Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: ckilmer

I don’t think this is very likely. It’s not just cost, although cost is an issue. It’s also what’s physically possible for a given residential user.

I priced out a $40K system for my house. Turns out, because of where I live and other geographical factors, I’d generate enough electricity to offset maybe 15% of my electricity usage. I’d have to cover my house, my detached garage, and my two sheds with solar cells to generate the bulk of the electricity that I use. At a cost way higher than $40K. And without needing the electricity for an electric car.

The problem is that I live in the middle latitudes of the US, not an area where there’s enough strong sun enough days of the year, where we can expect a certain number of days of rain and cloud cover. So, not only do costs need to fall by an order of magnitude, but efficiency needs to increase by nearly as much.

I’ve been hearing about “breakthrough” solar technology “just around the corner” since I was a teenager. I’m in my 50s, now. I figure I’ll be driving fossil fuel vehicles till I die, and so will most everyone else.


87 posted on 01/24/2014 5:46:11 AM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: sitetest

Good post about your circumstances [$40K outlay] ...

Don’t forget, the life expectancy is only 10-12 years, so you gotta figger in the cost of replacement too!


96 posted on 01/24/2014 11:57:34 AM PST by Lmo56 (If ya wanna run with the big dawgs - ya gotta learn to piss in the tall grass ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson