Posted on 07/03/2022 3:47:24 AM PDT by AbolishCSEU
I figured it had to be a bad cut and paste job, so I went to the original site and that mangled sentence is right there in Berkeley's original article. BUT, it turns out it is a lousy transcription of a video investigative report by Berkeley. He spoke good English in his video report and somebody really butchered the transcription.
Source Power blamed a "volatile market, war in Ukraine and COVID for causing financial challenges to third party energy companies." Energy Cooperative of America blamed "extreme pressure in markets and price spikes."
I'm surprised Source Power didn't blame Trump and Putin directly.
How viable are these companies if they cannot weather predictable economic upsets?
Too bad Berkeley didn't dig a bit deeper and expose the folly of solar power in upstate New York.
The Source Power site is a real laugher...
"Bridging the Gap Between Solar Development and Utility Customers: A Free Subscription to Local Solar Farms Provides Guaranteed Savings to Supply Customers. Community solar is an array of solar panels that have been installed in a specific area that allows nearby residents to have access to the clean energy that is produced."The solution is obvious: Brandon needs to step up and provide greater subsidies to these companies.
Yes, I refuse to get “sucked into” the third party generator shams. Period.
Does anyone know how much energy a solar farm in the Rochester area actually produce since it is cloudy in this area? So far this summer we are getting some great weather but in the winter I think at times we are lucky to see the sun.
Blueflag wrote: “When we retire, we’ll be able to afford our utility bills. Will you? FJB.”
We won’t have any issues paying our bills. We are having a whole house generator installed next week but that’s because we don’t trust Biden to keep the lights on. Our 24Kw generator will.
We did look at a solar/battery set up. It produced half the power at three times the cost.
26% ITC. List price of about $85K ( batteries were cheaper then ). Turn key, 25 year full maintenance and support.
15% cash discount.
It was a great deal overall
10 kW system. 20 kWH batteries.
Work the amortization against the then average power bills, it was a 12 year payback.
With the rate increases, it’s about 7.5-8 now.
Oh, operating cash flow is really positive.
I pay about $600 a year for my electric...my heat is gas...
The systems are not cheap. Do I have to live to 100 to get my return??
24Kw? Yikes! Not messing around. Choice of fuel?
And that’s the problem with renewables: grid integration. And as a problem, that’s a biggie.
On a household basis, though, renewables make a lot of sense.
But the way Deep State is doing it isn’t about common sense, protecting the planet.
It’s another scam. Just like CoupFlu. Just like Ukraine.
And a note to any journo worthy of the job description who may be lurking: I’m not kidding about our land banks.
I know how to do that in bankruptcy. I suppose it will cut down on bankruptcy if all you have to do is send a letter. Maybe some sort of state regulatory power that the contracts were subject to? Or just clever drafting by $1200 an hour lawyers?
“I will dispute any statement that well designed RESIDENTIAL solar with batteries doesn’t work.”
Sunny Days Per Year:
Phoenix — 299
Atlanta — 217
Rochester (NY) — 165
Daylight Hours on Winter Solstice:
Phoenix — 10
Atlanta — 10
Rochester — 9
Snow Covered Solar Panels (annual snowfall):
Phoenix — 0
Atlanta — 1”
Rochester — 77”
What may work in Arizona and Georgia, may not work in upstate NY.
The money has always been in the ‘building green’ not the ‘operating green’. You are in the right end of the buisness.
It was a no-brainer to go with NG since we already have NG on the property for heating and cooking. You need to be careful on the power ratings since the fuel affects the generator output. Our 24kw is for propane. It’s 21kw with NG.
NG will probably be the last source to fail in hard times. I don’t have that option here - sadly. I am aware of the downrating charts.
No question.
One HAS to be realistic about production.
One would likely have to nearly double the number of panels I have (34) to get the same annual production. So unless and until panels, wiring and inverters drop to half the cost per kilowatt produced, you won’t go ROI positive in the higher latitudes. If you just WANT to do it, perhaps for resilience/backup, then count it as a solid state generator (zero ROI for fueled generators) that you use every day.
Be honest with yourself about production and expectations.
Difference is you use your Solar system every day. Generators are seldom used.
We used to have a dual fuel Generac on a different house. Used it twice for real in 8 years.
$18K all in for using it twice? There’s no ROI for that.
Solar system you use every day.
I’d refigure your costs 😉
BTW, we still have the Generac, fully amortized now, as a secondary backup. But its plug it on/manual right now
Once Enphase releases the generator integration software, we can reattach the Generac for auto failover and/or wattage augmentation.
Blueflag wrote: “Difference is you use your Solar system every day. Generators are seldom used.”
We didn’t get the system to recover costs.
“NG will probably be the last source to fail in hard times.”
should NG ever fail, it’s back to cave living and wood heating for the tiny handful of survivors, and the shakeout will occur in a matter of weeks ...
i choose a portable installation with the unit on a trolley kept in heated garage on trickle charger plus quick connects when needed, instead of fixed outdoor installation due to brutal winters that could bury outdoor unit in snow and freeze engine oil, exactly the times it's most likely to be needed ... as is, i can connect it and start it IN the garage, instantly power the whole house and then roll it out under the garbage-can shed ...
Good. That’s the right answer, and you already know that.
Best of luck. Enjoy your 4th.
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