Posted on 09/11/2019 12:53:57 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Fury over the fading benefits of solar power as thousands complain to finance watchdog that glass panels DON'T provide the rewards they were promised
Financial Ombudsman has received 2,000 complaints from home-owners
Barclays put aside millions to compensate those who bought mis-sold panels
Brian Thompson, from Gateshead, took out £10,000 loan to pay for panels
Was told by firm PV Solar UK that the panels would boost his pension
Payments from power panels sent to National Grid not enough to pay loan coast
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Solar companies are installing solar systems without the capability to run "off grid" and no battery backup to supply power when grid is down. This is same with some wind generation installs as well. Grid goes down, system quits working. Now who in their right mind would want to pay 10s of thousands of dollars for a backup system that provides NO backup but only generates power that can be put back into the grid.
Insanity
I’m serious now. I really think, the application is in the small RV market. I’m getting a Sprinter Class B RV from Midwest Auto Design from Elkart, IN. I don’t want a Summer home, I’m selling my house and downsizing...not going to build another, but the idea of a small self contained off the grid RV makes sense to me, where I can travel and be free. This rig has a Lithium battery unit, coupled to the solar and you diesel engine. You can be off grid up to 30 days. Has a galley, Queen size bed, shower etc and all the features of any new Mercedes, safety wise. No propane etc. Induction cook top and convection oven on board.
Yep. I understand there are “mountains” in Europe that were stripped of trees for wood to make sailing ships centuries ago that STILL have not recovered.
With technology created by man’s God given brains, this planet could easily sustain 50 billion people. But if we voluntarily give up that tech, we’d see a destruction of the environment and wiping out of the human race that would be several magnitudes worse than any worldwide plague in history.
Tech is no longer a luxury. It’s what keeps us alive.
This is very common in human history. Khaddafi (and his family) lived very well for years and years. Only when their government collapses, and the infrastructure that protects them is gone, that the leadership are treated like Khaddafi.
As our federal government gains more power through regulation and control, and the power shifts away from the people, a tyrannical form of government is more likely to happen. The movements to centralize power are control of energy to combat global warming (government control of the people and the economy) and control of our health care system (government control of the people and economy) and disarming the populous (preventing the people from resisting tyranny).
Renewable, yes, and as for the reprocessing, even the French can do it!
“So the schools put up BRIGHT lights that run all night long and now shine into the neighbors windows.”
Look at the bright side - now the solar panels have something to power.
Go nuclear! It would really be nice if fusion will be available soon. Unfortunately, the prospects don’t look good.
From what I understand, there are two types of setups - the way you are set up works fine - in fact, I am considering a similar set up.
You are able use the electricity you generate from your panels directly, and thereby reduce the amount you draw from the power company. With this setup, you are getting 100% of the benefit of whatever you generate, with which to cover your investment, and earn a positive return beyond that.
Since you have a battery backup for any surplus you generate - that’s even better, but the battery backup also adds to your investment - so mileage may vary.
There’s another set up that a lot of people have l opted for where the electricity generated by the panels goes right back into the grid and the homeowner earns credits. Here, the power company subsidizes a portion of the investment outlay, but they also share in the benefit of any power generated by your panels. You are at the mercy of what the power company will pay you in credits, which changes with the market.
This is the setup where many people have been disappointed when their ROI fell way short of initial projections - in many cases, a negative return.
Question: how much did the battery backup part of your system cost, and since you said it depletes fairly quickly, do you think you would have been better off with just the panels? The reason I ask, is that I’ve heard the battery backup system adds so significantly to the outlay, and depletes so quickly, that you’re better off without it. Interested to hear your thoughts.
Ahhh..... Thorium Reactors..... would be a boon to the economy if you could get rid of half the hoops needed to jump through for manufacturing.
We have been up and running for only 16 days. The battery lasts until between 3 and 6 am. On a sunny day I start generating by 7:30. It appears the battery return will be about the same as the rest of the system.
Sounds good
It's not a swindle.
In fact, I have some magic beans that I could sell them that would greatly improve the efficiency of their solar panels.
ROTF! Try that across The Pond. Brits love beans!
Penetrates brick? Please explain.
We live in Western Washington where trees literally grow like weeds and there is an abundant supply of firewood at current levels of demand. But the state is regulating the heck out of wood burning stoves. I have a kit to turn to 55 gallon drums into an efficient wood burner, and a couple of old wood stoves that have hardly ever been used here. But they are illegal to use where we live and illegal to sell in Washington, Oregon, or California.
Doesn’t matter, the writing is on the wall, as my husband says. He works at one of the largest coal fired power plants in the country. Unit one came on line in 1984, due to the wonderful tree huggers, Valley Watch and Sierra Club, it will be permanently shut down 2028. Unit two, which came on line in 1989, may shut down 2022. His company has shut down several coal fired power plants, moved to a lot of natural gas, which is something. We are putting in solar at our house, to try and offset the soon to be exploding costs of electricity in our area, as local power utilities are doing the same thing. Several of his friends at the plant are installing solar at their homes for the same reason. As more and more coal fired plants are shut down, reliable energy is a question.... solar is ok and we are also installing a natural gas generator.....
OK then....
Hahaha
“Better start investing in lumber, log splitters, Vermont Castings, sounds like everyone is going to need a wood burning stove.”
I should probably stop mowing about four acres of grass and let the Oak and Hickory grow so there will be some firewood available.
“As our federal government gains more power through regulation and control, and the power shifts away from the people, a tyrannical form of government is more likely to happen.”
More likely? In my view we have had it for decades already. My grandfather would certainly call it tyranny if he were still around. I know it can get worse but NOT calling it tyranny is lie calling someone with diabetes, high blood pressure and morbidly obese healthy because he doesn’t have cancer YET.
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