# I Paid $4, $2.55 and now under $1



## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

10x 250 Watt Sharp Solar Panel Package Home Solar Off Grid Solar Panels | eBay

Solar panels just keep getting better and dropping like a rock in price. Less than a $1 a watt I never thought was possible.

Gotta love innovation, deflation, and the Chicoms!


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Ripon said:


> 10x 250 Watt Sharp Solar Panel Package Home Solar Off Grid Solar Panels | eBay
> 
> Solar panels just keep getting better and dropping like a rock in price. Less than a $1 a watt I never thought was possible.
> 
> Gotta love innovation, deflation, and the Chicoms!


 Did you need to buy all 10? Or can I get 2 or 3 at a time?
Never mind I went back and found where you can get them one at a time.
The price goes up a little that way

Thats a good deal for all 10 I been getting mine one at a time $128 w/shipping 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100W-Watts-...573?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd99e3b95


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

the Australian government has stopped its solar program (heavily subsidised prices) the state governments are stopping their rebates, the power companies only give $0.17 per kWh now...

what's this mean, supply and demand, demand is getting lower... most home owners have solar on their home now, only rentals that don't.... something to so with the carbon tax Obama wants us to keep that we want GONE


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

We burned a decent amount of home brewed diesel last year for conveniences not necessities. I don't want to put so many hours on that generator so the ten panels will add to our production. Truth be told these are going to get stored until we are there for some time again. A couple of years. I could assume prices might keep going down, but really? 90-95 cents a watt? How low can they go.

BTW here is some math as I understand it.
$230/ 250 watt panel

That panel will produce at 80% for 20 years on ave, 5.25 hrs a day x 365 and the reason 365 is the 5.25 hrs a day
=. 250x.80x5.25x365x20. This is 7,665 kilowatt hours over years at a cost of 3-4 cents per kilowatt hr.

That beats about any public utility rate anywhere in the US.



budgetprepp-n said:


> Did you need to buy all 10? Or can I get 2 or 3 at a time?
> Never mind I went back and found where you can get them one at a time.
> The price goes up a little that way
> 
> ...


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I know a guy that works in the house of representatives (secretary or something--gofor?) 
Anyways he said there trying to figure out how to tax on off grid solar panels.
But it's not the money they are after. They want to know who has any solar power. 

I don't think the oil company's care much for solar power.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Who knows what they really want. I'm surprised some moron doesn't demand they be registered at point of sale. My system is off grid since the utility needed $33k to extend my home power and I wasn't about to fork that over. My panels (thus far, diesel generator, battery back ups, et al costs less then $8k over time buying what I could afford. Adding these 10 panels at this price point I'd have never thought possible.



budgetprepp-n said:


> I know a guy that works in the house of representatives (secretary or something--gofor?)
> Anyways he said there trying to figure out how to tax on off grid solar panels.
> But it's not the money they are after. They want to know who has any solar power.
> 
> I don't think the oil company's care much for solar power.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

Northern Arizona Wind & Sun has been in business since 1979, and always has some of the best prices on all kinds of alternative energy stuff.

Northern Arizona Wind & Sun

They also have great customer service and when you call, you get someone who actually knows a lot about the products they sell and is willing to help. I would MUCH rather buy off someone like this than off of eBay.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

Ripon said:


> BTW here is some math as I understand it.
> $230/ 250 watt panel
> 
> That panel will produce at 80% for 20 years on ave, 5.25 hrs a day x 365 and the reason 365 is the 5.25 hrs a day
> ...


Yeah, but the balance of system parts will almost triple that cost. Inverters, charge controller & batteries (if off grid), array combiners, circuit breakers, racks, and so on have to be added to the system costs.

The upside, however, is that you will be immune to the rising cost of energy. What will a kilowatt hour cost in 20 years?

By the way, Trina panels are available for less than a buck a watt and guarantee 80.7% power at the end of 25 years, so you might be a little conservative on your total power estimates.


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

budgetprepp-n said:


> I know a guy that works in the house of representatives (secretary or something--gofor?)
> Anyways he said there trying to figure out how to tax on off grid solar panels.
> But it's not the money they are after. They want to know who has any solar power.
> 
> I don't think the oil company's care much for solar power.


I read somewhere that Germany is already doing this.


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

Ripon said:


> We burned a decent amount of home brewed diesel last year for conveniences not necessities. I don't want to put so many hours on that generator so the ten panels will add to our production.


Since you seem to know diesel, any thoughts on black diesel? I have read a little about it.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I've never used waste products / grease / cooking oil but know a few that have. Sources would seem easy but it's a pain. We grow various crops and try it out. Blue wheat grass has been the best so far yielding about 200 maybe 210 gallons an acre. We have about 1/4 acre planted in an elephant grass were trying out soon. It's grown well so far. I'm going to be curios to see how it turns out if I'm in the area or my brother will tend to it.

Sorry can't help you with the black diesel.



StarPD45 said:


> Since you seem to know diesel, any thoughts on black diesel? I have read a little about it.


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## SAR-1L (Mar 13, 2013)

Eventually the government will have a solar tax against people who use panels, 
claiming it kills some rare species of unicorn or some stupid shit. If the government
doesn't control it you can bet your ass they will tax it or make it illegal.

I can just see the headline now_ "Breaking News: Man with portable solar panels 
used plasma beam in mall attack which killed 7 and injured 13 others.

Meanwhile in other news mothers against solar, want to limit the wattage capacity
to portable solar panels to prevent more public carnage."_

You get the idea, if doesn't come from the government it must be evil according to society today.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

StarPD45 said:


> Since you seem to know diesel, any thoughts on black diesel? I have read a little about it.


 What is black diesel? I had some purple diesel and it was pretty good. No really what is black diesel?


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I'm no expert but my understanding is it's vehicle fuel made from waste products like that from grease pits at restaurants and other disposed of oils.



budgetprepp-n said:


> What is black diesel? I had some purple diesel and it was pretty good. No really what is black diesel?


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Hence a good reason to go now.

In all seriousness the government will pay you right now with the full boat coming off your income -- so if you are taxed at the highest rate (I'm not) you get every dollar invested in solar off your income for fed tax purposes.

My CA Home town utility had to rush and close their support program for they were paying users $.80 a watt...LOL...when panels got to $1.25 they ran out of money. People were getting panels for $.45 a watt. As noted the panel is a percentage of the whole. If you need a 12,000 watt system the panels are likely 65/70% but if you only need a 3,000 watt system the panels might be a third. And to get rebates and tax breaks you must have local building permits (thieves some of them).



SAR-1L said:


> Eventually the government will have a solar tax against people who use panels,
> claiming it kills some rare species of unicorn or some stupid shit. If the government
> doesn't control it you can bet your ass they will tax it or make it illegal.
> 
> ...


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

As low as they have gotten I would think that most all preppers should have lat least one 100 watt solar panel and a $14 controller
in storage (fairaday style) Even if you don't care for solar it might become your only option for listing to the radio or to have
some light.


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