Anyone using solar panels for their house?

[rhody605]

Enmax has a program now where you pay a down payment and then pay monthly for the next 15 years at zero percent interest. But their price seemed very inflated. But worth a look.

[mike31154]

Upfront cost has been what's keeping me out of the solar power game as well, plus the fact that BC is among the least expensive provinces for hydro. As mentioned, getting a solar array up & running is more about the 'green' factor and a little bit of independence rather than savings, or recouping installation costs. I purchased a small wind generator on sale a few years ago & have yet to set that up!

I'm still considering at least starting a system with maybe 2 to 4 large solar panels, for backup power if nothing else. You don't necessarily have to go huge right away. You can start with a couple of panels, batteries & keep adding to the system over time to minimize the inital $$$ hit. Seems solar panels, like LED lighting can still come down in price, but the pricing appears to have levelled out of late, not getting that much cheaper.

The technology contiues to improve though and with the newer MPPT solar controllers, you can get much better efficiency out of solar panels, even on duller days. A neighbour a couple of blocks down the road has covered his roof with panels, I'll have to take a walk down there some time soon & hit him up for info.

If you can swing a hybrid system by combining, wind, solar even micro hydro, you'd have the advantages of different technology, but it gets complicated & who has a creek with an elevation drop of 100' running through their property? I've been to a few backcountry lodges in recent years & most of them rely on solar and/or micro hydro power. It's cost effective for them since the cost to fly in fuel for a diesel or gas powered generator is prohibitive.

Anyhow, I wouldn't necessarily give up on the idea, start small & build on the system as funds permit.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by mike31154

If you can swing a hybrid system by combining, wind, solar even micro hydro, you'd have the advantages of different technology, but it gets complicated & who has a creek with an elevation drop of 100' running through their property? I've been to a few backcountry lodges in recent years & most of them rely on solar and/or micro hydro power. It's cost effective for them since the cost to fly in fuel for a diesel or gas powered generator is prohibitive.

There are a few cabins at our lake that are lucky enough to be near a mountain stream, and have employed small water turbines. Those are by far the most economical, and don't need as many batteries either because of the steady supply of power.