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Thread ID: 88483 2008-03-29 01:46:00 Solar Panels rob_on_guitar (4196) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
653796 2008-03-29 01:46:00 Has anybody got solar panels set up on their roof?

Ive been interested after watching one of those crappy reality programs where a family had to cut down on the carbon emissions etc, very boring stuff, but they heated their pool with solar panels to save power.

I guessing these are quite expensive to set up?
rob_on_guitar (4196)
653797 2008-03-29 04:48:00 Yes, solar panels are, but solar water heating isn't. pine-o-cleen (2955)
653798 2008-03-29 04:52:00 true, you got it? rob_on_guitar (4196)
653799 2008-03-29 05:15:00 Parents have it. Great in summer, not so effective in Winter.

They have a wetback they use in the winter. Haven't spent a cent on water heating in over 9 years. Since the original outlay of 10k ish. lol.
wratterus (105)
653800 2008-03-29 05:56:00 Thats very cool. I think I will look further into this. Thanks rob_on_guitar (4196)
653801 2008-03-29 12:46:00 If you go for a solar hot water heater get the glass vacum tube exchange ones as they are much better. mikebartnz (21)
653802 2008-03-29 20:38:00 Parents have it. Great in summer, not so effective in Winter.

They have a wetback they use in the winter. Haven't spent a cent on water heating in over 9 years. Since the original outlay of 10k ish. lol.
They will recover cost in 10 years,by which time they will need to renew panels,sounds goo to me.
Cicero (40)
653803 2008-03-30 02:25:00 Pity they cost more than Oz where they are heavily subsidized, I used to be a builder here in Nelson supposedly the sunshine capital (Blenheim disagrees) and cannot understand why the building regs don't insist on all new houses having solar water at least. For the cost of installing it at the build stage is substantially less than retro fitting. gary67 (56)
653804 2008-03-30 02:37:00 I think its a good idea and well worth looking into, but since Ive been looking, the prices are pretty scarey... rob_on_guitar (4196)
653805 2008-03-30 03:43:00 A solar Hot water System in Australia costs $2910 GST incl for a 300 litre system, and if it is replacing an existing system and one earns less than $100K, it qualifies for a $1000 Federal rebate.
So if ones existing system is about to die it works out at just twice the cost of replacing it with the same - which means that payback is in about 5 -6 years at todays electricity prices, and electricity in OZ is less than half what it costs in NZ.
North of Taupo there is certainly enough sunlight throughout the year to make Solar hot water viable, and if consumers can be encouraged to make the change there will be fewer capital intensive new power stations required to be built in future.
KenESmith (6287)
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