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Sun Power: Michael Shames Switches To Solar
Note from UCAN: visit our new PV Web page with a great selection of "how to" tools, vendor quotes, and shopping tips
On May 6th, KFMB-TV ran a very nice story chronicling our installation of photovoltaic (solar cells) on our Mission Valley home. The video is cute -- I recommend you view it. Here's a text version of the story that ran that day:
More and more Americans are considering solar energy to power their homes as a way of saving money and saving the environment. One of San Diego's best-known consumer advocates is making the switch to solar. From flicking the light switch to turning on the microwave to surfing television channels, Michael Shames is now powering his entire home from sunlight.
"Hey, this is the time I get to tell SDG&E that I'm not interested in it anymore. I'm not paying anything, not paying a dime. It's pretty good," Shames said.
The executive director of the non-profit consumer advocate group UCAN, or Utility Consumers Action Network, says he and his wife were paying $800 a year for electricity - an expense that is now eliminated.
"We're not paying for the cost of the sun, at least not yet. No one's figured that one out," Shames said.
It's a shift in power that News 8 began documenting in February, when the Shames' selected a contractor, Real Goods Carlson, to install their new solar energy system. The next step was taking a bird's eye view of the project, which could cost up to $25,000. It was discounted dramatically by government rebates and tax credits.
"We were essentially able to cut the price of this installation in half, so this $25,000 investment actually turned out costing us close to $12,000," Shames said.
Last month installation got underway and was completed in under two days. The solar panels, attached to the rooftop by a series of brackets, have a lifespan of up to 50 years, according to Shames. They capture the sun's energy and feed it to a solar inverter located in the garage. Depending on how much solar energy is generated and how much electric energy is consumed, the Shames' are actually able to donate unused energy back to the power grid. Even on a cloudy day, the solar cells are able to capture enough light to make the meter run backwards.Despite the thousands of dollars this system set the Shames' back, they say the investment is worth it. From increasing the resale value of their home to insuring against future rate hikes, Shames estimates he'll recoup the investment in about 10 years' time.
"This is probably the most financially attractive remodel you can do on your house, appreciating the value of your house, as well as increasing the quality of your life. And by the way, you're not polluting," Shames said.
There's also another factor driving their switch to solar: his family also plans to buy batter-powered electric cars next year, energized for free by the sun's rays. "When you factor in the fact that our car may end up being charged by these solar cells, suddenly we're looking at a very lucrative investment for us", he said. "Plus, its also a long term investment in the future of the planet".
But that's not the end of the story. My PV system is running really well (thanks for asking). Even though it is rated to produce only 394 kwhrs per month, it is currently generating at a rate of closer to 500 kwhrs each month and that's during the "May gray" season where the coastal clouds are obscuring the sun for most of the day! Pretty impressive.
Deductabillity?
What about insurance. We live in Florida, where the "sun never ends." Only I would worry about the terrible tropical weather we receive each season. I know our current insrance will only conver electronic devices to $1,500. And I also wonder if this would fall into the "other structures" section of our coverage since it is outside? In which case it may be covered if the insurance companies here in FL could agree on the meaning of wind/water damage.
One more question: We have an eletric tankless water heater. Would solar be strong enough to run it? Its connected to 3 x 50A breakers, but draws way less once its running.
$12,000 for protovoltaic really seams worth it, as long as Micro-turbine engines do not soon go commercial.
Tired of Messing with Characters to get comment posted
I had a very good critique if I do say so, but this damned quiz at the end would never let me get it in. And it's not the first time I've run into such problems. What's the trick? I'm crazy, not stupid. And beyond what the computer can do I can only respond to what I see. You're not telling us something!
Debugger
I definately feel your frustration Hailstorm. Be sure you have the latest Internet Explorer, IE7. Also, if you are running the latest IE or FireFox, use the updater service and update them. Some older versions don't fully support certain characters.
If none of this is any help, my last suggestion would be. Watch the lower and upper case spelling. Aa-Bb-Cc, etc. . . Please don't take offense, you'd be surprised how many folks over look that. One more thing. a mistake I often have myself is to confuse the Zero's & O's. . .
like this----------> g0LD =number zero. --->23OE65 =letter O. --->La8t0R gAt0R =number zero.
take care and good luck. ~Chris in FL.
Proletariatcsp?
Anyhow, thanks for the info. I think I have the Caps vs lower case and O vs Zero down, but what gets me is whether there's a space or not. That appears to be pertinent.
Right, no spaces. Good Luck.
Right, no spaces. Good Luck.
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