Re: [OT]Solar Power

[Martin Howell <martin.howell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Depends on your viewpoint, as the girl said to the sailor. If they
last
20 years and you've paid them off in 10, then you have 10 years free use
and your money back at the end

Martin

Chris Hunter wrote:
>  > Looked at another way, you are investing £10k at an
interest rate of 10%
> pa ...
>
> don't forget that with solar panels the capital will be written-off -
> ie: the effective interest-rate will like as not actually be negative
!
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> Martin Howell wrote:
>
>
>>If you're gonna do it, do it big.  I have been looking at solar
panels
>>recently on the basis that electrickery is going to get more
expensive
>>over the next hundred years, while the price of PV panels is likely
to
>>drop.  You're right, the big house-sized panels do cost a lot, but
the
>>reputable makes are mostly guaranteed for 20 or 25 years, and at
today's
>>electricity prices, I reckon the payback period is around 10 years.
As
>>the price of the mains stuff goes up, the payback period comes down
to
>>maybe  7 or 8 years.  I estimate the cost of installation to be
around
>>£8 - 10k, less if you can DIY lots of it, and the output is
better if
>>you make the panels motorised so that they swivel to follow the
sun.
>>
>>Looked at another way, you are investing £10k at an interest
rate of 10%
>>pa, won't get that in the Hong Kong and Scrotum Bank, o no.
>>
>>I'm seriously looking at the idea, either full autonomy with a
garden
>>full of old tractor batteries, or an arrangement to sell the
daytime
>>juice to the 'grid and buy it back when its dark. You do need a few
sq
>>metres of panels, though, so be prepared to cover large parts of
the
>>roof and/or garden with them.
>>
>>Be aware as well that in spite of lots of froth from Tony, grants
are
>>like rocking horse poop.  Not only that, but you have to use an
approved
>>installer, whoops, there's the grant money gone.  I'm doing some
more
>>digging to try to buy the panels direct from the manufacturer, then
its
>>up on the roof for me.  Watch this space.
>>
>>Martin
>>
>>Phil Harris wrote:
>>
>>>Have you seen the price of solar panels big enough to generate
a decent
>>>supply of electricity? :-O
>>>
>>>Phil
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx]
>>>>On Behalf Of Crick, Steve (UK)
>>>>Sent: 06 April 2006 09:31
>>>>To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>>>>Subject: [ukha_d] [OT]Solar Power
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Does anybody on the list have any views on solar power?
With
>>>>the rising fuel costs, it is starting to look attractive.
>>>>
>>>>I have googled the subject, and seems that you can have
>>>>electricity and hot water panels.
>>>>
>>>>This is an area that I know nothing about, so I would
welcome
>>>>any views on either type of device. Is one better to have
>>>>than the other? Are there any pitfalls?
Suppliers/installers
>>>>that people would use again (or
>>>>avoid!)
>>>>
>>>>Probably more for the self build lists; but I have never
self
>>>>built so I am not on those lists, and anyway most of my
>>>>electricity consumption goes on the HA gadgets and PC
servers
>>>>anyway...
>>>>
>>>>Thanks - Steve
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