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Linda McCaughey's avatar

This is true especially of utility companies. In most places, there is no choice at all.

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Karen Jacob's avatar

solar panels. So far it has been a great option for us. Little or no bills for many months. How nice it is to see: 0 due on the bill.

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Ally House (Oregon)'s avatar

I wish. We installed as many solar panels as we could afford (14). In the summer, they pay for about 1/3 of the bill, which is usually about half of what the winter bills. In one month last winter, our system generated 1 of the measurable units (GW hours, I believe).

We had our biannual Home Show early this month, and had a fellow come out from the company that installed them 6 years ago to see if they were producing properly. All he did was try and sell us an upgrade of our existing panels because the technology is better today, and we could see a 15% improvement in our generation. We can't even add panels, because the technology is incompatable.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

Wow. Planned obsolescence?

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Rex Page (Left Coast)'s avatar

Yes. I have 17 panels (3тАЩx6тАЩ each), and they have produced, since 2015, almost as much electricity as I use (90%), and at an amortized cost a few percent lower than PG&E would have charged for that energy. I am fortunate to live in a net-metering state (California), so the grid acts as my energy storage facility. Without net metering, I would need battery storage, which would be feasible but would add to the cost.

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