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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Things to consider here:
http://www.chesapeakesolar.net/page.php?s=39&gclid=CNuHztfA_ZoCFQienAodsBejcQ
Check kit prices here...
http://www.affordable-solar.com/solar.off.grid.remote.htm

http://www.solarhaven.org/PVSystem.htm
This guy seems to be building from scratch, but tell her to notice what
is not listed, i.e. W/D, etc. and notice that their backup is 2800kw
generator, which tells you something about their power usage.

This page lists some folks costs and such, but this may not represent
the norm, I don't know.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-04-12-off-the-grid_x.htm

I think you gave her good advice, Warren, but kids never want to listen
to parents.  I applaud her for even wanting to go solar, but I think the
best thing to do is to let her make her own mistakes based on a lack of
research or on hype.  For me, it is not a question of cost vs. benefit,
it is simply cost.  If you can't do it, you can't do it.  I don't get
any kind of 'help'.
If this is her first house, she will have a lot of things to buy.  A new
house will nickel and dime you to death.  Is she the type to do without?
 Does she already use a clothesline?  Does she run to the store every
day or does she conserve gasoline and stock necessities?   I believe
that going off grid is possible, but not instantly attainable and one
must severely reduce demand so that he can match the supply generated.
I think the best thing is to let her do the math herself.  Walk around,
look at what each 'thing' uses.  For things like well pumps, calculate
not just running, but start up, too.  I think once she does the math and
realizes that the stimulus and rebates will only be a drop in the bucket
to the actual cost for everything she wants, I think she might scale
back a bit and be more realistic and go with just solar water heating or
solar lighting, etc.
She has to know what she uses before she can reduce consumption AND
before she can realistically know what kind of solar array she needs to buy.




B

Mogrits wrote:
> I'm looking for some good, practical solar energy sites. Stepdaughter
>  just bought her first home and mentioned she wanted to use the 
> stimulus money she receives to install a solar system and "go off the
>  grid". We've discussed this subject here before and I realize how 
> impractical such a thing is, but don't want to discourage her. I
> tried to explain that you can't heat water, run a heat-pump, power a
> well pump, or run washers and dryers with a photovoltaic array. The
> house has good insulation, new insulated windows and a high
> efficiency heat pump. I gently suggested she could install a solar
> water heater, or at least a pre-heater, and possibly handle all her
> lighting needs with batteries and string a clothesline, but that her
> best bet would be to reduce consumption. But as with most youth that
> wasn't the answer she wanted.
>
> So, does anyone have a good website that might lay out realistic
> costs v benefits for solar energy systems?
>
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--
I am having an out-of-money experience.
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/
EarthNSky Farm, Northwest Georgia, USA