01-03-12, 03:57 PM | #21 |
Lex Parsimoniae
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
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If they are brand name and UL listed, they sound like a good buy.
I've noticed that PV seems to be getting a little cheaper every year. Just a guess, but I don't think the prices are going to go up anytime soon, so it might wise to pass on bargains, if you have other expenses. I kinda feel bad for the PV dealers that paid $2.50 a watt, for tons of panels and now sales are so low, they can't even break even..
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01-04-12, 03:30 PM | #22 |
Journeyman EcoRenovator
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Cincinnati ohio
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yea i think im going to wait and get some more things for the house to make it more efficient.. like insulating the basement and sealing some of the duct work
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01-04-12, 03:34 PM | #23 |
Master EcoRenovator
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver Island BC
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God I wish I could buy and ship cheap from the US. Right now locally I can get 160 watts for only $700... Our dealers that bought high seem to be just slowly selling the panels at a point where they still make a profit. There is very little competition so they get away with it.
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01-04-12, 05:37 PM | #24 | |
Lex Parsimoniae
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Quote:
Yeah, it's called picking the low hanging fruit. And, it's considered to be the smartest action to take, but maybe not always be the most fun.. I tend to procrastinate on any project that doesn't look like fun.. Right now, my bench has a big soldering and wiring job waiting to be done, but that looks so much like my 'work' at the Lab (part time, since retirement), I just can't dig into it. Instead, I'm catching up on reading a few books and watching some NetFlix movies.. I am really pleased with the solar screens project this past summer http://ecorenovator.org/forum/renova...n-project.html and the plastic sheet window insulation this fall. http://ecorenovator.org/forum/conser...or-storms.html I didn't spent a ton of money or a lot of time on these, but they have made our Den a lot more comfortable. Somebody here said something the other day that is really hanging with me. It was regarding high performance (south facing) windows and solar gain. IIRC, the statement was, The heat losses of even good thermopane windows at night, outweighs any solar gains you might accrue during the day.. True or not (in some cases), I do know, in many cases, windows are an area where a lot of work can be done, to cut heat losses..
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01-04-12, 07:37 PM | #25 |
Apprentice EcoRenovator
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Oklahoma City
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Congratulations on the house buy Fordguy64!
$1.11 is a cheap buy for solar right now. I'd have to pay more than that if I bought PV and had it shipped in! If you can't get them right now, the prices are expected to stay the same through 2012. Here is the window analysis and selection guide on Gary's site Xringer. Window and Glazing Analysis Tools |
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