Today I intend to lay out a system that works well in harnessing the power of the sun, without the need for any costly solar power batteries.
Continue reading “Excuse me, but why does anybody need solar power batteries?”
Tag: ROI
This tag is for ideas that have a high return on investment for the amount of capital introduced.
Geographical features that make Otaki Motel a good location for solar panels
Our solar power installation is now set up and in recent articles I’ve addressed how our solar installation is currently generating more than 50% more power than was initially forecasted based on NIWA data. The savings we’ve achieved have also been on the high side, cutting our bill down by around $93 during our first month and by around $150 during our second month. In fact, our monthly daytime consumption for last month, at 170 kWh, was the lowest number we have ever consumed during any month in recent memory.
Continue reading “Geographical features that make Otaki Motel a good location for solar panels”
So Far, So Good – One Month In and Solar Is Outperforming Expectations
It’s a bit early to do a case study on solar power for the Otaki Motel, because quite frankly, we haven’t received enough data yet to assess how much of an impact our 1.5 kWh solar power system has had on out energy use across all weather patterns and seasons. What we have had is our first electricity bill come in.
Continue reading “So Far, So Good – One Month In and Solar Is Outperforming Expectations”
Why Solar Power and Slow Cookers Go So Well Together
The motel solar power system has now been successfully installed. I’m able to log in to my inverter system (through Enphase Enlighten) and get a near-real-time reading of the energy consumption versus production through the solar panels. This reading quickly threw up an unintended side effect, which is that the motel solar system is producing way more power at present than the original estimate.
Continue reading “Why Solar Power and Slow Cookers Go So Well Together”
Solar Power Economics: Calculating the Value of a 1.5 kWh Solar Power System After 10 Years Have Passed (Using the Discounted Cash Flow Method!)
In last week’s article I made the on-the-surface ludicrous claim that the value of a solar power system at the end of ten years may be greater than the value of that same system at the date of purchase and installation, even when accounting for the loss in energy efficiency of said solar system over 10 years. Today I will explain how I reached that conclusion.
Using the Discounted Cash Flow Method to Calculate the Value of Solar – Key Assumptions
There are some assumptions that I need to make you aware of when using certain valuation methods, including the Discounted Cash Flow Method, to calculate the value of a solar power installation once ten years have already passed. Explaining and outlining these assumptions may go some way to support my on-the-surface outrageous conclusion that, for many households, the value of a solar power installation may be worth more ten years from now than it is on the date of purchase and installation, even when considering the loss in energy efficiency that occurs over time.
Solar Power From the Actual Experts
I must confess I am just about the furthest thing from an actual engineer – while I have a great deal of curiosity about the nature of solar power and its possible impact on household energy consumption at a micro level, on certain technical matters I will be a small kid with armbands swimming in the deep end.
What do we do when we are potentially out of our depth? We consult a real world expert. So for that reason, this week we speak to Martin King and Bryn Bennett of Degree Limited, who specialise in the installation of all things heating and cooling.
Why It Helps to Start Planning a Year In Advance When It Comes to Solar Power
In last week’s article I wrote about the need to calculate your own power consumption before investing in any solar power proposal. This week I want to talk about how extending the timeline for your data set well in advance can help you to improve the data accuracy of your energy saving calculations.
Continue reading “Why It Helps to Start Planning a Year In Advance When It Comes to Solar Power”
Why It’s Important to Calculate Your Own Power Consumption Before Buying Solar Power
In a past article I talked about how the main environmental benefit of installing solar power systems in New Zealand is that it reduces demand on the grid during periods of peak consumption. This time I’m going to look at the flip side of that equation – if you want to receive the maximum economic benefit from your solar power installation, you need to begin with a clear understanding of your own home or business actually uses power.
Achieving the Lowest Cost Per Printed Page: How to Choose Printer That Saves You Money Over the Long Term
I view myself as a motel manager, and as a motel manager, a big part of my job is to understand and tactically eliminate, reduce or renegotiate the overhead costs in my business.
I admit that I sometimes take this too far and perhaps need a bit of professional help. But so far as the business is concerned, it is excellent for our bottom line to have someone with these cost-cutting tendencies. Sure, such an approach may be aggravating for the people around me, but when it comes to choosing a new printer to replace the one that recently conked out (as happened last week), it is nothing short of a godsend.