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Written by: Bucky Builder

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Published: 05 March 2023

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Solar Panels and Solar Power

5 things to know to escape a horror show

I have been a big fan of solar panels and power since I was a little boy. More on that later. I also wrote an article on solar energy on either blogger.com or blogspot.com (now owned by blogger.com) about 9 years ago on the topic. In that article I stated that all new construction ought to have solar panels (and is now a reality where I live), and solar roof tiles should be a thing. They are now a thing! I went on that all commercial buildings with flat roof systems would benefit from solar panels. That, too, is becoming a reality. As a matter of fact an old employer I used to work for installed a grip of panels on their roof. Why not, right? After all, you got this giant roof just otherwise soaking up sunlight and dissipating it as heat!

Now it's My Turn to get solar panels!

This coming week my house is getting solar panels, finally! I have wanted solar power for ages, but until recently it really made little sense. You see, I live in an area that, despite a great south facing roof, solar would be prohibitively expensive. After all, for years we averaged about $90 in electrical usage per month. Every month salespeople would ring our doorbell asking something akin to "Have you heard of our lord and savior, Solar?" Yes, we'd answer, but you can't beat $90 month, can you? Invariable they walked away, heads hung, after answering no, they could not. Then this region got plain silly.

Is this silly, or is it just me?

Our electric rates are through the roof. I have read countless Facebook posts of locals complaining about $800 and $900 electric bills this past summer. We got a $900 electric bill too, by the way. How does this even become a thing?

Well, you rid your state of nuclear power for the most part, stigmatizing nuclear, despite it being very safe, and has the highest energy density per kilogram of material.  Smart. Then you let your electric infrastructure degrade to the point of nearly hopeless. So then be sure you sue the electric utilities for wildfires and damage partially caused by the aging infrastructure.  Go forbid that cost get passed to the consumers, but as you know, it is. Then you mandate that no "fossil fuel" vehicles can be sold in the state after a certain date. Finally you pin your hopes on electric cars that will require  an electrical infrastructure which does not exist. Cars with little range, by the way. So, the fix?

Vote! Well, no, that won't work

The challenge is that this state has a vast majority of one party, so it is One Party Rule. Vote all you want, the state will continue to be as blue as the faces of Trumpers holding their breath until the next election. I'm an independent, so shame on the Demoncrats for de-evolving this state, and shame on the Retardicans for allowing it to happen.

So, since "roll out the vote" means nothing but more of the same, might as well make the best of a bad situation and get solar installed.

When in Rome

I have loved solar panels since childhood. When I was 6 or 7 years old my step dad brought home an electric remote control toy car that was about 1 foot long. It was powered by a solar cell about 1 inch long by about 1/2 inch wide. Sunlight hit it, and it ran forward if the ON switch was in fact on. You controlled where with went with a combination flashlight/steering wheel. When you encountered a lack of sunlight, like indoors, or at night, you turned on the flashlight and aimed it at the tiny photovoltaic cell.

As a result I'm still influenced to this day by the promise of solar power. Hence, our signing up for our solar panels to be installed.

This article on solar panels was WAY delayed!

I began this article months ago, just before our panels had been installed, then forgot all about it. I got on my laptop, replete with a piping hot cup of coffee, to write an article on the ineptitude of UPS in my area. "Oh, look, a partial article I never finished! Darned good thing my head is attached to my body..."
Interestingly, much has happened in the intervening months.  Yes, we got our 20 solar panels, which are supposed to outstrip our use, but so far, this has NOT been the case.

SunRun is our solar panel supplier

Okay, SunRun installed our solar panels, but the deal was made with some company of sales people, Brite [something something] solar. These are roving bands of folks who show up at your door and solicit for other companies, like SunRun. I listened to their pitch, and even though I had reservations about ANYONE selling me anything door to door, I also did some quick math and calculation before agreeing to their terms. I considered things like:

• Are electric rates going up, or down?
• How much more are they projected to climb, and why?
• What impact will the growing fleet of electric cars on the road have on the aging California electrical infrastructure?
• What is my average electrical cost over time? And what is it right now?
• How much are electrical panels going to cost me?
• What is the ROI?
• And, based on all of the above, does getting solar panels make sense?

The cost of electricity is climbing. Similarly to EVERTHING else in the world, the price goes up like a rocket, and down like a feather. There are a lot of causes for this, but let's looks at a few, so we can come to grips with how much they will continue to climb.

Why are electrical rates skyrocketing?

Nationally, you need only look at Washington D.C. for part of the answer.  Prices for virtually everything has risen. It makes no difference what the product is, the cost is higher now, and that id not going to get any better. you see, when your government prints money like a banana republic, or like the Weimar Republic, prices rise because the money is devalued. This has been going on for decades folks, but is has recently gotten much worse. Besides taxing us to death, how do you think the government comes up with billions of dollars to dent to the Ukraine? They. Print. It.

So, in short, solar panels make sense as a hedge against electrical price hikes.

But wait, there's more. Who is one of the largest suppliers of natural gas in the world? Russia. What incentive does Russia have to increase production or shipping? None. We are funding a war against them.

What does natural gas have to do with it?

Well, besides being yet another increasingly expensive bill, MUCH OF THE ELECTRICITY IN CALIFORNIA IS GENERATED USING NATURAL GAS! 37.9% in 2021! So the supply of natural gas decreases, the cost of the electricity increases. Supply, may I introduce you to demand? Demand, supply.

So, getting solar panels will both directly, and indirectly, reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. Thus, it's the patriotic thing to do, after all.

See, our diaper wearing Bungler in Chief is costing you money each and every hour of every day with this whole Quixotesque Ukraine deal.

Electric Cars and Other Drains on the infrastructure

Let's face facts, here in California (Californee as I like to say) the electrical infrastructure is horribly outdated! Decades of neglect, just like on out highways, water infrastructure, as well as other critical items have left the state in very poor condition for the decades to come. But, don't just take my word for it, read this article.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/23/californias-lofty-climate-goals-clash-with-reality-00058466

So, in his infinite wisdom, sarcastically intended, our state leader has decided that by 2035 all internal combustion engine powered vehicles will be, well, in essence, illegal. Sure, folks will still have some, at least for a decade after the Petrolcalypse, you will not be able to buy a I.C.E. engine car or truck in the state. The shocker is that low range electric cars will be the standard. So, what to do? Solar panels, once more.

See, delivery of power to homes is under threat from the supply standpoint, such as the natural gas used to generate much of it. It is under stress from the poor infrastructure. Additionally, let's just go ahead and slam 3 household worth of electrical usage per day to each and every existing home in the state with electrical cars. Not very well thought out, I think.

Rising cost

My electrical usage has remained roughly the same over the years, but my cost - month by month, has more than doubled. Is there an end in sifght to this madness? In a word, no. So long as we have a state and national government that simply refuses to exercise good fiduciary responsibility and common sense, it will not get any better. So, solar makes sense, once again.

What I did on my solar deal was accept a stable and steady $189, a month cost for solar panels for 25 years. That per month cost is roughly double what we have paid every month here for 14 years. So essentially what I did was opt for more cost now, speculating that the recent $450 to $900 electrical bills would be more the norm in the future rather than the aberrant exception. Time will tell if I am right.

The ROI?

Accounting for smart, judicious use of our electricity (smart appliances, all LED lights) and the 20 solar panels we had installed, we should generate, month for month, more power that we will ever use. In short, we will be more a power supplier than user, meaning we ought to get a little money back every year. Last month Edison, or line base supplier, showed we had $154 more production than usage. Fairly substantial- however...

Does getting solar panels make sense?

Well, yes and no. We reduced our overall cost. However, we have an excellent south facing roof. We could have easily fit another 20 panels on the roof, I think, but the SunRun subcontractor was pretty unyielding to that. Afterall, the contract must be profitable, and I have no problem with that, provided the system works and saves me money monthly. However:

Since Install

Every since the day my solar panels were installed, they have CONSISTENTLY underperformed. 2 months ago I contacted SunRun because the app was showing really poor production. They can monitor it is real time, so I thought maybe they could help. Nope. I got the basically equivalent of calling Microsoft back in the day. "Did you try turning it off, then on again?" SunRun said, "Well, you know, production depends on sunny skies, and blah blah blah, as well as how much directly sun the panels get..." We. Are. 100% South. Facing. And the thing is, it had been crazy sunny all month!

Hint to all you service businesses out there who hire cheap overseas labor to answer your messages: We Know. When we, the intelligent consumer as sidetracked and railroaded into non-answer answers, we do things like cut videos and write blog articles.

So, this past week SunRun supposedly called my cell phone several times (then folks, why not leave a freaking voicemail???) then called my daughter to set an appointment to check our equipment.

Seems I was right, out solar panels are doing nothing but sitting upon my roof loafing. Just as I told them I'd love to be here when they arrive.

Other downsides to solar Panels

Are solar panels attractive? Nope. But my south facing roof is at the front of my house. I also have a gang of roof tiles the installers removed to install the panels. I have seen no leaks with the massive rains we have had this winter, so there's that.
There are ugly conduits running to my roof also, but I suppose that is a low price to pay, Afterall, they are on the rarely visited side of my house.

All in all, save for the low production, I'm fairly happy with our solar power panels, but, in view of the fact that they have been underwhelming so far as performance, I think I'm owed some money back.

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About The Author 

Bucky can be found on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and a few other places, as well as right here on Friendslr. com 

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