2012-09-20

devohoneybee: (tennant knowledge)
2012-09-20 02:37 pm

solar power question

FLIST!

I has a question about solar power. Turns out, it's affordable if I do financing, resulting in a monthly payment that is no more than my current electricity bill.

There are 2 ways to do this:

The more efficient panels with the 25 year warranty, but which are grid-connected only (they cannot be connected now or at a future date to a battery). This means that any excess electricity goes back to the power company (and I get paid for it) but in the event the grid goes down, I got nothing.

The older, less efficient panels with the 10 year warranty, that CAN be hooked up to a battery at a later date (at this point, purchasing a battery to store power generated would make the whole project cost twice as much).

I would be assuming that cost of batteries will continue to drop, making adding a battery later more affordable.

Ideas? Experience? Suggestions?

mucho thanks!