Not just a roof

AnotherModuleDown 1Workers braved the heat recently to install these solar panels on the roof of Colonial Orthopedics in Colonial Heights. The solar slates are made and installed by U.S. Green Energy of Spotsylvania.

AnotherModuleDown 1Workers braved the heat recently to install these solar panels on the roof of Colonial Orthopedics in Colonial Heights. The solar slates are made and installed by U.S. Green Energy of Spotsylvania.

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RSweeney
RSweeney
13 years ago

Not just a roof, but a tremendous waste of money.

A 2300 sq ft roof of these PV collectors costs over $60,000 installed.
That roof will generate $500 LESS in electricity RETAIL than the interest value of money each year.

During their ENTIRE 20 year life, the PV roof will generate power that Dominion makes wholesale for less than $5000 with coal or nuclear.

That’s right, $60,000 spent now for a lifetime payback of $5000 total.

That’s the REAL, unsubsidized price.
Subsidies are just money stolen from others to make a bad investment seem better.

anonymous
anonymous
13 years ago

Perhaps the doctors realize the ridiculous subsidies for nuclear and coal power, and recognize that, unlike coal and nuclear power, these solar panels will not threaten the environment and health of their community. Furthermore, the doctors are most likely receiving Solar Renewable Energy Credits and selling them, making this a better investment that includes reduced and more predictable energy bills. In addition, perhaps the good doctors will be better able to serve their patients in a brownout or blackout. In other words, good disaster recovery for their practice. Kudos to them! Here’s to more and more renewable energy replacing dirty… Read more »

RSweeney
RSweeney
13 years ago

SREC’s sell for 55 cents/kw-hr in the PJM interconnect. That’s compared to 8 cents RETAIL for power or 1.4 cents/kw-hr wholesale in the Dominion system. It’s a subsidy stealing money from the ratepayers. Stealing money from other businesses who pay for power with embedded charges to pay that 55 cents for power worth 1.4. Walmart is suing a utility in New England for trying to stiff them with similar “green” power from wind turbines priced at 35 cents/kw-hr. And grid-tied panels typically do NOT produce power during grid power outages as their inverters need the synchronization and peak load stabilization… Read more »

anonymous
anonymous
13 years ago

First point matters, Sweeney- Perhaps the doctors realize the ridiculous subsidies for nuclear and coal power, and recognize that, unlike coal and nuclear power, these solar panels will not threaten the environment and health of their community. Prices for energy will be going up, but prices for solar modules are getting cheaper and cheaper. A new Duke University study says that solar makes more sense than nuclear for North Carolina. http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/renewable-energy/solar-energy/photovoltaic/7686 Another aspect to consider- Even if the doctors do not have the storage, their grid tied energy ensures that Dominion has upgraded their area’s grid to accomodate the distribution-… Read more »

anonymous
anonymous
13 years ago

Speaking of WalMart- would love to see solar on stores here-

http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/9990.aspx

Or donating money for getting solar on our schools-

http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/news/walmart-donates-1-2-million-to-put-solar-power-on-schools/

Virginia, and Richmond in particular, has some of the oldest school buildings in the country. Why not upgrade and renovate school roofs and add solar at the same time? It would create disaster recovery in every neighborhood. Remember, solar was the only power in New Orelans after Katrina. Solar panels on schools could generate power even when the schools were empty during summer vacation.

Irony
Irony
13 years ago

I hope that the installers are using heavy duty brackets securing these panels to the roof as this location has had two tornado’s roll thru in the past. I’d hate to watch my investment fly away in a heavy storm.

RSweeney
RSweeney
13 years ago

Ridiculous subsidies for coal and nuclear? And what might they be? And remember, a subsidy is NOT when the government ALLOWS you to keep your own money, it’s when government TAKES from others to GIVE it to you. These solar panels threaten not the environment, but the economy, by placing business capital into non-productive uses. And Dominion doesn’t have to upgrade ANYTHING to accept such a pittance of power as produced by this overpriced solar roof. The ENTIRE output of the roof at noon at the sunniest day of the year will not start even a single residential heatpump. Not… Read more »

anonymous
anonymous
13 years ago

Federal subsidies:

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/article_redirect.cfm?ID=13980

http://www.sierraclub.org/coal/downloads/2010-04-13-FedCoalReport.pdf

And you are wrong about Dominion. There are many citizens who understand the games the company is playing with its antique grid.

Streaks
Streaks
13 years ago

Dear Mr. Sweeny. Perhaps the article isn’t clear on these units. ONE of those pannels they’re laying down pumps out around 2KW. They over-produce typically. They are designed to not use batteries to run offline at night but rather you draw off the grid at night and redeem credits you earn during the day for any current your units produce that you don’t use. So, if your building only uses say, 2KW that day, but produced 12KW, you’d get that in credits that get used during the night instead of batteries. They WILL work with batteries mind you, but that… Read more »