California Becomes First State to Mandate Solar on New Homes

originally posted by: interupt42
a reply to: Phage

Apparently it saves about $650 a year, so about 14 years to pay for itself.

I would like to see how they came up with those numbers. Does that assume that the system will not require any replacement parts ,100% productivity, maintenance, or failures over that 14 year span?

I personally would love to get Solar and other alternative energy sources and be energy independent. However, the ROI doesn't appear to be there just yet.

14 years is a long time for an average home owner, If they got it down to a 5 yr period that would be more reasonable IMO.

It is not very expensive at all.

The power companies and regulators make it complicated.

The fact that most people have electricity already makes alternatives less attractive.

a reply to: howtonhawky

Expensive is relative but
A supposed 14 year ROI under most likely unrealstic ideal conditions reported by an agency that is trying to push it by painting the best picture possible, not expensive?

Sounds like not a good ROI for most home owners in the long term, and that is assuming the panels and parts of the system even last the 14 years to break even

originally posted by: DBCowboy
If Satan existed, he'd have invented HOA's and time-shares.

I also invented lite 'beer'.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: DBCowboy
If Satan existed, he'd have invented HOA's and time-shares.

I also invented lite 'beer'.

Not true at all, lite beer is from the Gods. It allows man to replace water with beer consumption and increase responsible drinking from 3 beers to 3 12 packs.

Solar is a Huge scam it takes 30 years or so to break even and on top of that the Solar company's sale the contracts to the electric company's so they can use them as clean energy credits .

Solar is not a scam

The companies are using solar to scam folks.

One can really only truly appreciate solar if they have nothing else.

If you have access to sun then you can power your home for less than 10,000 for a good off grid system.

a reply to: howtonhawky

I agree solar is great for off grid just wish it wasn't so expensive to buy out right even at $10 grand it would take 5 years to break even at $150 per month before you get free energy .

And $10,000 is a small system.

originally posted by: Gargoyle91
a reply to: howtonhawky

I agree solar is great for off grid just wish it wasn't so expensive to buy out right even at $10 grand it would take 5 years to break even at $150 per month before you get free energy .

And $10,000 is a small system.

Well people are wanting to have their cake and eat it too.

Stay on the grid and also be a part of the grid.

No one will ever win being grid tied.

Actually it is not even that expensive as i stated if one does not mind getting second hand panels at .50-.99 cents per watt.
you will need from 2000-5000 watt for average house with water well and ac.

They have new 10,000 watt inverters for around 500-1000

batteries will run around 1,000

wiring around 200-500

Honestly starting from the bottom with no electricity then one can truly realize just how much the regulations are jacking with the systems and peoples opinions of them.