Solar Energy

[entrepresooner]

With all the hype about "Peak Oil" and $8.00/gal before the end of summer, I have started researching solar energy. I think it might be interesting to discuss everyone's experiences and thoughts on the topic.

For instance I live in Houston, a city of 2.14 Million, Texas where there are roughly 30 homes using solar power. Texas has the propensity to harness more solar energy than any other state. Due to poor state funded initiatives this potential is currently being wasted statewide. The exception is Austin where the only electric company is city-owned, and people can have as much as half the cost of a grid-connected system subsidized.

California, on the other hand, is leading the way in government assistance for solar energy, and solar energy is growing in popularity.

I think that solar energy will be the way to go in the future due to its unlimited availability and relatively low environmental impact.

What do y'all think?


Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Outlook for Houston solar power: Cloudy | Houston | Texas News | Texas Cable News | TXCN.com | News for Texas

[Squandered Halfpints]

I was pursuing a similar possible business venture along the same lines. I wanted to get into financing, marketing, and selling residential PV systems. I found another forum that is tailored specific for topics on solar energy - "solar electric discussion forum." If you look under the threads I started (squandered halfpints) you'll see some great responses that are related to your post. <http:www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/index.php>

[tazman9r]

Solar is great, but it must work as a headache free option to, or in addition to, grid power from companies that use coal or the like. The moment you have a dark neiborhood due to lack of sunlight for a couple days, you'll have people complaining about it and running back to coal powered plants. On the other hand, if the homes were built to be primarily solar with coal as a back up thus reducing their costs with no interruption of electricity, now your discussing a viable solar solution.

[entrepresooner]

Solar is great, but it must work as a headache free option to, or in addition to, grid power from companies that use coal or the like. The moment you have a dark neiborhood due to lack of sunlight for a couple days, you'll have people complaining about it and running back to coal powered plants. On the other hand, if the homes were built to be primarily solar with coal as a back up thus reducing their costs with no interruption of electricity, now your discussing a viable solar solution.

You're exactly right. There are two options: 1) Grid-Tied 2)Independent w/ Battery back up.
With a grid-tied system your solar electricity is supplemented by "the grid" when the sun isn't shining. But when the sun is shining you can actually spin the meter backwards by producing more electricity than you use. This results in a credit during summer months that you can then use in the winter, when you don't produce as much power. This is all assuming you have built your system to the right size.

A battery system is independent of the grid and stores your surplus power in a battery bank that is then used when you run out of sun.

[HarveyJ]

In Australia, the rebate for getting your house hooked up with Solar was just cut unless you earn $100k+, so there's been a massive cancellation of orders (because you know, it's only worth doing something if there's a government rebate in it *rolls eyes*).
It's actually driven a number of businesses that just started up in it right against the wall.

It should actually be fairly easy to run your house on about 12kW of solar panels, which isn't all that pricey, if you've taken some decent energy saving measures.
Get Coiled Fluourescent bulbs instead of regular light bulbs.
Get an energy efficient fridge.
Front loader washers and driers use a lot less energy.
Turn off appliances using the off button, not the standby button.
A 36" LCD or plasma is still using about 450w in standby mode... So's a dekstop computer.

[jasaunders]

A 36" LCD or plasma is still using about 450w in standby mode... So's a dekstop computer.

450W ???

TV's don't even consume half this much power when they are on, let alone in standby mode. Most 36" LCd's or Plasma's consume less than 10W in standby, and more and more products meet EnergyStar requirements that consume under 1W, especially computer monitors.

[RLorenzen]

I think solar energy is the way to go too. It's expensive right now, but we have to start building new homes to include it. Just like everything else, the more people that get it the lower the price will go.

I recently profited off of solar energy in the stock market. I had Trina Solar (TSL)

[HarveyJ]

450W ???

TV's don't even consume half this much power when they are on, let alone in standby mode. Most 36" LCd's or Plasma's consume less than 10W in standby, and more and more products meet EnergyStar requirements that consume under 1W, especially computer monitors.

under one watt? Are you serious? You think it takes one joule per second to run a TV in standby? It takes more than that to even keep the the infrared receiver on, let alone keep the heating elements primed so that it turns on quickly.

No wonder there's an energy crisis

[tazman9r]

You're exactly right. There are two options: 1) Grid-Tied 2)Independent w/ Battery back up.
With a grid-tied system your solar electricity is supplemented by "the grid" when the sun isn't shining. But when the sun is shining you can actually spin the meter backwards by producing more electricity than you use. This results in a credit during summer months that you can then use in the winter, when you don't produce as much power. This is all assuming you have built your system to the right size.

A battery system is independent of the grid and stores your surplus power in a battery bank that is then used when you run out of sun.

Sounds good, and I see you use of the word "credit", which does not necessarily imply a payment, but if all the grid's customers are generating there own power, how then does that grid pay technicians to perform maintenance, fix power lines, etc.?

I also see you suggest that the grid is also solar powered, which is not a bad idea, but is that a plant located remotely in, say, the desert, where the sun shines 300 plus days a year?

I guess the point I am coming to is that usually the thought with solar is that we will all screw the big bad power company by using solar, and then they will owe us. What I will tell you is that under the method you describe above (which, by the way, is about the most thorough I have seen put into this, so I commend you) what I beleive would happen is the power companies as we know them would either go out of business or be absorbed as they are by either the state or federal government. Now the power supplied by homes does not necessarily turn into "credits", but is rather collected and by the state and sold to other entities, and your still paying additional taxes to now pay for the above mentioned maintenance, fix power lines, etc. And now your power is controlled by the state, even though it's generated by a panel on your roof.

I know this is a bleak picture, but it is the kind of picture that comes to my head when I hear Hillary Clinton say she would take oil company profits, or Maxine Waters suggest that the oil companies should be run by the government, or Barack Obama Suggest that we (the U.S.) can't just eat what we want, keep our homes at 72 desgrees and drive SUV's (or whatever) and expect the rest of the world to be ok with it. I'm not the one painting the picture.

Don't misunderstand me, I love the solar idea, and the technology is becoming more viable. I would just want to be careful to introduce solar as a viable business, a profit generating industry. See, profits are taxable, and therefore the industry protects the individual (however inadvertently) from government intrusion by paying it's taxes to the government "beast".

[science53]

Good idea. You'll need to find someone with a lot of experience in solar installation. I'm guessing texas is a great state for solar and it is only a matter of time before solar takes over.
Goodluck.

[jasaunders]

under one watt? Are you serious? You think it takes one joule per second to run a TV in standby? It takes more than that to even keep the the infrared receiver on, let alone keep the heating elements primed so that it turns on quickly.

No wonder there's an energy crisis

You may want to checkout IEEE 1680.

Also, here's the link to the ENERGYSTAR requirements for monitors and computers. You'll notice monitors are required to consume less than 2W in standby and less than 1W when off.
Computers Key Product Criteria : ENERGY STAR

[jshua]

i think solar energy is the best alternative energy resource becuase it is very plentiful and we done have eo wory about the sun going out. I think everyone should switch to solar power. I am also look ing into solar energy. I think another energy resource that is also very good is wind energy

[Lambo]

solar energy is the future..

[consumertreehouse]

Solar is easier, at least in my opinion. No wiring, no chance of electrocution, etc.... All of my outside lighting is solar, as well as my fish pond pump and filters and fountains. My family owns several acres of land in Oregon that is used for vacations. The entire property is solar; both cabins, water source, etc.....

One thing that I have wondered for that last few years is why Las Vegas is not running on solar and wind power. If you've ever been there you know that the sun is usually out and the wind is strong enough to lift you off the ground and toss you across the street, plus with all the flat desert land there is ample room to install solar. Just think it's rather odd that cities who are more than equipped to take advantage of solar energy don't bother to do so.

[jasaunders]

Solar is easier, at least in my opinion. No wiring, no chance of electrocution, etc.... All of my outside lighting is solar, as well as my fish pond pump and filters and fountains. My family owns several acres of land in Oregon that is used for vacations. The entire property is solar; both cabins, water source, etc.....

One thing that I have wondered for that last few years is why Las Vegas is not running on solar and wind power. If you've ever been there you know that the sun is usually out and the wind is strong enough to lift you off the ground and toss you across the street, plus with all the flat desert land there is ample room to install solar. Just think it's rather odd that cities who are more than equipped to take advantage of solar energy don't bother to do so.

What makes you think Las Vegas isn't using or trying to use solar energy? There are a few things involved:


1) It is cheaper (short-term) for the companies to purchase renewable energy than to generate their own.

2) There is a company called Nevada Solar One located just south of Las Vegas which does generate energy from solar power. And this solar plant is one of the largest in the world. The local utility company, Nevada Power, has a long-term contract to buy power from them. There are also other solar power companies in and near Las Vegas including Powerlight Corporation that has a 3MW facility and Nevada Power themselves owns a facility that uses photovoltaic tracking arrays.

3) Many people want to expand solar generation in Nevada, unfortunately there is a moratorium on solar plants on federal land because the Bureau of Land Management is conducting studies on environmental impacts. This is expected to take another year and a half.