At 05:44 AM 7/15/01, Jeroen wrote:
>At 13:40 14-7-01 -0500, Dan Minette wrote:
>
>> If
>>all of Europe were to go on such a system, assuming 4 person households, it
>>would cost more than 11 trillion dollars.
>
>First, I think households aren't that big anymore. IIRC, the average for
>Western Europe (off the top of my head) is ~2.5 persons per household.
I may be wrong, but if the number of systems needed is calculated by
dividing the population of Western Europe by the average household size
(i.e., one system per household), a smaller household size would mean
_more_ such systems are required, not _fewer_.
>Second, it's not like one organisation has to pay all the costs -- every
>household should pay for getting a solar power system.
Well, I don't have $32,000 to spend on _anything_. I try to keep a
more-than-ten-year-old car running because new cars have priced themselves
out of my price range, and I find in talking to others I know that they are
in much the same situation. (And these are not "poor" people, but people
who do things like teach college full-time.)
Also, if I have to purchase power during cloudy weather or winter, my
utility bills will not disappear. How much will I save over what I pay
now, and how much will I have to pay per year to keep a typical household
solar power system running? If I have to take out a loan to add a $32,000
solar power system to my house, and they give me 10 years to pay it off at
an interest rate of 10%, the monthly payments will be $422.88, which is at
least three times the total of my electricity and gas bills. (If you don't
think those figures for interest and length of loan are reasonable, feel
free to supply your own and run your own calculations. However, I had to
figure an interest rate of 1% (!) and a loan length of 25 years before I
got a monthly payment that is barely less than my current total gas and
electricity bill.) That's not counting maintenance on the solar power
system. Obviously the only way I am going to install such a system is if
the government forces me to, and even then, they'd better be planning to
subsidize the cost.
>Third, we don't have to get everyone on solar power within one year. It
>would actually be impossible -- production and logistics wouldn't be able
>to keep up.
>
>
>>Plus, there would be a significant maintaince cost.
>
>I don't think those costs would be much (if any) higher than an other
>system. Basically, you'll need someone to clean the panels a few times per
>year, and check the hardware once a year. A few replacement parts every
>few years, and that's it.
How long will such a system last before major repairs or replacement are
required?
For example, a central heating/cooling system costs between $2000 and
$3000, is expected to last at least 10 years, and is considered by most
people to be a major purchase.
Does anyone have any examples from systems that have been installed and
functioning for some length of time as to what the monthly cost (payment on
the purchase loan + regular maintenance - actual savings on current utility
bills) actually is, and how long such a system will actually last?
-- Ronn! :)
