Using solar panels to lower electric costs

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by babock

I would never go anywhere where I need to run an AC 24/7.

In fact, I won't go anywhere I need AC. Mine has been run just a couple times to know it works.

I don't have solar to save money. I have solar so I don't have to bring a generator.

I don't mind bringing my generator, even using it occasionally in an evening to cool the trailer down before bedtime.

If I had to run the AC 24/7 I'd definitely find another place to "relax(?)".

Sitting inside an Air Conditioned RV while it's hot enough outside to make your eyeballs squeak, sorry. Not my form of relaxing.

[tomkatb]

Ac is necessary to all who do not live in the mountain states.

Also, folks with kids can only travel in the summer. AC is a necessity. .

Try sleeping in south Texas while doing new baby duty when the temp hits 110. With 100% humidity in a trailer.

[Hclarkx]

Originally Posted by babock

I would never go anywhere where I need to run an AC 24/7.

In fact, I won't go anywhere I need AC. Mine has been run just a couple times to know it works.

I don't have solar to save money. I have solar so I don't have to bring a generator.

X2, X2, and X2 ..........

[TowPro]

Solar is great for keeping batteries fully charged in storage.

[babock]

Originally Posted by tomkatb

Try sleeping in south Texas while doing new baby duty when the temp hits 110. With 100% humidity in a trailer.

i will never have to try. You are in Ohio...why bother going to Texas...go north!

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Tom911

Look how much the cost of electricity has gone up in the last 40 years? Ok now look how much the price of gasoline, insurance and propane have gone up? Who is taking advantage of who?

How much it's gone up? Well, okay.

When I moved to North Carolina, 35 years ago, the rate was 10.5 cents per KWH. (Actually I think it was 10 cents for six months out of the year and 11 cents for the other six, a new South thing reflecting the introduction of air conditioning. It didn't affect me because my heat pump consumes the same amount whether it's heating or cooling. My low-bill months are in the spring and fall when I do neither.)

Well, a year ago they raised the rates. They are now 11.3 cents an hour. I look at California at 45 cents per KWH and blackouts and brownouts because of shortages and because they can't afford to trim trees away from powerlines and don't want to start another forest fire and you know what? I'm quite content to pay 11.3 cents per KWH.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

How much it's gone up? Well, okay.

When I moved to North Carolina, 35 years ago, the rate was 10.5 cents per KWH. (Actually I think it was 10 cents for six months out of the year and 11 cents for the other six, a new South thing reflecting the introduction of air conditioning. It didn't affect me because my heat pump consumes the same amount whether it's heating or cooling. My low-bill months are in the spring and fall when I do neither.)

Well, a year ago they raised the rates. They are now 11.3 cents an hour. I look at California at 45 cents per KWH and blackouts and brownouts because of shortages and because they can't afford to trim trees away from powerlines and don't want to start another forest fire and you know what? I'm quite content to pay 11.3 cents per KWH.

Lol. In CA it's not even close it $0.45 per KWH. It's a graduated scale. Our peak is around 14 cents on top of the readiness charge.

With my last 3000 sq ft house in the LA area that I just sold, my power bill ranged from $30 to $90 per month. No pool. Rarely needed AC. I had a whole house fan that I ran at night.

Fortunately, we live in a pretty moderate climate. Can't remember the last time I had to ran AC at night and we try to not run it during the day. Our winters are mild so rarely have to run the heater as well. Our power hog is the swimming pool because of the pump. My cousins electric bill in Seattle area is higher than ours in the winter because she has electric heat but even if you add in our tiny gas bill, we are still WAY below hers. I would rather pay more for electricity and live in a moderate climate and use less.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by babock

Lol. In CA it's not even close it $0.45 per KWH. It's a graduated scale. Our peak is around 14 cents on top of the readiness charge.

Oops. I guess I was thinking of the Enron (brownouts) era.

This site tells the tale. CA is almost 50% higher than NC.

The campground where the Cherokee 38P is permanently stationed does its own billing. I think they are allowed to bill at 2 cents/KWH above what they pay for it. It's in VA, but the rates are similar to NC's. Our bill there tends to be about $15/month which covers two residential refrigerators and the converter. It has jumped to $45/month a few times when we've used electric heaters.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Hclarkx

X2, X2, and X2 ..........

Would you add that up to X6 or do you multiply so it's X8


Regardless, you're right on.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by babock

My cousins electric bill in Seattle area is higher than ours in the winter because she has electric heat but even if you add in our tiny gas bill, we are still WAY below hers. I would rather pay more for electricity and live in a moderate climate and use less.

Your cousin's electric costs should range from around 8 cents to 11 cents per kwh, depending on whether in Seattle under City Light or outside and getting it from PSE.

Electric heat was sold to builders years ago around here due to the abundance of Hydro Power and it's cost of less than a nickel per kwh. In fact electricity was so cheap people building houses didn't even insulate many of them.

My house is only 2100 sq feet but a high efficiency gas furnace used from Fall to early spring and a portable A/C unit for the few hot summer nights in the bedroom give me an average monthly Utility bill around $90/month (combined gas and electric). LED lighting, a 95%+ high efficiency furnace, and only heating to 68 degrees keeps the costs very reasonable. Even my clothes dryer is gas, not electric.


BTW, having a gas furnace is nice when the power goes out. An extension cord from generator to furnace keeps the house toasty on the coldest winter day.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by tomkatb

Ac is necessary to all who do not live in the mountain states.

Also, folks with kids can only travel in the summer. AC is a necessity. .

Try sleeping in south Texas while doing new baby duty when the temp hits 110. With 100% humidity in a trailer.

I remember traveling as a kid to places that were just as hot. Somehow we survived without A/C.

For those who have issues with power costs when using A/C perhaps setting the thermostat a little higher will help. If the outside temp is 110, 80-85 would feel cool. Cooling to 72 will burn up a lot more electricity.

{stolen from the net}

Turning your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit is the most efficient setting for your air conditioner during warmer months. Reducing your home's temperature lower, such as to 72 degrees, could increase your cooling costs by as much as 47 percent.

FWIW, we all agree that humidity is the culprit that makes everyone so uncomfortable. Just running the A/C to cool into the 80's will reduce the humidity. For example, average June through August Dew Points in S. Texas run from 70-80 degrees. The average A/C unit will have colder temps at the evaporator and it will cause water in the air to condense and the condensate tube will flow as if someone had left a tap running.

Get rid of the humidity and you're more comfortable right away.

I had a friend that lived in the midwest who ran a couple of Dehumidifiers in his house along with his A/C. The Dehumidifiers used less juice than the A/C but increased the "comfort index" immensely. An average dehumidifier uses half the power of an average A/C unit.

[SlowrideHD]

Where we winter in Apache Junction, our electric is metered as well and averages $60-$70 a month. I found that washing smaller loads of clothes in our Splendide without using the dryer cycle saved a lot of kwh. We bought one of those small folding A-frame drying racks and use it to dry clothes. In the Az lack of humidity, they dry very quickly. Our neighbor behind us had a rack on their ladder where they hung stuff so after we checked with her that it was not offensive for our clothes to dry (undies still stayed in the dryer!) we used it like this all winter.

[babock]

Back on the subject for the OP, you would be money ahead looking for change in your couch than thinking a 180W solar panel is going to save much. Even my 700W of solar will never get my money back.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by SlowrideHD

Where we winter in Apache Junction, our electric is metered as well and averages $60-$70 a month. I found that washing smaller loads of clothes in our Splendide without using the dryer cycle saved a lot of kwh. We bought one of those small folding A-frame drying racks and use it to dry clothes. In the Az lack of humidity, they dry very quickly. Our neighbor behind us had a rack on their ladder where they hung stuff so after we checked with her that it was not offensive for our clothes to dry (undies still stayed in the dryer!) we used it like this all winter.

Buy some super sexy, thong type lace, undies and hang them out to dry. Let your neighbors wonder what's going on.

Either that or a pair of undies large enough to double as a cover for a Smart Car.

[SlowrideHD]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Buy some super sexy, thong type lace, undies and hang them out to dry. Let your neighbors wonder what's going on.

Either that or a pair of undies large enough to double as a cover for a Smart Car.

now that's funny!

[nayther]

$100.00/month and you're complaining? Come to CA!

[MOODMAN]

I'm a proponent of wind power. A small wind turbine near or on your RV will capture more energy, day AND night, than solar. Unless of course you are in a non-wind area.

[babock]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

I'm a proponent of wind power. A small wind turbine near or on your RV will capture more energy, day AND night, than solar. Unless of course you are in a non-wind area.

I would love to see what that looks like and how it's deployed. We won't even talk about the noise.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by babock

I would love to see what that looks like and how it's deployed. We won't even talk about the noise.

They usually look like this and give off a low frequency "Buzz" when the wind's blowing.



With a good wind however they can generate ~ 400 watts, if you're willing to listen to noise all night that sounds like an Australian Aborigine's Didgeridoo. A low "groaning" sound that goes up and down in frequency ------- forever.

I was parked about 100 yards away from this twin turbine job while stopping for the night in Las Vegas. Only reason the noise was tolerable is that I knew I was leaving the next morning.

[babock]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

They usually look like this and give off a low frequency "Buzz" when the wind's blowing.


With a good wind however they can generate ~ 400 watts, if you're willing to listen to noise all night that sounds like an Australian Aborigine's Didgeridoo. A low "groaning" sound that goes up and down in frequency ------- forever.

I was parked about 100 yards away from this twin turbine job while stopping for the night in Las Vegas. Only reason the noise was tolerable is that I knew I was leaving the next morning.

Yeah...no thanks! If it was bad for you, can you imagine if you were in the trailer? I will take my silent solar any day.

Looks like that guy was semi permanent. The setup for that system probably takes him awhile and where do you store it when you are travelling?