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Old 02-14-2009, 02:13 PM
 
24 posts, read 81,534 times
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I am considering a grid-tie photovoltaic solar system installation on my house. In my part of Texas we receive abundant sun with little cloud cover. I wonder if it is cost-effective. And what about city and HOA ordinances designed to discourage solar power? Where do I start?
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Old 02-14-2009, 09:37 PM
 
7 posts, read 18,886 times
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Try greendallas.net
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Old 02-16-2009, 11:15 AM
 
Location: North Texas
468 posts, read 1,886,363 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carol247 View Post
Try greendallas.net
Greendallas.net is a great web site chock full of great information, but it's a product of the City of Dallas. So consider that if you don't live in the City of Dallas.

Most HOAs will balk if you choose to install PV Panels on your roof. Especially if seen from the street.

Presently, Texas doesn't support "Net Metering", which is when you can sell back to the grid the surplus electricity you generate. But it's coming, they tell me.

PV panels and the associated controls have a very long ROI. Considering a small house will have a 100 amp service panel. That equates to about 12 kilowatts to be totally self sufficient from the grid and about the price of $40K or more at the present cost of installing PV panels. I did the math on my own house and if nothing terrible happens (Texas Hail Storm), the ROI wouldn't happen for 15 years.

It's good that you want to consider PV Panels. Someday the price of those suckers will be in reach of average people and not just Jay Leno. But Jay has all the money and he can afford it. In the meantime, there are dozens of other projects you can do to reduce your dependence from the grid.


I am a Certified Green Professional (http://www.nahbgreen.org/Education/greenprofessional.aspx - broken link)via the National Association of Home Builders.

Last edited by Korel; 02-16-2009 at 12:10 PM..
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Old 02-16-2009, 05:39 PM
 
143 posts, read 702,056 times
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Article on Solar Power at dallasnews.com
Oncor offers rebate for solar panel installation | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas Business News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-oncor_16bus.ART.State.Edition1.4c0eb55.html - broken link)
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Old 02-16-2009, 08:22 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,832,630 times
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think the stimulus pkg has small tax incentives for doing green things

check out lots of info on the internet
but it is not really a payback situation unless you are looking at very long term
the cost of installing solar panels is really one of the most expensive energy "efficient" retrofits you can do
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Old 02-17-2009, 09:12 AM
 
Location: North Texas
468 posts, read 1,886,363 times
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Smile "Oncor to help pay for solar panels"

Quote:
Originally Posted by jtltke137 View Post
Article on Solar Power at dallasnews.com
Oncor offers rebate for solar panel installation | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas Business News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-oncor_16bus.ART.State.Edition1.4c0eb55.html - broken link)
I was just coming online to share this same information. I read it in my DMN Monday, February 16th paper. This could be just the thing to convince us to pull the trigger! (install PV Panels).
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Old 02-17-2009, 09:23 AM
 
Location: Lake Highlands (Dallas)
2,394 posts, read 8,593,636 times
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What's Your Solar Potential? - RoofRay - great way to find what your output will be, based on orientation and such.

Oncor is giving rebates of 30%.

Fed is giving rebates of 30%.

This means you'd get a 60% discount. If you have good Southern exposure, the cost per KwH over the 25 year life of a system with this discount is about 6 cents per KwH.

HOA's are a different issue. Look up the bylaws in your HOA - many new HOA's don't allow them to face the street cause they're "ugly". There is case law in other states that say there cannot be restrictions on solar arrays, but to my knowledge, there is none yet in Texas.

Good luck, and let us know about your system once it's designed and you have the costs. Thanks!

Brian
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Old 02-17-2009, 07:07 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,832,630 times
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my HOA is over 20 yrs old and I guarantee you I think it has policies against solar panels
whether the HOA would revise is debatable--the subdivision was started about the time of the 80s oil embargo and they had proactive outreach about things like not burning the NG yard lights many people had in their yards then...but no solar--not even water panels to heat the pools...
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Old 02-17-2009, 07:17 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,832,630 times
Reputation: 25341
I think that site calculates that I would get almost 90% effective use of solar panels and would wind up making money...
why don't I believe that...because at least half of my roof is in shadow a good part of the day so how can I get any use of solar panels there...
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Old 02-18-2009, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Lake Highlands (Dallas)
2,394 posts, read 8,593,636 times
Reputation: 1040
Quote:
Originally Posted by loves2read View Post
I think that site calculates that I would get almost 90% effective use of solar panels and would wind up making money...
why don't I believe that...because at least half of my roof is in shadow a good part of the day so how can I get any use of solar panels there...
That site only calculates for orientation, not shadowing (it's a 2-D image - impossible to know shadow issues). Roofray.com is just one of the nice tools to help determine if you have a good space. If you have ANY shading, do not put panels in that area. Period. One panel in shade will destroy the entire array's output unless you have micro-inverters like the Entech inverters, which are installed one per panel (as opposed to one inverter per entire system). I really wish we had good Southern exposure, we'd definitely get a system installed.

Brian
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