Palmer's 6.48 kilowatt system cost $30,380 fully installed. The federal government will give him an income tax credit for 30 percent of that bill. As a resident of Washington with Washington-made equipment, he'll also receive .54 for every kilowatt-hour of solar energy his system produces up to $5,000 a year. What's more, the local utility will purchase his excess electricity at the retail rate, which in Seattle is currently .11 per kilowatt hour at peak demand.
With all of the incentives factored in, Palmer reckons it'll take ten years to pay off the home equity loan he used to pay for the solar system and about $40,000 for a new energy-efficient home heating system, insulation, and to seal leaky windows and doors.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Seattle is going Solar... Solar Panels
"Seattle is one of the most overcast cities in America. It is infamous for how rainy it is," the software engineer said. Yet, he added, it is just as cloudy in Germany, which leads the world in the number of solar-powered homes. If it works there –- and it does –- it will work in Seattle. Palmer's neighbor has had a solar system on his home for several years."
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17 comments:
Welfare for rich people. Is this a great country or what?
...to seal leaky windows and doors.
Yeah, well isn't that the first thing to be done - and cheap and easy - to save energy costs rather than going bass ackwards installing high cost solar panels first?
A rational comment on my part. I must be slippin'.
In other words, his neighbors who don't have solar panels will be forced to pay for his electricity.
Whether solar is "doing something for the environment" is also debatable.
About six months ago, I read that new tech solar panels, for the first time in history, produced more energy during their lifetime than they consumed in their manufacture. In other words, all solar panel production and deployment up to six months ago was a net waste of energy.
Add in heavy metal pollution produced during mining and production processes and... what is it exactly that is being done for the environment?
Few things scream "white privilege" louder than a middle-aged white guy with a pony tail getting government-subsidized solar panels installed on his house in a city where it's usually cloudy.
Pay-triarchy!
Haz. Nailed it.
...with Washington-made equipment,
.... that were manufactured in China, right?
Mr. Palmer's reckonin' is off just a bit. With the tax rebate and the Washington State kickbacks it will take over 20 years to break even on the 30k loan he took out for the solar system. This doesn't include the 40k he plans to spend for the new heater and insulation.
But he's slowing the rise of the oceans, so there's that.
Is it working in Germany? I remember reading an article suggesting it wasn't working.
I have a 15w panel in the side yard for curiosity. It keeps a 12v battery in the basement charged, which battery, like the international space station, is there to give the solar panel something to do.
I've never gotten more than 8w out of it, even with a MPPT tracker.
There is so much wrong with solar that I don't know where to begin. My delicious account is screwed up or I'd provide copious links. I will note, however, that Spain went whole hog for solar yet it destroyed four jobs for every one it created and people's bills went sky high. When Spain dropped all the subsides solar companies collapsed. Germany is now following Spain's experience as industry is moving out of the country citing increased costs and intermittent, undependable power loads which play hell with many high precision manufacturing processes which need a constant power load else much of the assembly line equipment will be ruined.
Solar does not work in Germany and it sure as hell does not work in Seattle. Seattle is not that rainy (it is about the same as NYC) but it is definitely overcast most of the year (July, August and Sept being the exception).
The only way solar "works" in Germany is with mandatory regulation, substantial subsidies, and very high electric costs there.
But you know what Washington has, a bunch of hydro dams that Germany does not. Now it took a toll on the salmon, but it does generate lots of renewable power each year.
Oh and those solar panels are made in China and the Chinese are fucking up the environment making them. But who cares, it is far away…
There are some uses for solar. I would love to have a solar powered mechanism on the gate at the end of the driveway. Push the code at the stand when you want in and it automatically opens and then closes and re-locks as you pass farther in. That way you don't have to get out of the car in inclement weather to open and close the gate. Many people have these in our area. It is much too far to wire for 'real' electricity. The only problem would be in deep winter if the snow was too deep. You'd have to shovel and get all wet anyway.
Solar rechargeable lanterns are very cool. Practical for power outages. Solar charged radios as well.
For a whole house. Stupid. You won't live long enough to recover your costs. The storage capacity for excess power generated during the day is pretty pitiful. And in Seattle, the likelihood of being able to generate enough have a large array of storage batteries or to sell back ....piffle. Pipe dream.
A good rule of thumb is that coal/gas/nuke power plants run all the time, and solar sleeps at night when you need it the most.
In slight defense of solar, when it's working you're generating less power at conventional plants, so they use less fuel in that amount. So it does save fuel.
You still need all those plants though for when solar isn't contributing.
You save fuel, not plants.
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