Tankless h20 heaters, solar panels, and hail

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by Philip T

It is now 2013, heading towards 2014.

Update from this century to the curmudgeons from the last . . ..

Solar panels have been around for some decades, now.

Actual damage due to hail is very rare, as they tend to be tougher than the shingles underneath -- which they protect.

If this were not true, they would not be insurable.

As far as economics, we have installed them for some years now, where they are over 100% paid off in advance.

Real knowledge, real information -- get it, use it, share it, benefit from it.

Did I miss the real numbers in your post?

How much did YOU spend? How much did you get in subsidies? How much do the panels generate?

Let's see some pics. Publish your actual numbers. This man did.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...nment?gcheck=1

Over $40,000 total and he saves a few hundred a year in his electric bills.

What a huge waste.

[kidicarus89]

With that guy's logic, he should factor in how much it costs the U.S. to keep an entire Naval fleet parked in the Persian Gulf to ensure the free flow of oil to international markets. Or the billions that energy companies get in tax writeoffs every year.

Has the government been subsidizing renewable energy to spur investment and infrastructure? Absolutely. Does it also subsidize every other form of energy we currently use, including oil, nuclear, hydropower and ethanol, at several orders of magnitude higher? Absolutely.

For an accountant and self-professed libertarian he's not the brightest guy.

[eyewrist]

Originally Posted by tombraider

Who knows about tankless water heaters? I saw someone one here said having one on the second floor made them nervous. I don't know anything about them. Are they risky?

Are there a lot of solar panels in the Dallas area? I hear you guys get bad hail storms that damages the roofing also??

And I noticed a lot of privacy fences and different roof types. Does the wind damage these fences a lot?

I have both tankless water and solar panels. The tankless gas water heater (Nortiz brand) which is located in the garage since 2010 and never had a problem with it..ever. I like the endless hot water, the small amount of space it uses which afforded me a new storage space and the cost of my electric has decreased by 1/3 because there is no need to keep a tank of water at a certain temp 24 hrs a day. Another feature is that I can adjust the temp at a push of a button or even turn it off when on vacation. There is a max safe temperture though so those of you who like being an active participant in a crawfish boil may not like that feature. Total price 4K

The solar panels were installed last month. I had the roof replaced (35/40 year composition) and the solar panels (30 year Mage brand... German made) installed...price 9K and 13K respectively. The solar panels are for harvesting energy for the energy company NOT to have for generating your own electricity. You would have to have a small closet full of batteries for that and it would cost much more. Oncor installs the new "roll back" meter and reprograms your Smartmeter to display input of solar energy. Rebate from Oncor is 28% which I received within a month which was close to 4K and Federal is 30% will be done during next year's taxes...total return will be 58%..over half the cost returned to me. Can't complain about that.

In preparation for this I had a tree removed which was dying (now firewood) to get the full sun exposure. Since I bought a older home my pecan tree is blocking two of the panelsin the early morning hours so I will need to get that trimmed back. And because of their miscalculation of sun exposure, the company that installed them knocked off an additional $200 due to this fact. I switched to Green Mountain Energy which matches your energy production at equal rate unlike other two companies you have to choose from.

Now bare in mind I did the easiest, most cost effective things in 2009 FIRST before I did these things. They were:
1. added 13" insulation in the attic
2. storm windows added
3. programmable thermostat installed
4. placed removable solar screen in sun exposed windows for solar gain and loss during each season,
5. had whole house attic fan into the home which is my favorite and
6. planted Texas native plants and added expanded shale and peat to the soil around the yard to reduce water use

I hope this helps you in your decision.

BTW Austin TX and Louisana are BIG on renewable energy. You can see many home with solar panels on them there

[DitsyD]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

We have a tankless water heater, and no, there's nothing to be "nervous" about it being on the second floor. There is almost zero risk of leakage from it, unlike the traditional tank kind. I would never want a traditional water heater, or a washer, on a second floor.

We do occasionally get hail storms here that damage composite roofs, and they would also trash solar panels, too. No, the panels are not common at all, and most HOAs forbid them for appearance reasons.

No, we do not usually get enough straight line winds to damage fences.

Metal and tile roofs are not usually damaged by hail.

Texas Solar Rights

Originally Posted by DSIRE

Property Owners' Associations (also known as Homeowner Owners' Associations or HOAs) are not allowed to include or enforce provisions within their regulations, covenants, or by-laws that prohibit or restrict homeowners from installing a solar energy device.

By law, in Texas, HOA's cannot prohibit solar panels.

[kidicarus89]

Originally Posted by eyewrist

I have both tankless water and solar panels. The tankless gas water heater (Nortiz brand) which is located in the garage since 2010 and never had a problem with it..ever. I like the endless hot water, the small amount of space it uses which afforded me a new storage space and the cost of my electric has decreased by 1/3 because there is no need to keep a tank of water at a certain temp 24 hrs a day. Another feature is that I can adjust the temp at a push of a button or even turn it off when on vacation. There is a max safe temperture though so those of you who like being an active participant in a crawfish boil may not like that feature. Total price 4K

The solar panels were installed last month. I had the roof replaced (35/40 year composition) and the solar panels (30 year Mage brand... German made) installed...price 9K and 13K respectively. The solar panels are for harvesting energy for the energy company NOT to have for generating your own electricity. You would have to have a small closet full of batteries for that and it would cost much more. Oncor installs the new "roll back" meter and reprograms your Smartmeter to display input of solar energy. Rebate from Oncor is 28% which I received within a month which was close to 4K and Federal is 30% will be done during next year's taxes...total return will be 58%..over half the cost returned to me. Can't complain about that.

In preparation for this I had a tree removed which was dying (now firewood) to get the full sun exposure. Since I bought a older home my pecan tree is blocking two of the panelsin the early morning hours so I will need to get that trimmed back. And because of their miscalculation of sun exposure, the company that installed them knocked off an additional $200 due to this fact. I switched to Green Mountain Energy which matches your energy production at equal rate unlike other two companies you have to choose from.

Now bare in mind I did the easiest, most cost effective things in 2009 FIRST before I did these things. They were:
1. added 13" insulation in the attic
2. storm windows added
3. programmable thermostat installed
4. placed removable solar screen in sun exposed windows for solar gain and loss during each season,
5. had whole house attic fan into the home which is my favorite and
6. planted Texas native plants and added expanded shale and peat to the soil around the yard to reduce water use

I hope this helps you in your decision.

BTW Austin TX and Louisana are BIG on renewable energy. You can see many home with solar panels on them there

Nice! I'm planning on purchasing a home in a few years time and I think you made the right move tackling the efficiency of your home before doing any solar installation. You mentioned its an older house, what kind of windows do you have installed?

[eyewrist]

Originally Posted by kidicarus89

Nice! I'm planning on purchasing a home in a few years time and I think you made the right move tackling the efficiency of your home before doing any solar installation. You mentioned its an older house, what kind of windows do you have installed?

The original windows are there I just rechaulked them inside and outside THEN had simple storm windows placed atop of them...nothing fancy. I looked at the newer homes and the older ones. I may be biased but I like older homes for the simple fact that they weren't thrown up so quickly and so close together as they do with the newer homes. The foundation is one full, THICK slab, real wood paneling, in set book shelves ( I'm a reader) and cabinetry inside is really to the word "custom made", plumbing is good, bedrooms are HUGE but closet are not walk in except in the master bedroom and the landscaping has already been done for you with large established trees which keep the home cool in the hotter months. Any energy efficient appliances and upgrades you can do yourself or get a good handyman to do it for little of nothing.