Question by Brett R: Does anyone know the average cost to install a solar panel and wind power system?
How much will it cost for a working solar panel and working wind mill?
Best answer:
Answer by Suzii
Google has alot of links on both of these inquiries.
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Solar Power System Technologies; visit DIY Solar and Wind Power
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whsgreenmom says:
May 29, 2012 at 4:23 pm (UTC 0)
I can tell you how much my system cost. The total was $ 26K, but I got a $ 10K rebate from my utility and I’ll receive a $ 2K tax credit. Next year the fed. tax credit will increase to 30% of the total cost. I have a 3.75kwh system with 19 panels. I generate over 75% of my electricity in the summer and so far this winter I’m still at about 50%.
Just to give you an idea of the savings, I should break even in my 6th year. The system is guaranteed for 25 years, so I’ll be getting at least 18 years of free energy. My highest bill in the summer was under $ 20 and I haven’t seen a bill above $ 35 since they were installed.
Where you live, the direction your home faces and shade factors will determine how much energy you can generate. Getting 1-2 years of usage history will help determine what size system will work best for you. I suggest contacting a local licensed contractor and having them give you a free no obligation bid. That is the best way to see what is possible and the costs for your specific situation.
Robert D says:
May 29, 2012 at 4:36 pm (UTC 0)
That will depend on a few things that you didn’t mention. A few considerations are size of the house/building, amount of electrical items such as lights etc. that you plan to operate. The other thing to consider is whether or not you are going to store electricity for use when there is no light or wind. You can ben on grid or off grid, which means you either have wire coming to your house with commercial power or not. I can tell you this, Costco was recently selling a system that didn’t store power and was solar only for about 15k, this would provide about 50% of the power being used by the residence and get you some money back from your provider, it would take about 15 yrs. to break even on your investment. A friend of mine put in a system which was wind and solar, did lots of work himself and stored power in batteries, his cost was about 30k with lots of rebates at the time. He was able to provide about 80% of his needs for a large 3 bedroom residence. This was in California with lots of wind and sun, he has since moved and took the system with him.
A note to consider, technology is changing fast, read before you buy.
Bloosolar.com is a good one, the other one is Nanosolar.com, lots of good info, good luck!
VirtueOfIntolerance says:
May 29, 2012 at 5:15 pm (UTC 0)
a whole lot more than the amount of money it would ever save you.
it depends on how big of a system you want. I mean geez, what are we talking about? 1 solar panel? or a whole array?
if you think you can run your house on one solar panel, then I’ve got news for you. No way. Solar panels are so incredibly inneficient that to really run an entire house on solar power, you need 20-30 of them and even then there’s a lot of things you can’t run, like the AC.
I think that a whole house setup might start somewhere around $ 20K
There are much more efficient ways to use solar power than solar panels:
– rooftop water heater
– pool water heater
– power generation using the “solar trough” method of heating oil or water using parabolic mirors.
Natural Home says:
May 29, 2012 at 5:24 pm (UTC 0)
A few of the potential disadvantages of solar power include cost and location. If you or your neighbors have mature trees that shade your roof, solar power panels may be difficult. Like many of the previous posts stated, solar power panels can be costly, ranging from $ 30,000 to $ 50,000. After this initial investment, however, they produce electricity for the life of your home. Not all roofs can bear the additional weight of the panels. Depending on your location, the panels must be cleared of dirt, snow, and bird droppings to maximize their potential.
The ideal conditions for wind power at your home is a minimum of an acre of property and at least 10 feet higher than anything within 300 feet, such as trees and power lines. If you decide to build a stand-alone wind-energy system for your home—which can cost up to $ 25,000 installed—monitor the wind on your property for at least one year before construction. Experts say adequate wind speed must be at least 16 miles per hour.
Here are the pros of wind energy, taken from Natural Home magazine. Wind energy can lower electricity bills by 50-90 percent. With rising natural gas prices, wind power is cheaper than conventional because its prices remain fixed. Xcel Energy reports that in fall 2005—when natural gas prices soared—homes using 100 percent Windsource energy saved an average of $ 10 per month over a similar home using conventional power. Federal incentives are available, http://www.dsireusa.org
Natural Home magazine says that the disadvantages are cost, location and zoning regulations. There are no federal tax credits for homes with wind systems. Because the wind is unpredictable, rooftop turbines are less productive than towers. Your neighbors my protest the turbines and zoning regulations may restrict the installing all together. The cost is extreme, $ 35,000 to $ 40,000 depending on the location.