Thread: Thinking bout going off the grid

Here are two good sources: self-reliance | homesteading | canning | backwoods | magazine

and Backwoodsman Magazine

I subscribe to the 2nd one. Pretty interesting stuff.

Unless you are one of the chosen few to get picked for the Government rebate I highly doubt you would ever come close to seeing a return. Sat in an office next to a green energy salesman when I was a salesman for a global electrical supplier. Heard all the training sales pitches and corporate dialog. If you are considering, be very cautious and read all their contracts very carefully and get stated life expectancy of the arrays and associated equipment. And be very very suspicious of everything said. Last thing, make sure and ask to see that everything installed is UL listed. We just removed and destroyed over $150,000.00 of solar equipment off an older model center for a national homebuilder that was not listed. Solar company got investigated after numerous fires were caused by their equipment. Closed up shop and ran overnight. Homebuilder wanted it destroyed and video taped in case anything ever linked them. Just be real careful.

Good info hunting slabs. I am looking at the Lennox sunsource because I have a Lennox XP 25 solar ready heat pump. I can by the stuff at cost and install my self. I'm thinking my cost would be around 5-10 grand for materials.

Remember that the power company owes you for any surplus power put back in the system. We had this battle in our area.

I did a work up about 5 years back for a doctor friend of mine for a single family home. With all the rebates and so on at the time it was going to take her something like 20 years to start seeing gains with what she had to invest. She was not going with a complete off the grid system as she had no space for batteries. I wish I had saved my work up as I put a lot of time into it...but I am sure a lot has changed in the past 5 years.

Regards

Investments in energy efficiency may give the fastest return.

Yep Jack, gettn alota negative feedback on return. I may just foam my roofline instead of doing the solar panels.

I worked in a house years ago in south Alabama that was foamed. The attic temp was the same as the air temperature outside. That was on the coast with a black roof. I was impressed to say the least.