Probably every week the solar nazi's blanket my neighborhood trying to get people to sign up. I tend to listen to their bullshit because I like to see how much stress the market is under. I think it's a complete ponzi scheme. And - I thought about buying solar before the government got involved! It is a viable sector for some people.
Anyway, this time I was out front and was completely captive to this guy. If you are behind the door you can indicate you are getting done with their crap. But this time I let him go through the whole thing. He was trying to convince me that it was not a rent to own system. You completely owned outright the panels. Yet they find out how much you use to pay for electricity and put that towards the "panels you own outright".
So... I was like - what if I default in three months? The kid is like - I don't know. But he did go on to explain that their model is exactly like when you buy a car. You put a down payment down and then you make payments. To which I laughed.
Me - You don't own that car until you get the title. You are renting that car from the bank until you pay it off.
Then he tried to convince me it was the same as buying a house. You own that house. To which I laughed even more.
Me - I can assure you that you do not own that house until you get it payed off. The bank owns it. They just let you live there because you keep up with your payments. I had to finally say I wasn't trying to be an asshole. But his system WAS a rent to own system.
I'm surprised they don't have me on the blacklist yet.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Fraunhofer is making a plug n play system that will be less than $1.50 installed supposedly. I'm excited about any home power generation, just the price has never been very good unless you are on a place that gives a big rebate. I contacted them and they said it would probably be out next year.
ReplyDeleteHere in Missouri if you are using one of the publicly owned utility companies they have to offer a $2 a watt rebate. so not only would you get a $2 per watt installed rebate you still get that 30 percent tax credit on whatever is left over. Solar is becoming down right cheap depending on where you live.
I hope it works out for you.
ReplyDeleteI generally have nothing good to say about a sector that requires a 30% tax credit to get people to buy it. I have nose bleed electricity pricing especially in the summer. It can get to 108 in the summer sometimes and my electricity can come to 5 bills in the worst of times. It would take me 6 years to recoup 30 grand. I can't imagine what this number would be in sane places like MI. My guess is double. Or possibly triple.
It might be getting cheaper for the consumer, but there is a lot of smoke and mirrors going on in the background.
Still... *I do* hope it works for you. I wouldn't get used to that utility rebate though. What the government gives - the government can take away. Look at what they are trying in Arizona. HERE
"Starting in April, solar users across Arizona will be subject to an additional rate charge of about $50 per month. This new “demand charge” will be based on a solar users’ peak power demand during the month and will be levied regardless of how much electricity is offset by their residential solar units.
The Salt River Project (SRP), one of the nation’s largest public power utilities, has been fighting for this and other renewable energy fees because of what the company argues is needed to cover grid infrastructure and maintenance costs. This final approval of the plan by the elected board, which also includes a 3.9 percent rate increase for all customers, actually dropped proposals to raise existing solar customers’ charges in ten years as well as a new charge on buyers of solar homes. "
That does suck in arizona...
ReplyDeleteIf you install yourself you can do it for between $1-2 a watt right now. Wait for that previously mentioned company and you may be talking $1 or less a watt self installed.
But really the way to go is get solar and vawt. Depending on how much power you use geothermal is also a great idea. Just have to balance those accordingly for your situation.
$10-20k and I never have to pay for pure energy again for the house for another 30-40 years. I would have power no matter what happens to energy prices is the best way to look at it. Energy storage is a notable nuisance for now, but if you have space you can store energy with water and a water wheel. There's also people like mrteslonian that show how to do stuff like transferable mass generators.
That is my vision. I have to admit I have only looked and researched. I've not been stayed in one spot long enough to put the money where the mouth is yet. I'd much rather do this stuff myself though than get ripped off by some company. It is always interesting to hear what they are doing in places like California.
Some of those vawts are pretty cool looking. I would do that before panels. Although when I drive out to the farms some of them still have dead windmills sitting on them from when electricity wasn't as abundant. It gives you the impression they enjoyed reliable grid energy over the windmills. But technology does improve, so there is that.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand the desire to be energy independent, but I think solar does the opposite of that. Obviously you are not totally removed from the grid if they can start changing the rules when ever they want to. I just read this morning that panel installation in AZ fell 96% after that ruling. That is a lot of percent. Even I was surprised. And they aren't the only State to start levying fees like that. You are essentially repaying for your electricity for the next 20 years. I don't get that. They just hide it in a tidy tax credit. Plus apparently they still get to screw with you forever. One of the main reasons electricity is becoming so expensive is they are all on the solar bandwagon too. And it's just not cost effective.
A few months ago I read an article where someone was complaining about how Ivanpah was only producing something like 24% of the energy promised. Some tree hugger came to call that guy out, but his defense was it was producing 50% of what was promised. I guess that's okay then. This is in the most favorable conditions that California can provide considering a few storm-less winters.
If I had space I'd be installing one of those generac's. I've been looking at them for a couple of years now. I just don't have the space to install one. IMO that makes more sense than being tied to solar. It seems kinda like a bad divorce. You aren't tied to them, but you still sort of are.
The problem with those big windmills is the maintenance. Not convenient. I read there are more dead ones out there than alive ones anymore. The vawts supposedly work a lot better at low speeds. But man, some of the math and geometry they use for the design to enhance power generation gets on the ridiculous. I didn't learn enough math to prove them wrong lol.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubts in my mind that they don't produce optimum results. Just like I never get advertised gas mileage. To expect anything else is just not smart, but then you know how people are in nowadays. The Arizona drop is a bit staggering but more people may be in debt than I figured too. And to top it off, it's not a very sexy investment. A cousin said he didn't have a problem paying $100-200 a month instead of having a big 10-20k or so bill. I'm a hedger though, rather pay off future bill and never worry about it.
Are you talking about a generator when you mention generac? Looks pretty nice if you got cheap natural gas around there. Always nice having a generator.
The geothermal can heat or cool the house in addition to heating water. Plus they don't take much energy. That's why they are usually first thing to get imo, that's at least a third your power, maybe upwards to half. I don't know why that isn't more heavily promoted than the others, it works 24/7 365. Then you don't need near the amount of power.
Sounds like a terrible marriage, I'd cut the cord and be happy with the divorce. I'm suspect of them and we get charged like $0.106 a kwh. Could only imagine out there.
Huh. That's really interesting. Seems like a weird business model if they are - almost disposable? I mean, if they aren't easily repairable. Maybe that's what happened to the old timey wood windmills too. It's a really interesting factoid though. Somehow it makes me like the vawts more because of their crushing math. If they could integrate them into already existing things like this freeway overpass - that would be pretty cool and not obtrusive. HERE Some of the ferries in SF Bay have them. It makes them look super top heavy, but it must be fine.
ReplyDeleteGeothermal must have some pretty intense barriers. You also get a 30% tax credit. I'm guessing unless you have a lot of land you can't get a permit for it. Dense cities must be out. They have some generating plants up by the guysers in Napa. Outside of that I've only heard of people installing it more in your neck of the woods. If you find out more - I'm curious but too lazy to look it up myself right now.
I have a generator. I've never actually used it. I haven't wanted to pay the expense for having it wired into the panel. Even if you are out of a week like I was one time - that is a spendy upgrade to your wiring system for something you might use once or twice a year. There are just a lot of things that make it less than ideal for the burbs to run 24 hours until the power comes back on. Noise being at the top. For the most part if you freeze coke bottles you can keep the stuff in your fridge for at least a day. The other negs you just suck up. Those generacs are hardwired into the gas line and just come on when electricity fails. Natgas is the lowest in at least 10 years.
I like hedgers, but I don't think the gbermnet is going to let you off that easy. They've got a
of solar bonds they need to pay off. It will be interesting to see how the NV thing plays
out though. I don't think the reason is because people are in debt. According to the sales pitches I get a couple of times a month they are basically 0 down. That has to be an old fashion revolt.