Solar Power..

[Fury]

Well my parents were thinking of installing some solar panels in our home which will cost a few thousand and was wondering if anyone here has them installed or knows how they work. What are they like, pros/cons etc and was it worth getting it?
Thanks.

[klokus]

Well, I made my "big task" about this ("big task" = task you have to make when you finish highschool). But it is in Dutch, and build around the Belgian tax-system.

[chickenfeather]

Installing solar panels at this time is not very cost effective. The technology hasn't met up with the cost yet, so the time it takes for your investment to pay for itself will be quite a long time.

Pros :
- you aren't paying for electricity from the city anymore
- it looks cool and you can brag about them
- clean energy(unless your solar cells are made with toxic metals)
- if you hook it up to the power grid, some cities will pay you money because you are providing power

Cons :
- high initial cost
- rate of return on your investment is low
- maintaining the cells (keeping them clean of bird poop) might be a pain
- by the time the high efficiency cells come out, you will kick yourself in the head for paying so much for these crappy ones

[woutR]

In Holland it can easily pay itself back within a few years because of the tax bonus you get.
If there are any real cons to be listed it's tax benefit so look that up. It'll save you loads for the initial purchase.

[Snoopy]

I have some solar panels on my house and they work great. With an average of 300+ days of sunshine a year there's no shortage of sunlight willing to be captured.

Chickenfeather basically said all the pros/cons . And Australia is already developing its high efficient solar cells.

[klokus]

Let him tell in what country he lives?

[ImmortalKiller]

Installing solar panels at this time is not very cost effective. The technology hasn't met up with the cost yet, so the time it takes for your investment to pay for itself will be quite a long time.

Pros :
- you aren't paying for electricity from the city anymore I doubt anyone will get off "the grid" if they're just going for a quick green renovation
- it looks cool and you can brag about them Most people agree that the solar cells don't look good at all-- as a matter of fact, before America went through their "green" phase, adding solar cells decreased the overall value of the house because of their aesthetic qualities.
- clean energy(unless your solar cells are made with toxic metals) It took energy to make the cells. That energy is called electricity, which is primarily created thanks to coal. But it will make the consumer themselves more "green".
- if you hook it up to the power grid, some cities will pay you money because you are providing power See "pro #1". It's damn near impossible for a normal person to get off the grid, let alone be supplying power to the city. And I want source on this one.

Cons :
- high initial cost Relatively high-- but usually those who are eco-crazy don't care about price.
- rate of return on your investment is low Wrong. Just takes a while to pay off, maybe 5 years.
- maintaining the cells (keeping them clean of bird poop) might be a pain It really isn't. All I've got to do is go on the roof, which has been made easier by my parking my car next to an easy-access point of my house. There are similar solutions for many people, such as ladders... ~.~
- by the time the high efficiency cells come out, you will kick yourself in the head for paying so much for these crappy ones Yes. But the "initial cost" you complained about will clearly rise.

[Snoopy]

Installing solar panels at this time is not very cost effective. The technology hasn't met up with the cost yet, so the time it takes for your investment to pay for itself will be quite a long time.

Pros :
- you aren't paying for electricity from the city anymore I doubt anyone will get off "the grid" if they're just going for a quick green renovation
- it looks cool and you can brag about them Most people agree that the solar cells don't look good at all-- as a matter of fact, before America went through their "green" phase, adding solar cells decreased the overall value of the house because of their aesthetic qualities.
- clean energy(unless your solar cells are made with toxic metals) It took energy to make the cells. That energy is called electricity, which is primarily created thanks to coal. But it will make the consumer themselves more "green".
- if you hook it up to the power grid, some cities will pay you money because you are providing power See "pro #1". It's damn near impossible for a normal person to get off the grid, let alone be supplying power to the city. And I want source on this one.

Cons :
- high initial cost Relatively high-- but usually those who are eco-crazy don't care about price.
- rate of return on your investment is low Wrong. Just takes a while to pay off, maybe 5 years.
- maintaining the cells (keeping them clean of bird poop) might be a pain It really isn't. All I've got to do is go on the roof, which has been made easier by my parking my car next to an easy-access point of my house. There are similar solutions for many people, such as ladders... ~.~
- by the time the high efficiency cells come out, you will kick yourself in the head for paying so much for these crappy ones Yes. But the "initial cost" you complained about will clearly rise.

You actually can get yourself off the grid. I know people living here who have done so and are now able to feed back into the grid. It is possible.

I don't know about the US but Australia gives good rebates for purchasing Solar Panels and having them installed.

[StealMySoda]

I know in the UK you can feed back to the grid and get paid for it.

[TOloseGT]

like ppl here said, it all depends on where u live. the u.s. is kinda behind on eco-friendly business than most other first world countries.

also, do some reserach before just installing them outright. u need those panels to be aligned perfectly wit your location's sun angle, you also need to make sure there aren't tall trees that could shade your panels, cuz that'll decrease your panels' efficiency by a lot.

[Snoopy]

also, do some reserach before just installing them outright. u need those panels to be aligned perfectly wit your location's sun angle, you also need to make sure there aren't tall trees that could shade your panels, cuz that'll decrease your panels' efficiency by a lot.

They have some panels they're on a thing which moves as the sun moves to get the most sunlight.

[TOloseGT]

if u have the money

[Fury]

I live in Australia for those who are wondering

[EvGa]

Watched a discovery show on the new high-efficiency panels AND ones that are flexible.. They manufacture them in rolls.. So they could be put basically anywhere on anything, conforming to any shape. Pretty neat stuff.

They also showed a house running on conventional panels which did feed back into the grid and they got paid for it.

[Snoopy]

Here's an option for it. They have these in central Australia, they too rotate with the sun.



The light lands on the mirrors and the brightest part is reflected onto the solar cell.

[Priam]

It'll cost ya, but that'll get better after a few years.

Props to your parents.

[ImmortalKiller]

Snoopy- I know it's possible to get off the grid- but most people will not get off the grid.

[Sovereign]

There was a guy on British news who covered pretty much every part of his house that was exsposed to the sun with solars and now every year he profits from around 40,000 pounds when he sells the electricity back to the grid.

Im not sure if everyone could do that, but certainly sounds nice.