Posted: 9/12/2011 6:46:11 AM EDT
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Just doing some basic research here. I'm looking into pricing a solar panel set up. My wife and I high balled 3k kWh during February/March and low balled 500 kWh during October/Nov. last year, averaging roughly 1500 kWh during the summer this year.
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)? |
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size it a minimum of 20% larger than you think you need (I'd go 30% if I could afford it)
The panels will lose effectiveness when they get dirty. having some extra room power wise will help you when you forget to hose them off, or you put an unusual load on the system. |
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Quoted:
What would something in my energy usage range generally run me (understanding costs vary from area to area)? For a grid-tied system, installed costs start at around $9 per watt, and go up from there. If you want a stand-alone system (i.e., inverter, batteries, transfer switch, etc.), you'll pay a bit more. Assuming you live in a reasonably sunny area that gets an average of 4 hours of solid sunlight per day, your $9 per watt will buy you around 4 watt-hours of power per day, or 120 watt-hours (0.12 KWH) per month. So, if you went with a 1500 KWH system, you'd need 1,500 KWH / 0.12 KWH per $9 = $112,500 worth of system. Naturally, spending some money on reducing your energy consumption (i.e., more energy efficient appliances, use of ventilation instead of A/C for part of the day, etc.) could reduce the cost of the solar system significantly. |