Togo Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 i'm wondering about a solar water heater - do they coexist with the gas water heater that comes with the house? and how exactly do they work with the existing setupi also read an article that PVs will be dropping around 40% in price in the next few years! i can't wait - i want to get cheaper electricity!!!! especially if the govt' is offering rebates, and the power companies are buying back the excess power you aren't using!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstrutt Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Chris,With all this talk about Global Warming you won't have to worry. Here's proof.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie44 Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I heard on the radio the other day they actually have small scale windmills that can be put in your backyard. In windy areas they can generate enough electricty that you end up selling some back to the power company. The only hurdle is an HOA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstrutt Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Here's a link to a new wind powered electricity generator that sits on the roof of the house:http://home.earthlink.net/~gklentprs/windpowr.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Togo Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share Posted June 3, 2007 i'm no tree hugger - however, i see the government is giving tax rebates to get the systems installed.the power companies are buying back the "extra" power generated from your system so if the system is cost effective, and the power company buys power i'm selling them, then it should take long to get the system paid for - expecially if the prices on systems are getting ready to drop 40%for me, it's more about money, not about greenhouse gasses!i'm wondering about a solar water heater - do they coexist with the gas water heater that comes with the house? and how exactly do they work with the existing setupi also read an article that PVs will be dropping around 40% in price in the next few years! i can't wait - i want to get cheaper electricity!!!! especially if the govt' is offering rebates, and the power companies are buying back the excess power you aren't using!!!!I heard on the radio the other day they actually have small scale windmills that can be put in your backyard. In windy areas they can generate enough electricty that you end up selling some back to the power company. The only hurdle is an HOA.how small scale? if they are under the fence line, the HOA can go to hell! eddie, di you have more info on this small scale windmills????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert and Elizabeth Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Hey, we don't have solar water heating, but we do have a natural gas tankless water heater. This thing has cut our gas bill by over half! It heats the water on demand. You no longer have a big tank to store it and it does not have a timer. It flash heats it when you turn the hot water on. Our unit is attached to the wall and is about the size of a suitcase. Our model will handle 2 people showering in different bathrooms and also 1 appliance without running out of hot water. It is the bigger model. There is a smaller model that will handle 1 person showering along with an appliance running (ex. dishwasher, washer). It also comes with a 15 year manufacturers warranty. The maker is Bosch and we bought it through Home Depot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 First off, the solar water heaters are just for heating water, they are usually 4 feet by 10 feet, and you lay them on the sunny side of your roof. I used 2 panels to heat my jacuzzi, during the day (summer) it would put out 125 + degree water. No you won't be selling heated water back to the power company. If your really interested in generating solar electricity, then you will want to start studying photo-voltaic solar cells. we use them on the railroad, and if you spend enough money, you can generate enough electricity to power most of the appliances in your house during the day. and still sell about 40% back to the power company (not counting the air conditioning)...One word of warning, if you plan on disconnecting yourself from the grid, you will need about half of a garage bay to house the batteries to store power for use during the night.You will be looking at a minimum $15K just to get a starter system.Be sure to bookmark Kyocera's site, they are the best the railroad has found for this stuff...http://www.kyocerasolar.com/Here's an example of selling back power...This is how to go completely off line...Pre packaged systemsIf you are still intrested, let me know, I'll PM you the name and number of the guy at Kyocera that I work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratch Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I have splar water heater. Works fine by itself...just keep the electric heater turned off. However, if you use alot of hot water (showers, washing clothes) it will deplete the hot water quicker than it can re-heat more. Then you have to turn on the electric heater.I want to put mine on a timer, let the electric heater kick on in the morninig and late evening, to insure there is hot water, especially in winter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstrutt Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I have splar water heater. Works fine by itself...just keep the electric heater turned off. However, if you use alot of hot water (showers, washing clothes) it will deplete the hot water quicker than it can re-heat more. Then you have to turn on the electric heater.I want to put mine on a timer, let the electric heater kick on in the morninig and late evening, to insure there is hot water, especially in winter You kill me Winter in AZ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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