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AR15.COM
9/11/2011 10:10:52 PM EDT
Just doing some basic research here.  I'm looking into pricing a solar panel set up.  My wife and I will high ball 3k kWh during the winter and low ball 500 kWh during the fall, averaging roughly 1500 kWh during the summer.

What size set up should I be pricing?  Is it as easy as looking at a 2-3k kWh package?  Power and energy are different, I know, but are the two measurements the same for the this application?

What would something in my energy usage range generally run me (understanding costs vary from area to area)?
9/12/2011 4:44:48 AM EDT
[#1]
Here's one place to check out. http://www.freesunpower.com/
9/12/2011 10:44:08 AM EDT
[#2]
$35,000  to $40,000 for hardware, if you are willing to do all the  work, ie  drilling holes,setting poles, bolting up racks of solar panels,  cribbing up batteries, crimping, soldering and heatshrinking all connecting cables,  programming  the charge controllers, burying conduit, installing  both AC and DC breaker panels, etc.
   As long as your family understands  conservation, and you dont plan to  run  absurd items like ELECTRIC HOTWATER heaters, and ELECTRIC clothes dryers, you should do just fine with 35 or 40 thousand dollars.
If you are in Arizona,, Texas, New Mexico, or some  high desert, low latitude area, you can probably do with  less Photovoltaic, but you  would need more  inverter power  to run Air Conditioner equipment.