Have any of you started to use any of the technologies of wind energy and solar energy? My wife wants to manke changes to the house going more green but everything I have found makes the cost pretty prohibitive. Thanks
energy technology
- Thread starter Lookn4help
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- Mar 2, 2006
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We heat all our water with solar. The house also used to be all solar electric, but the people who owned the house before us disconnected it???? Someday we plan to reconnect that as well. Although alternative energy is an upfront investment, it usually pays itself off in a number of years, usually around 10 but it depends on a lot of factors. My dad installs solar panels as a side job, and we had them on our house in Ohio growing up so I have been "solar" my whole life. Our gas bills in the summer are near zero.
Also, you get tax deductions of approximately 30% (off the top of my head) for any alternative energy costs - installation, upkeep etc., up to a certain amount (~$2000 for solar I think) so when you take this into account you can really save a lot of money. Like I said, it is an upfront investment but over the long run it saves you a lot of money, and frankly peace of mind. I like knowing that if there is a gas shortage or (when we get around to hooking up the electric) and electric outage that we are still functioning. The way our world is going, who knows if/when we will run out of all these things we take for granted? Also, like your wife says, it "greens" things up and that can never be a bad thing.
My dad wanted to start a company that would finance people for installing alternative energy, because a lot of people want to do it, but don't have the money up front - I think this would be a great thing to do, if you had the capital.
Also, you get tax deductions of approximately 30% (off the top of my head) for any alternative energy costs - installation, upkeep etc., up to a certain amount (~$2000 for solar I think) so when you take this into account you can really save a lot of money. Like I said, it is an upfront investment but over the long run it saves you a lot of money, and frankly peace of mind. I like knowing that if there is a gas shortage or (when we get around to hooking up the electric) and electric outage that we are still functioning. The way our world is going, who knows if/when we will run out of all these things we take for granted? Also, like your wife says, it "greens" things up and that can never be a bad thing.
My dad wanted to start a company that would finance people for installing alternative energy, because a lot of people want to do it, but don't have the money up front - I think this would be a great thing to do, if you had the capital.
Happy Hippo thanks
Happy Hippo thanks
Thanks for the input; I have watched various tv shows regarding solar and wind energies and I have come to the realization that the sooner we as a consuming nation start utilizing this natural source thr better. Yes start up is expensive but your right that between the tax break and energy cost savings (and a little peace of mind in an emergency) it looks like it's worth the transformation.
Happy Hippo thanks
Thanks for the input; I have watched various tv shows regarding solar and wind energies and I have come to the realization that the sooner we as a consuming nation start utilizing this natural source thr better. Yes start up is expensive but your right that between the tax break and energy cost savings (and a little peace of mind in an emergency) it looks like it's worth the transformation.
