8 ms·
You don’t really make that much electricity in the winter when you need the heat
by onlyhumans 7mo ago
You don’t really make that much electricity in the winter when you need the heat
- zeroping 7mo agoI picked a random spot in New York state. It looks like the solar generation in January is about 68% of July. As solar keeps getting cheaper, one option is to just install more solar. Don't get me wrong, there are still issues here, like snow or back-to-back-to-back cloudy days. But the rate of a price change for solar has been pretty dramatic.
- rcdemski 7mo agoThat's my challenge in Colorado. I installed a modest solar system (5kwh) in 2024 and was incredibly happy with the results. On any given 24 hour period it'd offset 40% of my electricity consumption (EV, hot tub being the big loads). Last year I installed a cold climate heat pump. I'm incredibly happy with the switch from gas as my primary heat source. The solar now only covers ~15-20% of my consumption in winter. So my solution this year will be to add more solar. In the two years since I installed mine prices have halved. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do a DIY install, properly permitted and inspected, for about $350/400w panel once you factor in inverters, mounts, etc. It's an amazing time for affordable energy.