Solar Shingles

[Jeff]

Are you basing your payback on tax incentives?

You bet. Thats our money! 2/3rds of it is paid with Tax credits and NYSERDA grants.

[Jeff]

I replaced my roof in about 2014. I wouldn't put a solar system on top of my roof. Why? Any holes in the roof are a potential leak. The installers of solar know about solar, they don't know about roofs. Solar shingles? I would buy in a heartbeat. I'd even install them on my rental property and upcharge the hippy granola types. Plus I can't believe HOA's care about what your roof looks like. Who's out there staring at roofs all day?

Not true.

A reputable installer will not only do the job right, but warranty their work. Mine use insured roofers, solar installed and electricians. Zero issues through one winter.

[WNYresident]

And what are you actually saving on your electric bill? The system I reviewed have a web access control panel that shows you wattage produced and used etc. Did you system have something like that?

[Jeff]

And what are you actually saving on your electric bill? The system I reviewed have a web access control panel that shows you wattage produced and used etc. Did you system have something like that?

Savings are on average $40 - $80 /month. I have saved a ton on AC this summer already.I estimate more like $100/month. I also have banked the entire months of Jan and Feb already.

This is probably the best summer I will every have, almost no cloudy days.

Yes, my system has full local, web and mobile monitoring.

[WNYresident]

Those grants are a rip to a point. The electric company offered us light upgrades a few years back. They covered about 80% of the replacement cost to go from old style ballast and fluorescent t12/8 to T5 lighting with electronic ballast. We spent about $400 to have all the fixtures replaced. Now they come back offering the same deal to move from t5 to LED. I think it came back to about $385. I said there really isn't much savings over the long haul to go from t5 to LED. I said we should just wait until bulbs fail and then upgrade. Then I said I can just go buy 2 $10 LED (each) replacement tubes now. Direct drop in replacements that don't require the ballast to be removed.

He goes we'll do it for you. You don't have to bother plus you get an additional 3 year warranty on the bulbs and new power module. They remove the recently replaced electronic ballast because the bulbs they use have a different power supply.

So if they are charging me $400 bucks and were covering 80% of the cost that means they are charging the electric company about $1600. $2000 job X .80 = $1600. We pay about $400. Follow me here. A business can just replace the current t5 bulbs without this program for about $12 a fixture.

4 ft. T8 17-Watt Cool White Linear LED Light Bulb

$7 bucks a bulb or $6 in 10 packs.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-4...6590/206278131


I didn't do it. I felt the company hired for the NYS program is ripping off the electric company

The employees who did the original change our spoke very little english.

[grump]

Imagine how many readers speakup has lost because of negative jerks that ruin threads while not adding anything to the thread. Imagine every thread not being hijacked by the geriatric class clown. Imagine a board populated by people that actually do something in the community besides complain. Imagine moderators keeping people on topic and removing post that have nothing to do with the thread so new people looking at the board actually might start posting instead of thinking this is one big clown car.. Imagine................. oh wait that was 10 yrs ago.

LOL

Imagine people who want to censor posts they don't like or agree with. Imagine people who only want to hear and read what reinforces their own beliefs. Imagine people who make assumptions about the community involvement of others based on whether those others agree with them. Imagine people who launch ad hominem attacks on others because others disagree with them. Imagine people criticizing monitors because they don't remove posts that those people don't like. Imagine people who can't tell whether or not a post is applicable to a thread. If you can imagine that you can imagine Steven.

[grump]

I have an idea. We've all heard of idiot colleges and universities that are creating "safe places" ...essentially places on campus where what little that is left of campus free speech is forbidden so that no one's feelings can be hurt. I think the host of this site ought to create "safe threads" where people like Steven, 300, Linda and others con go to and no one will be able to post anything to those threads that Steven, 300 Linda and others don't like or find contrary to their views.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

I have an idea. We've all heard of idiot colleges and universities that are creating "safe places" ...essentially places on campus where what little that is left of campus free speech is forbidden so that no one's feelings can be hurt. I think the host of this site ought to create "safe threads" where people like Steven, 300, Linda and others con go to and no one will be able to post anything to those threads that Steven, 300 Linda and others don't like or find contrary to their views.

Grump. I am all for free speech and saying what you want.

That said, there is a difference between empty comments and not. When you speak about UB you speak freely but include information and examples. You post opinions and views that either confirm or counter what others have said.

Post #7, which Steven took issue with, does none of this. Maybe it was a poor attempt at a joke. Maybe Steven took it too seriously. But it's not confirming to some of your other posts.


Personally I would be interested in hearing what 'older folks' think about new technology. I would be interested in reading your perspective of the possibility of a revolutionary product being made in WNY. I know you might not be used to giving such feedback as for most of your adult life your generation watch the region to go on a downward spiral...so if you take it slow maybe you could add to the conversation?

[grump]

Leftie, I respectfully disagree about post #7. It had a point directly related to solar energy. That point, that it's a massive waste of taxpayer money to fund an energy source that is not even close to economic viability. The first tenant for Riverbend was bankrupt and went out of business after being absorbed by Solar City. Solar City has effectively gone out of business after being absorbed by Tesla. And the project has yet to produce one stinking solar energy related job. Tesla is a company that has never come close to turning a profit. Call me odd or old or worse yet say that I sit in a BarcaLounger if you will, but watching one bankrupt company after another be bought up by still more bankrupt companies does not inspire confidence in me. We're talking $700 million freaking dollars of New York taxpayer money. I continue to believe in the old adage that when A &B get together to spend C's $$$ fraud and corruption will result.

[grump]

As for new technology I'm all for it. It was us "older folks" who started the computer revolution, who put people on the moon, with all the manufacturing and materials improvements that flowed from it. Theres a difference between technological improvement and handouts of taxpayer money to the politically connected. Any improvements that have taken place in solar energy production (if in fact any exist) are purely coincidental to the main purpose of government spending on solar energy which has been to reward political cronies.

[WNYresident]

Wasn't the moon landing funded by tax payers grump? That really wasn't a handout like solarcity or what the IDA's do. That was more of a tax handout for the entire nation.

Seeing the money is already spent on that massive building we should all hope that something goes in there. NOT SOMETHING THAT taxpayer subsidize for the next 20 years either.

NYS spending habits have been out of hand for the last 25+ years and it's time to cut where we have no benefit.

[300miles]

As for new technology I'm all for it. It was us "older folks" who started the computer revolution, who put people on the moon, with all the manufacturing and materials improvements that flowed from it. Theres a difference between technological improvement and handouts of taxpayer money to the politically connected. Any improvements that have taken place in solar energy production (if in fact any exist) are purely coincidental to the main purpose of government spending on solar energy which has been to reward political cronies.

You specify putting people on the moon, yet that was a gigantically expensive project that was funded 100% with federal taxpayer money, and had little expectations for immediate commercial or economic payback (it did have technological paybacks, and longterm commercial paybacks). So you're complaining about us funding the solar power industry with taxpayer dollars, yet your example of past excellence is another taxpayer funded project.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Leftie, I respectfully disagree about post #7. It had a point directly related to solar energy. That point, that it's a massive waste of taxpayer money to fund an energy source that is not even close to economic viability.

Prove this or at least back this opinion up.

The US needs to move away from fossil fuels. It needs to move towards energy independence.

Right now solar power works. It's just really expensive due to the lack of infrastructure and production costs. Guess what...so was the auto until Ford figured out production and the US spent Trillions of tax dollars on infrastructure at the benefit of the auto industry.

The first tenant for Riverbend was bankrupt and went out of business after being absorbed by Solar City. Solar City has effectively gone out of business after being absorbed by Tesla. And the project has yet to produce one stinking solar energy related job.

There has only been a single tenant at Riverbend. That's SolarCity. SolarCity was acquired by Tesla. Personally I think the plan for the merger has been in play for a long time...but that's just an opinion.

That said, there is a long line in history of smaller companies being acquired for their technology and the new company was able to leap board into something much bigger/better than if they remained separate. That is exactly what is happening here.

Tesla is pivoting from a auto company to a full stack consumer power company. It will be able to generate power, store power and then deploy power.

is a company that has never come close to turning a profit. Call me odd or old or worse yet say that I sit in a BarcaLounger if you will, but watching one bankrupt company after another be bought up by still more bankrupt companies does not inspire confidence in me. We're talking $700 million freaking dollars of New York taxpayer money. I continue to believe in the old adage that when A &B get together to spend C's $$$ fraud and corruption will result.

I won't call you odd. I'll call you ignorant. That's not an insult by the way. It just means you don't understand things.

FedEx took 13 years to turn a profit. Amazon took 9 years to turn a profit.

What does FedEx and Amazon have in common with Tesla? Well all 3 are companies that changed the paradigm on how their industry worked. That requires a massive amount of investment. It requires navigating a massive amount of political bull sh*t thown into the process by stagnant politically connected competitors.

Guess what else happens when you do this? You make huge amount profit once you get past all of the crap.

[grump]

Leftie, you're right..lithe space program was publicly funded and it provided a wealth of technological payback. Solar energy is a political payback system, Solyndra, Solar City, Tesla...I could go on. Tesla has never turned a profit, it's not close. They don't come close to meeting their own production targets. I could be wrong but I don't remember NYS spending $700 million on Amazon or FedEx. If they can flourish without why can't Tesla?! I know there's a long history of companies being acquired for their technology...unlike the current boondoggle at Riverbend not all those predecessors were broke. There have been no tenants at Riverbend because Solar City hasn't created a job there yet or turned a solar panel or solar roof but they weren't the original proposed tenant, that company went pop and was purchased by Solar City. I read all about Elon Musk's vision for Tesla after absorbing Solar City. As for energy independence we were exporting energy to the rest of the world until our friends the Saudis drove the price of oil down. I know you don't live in NYS any more so it has to be a bit easier for you to support spending $700 million of someone else's money to put more pollution tax credit millions in the pocket of Elon Musk. Of course solar power works...I've had many a sunburn to prove it. But it takes lots and lots and lots of solar panels to generate the same amount of energy as produced in a few gallons of oil or a few chunks of coal. I can get burned a lot more quickly picking up a piece of burning coal than I can sitting in the sun.