Anyone Has Solar Power?

[YSS]

So, last week my wife texts me around noon. "I just came home and we don't have power." I am like 'oh oh, when did the power go out?' I called the power company and I get a recording saying the issue has been already reported and the estimated time for the restore is between 2 and 4. Not bad, but I am starting to get uneasy. I texted my wife around three but no answer. I leave work around 3:30 and got home at 4:00. The power was back on. My discus tanks seems ok. I look over to my african tank and all the fish are gasping for air. I go over there and both AC110s and Fluval 405 did not start. I look in the tank, and three tropheus and one very nice Taiwan Reef I got from Phil are dead. They were all very very nice fish. I got all my filters restarted and fish were fine within 15 minutes.

Now, having a generator would not have helped in this case. Generator will only help when you are home when the power goes out. I have been thinking about solar power for a while and this incident has really got me thinking more seriously about it. Not only solar power is green, but in the long run much cheaper, and I will never have to worry about losing power.

Anyone here have solar power installed? Any comments? Pros and cons of having solar power as an owner of the system?

 

[jonclark96]

I don't have solar installed by looked into it a few years ago. The initial cash output is pretty high. In my case, for 2,500 SF house, the estimate was $75,000. The companies that install the panels say that it takes about 10 years to get your investment back, but that has some assumptions that you acutally generate more than you use and start backfeeding the power company. I stopped looking when I figured I didn't have $75k laying around.

 

[ddavila06]

a simple battery operated air pump could solve your issue i think =( is always sad loosing fish.. is there a pump that stays plugged with batteries and goes on when power comes off??? that would be nice.

 

[dogofwar]

I have a couple of Hurricane 5 battery pumps...that operate like regular pumps (plugged in)...and automatically kick onto a re-chargeable battery when the power goes out (which lasts about a day). They also run on D batteries...

Matt

 

[Andrewtfw]

There is a cheap version of the Hurricane pump Matt is referring to. Don't buy it. I can't recall the company, but the pumps are dark blue in color and retail about $12-$15. I bought five about a year ago. None of them work through the outlet.

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Now, having a generator would not have helped in this case. Generator will only help when you are home when the power goes out. I have been thinking about solar power for a while and this incident has really got me thinking more seriously about it. Not only solar power is green, but in the long run much cheaper, and I will never have to worry about losing power.

Anyone here have solar power installed? Any comments? Pros and cons of having solar power as an owner of the system?

You can have a generator hard-wired to your system to kick on in power failure events. I don't have personal experience with them, but I know its possible.

Why not try battery cell backups? They store enough power to keep low-load electronics running for several hours without power. That would likely cover you long enough to get home when it failed. They're usually geared more for computers, but function for any electronic device. Definitely cheaper than solar power.

I've heard mixed reviews of solar panels. It seems they only function well in large groups, and as John said, for a decent sized house the investment can be substantial.

 

[leisure_man]

I agree the ROI is not there for solar power even with the incentive factor into it. I just built a house and was looking into the solar option, ROI was in the 12-13 years around here and power company has the option to not want the extra 'juice' I generate. I would suggest you buy a UPS (Uninterrupted power supply) the one you use for your computer. Plug the air pump into the UPS and when you have a power outage the UPS will keep the air pump running for at least a few hours to a few days (depends on the size of the UPS). You can do the same with the heater if you have 1 or 2 tanks.

 

[mrkillie]

I don't have solar installed by looked into it a few years ago. The initial cash output is pretty high. In my case, for 2,500 SF house, the estimate was $75,000. The companies that install the panels say that it takes about 10 years to get your investment back, but that has some assumptions that you acutally generate more than you use and start backfeeding the power company. I stopped looking when I figured I didn't have $75k laying around.

There are now tax credits and stuff that make the cost much lower - they vary by state. I would do it, but they aren't allowed by our HOA, at least not yet.

 

[Tony]

Maria and I were really excited about solar earlier this year. As with most other items that contractors install (decks, windows, siding, etc), the markup is just plain stupid. There are several websites that lay things out nicely for potential DIY'ers.

To get the ball rolling and to check for feasibility, we called up the locally advertised solar company. From a quick check on Google maps, he stated the obvious.... our house is way too shady, lol.

Even with partial shade, it's not worth it. We were considering taking out the big tree in or back yard (for when we build a porch next year), but would rather avoid it because of the energy we probably save on cooling costs in the summer.

Anyway, if you have the sun, don't write it off so quick. If you're the slightest bit handy, you can get something set up yourself for around (or under) $10K. It won't handle 100% of your energy consumption, but will knock out a huge chunk. With the $400/month energy bills we get some months, the break-even point would be far quicker than 10 years.

If you live in the hills, there's wind power - which is way more bang-for-your-buck than solar if you're in the right location.

 

[YSS]

Maria and I were really excited about solar earlier this year. As with most other items that contractors install (decks, windows, siding, etc), the markup is just plain stupid. There are several websites that lay things out nicely for potential DIY'ers.

To get the ball rolling and to check for feasibility, we called up the locally advertised solar company. From a quick check on Google maps, he stated the obvious.... our house is way too shady, lol.

Even with partial shade, it's not worth it. We were considering taking out the big tree in or back yard (for when we build a porch next year), but would rather avoid it because of the energy we probably save on cooling costs in the summer.

Anyway, if you have the sun, don't write it off so quick. If you're the slightest bit handy, you can get something set up yourself for around (or under) $10K. It won't handle 100% of your energy consumption, but will knock out a huge chunk. With the $400/month energy bills we get some months, the break-even point would be far quicker than 10 years.

If you live in the hills, there's wind power - which is way more bang-for-your-buck than solar if you're in the right location.

I am not a real DIY'er, but I know someone who can do the work for me for a very reasonable cost. Back of my house is wooded and shaded, but front of my house which faces south is not. I think it gets pretty much full sun, but I will have to check. If it costs something in the $75K range, it's not worth it, but if it's in the $10K range, it might be worth looking in to. Thanks for the info, Tony.

 

[mdlnewman]

http://www.solsystemscompany.com/

These guys offer solar leasing options.

 

[AndyNarwhal]

A Generac home generator would be the better option. They are hardwired into your home electrical system and run off natural gas. If your power goes out it kicks on automatically and will run until your power is restored.

Solar power may not have the best benefits economically right now but there is the intangible "green" factor. Of course if your power goes out at night or on an overcast day it doesn't help you much which is why the generator is the better option for emergencies.

Andy

 

[YSS]

Of course if your power goes out at night or on an overcast day it doesn't help you much which is why the generator is the better option for emergencies.

Andy

I believe all solar power systems come with battery cells that allow you to charge the cells for use when the sun is not out.