Another stimulating conversation with Chubs, today it was on why don't we all have solar panels on our houses? I told him that was a great question, and it all boils down to cost. Solar panels sound great and one day they will be, but right now they still don't cover all the needs of a house. The next question from Chubs is do they keep working at night? I said no. Solar panels require the sun to make electrical energy. It can either be used to charge batteries if it is a stand alone system, or if connected to the city power supply, it will make the little spinning measuring thingy run in reverse. If you are real good and don't run your air conditioner, the city might even owe you a little money.
That sounds great, why don't we have one already? They have come and talked to us about installing one, I just didn't think it would be cost effective. Units start in the $20,000 range, although when they came around they had incentives to where it might only cost about $8,000. That is a lot cheaper, but you have to remember it doesn't cover all your electric service. Maybe it saves you $200 a month, and a little less over the winter months since the sun isn't as strong and you just don't run things like A/C in the cold. I see a savings of $1200-$1500 a year. That is great, but it would still take the unit running at tip top shape for maybe 6 years to pay itself off, if we had the city incentives, otherwise it would have to run perfectly for close to fifteen years to see the unit pay for itself. Now, how many things do you know that can be left out in the sun and still last that long without breaking down. I just could not wrap my head around the idea there wouldn't be maintenance issues on an electrical device that is left out in the rain, in the cold, in the awful heat here in Texas. I certainly am not climbing up on a ladder to my second story roof, that idea makes me queasy.
Coincidentally, we see solar panels in our lab from time to time. We are helping them make them better. Someday, it may be that a small panel is all you need to run a house, or maybe even a car, that will be awesome. And it would be awesome to be off the grid and be self sustaining, but that dream is still maybe a decade away.
If we ever get to where we don't have bills, I wouldn't mind investing in them. I've heard they raise the value of your house, and nothing would be cooler than getting a check from the electric company for them buying my electricity, and not the other way around.
I love that Chubs is interested in stuff like this, it just tells me there is a good brain rolling around in that huge melon of his.
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