[wwu123]

Has anyone done calculations with NVEnergy's TOU rates? TOU can be a critical component to making solar pay off. TOU Option A will cut most periods of the year to half the normal 12c/hr rate, while raising the rate to 33c/hr from 1-7 pm during the summer months. That's when AC usage can be highest, but also when solar production will also be highest.

However a key limitation of NVEnergy's net metering and TOU is that excess generation in one TOU period cannot be applied to excess consumption in another period. FOr example, you can't apply excess 33c/hr generation to excess 6c/hr consumption the rest of the year.....

[yellowsnow]

Originally Posted by wwu123

Has anyone done calculations with NVEnergy's TOU rates? TOU can be a critical component to making solar pay off. TOU Option A will cut most periods of the year to half the normal 12c/hr rate, while raising the rate to 33c/hr from 1-7 pm during the summer months. That's when AC usage can be highest, but also when solar production will also be highest.

However a key limitation of NVEnergy's net metering and TOU is that excess generation in one TOU period cannot be applied to excess consumption in another period. FOr example, you can't apply excess 33c/hr generation to excess 6c/hr consumption the rest of the year.....

The solar guys said to switch to tou after the solar is installed because I would be producing all my own power during the peak use hours.

[C_A_Braun]

I did a full CBA on solar for my Henderson home and right now it just does not make sense for me.

Disclaimer: I am a Solar City customer in Southern California. If anyone wants $125 off their Solar City setup though please PM me before you call them and I will split my $250 referral bonus with you.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Originally Posted by jtjtjtjt

Caution on using solar panels according to a new study.

Solar Panels Drain the Sun's Energy, Experts Say | National Report

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

That one is hard to swallow....

Oh come on. I've never heard of that site before, and it won't load for me right now, but surely you could deduce that it must be a news satire site like "The Onion".

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by MediocreButArrogant

Oh come on. I've never heard of that site before, and it won't load for me right now, but surely you could deduce that it must be a news satire site like "The Onion".

Actually cleverer than most. Not a hint of chain pulling...which it is.

The sun could not care less where its energy goes. And so little goes to a solar panel it is lost four or five decimals down in the noise of the calculation.

[ddrhazy]

Originally Posted by jtjtjtjt

Caution on using solar panels according to a new study.

Solar Panels Drain the Sun's Energy, Experts Say | National Report

Is that a satire news site like the Onion?

[jtjtjtjt]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

Google solar roads.... That's what we need!

I'd say google solar freakin roads. Or click this...
Solar FREAKIN' Roadways! - YouTube

[yellowsnow]

Originally Posted by jtjtjtjt

I'd say google solar freakin roads. Or click this...
Solar FREAKIN' Roadways! - YouTube

Isn't that great! They could make enough power for most of Vegas if the did the I15 from Mesquite to Primm!

[Merrily Gather]

That video is making the rounds on social media lately.

Turns out it's a real thing that two engineers in Idaho have been working on with government grant money. They've already built a parking lot which is their tangible prototype. I read more about it on Think Progress and it's kind of exiting. It's expensive to build at first.

Solar Roadway Project

[lvoc]

Swiss Army Knife Solution...all kinds of capabilities for all sorts of purposes.

Think about some of the simple things...how do you connect the panels together? You need relatively heavy electrical busses if you are going to collect power or distribute power for heat or light. So now you need an aluminium buss system underlying the tiles. And you need a source of significant power when it is dark and cold to heat and or light the tiles.

However note that electrically heated streets do not appear to work anywhere except for some high end sidewalks. So there is some thing about this economics that would make that better?

As to power generation why would you want to place them on a street? Why not on a roof top or open land? On the street you have to fight vehicle damage, dirt, thick strong materials and constantly interrupted light.

I suppose it could be that large glass tiles make sense as a road surface material...but I doubt it. How many glass surfaced streets now? So then we can get enough power to pay for a premium surface? What does a tile put out? Maybe 20 watts? So maybe $1.50 in electric output a year? So the tiles are going to cost under $30.00 installed?

Maybe there is an application for such a device but I would expect to see it perhaps in a building sidewalk or such setting. Any roadway or highway app would seem pretty absurd.

I would think we first get the LED wallpaper where the room wall glow provides all the lighting. Or the organic solar paint on our cars where the whole car becomes a solar panel...

I don't really think those will work anytime soon but who knows? Better shot than a solar roadway...