[EA]

Personally, I'd rather spend money on solar than pay a bs energy company.
Number one it's cleaner.
Number 2 it'd be mine and I'd control it.
Number 3 more people buy = lower cost more efficient systems for more people.

I helped my brother build his own solar water heater panels for his pool and jacuzzi. They work wonders and cost 100~ bucks to make. When I get my own place I plan to do the same. Solar isn't perfect yet, but it's pretty good, with all the sunshine here it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste.

[BBMW]

Solar is never going to really work until the sun stays up 24 hours a day.

Originally Posted by extremeatheist

Personally, I'd rather spend money on solar than pay a bs energy company.
Number one it's cleaner.
Number 2 it'd be mine and I'd control it.
Number 3 more people buy = lower cost more efficient systems for more people.

I helped my brother build his own solar water heater panels for his pool and jacuzzi. They work wonders and cost 100~ bucks to make. When I get my own place I plan to do the same. Solar isn't perfect yet, but it's pretty good, with all the sunshine here it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste.

[EA]

Batteries, my dear, batteries.
With adequate batteries one could store 24 hours of energy easily.
The problem right now is cost and wear and tear. We haven't really progressed in the battery department, we're still using the same basic battery invented some 2,000 years ago. We've largely neglected them.
There's a multitude of reasons for this lack of improvements, I'll refrain from boring you with the off topic list of reasons.

One thing with solar panels people neglect is, if you're on the grid, any excess power is going to be sold to the power provider. There's various arrangements that can be made. They'll send you a check. They'll credit your account which can be used up in the months with excessive consumption.

For ease let's say you use 10,000kwh in a year. If you produce 11,000kwh you can come out ahead.

Selling Power Back to the Grid - Businessweek

[kimjo5150]

In NV the renewable energy market is regulated. Meaning that there are possible options for the energy companies to compensate you so they can claim your renewable energy for their portfolio. I believe it is by 2015 energy companies must show that 15% of their energy comes from renewable means. This is usually done by providing an upfront rebate when you install a system or by compensating you on an annual basis. Since the annual compensation is not guaranteed it makes more sense to take the upfront rebate. I am not sure if NVEnergy is offering a credit this year or not. The thing to remember about both of these options is that there is nothing stopping the energy companies from building their own wind or solar farm to supplement their portfolio and eliminating the need to compensate their customers who have installed a renewable energy system.

However, the Netmetering is something that is available. Netmetering is a way of crediting you for the excess energy your system creates. NVEnergy will not allow connecting a system larger than your past energy use. Which is fine because NVEnergy will not buy back your extra energy production.

I agree with the reasons extremeatheist listed above.

We are still looking at a system but right now we are leaning towards a system where we install the panels and have an electrician make the final connection.

[EA]

I'd like to get a patch of land, build a cabin on it, and set up a solar system. Generator for back up. So long as you don't stay up all night long, batteries should be able to keep a fridge and alarm clock going.
I personally think humans were better off as hunter gatherers, but electricity is nice.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

That's all well and good.

But I'm sticking with the "be unusually efficient" approach. Our highest power bill over the past three years was $120. Most of our summer bills hover around $100 and the rest of the year it's always less than $40.

Point blank -- we spend roughly $700 per YEAR on electricity. Why on earth would we want to "invest" $30K to generate "free" electricity? Granted, we spent a few thousand to get our house this efficient. But much of it was sweat equity -- fabricating and installing solar screens, a pergola, roll down solar shades for the patio, and similar projects.

(Puts on tinfoil hat) Because when the grid goes down, (it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when) You'll still have stored electricity if you have saved some to batteries, solar water heater, etc. Granted, it's a large expense for a worse-case-scenerio, but if I had the change laying around, I'd do it. I don't, so it's a moot point.

I do have solar heating for the pool, and years ago I lived in an apartment complex here in Vegas that had solar water heating and a radiant system from the floor to warm the place in winter. I had no gas bill, since the stove was electric (boo-hiss). It was an apartment complex owned by Bill Bennett
(Circus Circus). This was circa 1986.

You know why they did away with the solar array? Because the little kids kept throwing rocks at the very expensive solar panels that were on the property, and breaking them. Now, it's a run down property in a less than desirable neighborhood. No solar. It used to be a nice place.

[EA]

When vhs came out, a vcr was insanely expensive. People ate it up. Prices dropped, everyone had one. Then we got dvd, then dvr. Now I can record 4 shows at once on a little chip and control it from my phone on the other side of the planet for ~100 bucks.
More demand = more innovation.
More innovation = better cheaper products.

The innovation in battery technology alone is well worth the price of solar systems now. We're never going to get it if no one pushes for it.
There are myriad uses for batteries. Drunk guy hits the pole outside your house? Battery back up ftw.
Want a very quick, quiet, reliable car that you can take across country? Batteries.
Pacemakers, cameras, computer backups, cell phones, laptops, emergency equipment, portable lighting, so many things could benefit from a major improvement to the market's current line of batteries.

[BBMW]

There are a horde of application where a cost effective battery design that would have anything near a reasonable energy density would make hugely viable (think electric cars for one.) But the best batteries have something like 4% of the energy density of gasoline.

People have been working on batteries for over 100 years, and have only made marginal improvements.

Originally Posted by extremeatheist

Batteries, my dear, batteries.
With adequate batteries one could store 24 hours of energy easily.
The problem right now is cost and wear and tear. We haven't really progressed in the battery department, we're still using the same basic battery invented some 2,000 years ago. We've largely neglected them.
There's a multitude of reasons for this lack of improvements, I'll refrain from boring you with the off topic list of reasons.

One thing with solar panels people neglect is, if you're on the grid, any excess power is going to be sold to the power provider. There's various arrangements that can be made. They'll send you a check. They'll credit your account which can be used up in the months with excessive consumption.

For ease let's say you use 10,000kwh in a year. If you produce 11,000kwh you can come out ahead.

Selling Power Back to the Grid - Businessweek

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by BBMW

There are a horde of application where a cost effective battery design that would have anything near a reasonable energy density would make hugely viable (think electric cars for one.) But the best batteries have something like 4% of the energy density of gasoline.

People have been working on batteries for over 100 years, and have only made marginal improvements.

Not exactly true, BBMW. Patents for innovative products have been purchased and squashed. Batteries are big business, and big business does not like change. Why should they? They are making lots of $$ with the status quo.

Back to topic: Vegas is a great place to do passive solar energy. We are sunny, something like 330 days a year, I believe.

[EA]

Take a look at what happened to Nikola Tesla. That business practice hasn't changed, it's only gotten worse.