Solar Panel Cost Price Analysis - Advantages And Disadvantages Of Going Solar
The cost!
Solar panels are undeniably expensive. They cost from around 6,000 to install the smallest photovoltaic (electricity-generating) system, up to 20,000 for a very large household system. You can spend a lot more than this - farmers or large businesses may install hundreds of square metres of solar panels to reap the rewards of the government schemes on offer.
Thermal systems are a lot cheaper to install, with prices ranging from about 3,000 to 5,000.
Fortunately, there is little on-going cost with solar panels. They are known for being very robust and very reliable. They are used, for example, in airport landing lights or road signs - they work day in, day out, with very little input from those who own them. This lack of maintenance really means that the only cost of solar panels is the up-front price you pay when getting them initially installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Is white stains from water going to prevent my solar panels to work properly?
I installed solar pathway lights in my lawn along the pathway. The water from the sprinkler form white stains on the solar panel. Is that going to cause problem or prevent the battery from charging? If yes, what options do I have to reduce it?-
ANSWER:
I think the white will reflect the sunlight causing them to under perform, re site the panels or sprinklers
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QUESTION:
Any home owners experienced with going solar?
I am thinking of gong solar as it makes sense on many levels. But I would hate to invest the $$$ if solar panels are going to get more efficient, less bulky and less expensive. Remember Satellite dishes?-
ANSWER:
Advances in Solar Power are happening all the time. There's many different techniques that are being tried now. As for the cost of the new panels I don't really know. There's a company that rents solar panels for a flat monthly rental rate thats equal to what your paying now and in most cases less and this rate would be locked in for up to 25 yrs. There's no system to purchase, no maintenance fees, no permit issues and no installation cost. By renting them you also save yourself from buying now and in 5 or 10 yrs new panels come out that are 1/2 the price and twice as efficient. Check out their website and see what you think.
http://www.jointhesolution.com/energyfromthesun
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QUESTION:
What are the steps of an evolving star going from a solar nebula of H to He to a giant star?
What are the steps an evolving star (with the same mass as our sun) would take, going form a solar nebula of H to He to a red giant star?-
ANSWER:
It all starts with a cloud of gas.Due to gravity the cloud will start to shrink. This collapse is usually triggered by a shockwave from a nearby supernova or expanding planetary nebulae.
As the cloud contracts the rotation will become faster and it will brake up into individual clumps. If these masses are big enough the density and temperature in the core will become high enough so that nuclear fusion can start. Hydrogen will be converted into Helium. The "burning" of Hydrogen produces a counter pressure to gravity that will stop the gas cloud from further shrinking. The gas cloud becomes a stable star. This is the present state of our Sun.
This so called main sequence stage will last 10 billion years for the Sun. Over this time the Sun evolves very slowly as it consumes Hydrogen in its core. It grows slightly larger, gets brighter and hotter.
After billions of years, when most of the hydrogen fuel in the core has been used, fusion stops. The inert helium ash that has built up in the core starts to collapse under its own weight. This causes the core to heat up and to ignite the hydrogen in a thin shell around the core. The Sun grows slowly and becomes first a Yellow Subgiant and then a Red Giant.
In the giant stage our Sun will expand to the size of the orbit of the Earth.
Inside the collapsing core the temperature is now high enough so that the heavier elements carbon and oxygen can be made. When the Sun runs out of this type of fuel, it has neared the end of its life.
The Sun then begins to throw off layers because it can't support anymore. This is called a planetary nebula. The core of the star becomes a white dwarf. This is an extremely dense star the size of a planet. Finally, when the white dwarf has cooled down, it stops shining and becomes a "black dwarf", a dead star. This is expected to be the final state of our Sun.
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QUESTION:
When are the upcoming solar storms going to happen?
When are the upcoming solar storms going to happen? And how can they affect us?-
ANSWER:
Sometime in 2013, solar storms can wipe out the technological stuff in the world, they can affect power stations and satellites. when the solar storms happen then power stations will be shut down before hand and satellites put in safe mode to protect them so expect a blackout when this happens.
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QUESTION:
Is there really going to be a solar storm in 2012?
I heard that there is going to be a solar storm in 2012 and that it is going to be the biggest one in history and that it could take out our electricity and it could take years to fix. Is that true?-
ANSWER:
All current studies of the sun's 11-year solar cycle indicates that the next maximum (in 2013, by the way) will be average or below-average in intensity.
The last max was in 2001 - no one except astronomers noticed anything.Having said that, they can't predict a solar storm even a DAY in advance, no way they could possibly predict what will happen with the sun over a year from now.
And a solar storm does NOT necessarily mean it will destroy all our power systems - the Earth's magnetic field protects the Earth (has done for over 4 billion years) from solar electromagnetic activity.
A severe storm could damage satellites and could cause some overloading of the power grid - IF a coronal mass ejection was launched in our direction AND had the opposite polarity of our magnetic field.
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