Sun in my eyes

Heavenly days, I'm using math again!

  I recently received an email announcing a one-day sale on solar panels. A 15w unit that normally goes for $124.99 could be had for $59.99.

I love the idea of solar power and southern Indiana gets abundant sunshine. In addition, I have $100* to spend as I please. I've been saving it for summer auctions but now considered whether this might be a good use for it.

I threw out the idea to Tom and just explaining out loud what I had in mind helped me to clarify what would be involved (and how it was more complicated than my initial impression).

A solar panel is a marvelous thing, but by itself it is just a lawn decoration; it takes a bit more to make it useful. Our house is set up for conventional, on-grid AC electricity. Therefore, the easiest use of a small solar panel for us would be to run appliances directly (I'm not going to get into DC appliances here). In order to do that, we would need a battery-type pack to hold the energy and convert it to AC. This same company offers a power pack, a 150w generator that can be charged by the sun. It costs $199.99. 

And to connect the two, add in a cable for $4.99.

So, at the very least and not considering shipping or sales tax, it would cost me $264.97 for a set-up that would power, at most, a laptop, lights, and/or a cell phone. And then only after a full day of sunshine.

Here's the wall I run into everytime I consider alternative power: our electricity use averages 317 kw per month at about $.09 per kw. So disregarding the basic service charges and all of those weird extra costs that power companies add in, our electricity costs us about $29 per month. Using solar to power a few lights or this laptop might save us at most $5.00 every month. Using that figure it would take 53 months or over 4 years for the solar to pay for itself. And that does not include the cost to build a stand for the panel and the hassle of remembering to bring in the power pack and consistantly use it.

I know there are other factors: yes, any use of solar would reduce dependence on coal and oil. Yes, it is good to have a back-up during power failures. But sad to say, in this case economics trumps all. And I could buy a LOT of candles for $264.97.

So the $100 stays in my wallet...but there's an auction this Saturday!



* I sold my mother-of-the-bride dress on Ebay. It was a lovely Edwardian-style tea dress, the most elegant and expensive piece of clothing I have ever owned but now, sadly, a full size too small.