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Getting the Most Out of Your Green Buck?

Posted by Cliff on from the earth-friendly-electricity dept.

batobin asks: "My dad is thinking of installing a solar photovoltaic system on the roof. After tax credits, it'll cost $12,000. In Santa Barbara, where we live, our power company grants credits when the meter runs backwards and saves the credits for 12 months, reducing our monthly power bills year round. If the contractor's math is correct, the amortization period (when our power bill savings equals the installation cost) is about 12 years. With environmental and geo-political concerns in mind, is this the best use of our money? Will reduced consumption translate into cleaner air / less dependence on fossil fuels? What other environmentally proactive investments could be made with 12 grand?"

3 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Buy pollution credits? by CaptainStormfield · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You could buy $12K worth of pollution credits from these guys. This would likely result in a greater net reduction in pollution, but of course you don't get any financial return on investment.

    --
    "The dinosaurs died because they didn't have a space program." - Niven
  2. Reduce consumption by iamstan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What are you using so much power for?

    Temperature control (heating and cooling) can be better done through passive means, ie: insulation, shading, ventilation, low-e windows.

    Use the kiss principle, don't buy electronic gismos for every little thing. Do more manually, the human body is designed to manipulate manual tools. Don't throw away the gifts that all those generations of evolution have given you.

    Move to a tiny apartment within walking distance of jobs, schools, restaurants, bars, theaters. Lose the car. Shop less, live more.

    1. Re:Reduce consumption by batobin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Actually, the house we have is pretty prime in terms of location. Supermarket is a 5 minute walk away, which means no car when we're not buying a ton. My dad's office is within biking distance, so on nice days he can do that.

      I appreciate your "back to the basics" approach, but I don't see the harm in modernization. There are lots of reasons to use computers, and only one way to power them. I don't suppose yours is powered by a hand crank?