g:=30 mmHg;

Results:
T2 = 245.2 Kelvin, which translates to T2 = -27.9 Celsius

Steven asks…

how do you add an npv function into vba for cash flows?

I have interest rate as 10% and future value of 1,000. I’ve already done everything in VBA that allows excel to show 10 years of present values, future values and compounding factors. I just don’t know how to add a function in for NPV so that a specific cell would add up all the present values that were already calculated with the formula pv = fv / (1+irate) ^ 1 using VBA and not excel’s npv function or sum of values.

Michael answers:

You have several options here
1- Use the mathematical way to calculate the NPV
2- Use some temporary cells to set the values and use NPV in another cell do calculation, then read the result
3- And the one I used a lot is to use WorkSheetFunction object to use Excel function in VBA, like this
NewValue = Worksheetfunction.NPV( MyRate, MyAmount, etc)

If none of those helped, that means I didn’t get your question right, reply me here.

VBAXLMan

Maria asks…

i cannot open my yahoo mail?

the problem started 2 days ago.i can sign in to yahoo.but when i tried to click on inbox my browser says it is unable to connect.i have tried in IE,OPERA,FIREFOX,GOOGLE CHROME…same thing happens.but i can open my firneds yahoo mail and view inbox..THE PROBLEM IS WITH MY ID..(PV.JAYARAJ@YAHOO.COM)..i am now in UK..and i have told my friend who is in bagrain to check my mail,he can open it from there…and here also i can view inbox from my cell phone..i hav tried my friends system in UK ..problem is still der..i cant view inbox..browser fails..its amazing…mystery…anyone can help???

Michael answers:

What we have here is a multinational problem: your question was posted on Yahoo India, your mail account is American, and you are currently in the UK – maybe that’s what got the Yahoo servers confused. After you tried so many other options, I believe that maybe you get redirected internally in the Yahoo system. Check these explanations taken from the Yahoo help pages, see if they help you any:

<>

If that doesn’t help either, send a mail to email support: mail@cc.yahoo-inc.com, explain all the steps you’ve taken so far.

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Your Questions About How To Build Solar Panels At Home

Ruth asks…

NEED HELP IN QUESTIONS FOR ENERGY/POWER?

3. Are there Solar power plants in Illinois? If so, how many and where?

4. Explain how Solar Panels work.

5. How long does it take for the sunlight to reach the earth?

6. What is the largest form of energy use in the US? How long can the country sustain using this form? What would be our best alternative to this form? Why?

7. What is an active solar collector?

8. What is a passive solar collector?

9. How can solar energy be used to reduce the current use of fossil fuels?

10. Explain how solar energy creates heat.

Find a solar cooker/collector you would like to build at home. Draw a basic example. Are you going to have a partner? If so, who?

Michael answers:

3) none that I know of, I’m sure some people have PV panels at their houses

4) Photovoltaic Energy panels are what you want to know, light from the sun hits semiconducting area of the PV panel (usually Silicon based) and this knocks lose an electron from its shell, which them falls back to its shell releasing some energy, thus light is transformed into electricity, very infefficient…maybe 7%

5) 8 minutes or so

6) For electrical energy most is produced from Coal, next is hydro, next is nuclear with natural gas and oil very small parts. For how long, estimates of coal at 500 years or more, hyrdo is infinite, nuclear is nearly infinite, gas an oil don’t really mattter, we could do without them

7) Active solar collector is a PV panel, takes light and makes electrity
8) Passive solar are things like big brick walls that soak up heat in the day and radiate it out at night to heat your house. They all rely on heat produced from solar energy

9) Lots of ways, PV panels, solar water heating, solar home heating….all would reduce need to consume fossil fuels to make electricity

10) Light photons from sun strike object and are absorbed, the energy is transformed into heat. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only changed form.

Not sure what you mean for the last one, I’m contemplating solar on my next house I’m buying in the next couple of months

Thomas asks…

How much does it cost to build this?

I’ve recently inhereted some land up north in Maine, What Im wondering is, How much would a 800sq foot cabin.I would like to heat the home with Wood, Im thinking a woodstove however Im wondering if a woodstove could heat such an area, and if it can. I was hoping to see if I could get a Basement as well, how much is a foundation for a 800 sq foot house? Now for electricity I am looking at a possible solar panel setup. For water how would I gain acess to a nearby lake or pond? Would I need a pump of somesort? How would I get rid of sewage? would I need a septic tank ?

Im really in need of help and I just dont want this land to go to waste, its on a nice small lake. It used to be a lake house but it was torn down, so now I have open land to build on and just need help.

Michael answers:

You need to look for a few things. Is the old foundation still there and in good shape? If it is you can use that. If it had a basement, did they just fill it in? One of the reasons that folks up North use basements is that you have to go down at least 3 feet 6 inches to get below frost line so the foundation will not heave. It may be more in Maine you need to check. If the home is two blocks or 16 inches above ground you already have 4 foot 10 inches of the basement done all you need is another 3 foot 2 inches. Next how is the land situated and how much sun does the site get. If it has a slope to the lake drainage will not be a problem. If it is in a valley solar may be a problem.
For the septic system, check with local officials of what is required by a lake. A standard septic system or is a fancy one required that will not leach into the lake.
Normal houses cost about 100 to 110 per square foot. You could surely get this done for 80,000 dollars or less if no extenuating circumstances are present. The assumption is that the lot is accessible from a road and that you can get trucks and heavy equipment there to excavate for the basement.
Did the old lake house have power and water? If so the cheapest thing to do is to reinstall them. If not you can start with a generator, but you still need a well of some sort. After a bit look at wind and solar for lights, refrigeration, and whatever other power is required. Make an allowance in the build for these things.
Another question to ask yourself is how much do you intend to use this cabin? If only for a few weeks, use the generator.

Helen asks…

Can the following idea work to save the United States & Re-Invent Itself? R U Reading this Brun the Leader?

I tried to Answer Brun the Leader but Yahoo can’t handle the size of my answer. But it’s a GREAT idea on how to neuter the banks and break us out of this recession, pay off our national debt, and bring unemployment in the USA down to 0. My question is … IS THIS FEASIBLE?
I voted for Chuck Baldwin. Chuck wants to eliminate the Fed. THAT is the only way that I can see of stopping the bankers. Chuck wants to remove the power of money creation from the Fed & return it to Congress.
When the Fed “created” that $700 billion out of NOTHING they then gave it to the banks to HELP them. The banks then LOANED the money back to people, govt, etc WITH INTEREST. It cost nothing to make it and cost the banks nothing to get it but we have to pay them back? What a crock!
If you eliminate the FED … you cut off their FREE money. The Fed is all the Ruling Families & they charge the govt interest on the $700 billion when they make it. So the FED is making interest on it AND the banks are making interest on it. The Fed has this country on lock down in that we can NEVER pay back what we owe. We can barely cover the interest on the money we owe already.
I just published the answer to this whole mess on Triond yesterday. It involves another bail-out but this time it would give the money to GM on condition that they rebuild DEtroit, build NEW homes and build a NEW auto plant that is the MOST advanced of ANY auto plant in the world. Robots & all. They would produce ONLY electric cars and hybrids capable of getting 300 mpg or better. ( see Aptera.com … they are already making them in Carlsbad, Calif. ) They would design these cars to be the best in the world. We have the technology, we have the expertise, we have the resources, GM just needs a boost of cash AND A NEW DIRECTION! WE need to incorporate the ideals of A. Edward Deming (deceased) who rebuilt the Japanese economy after WWII and Ford in 1980. GM needs to focus on cars that will go 300 miles for $3.25. Rebuilding Detroit will bring thousands of new jobs. Giving a lump of money to GE for windmill design and production will make us the global leader in windmills AND solar panels. GERMANY is the current leader in solar. WE NEED THAT and we can TAKE it from them. This is an industry that is new and fresh and needs inexpensive alternative to the expensive panels that are available now.
Dream with me here for a second. Imagine Detroit all rebuilt with thousands of new homes, and refurbished old ones. Take Brad PItt’s idea for New Orleans and use that for Detroit. New homes, thousands of new jobs, new industries. Happy employed people making a product they can be proud of and supplying the world with the best product for the lowest price. No greed, just MASS production. Solar cars, electric cars. I have a friend who is patenting a magnetic motor that will generate enough power (35 amps) to re-charge a bank of 25 batteries in an electric car. These magnet motors can run 24/7 for 20 years with NO cost. You could put one or two in a car and drive up to 200 miles to work. The batteries are re-charged while you are at work for 8 hours. You drive up to 200 miles home and the batteries charge up while you sleep. You take the family to the beach on SAturday and while your kids play on the beach the batteries are re-charged. You go to work … go to the beach … go anywhere you want … and there is NO cost for fuel. Gasoline prices drop to 25c / gallon like in 1960 and Exxon BEGS people to use fuel. Exxon finally gives up and starts making solar panels and hydrogen fuel cells or they make compressed air engines from the designs that are currently being studied in India.
The United STates Re-Invents itself. We bring all the jobs HOME. We bring FORD AND GM plants from overseas HOME. What if we could make a transport ship that runs on solar power. Use solar paint and solar panels all over the surface of the ship. Have a back up of a nuclear powered engine for when there is fog. These cargo ships could deliver our products all over the world at NO FUEL COST! We would employ thousands making these ships. Other countries would create a waiting list for these ships. Think we CAN’T design and build these? Nonsense. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. WE are the most advanced country in the world when we WANT to be. If we diverted our WAR MACHINE and converted all those factories to producing INEXPENSIVE solar panels and electric cars we would be the WORLD SOURCE and the country would prosper. Hell, we would do MORE than prosper. We could pay OFF our national debt, eliminate the Fed, close the IRS, and convert the IRS buildings into billing departments for the world’s corporations. WE could become the information hub of the world. We already control the computer industry and could solidify that in a heartbeat if we wanted to.

BUt the govt would have to CREATE a few Trillion dollars in cash and GIVE it to the corporations that SHOW that they can TAKE OVER A WORLD MARKET! The money could ONLY be

Michael answers:

Roth-child owens 60 sum estates and the idea of cutting off the bread line to the Rothschild’s life it self .They employ thousands if not millions of people Look at John Turmel who is up and in their face protesting usury John and me and you will never stop the family of the Golden Rule .You got the gold you Rule ! And again their God is and always will be Gold, Oil,& Drugs GOD ! What hurts is that we live on the same planet and have the rights as everything that has taken birth
and One family that could Save the World would rather exploit the very people that gave them the power of Control So how many years will we face this abuse and slavery by the few And what would we do with the game of MONOPOLY maybe a game of BARTER AND
EXCHANGE I can sense your frustration to all of this Crap and to know now that where just Slaves and can`t do a thing about it, just grow old and die in and the name of DEBT “God help the Children ;

David asks…

paper questions. is it good?

Count how many electronic devices you own. Now count how many of those you use on a daily bases. Now think about where all of the power to run those items comes from. As simple as it is, many Americans never think about where the power to run their personal gadgets, there only worry is about how big the bill is going to be at the end of the month. The truth is, Americans are the ones who need to think about energy consumption the most, because America uses far more energy per capita than any other nation in the world. This is because we have more money to burn, and we are completely energy dependent. If we want out world to continue to thrive, we as Americans are going to have to start using less energy as a whole and building more ways to reduce dependencies on oil and other unrenewable, dirty resources. The purpose of this paper is to inform the public about the salvations and pitfalls of different sources of renewable energy and the dangerous we will face if we don’t switch to it.
•Wind
Wind is great renewable resource; in this section of my paper I will outline the pros and cons of wind energy.
Wind is energy is completely clean, inexpensive to build, and produces a reasonable power output. However, wind energy can only work efficiently in areas where there is a more or less constant wind. Wind energy works the best in places like California where there is mountain ranges where valleys get constant wind blowing through them. Wind energy does work in Iowa though, mostly you will see wind farms on hills, but if you’ve ever seen an old farm it is most likely that they had wind energy! Wind energy is very old; it in the 18th century to pump water.

Solar
Solar energy is one of my favorite sources of energy. It can be mounted on a roof to create clean power all through the day. Solar energy has several dehabilitating pitfalls though. Solar energy creates enough power to easily run a home, but it creates most of the energy when the occupants aren’t actually home. So a solar panel will run your appliances such as your fridge for free, but in the evening when you get home, turn on all the lights, and the sun is down, solar panels aren’t going to do you any good. So in order to combat this problem, solar panels would have to have batteries, this is completely possible, but unfortunately the batteries would have to be quite big, and very costly to replace once they stopped holding a charge. Solar energy would be great for the Midwest and other less populated areas but in order for solar energy to power places like New York City, you’re going to have to convince Montana to give up half their land for sole solar panel use for the “greater good”.
•Water Power and hydrogen power.

Water power is another very old renewable resource; it was use thousands of years ago to turn big wheels that were dipped in rivers to grind things up. Water power today is more tuned towards dams; dams make good energy, but they harm the environment more than any other renewable resource. Building dams causes the area in front of the dam to flood, resulting in loss of habitat for many an animal. Hydrogen power would be absolutely awesome if we had a source of pure hydrogen closer than the sun to harvest from. The only practical use for hydrogen energy is to use excess energy from solar panels to transform water into hydrogen; this may be a substitute for batteries for solar panels.

•Nuclear energy

In my mind this is the energy that has the potential to save humanity. Nuclear energy puts out tremendous amounts of power and has only a little waste. The main problem with nuclear energy is idiots who are terrified of being saved by it because it might “blow up”. Other problems include: the storage of the small amount of byproduct, eventually we will run out of Uranium (not a pressing problem), and nuclear plants take a long time to build even if they were to pushed through to build immediately, which never happens. German is currently 80% dependent on Nuclear energy and I think we need to follow their lead.
In conclusion, we as people have a responsibility to protect the world and to protect ourselves. In order to accomplish this we need to move forward and invest heavily in completely renewable resources, and stop popping out kids. As previously stated, I believe nuclear power will be our salvation, but we need to invest in all renewable resources; wind energy for California, solar for the Midwest, hydro for places with large rivers, and nuclear for the New Yorkers.

Michael answers:

Generally speaking, when writing a formal essay or research paper, you want to avoid phrases like “I think,” and “In my opinion.” State your facts as facts and leave out anything that isn’t a fact. Unless you’ve been specifically instructed to share your personal opinion about your topic, then you shouldn’t express it in a paper.

Donald asks…

Would you support this type of stimulus package?

Retrofit US homes with solar panels. Insist they must be American Made.

If the Government can spend money to build a dam, why not this as well?

For sake of this example, let’s assume the government would retrofit 18 million homes (1/4 of the 72 million homes in the US) in the Southern US (where the sun shines) at an average cost of $20K per solar panel retrofit.

The above “example” would cost $360 billion (at a constant price) to convert them all to solar.

Some of the things this would do:
1. Thousands, if not 100′s of thousands of permanent jobs would be created making, installing, and maintaining solar panels.
2. A new manufacturing base would be created in the US.
3. Exports of solar panels would be made, reducing the trade deficit.
4. Economies of Scale would lower the cost of solar panels.
5. The use of fossil fuels to produce electricity would be reduced, so less money would be sent to people in Arab countries, so it is a security issue as well.
6. Greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced.
7. Excess generated energy could be sold back to Power Companies, which could distribute it over the grid, lowering their costs as well. .
8. There would be no doubt as to where the money was spent.

“A robust solar electric system will cost about $20,000″.

http://www.thesolarguide.com/solar-power-uses/cost-faq.aspx

How many owner occupied units are there in the United States? Approximately 72 million”.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_single_family_homes_are_there_in_the_United_States

(Please don’t cite the numbers in my example, it is the general principal I am suggesting. If you say it would not be fair to do this with private homes, fine: use government office buildings instead).

Michael answers:

Absolutely.

The whole idea of a stimulus in a recession is that it will used unused factors that are currently idle – for example are capacity utilization rates are all quite low now, as is investment and unemployment is high.

Thus, we get all this stuff for little cost.

The economies of scale argument still holds, since the government won’t be manufacturing the panels themselves (as if economies of scale don’t hold regardless!).

I think you way overestimating the cost. That is assuming an installed cost of 10-12 dollar a watt. But you can buy panels right now for $1.00 a watt, and I don’t know why installation should be ten times cost. If the government doesn’t need to make a substantial profit, I think $5.00 a watt is more likely. That means an overall cost of 180 billion – somewhat more than the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars per year. We could solarize the nation in a few years.

Also, there would be many places where solar was unfeasible.

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Your Questions About Solar Panels On Houses Free

William asks…

make greensburg “green”?

with the destruction of the town of greensburg the mayor qutoted saying “Who wouldn’t want to live in a brand new town? Who wouldn’t want to have a business in a whole new town?” now i ask all you who would not want to live in a brand new green town my thought is to make greensburg “green” let make this town a science wonder of the centary lets make this town pollution free and use it as a test ground for all the new green technologys out there with colleges spending thousands on research in labs lets see if they have real world aplications so lets put them in this town to see where they go. now if you look at it this way if you could put 4 solar panels on each house and and make wind power and every other green power plant here i cant name all the green technologys out there to be use.

tell me what do you think lets make this town green it is one chance to do it and this is it .

this question is open to any thing such as technologys and yes or no answers but explain plz.

Michael answers:

That’s really not a bad idea. Energy efficient homes, with all the energy saving equipment–double pane glass, cieling light, solar panels low flow water fixtures, heated floors (they really do save energy), Heat pumps. And, of course, wind energy. Talk to the mayor of Greensberg. He may be interested.

Michael asks…

shouldn’t people who believe in global warming be more active?

i mean instead of talking about it, if they really care shouldn’t they be riding buses or bikes every day, and sacrificing simple pleasures to get solar panels on there house. and they should probably give up ac too sometimes those units leak and harm our planet. lead by example instead of complaining i say. Dr king did not free the black people by sitting home complaining about slavery he led the way to freedom.Just think if everyone who says they believe in global warming did this we would slow it down a lot if indeed we are the cause.
i do care about are planet i just dont believe in global warming God gave us dominion over the earth and we should take care of it

Michael answers:

Hypocrisy rules. They care more than you so, they can fly in private jets. You should walk or take the bus though.

James asks…

cashless society? the christian disease.?

first off paperless economy doesnt mean its cashless. take your card and you can still make a purchase. heres my idea of a cashless society. society will evolve to the point where each house runs on a electric generator so electricity is free. genetic alteration speeds up crop growth so corn can take as little as 1 day to grow and ready to harvest, thus food is free. a machine to filter and clean the water in the house so water is free. we will be able to fly to another planet and fuel on super solar panels. planets will be devoted for food with machines harvesting and growing the food so you can fly down and grab as much food as you want. everything will be free, this is a cashless society- a society evolved to the point where resources are abundant and plentiful. those who dont believe its possible, well so you claim to be god??? then shut up. all of you christians have been suckered to donations to your church. it should be the other way, hey why give money to god if he cant spend?
was marx a christian??
hey those who dont believe it well believe it, my idea. its a better idea than what you have. you believers of the implant as mark of the beast. guys- there wasnt such technology back 2000 years ago. barcodes are to keep track of stuff and to hinder robbers. if 2000 years ago they knew what was going on, why didnt they kill hitler? and prevent world war 1 and 2.
an act of act of obedience and faith to your minister not to god. hey god should be able to know your mind over money if hes all powerful and all knowing. so money can replace negative thoughts?

Michael answers:

You have been reading Marx, haven’t you????

You know they tried Communism and it didn’t work.

Daniel asks…

what is another good way to sell products besides goin door to door?

Im starting to lose hope on goin door to door giving out flyers for solar pv and solar hot water panels. I dont like to interrupt people on their free time because I know I wouldnt like someone to bother me on my free time. Well besides goin house to house promoting solar energy what are other ways to catch attention from people? So far the craigslist thing wasnt so bad…I had 3 people call me but 1 wants to buy. Any suggestions? I need to make money super quick.

Michael answers:

You may want to try some type of online business. There is an upcoming webinar by FindProfitOnline about making money online without needing to be an internet marketer, no MLM, no product sales and no website.

I am wonder what they are doing, so I am going to be attending this weekend.

Helen asks…

what’s my political party?

Ehh I am not much into politics but I would like to know what my political party is. :)
Here are my views

-Yes for Gay Rights/Marriage
-No on Abortion
-I KINDA agree the war in Iraq.
-Country should start going green. More solar power plants, and solar panels. Government should regulate pollution on companies.
-No tax cuts for the rich!
Yes on Medicare/Welfare, but there should be more restrictions and STRONG penalties to stop the people who abuse it
-Should not trade with countries that deny people basic human rights (kinda iffy on this one, because what if the country has something we desperately need?)
-Yes on free trade
-Capital Punishment? Well Im catholic and I am kinda flip flop on this issue. We can’t put prisoners in life because that means more taxpayers money and I don’t like the idea of killing for someone who killed someone or commited some other capital crime. Ehh I am not sure on this one. I do believe everyone has a right for a fair trial, a fair lawyer and is not guilty until proven guilty. Miranda rights are a must.
-Constitution says everyone has the right to bear arms. Okay, that’s good but there are some people who should not bear such arms. I was devastated by what happened at Columbine and Virginia Tech. I live here in Texas and they recently passed this law. Read it, please http://www.concealedcampus.org/ I am all for guns. I do believe everyone should have the right to protect themselves. Believe me if I had a gun and someone was sneaking into my house late at night, I’ll shoot that dang sucker to death. Just believe some people like psycho people like Virgina tech shooter should not have their hands on these things.
-Immigration? Well I am Hispanic. And live in Texas. I note how most of the constructions on roads and buildings and public structures are constructed by undocumented workers. SOME, not all so don’t twist my words. I am not sure on this topic.

So those are my beliefs. It’s a lot. So what political party do I belong to? Liberal? I know Republican I am not because of course they don’t support Gay Marriage and would not agree with me on my immigration beliefs and other things as well. Democratic?
Another thing about Immigration is….undocumented workers do all the jobs no one wants to do soooooo….hmm. Lol! Why leave out jobs that no one wants to do? Let them do it….
It was funny how they wanted to build a wall between Mexico and the US….who was going to help build the wall? Hard working Mexicans of course. Hahaaa

Michael answers:

Point by Point

Strong Liberal
Strong Conservative
Moderate
Strong Liberal
Strong Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
No idea
Moderate
Liberal

So your far more liberal on more issues then others

You are a liberal with a few religious issues on social issues

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Your Questions About Schematics Online

Lizzie asks…

where can i download armored core 4 schematics online?

xbox 360 is what i want it for <3

Michael answers:

Find a specific site on the following link that can help you to mod your xbox, you need to burn them into DVD Disks to play them!

You need your XBox 360 to be modified with a mod-chip before you play burned games or movies and music etc.
Of course it can play any game of your own, and any movie as you wish after you get your XBox 360 mod-chip installed!
It’s a very mature technical now so it won’t have problem if you get your XBox 360 modified.
Also you can download any PAL or NTSC XBox 360 game as you wish online now.

About the downloading and backup and copy games service: There are serveral sites providing such download services. They are very excellent on the contents, not only Complete big XBox 360 games like Metroid, LOR, American Idols and Guitar Heroes etc. But also many movies, XBox 360 tv shows, music and videos much more!!!

All you need is to join one of those sites to download so many resources. So you can download all those media as you wish!

And some sites can provide simple software help you to burn the ISO Games into DVDs, it is very easy and fast. After the instructions by them, you can go ahead to play those games you burned onto your XBox 360.

Maybe a good review site to those download sites might help you very much on judging which is one is the best for you:

http://www.great-monitor.com/reviews/xbox360.htm

Good luck and have fun with your XBox 360!

Betty asks…

online manuals and schematics for older Johnson and chrysler outboards?

I asked yesterday if anybody knew where I could find manuals and schematics on outboard motors that I colud view online, I got quite a few answers however they were all for mercury, and I failed to mention that I have a ’67 Johnson and a 70 chrysler outboard I am working on, so if anybody knows of a website or an online library that I can go to to find that information I’d be grateful. Thank You

Michael answers:

Go to. Www.google.com and enter: OMC Maintenance Manuals. You’ll get a number of sights offering it.

Then do, Chrysler Outboard Maintenance Manual. You should find all you need.

You might also contact the Antique Outboard Motor Club for guidance. Http://www.aomci.org/aomcfaq.htm

Good Luck!

Thomas asks…

Where can I find a kenmore microwave oven schematic online?

I saw a website with microwave schematics once and now I CANNOT find it. UGH!! Anyone have ideas besides the most popular ones. Partsdirect, repairclinic – I got nothing from them.

Michael answers:

Try managemyhome.com. They have a pretty comprehensive listing of user manuals. Just make sure you have the model number.

Nancy asks…

where can i get free Schematics for a 2004 kia spectra clutch release system?

Im trying to check my work and can’t seem to find a chilton or haynes manual on kia spectra. can anyone tell me where i can view schematics online for a 2004 kia spectra clutch release system?

Michael answers:

The clutch hydraulic line leaves the master cylinder and goes to the slave cylinder.

Mandy asks…

where can i go to see online wiring schematics for a nordyne a/c unit?

Michael answers:

Http://autorepair.about.com/

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Your Questions About Solar Power Panels Efficiency

Laura asks…

can a 400-Watt 16.5-Volt Solar Panel Generator power my house?

I think that that solar panel will give 17,777.78 W at standard voltage (110V in the US), which comes out to be about double of what a standard household uses, taking into account efficiency (decrease to 70%) and cloud cover, night, etc (decrease to 20%). But I might be completely wrong. I would like to hear from those who know more about these things. :D

So is it equivalent to 17,777.78 W at standard voltage (110V in the US)? Or am I just lost? :P
Never mind—power doesn’t change, current does.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090218205052AA5PX3U
:D

Michael answers:

I dont understand your 17,777.78 figure.

Anyway, a 400 wat panel is unlikely to b enough to power your home unless your power requirement is vry low.
Those on solar power (off grid) generally start by reducing their power consumption as much as possible, by cooking on gas, using low enrgy light bulbs, and certainly not using electricity for any form of heating.

We live off grid in southern Spain with 860 watts of panels and it meets our requiremnts.
You can calculate your plower requirements (and find other info) at the link below

Thomas asks…

What is the physics definiton of “power”?Please answer the following questions:?

1. An 85kg ice skater at rest pushes off the wall of the rink, so that he is coasting at 5m/s. How much work has been done by the skater’s arms while pushing off the wall?
2. Every Kilogram of gasoline has about 45MJ of chemical potential energy stored in it. (1MJ = 10^6 J = 1, 000,000J)
a. If a car engine can convert 25% of the chemical energy into usable kinetic energy, how much energy could you get from a 25 L tank of gas?
b. What is the efficiency of this car engine?
c. Energy can not be destroyed, but a lot of it is not being converted in to kinetic energy. Where does the “lost” energy go, if it’s not used to move the car?
3. Modern solar power generators have an efficiency of about 15%. Every second, every square meter at the top of the earth’s atmosphere receives about 1300J of solar energy from the sun. If the international Space Station has 50m^2 of solar panels, how much useable energy do the solar panels collect every second?
What is the physics definiton of “power“?

Michael answers:

1. The skater has Kinetic Energy KE
=.5mv^2=.5*85*25=1062.5J This energy is the result of the skater pushing off the wall and so is equivalent to the work done.
2. You are told that exactly 1/4=25% of the energy in gas is converted to KE. 25% of a 25L tank is 6.25 a)
b. The efficiency is 25%
c. Heat, noise, plus exhaust fumes contain chemical energy.
3. GIven 1300J/s per square meter (Note: 1Joule per second is 1 Watt). Written
1300W/m^2. Now multiply by 50:
=65,000W=65,000J every second.

Mandy asks…

how do i pick out solar panels to match my battery bank?

if I have a battery bank of of 6 L-16 Trojan batteries, 6V 390AH, wired in series parallel to give me 12V at 1170AH (or 14,040WH) what kind of solar panels should I purchase assuming I have 8 hours of sunlight, a solar tracking system and I want to make sure I can fully recharge my batteries everyday if i use up all the power every night?

i understand there are efficiency issues to consider which i have not calculated in yet.

thanks.

Michael answers:

Hey Feemind, we have a home that is powered by the wind and sun, and we use L-16′s also. Our system has 20 batteries, a 1.4 kw solar array and H-40, 1000 watt wind turbine. I have a couple issues with your calculations. You do have about 14 kwh or storage, but if you are planning on using all of it each night, your electronics and inverter will not have access to all that power. The voltage curve of a lead acid battery drops quite low during the last 30% of discharge, even lower when you draw it all out in less than 20 hours. Batteries of this type are rated on a C-20, or 20 hour rate. Your system will shut down before you get through half of the battery capacity. In addition, even if you could discharge those batteries 80 or 90 % each night, they would be shot in less than 2 years. We only discharge ours 15 to 20 pecent each night, and after 11 years, my batteries are toast. We are replacing them even as I write this. That battery bank can reliable give you about 5 kwh each night, then it will need almost 6 kwh the next day to replenish it. Your array will have to produce the needed 6 kwh during the day, and carry all your loads at the same time, maybe another 8 or 10 kwh for your house. In the end you’ll need a large array and a quality charge controller.

Here’s the good news, since you selected 12 volts as your nominal system voltage, it doesn’t matter what panels you choose. Virtually all panels today are wired for 12 volt charging, and have an open circuit voltage of about 17 or 18 volts. You can buy 3 used Solarex VLX-53 panels this week, then find a great deal on BP-120′s next month and add them to the first three, and later wire in some Sharp-210′s. Solar panels all get along fine with each other as long as they are all set up for the same nominal charging voltage and wired in parallel to the battery or charge controller, and you can buy more of them over time until your reach nirvana.

There are some great resources to learn more about this sort of thing, I will list them below. Make sure you have DC rated overcurrent devices at all points exiting the battery, when you have over 1000 amp hours of battery storage connected to your homes electrical wiring, you have a tiger by the tail. A short circuit in that DC wiring without a DC rated fuse or circuit breaker can melt through monkey wrenches, catch 4/0 welding cable on fire and cause battery enclosures to explode. Also, try to install those batteries in some kind of plastic tub to catch any acid that gets loose for any reason. Make sure you water those L-16′s each month with distilled water too, more often in hot weather. You’ll be amazed how much water they go through in a month.

We started down the same road you’re looking down now some 12 years ago, the two best things I did back then was subscribe to Home Power Magazine and go to an energy fair. The fairs are all over the place, and most of them are listed in the back of Home Power each issue. You can hear talks on batteries, inverters, panels and wind turbines and buy discounted parts on the spot, that’s what we did. Spend some time getting more informed on this subject, it will be well worth it. Good luck Free, and take care, Rudydoo

Richard asks…

Maximum & normal power per square meter, can be obtained from the Sun?

Hi, can someone tell me what the maximum power (very strong sunlight during mid-day) and normal power (average power during day time over a day with sunshine) per square meter, which we can obtain from the Sun is? Assuming the efficiency of the collection method is 100%. I’m interested in this because I’d like to know the power limit that we can get from the Sun. I was told the efficiency of solar panels in the market nowadays is just about 15%. By improving the efficiency, we can certainly obtain more power from the Sun but the limit that I ask in the above will be the limit that we can get. Thanks!!!

Michael answers:

Actually this is incorrect. By using a heliostat, (mirrors tracking the sun) you can focus a great deal more than normal sunlight to some area. This has been used to increase the potential of solar collectors. So then the limit is simply an economic one. Do you want 9 mirrors focused on your solar collecter or 9000.

Your calculations may be useful and interesting but certainly not a limit.

Lisa asks…

what is the best way to measure the efficiency of a fuel cell?

a simple fuel cell that uses a solar panel to get the energy to electrolyze water and use the hydrogen to power a small fan.
what would be the best way?

Michael answers:

There are 4 sources of efficiency here: the solar cell, the electrolyzer, the fuel cell and the fan (also the propeller if you want to consider that, too). The easiest way to determine the total effeciency would be to measure each one individually and multiply the efficiencies. There are a lot fo equations for all of this, but basically you would need voltmeters for the solar cell and fuel cell, an ampmeter for the motor, a calorimeter or gas chromatograph for the fuel cell, and a wind speed detector if you want to measure the fan’s efficiency.

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Your Questions About Home Solar Panels Cost

Donald asks…

what is the cost of solar pannels?

i want 2 use atleast 72 kilowatt of electricity for my home so what will be the approx cost of setting up solar panels at my home

Michael answers:

Solar panels costs over Rs15 per KWh
Approx. Rs 12 with subsidy.

Jenny asks…

about how much will it cost to change your home over from an oil summer winter hookup to an electric home?

I have an oil summer winter hook up, and what I want to do is convert it over to a fully electric home. After that install solar panels. How much will the conversion of an oil run home to an electric run home be?
Just to be clear I’m not looking for the price of going solar but the price of taking out my homes oil system and making the home fully run on electric. Taking oil tank and oil burner out and changing over the base board system and rewiring etc.

Michael answers:

It depends on the size of the house , a working solar system is about $20,000 for a small house say 1000 square feet, the price goes up from there

Paul asks…

how affordable these days are solar panels for the home ? why arent we as a country doing more for the planet

looking to lower energy costs and help the planet at the same time what i as a consumer can do

Michael answers:

Solar panels will indeed pay for themselves – eventually. But it will take many years (between 15 and 50) before they do. And its a lot of money to lay out at once.

There are, though, federal tax incentives for installing solar panels. In parts of the country, there are also state incentives and utility rebates that can help. In some places, these incentives will help to drop the payback to less than 10 years.

For information about incentives in the US, go to the first link below. It lists all the federal, state and utility incentives available, state-by-state.

You can also call a local solar installer, who will certainly know about local incentives and who can help you size and cost a system for your home. I’d recommend that you find an installer from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. This will ensure that your installer has some experience with these systems. I’ve put a link to their web site below.

If you live in a subdivision, you should be aware that some subdivisions do not permit solar panels for aesthetic reasons.

Good luck.

John asks…

Is there any one with solar energy out there and was it worth the price?

Im trying to see if its worth the cost for solar panels installed at my home.

Michael answers:

Solar water heating is the short answer.

Depends what you call worth it. Are you talking only in the monetory sense or are you more interested in the environment.

I presume you are on grid?

Linda asks…

I want to power my new home I am building on solar power alone what will the cost be roughly?

I also want to stay off the electric grid . It would cost an additional ten thousand dollars to be hooked into it and I want to be independant from utilities. Would solar panels and batteries power lights and T.V , computer , washer dryer ect.

Michael answers:

I doubt this is realistically possible- the battery storage required would be tremendous. This is why net-metering is available in most parts of the country. You want to be connected to the grid but able to generate your own power.

Just size your panels appropriately and look for other design ideas to minimize your electricity demand;

geothermal HVAC
daylighting
super-insulation

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