Photovoltaic solar panels

[1stwahine]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

The U.S. Army has been installing photovoltaics on the roofs of all the new base housing at Schofield Barracks.

http://starbulletin.com/2006/05/26/news/story04.html

This is an interesting thread. HPHA should take a look at it. They could learn from it. I've been without Hot Wata "off" and on foa several weeks. Some residents ova one year! We gotta boil Wata to bathe and wash our dishes.

I no kid you!

Auntie Lynn

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

I've been without Hot Wata "off" and on foa several weeks.

How much is the State's "efficiency" in repairing and maintaining, and how much is neighbors who use too much?

[1stwahine]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

How much is the State's "efficiency" in repairing and maintaining, and how much is neighbors who use too much?

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Well, Da Manager himself said foa "Pray foa SUN!" The Solar panels are OLD. There is a project to start but neba start yet. In the mean time, there are "quick fixes" which suppose to help but alas, once a week Hot Wata is what we're getting. When it's Hot, you betta make shua you run and bathe first cause the whole building is doing the same!

As foa neighbors who use to much? How about neighbors who use too little! Juss joking!!! NOT!!

Auntie Lynn

[Zovo]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

Unless you already have a hot water system installed on the home, PV is a somewhat pointless investment.

The hot water system alone can save you anywhere between 30-50% on your electric bill if sized properly and depending on your water usage. A PV system will sve you between 15-30% and costs about 3 times as much.

If you don't already hat a hot water system installed, all the power generated by your PV is going to go to heating your water anyway.

However, there are some pretty unique opportunities out there for making PV panels more affordable to the average Joe; you might want to look around. <.< >.>

[Menehune Man]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

To switch tacks a little here...

A good friend of mine lives on his 28' sailboat in Keehi Lagoon.
Of course, much smaller electrical needs than a house, though
the boat's completely self-sufficient through a solar panel and bank of batteries!

Now, if mounted well and alot of them, while being very efficient in usage, solar can power a household too.

That's my "Fiji" plan!
Someday, someday...

[Zovo]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

To switch tacks a little here...

A good friend of mine lives on his 28' sailboat in Keehi Lagoon.
Of course, much smaller electrical needs than a house, though
the boat's completely self-sufficient through a solar panel and bank of batteries!

Now, if mounted well and alot of them, while being very efficient in usage, solar can power a household too.

That's my "Fiji" plan!
Someday, someday...

Absolutely. There are number of folks on Oahu who are completely off the grid. They pay HECO zero dollars a month.

[alohatim]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

About DC vs AC pumps...

My last house had an AC pump that worked really well. Why not let the bigger more efficient PV panels in my array help run it rather than a tiny square that stuck off the solar collector like a sore thumb?

With our new house, the plumber preferred to install a DC pump that moved water whenever it was sunny rather than based on temperature differential. Our water tank happens to be in the closet next to the living room. What I found is that as clouds pass by, you hear the motor ramp down then ramp up again when the cloud has passed. It is a minor annoyance, but in the next house I will make sure the tank is far from the living area and the pump will run on house current. The pump motor should also run on a circuit that is on my battery backup.

I have a hybrid PV system--solar power supplements utility power. If the grid goes down, the inverter shifts over to a 4 battery backup (or solar if the sun is shining). It shunts off the power to the outside automatically. It will sense when the utility is back up and return to normal operation. What impressed me is that the switchover takes milliseconds--I don't even see the lights dim. Since the batteries are only used in utility outages they should last for many years. The batteries require practically no maintenance at all.

[Composite 2992]

Re: Photovoltaic solar panels

Interesting to see what's available out there now.

A few years ago I did a rough pricing to provide enough power to get us a zero net metered bill.

That meant generating about 19 to 29 kilowatt hours a day.

The cost would have been close to $40,000. From what I've seen so far today it looks like it's now closer to $14,000 or less for a grid-connected system. It would be more for one that uses storage batteries.

At $200 to almost $300 per month, it would pay for itself in about five years. Definitely worth looking at now!