Private Solar power system cuts electricity Bills in Half

                                              Cut Your Electricity Bills in Half

Lets take a look at the economics of Mr. Shadrack's solar power system.


You can find a link to his article "How to Cut Your Electricity Bills In Half - A Kaslo Story" .

Left pictured in front of their system.
The info suggests they use less than 40% of the electricity of the average home.

As a Fortis customer and present rates that would cost him a little over $100/mo.

He states his 2.4kW system cost $21,600.

Using a decade or more of local solar data his system conservativly would earn about 2400kWh annually almost all of it in about 4 months in summer, virtually none in winter when he consumes the most.

Mr. Shadrack says Fortis's basic fee has gone from 23.5% to 39% of his bimonthly bills.

That math says Mr. Shadrack bills once $130, are now down to about $84 bimonthly.

Not exactly half as his title suggests.  This also suggests he once used about 450kWh monthly and
has cut this to about 250kWh from Fortis the other 200kWh monthly from solar.  Although most of this power is starting in spring runoff through summer when we don't need it.  Those reading this living in Mr. Shadracks part of the country are likely familiar with the Duncan Dam.  It makes no power, why?  Its a flood control spring runoff reservoir.  Those tens of thousands of cubic feet of water spilling off that kickbucket making that fantastic fan of water are worthless.  Nobody needs or will buy power at this time of year.  You can't give power away.  We need power in winter when water flows are lowest and solar power is non existant.
Yes he might be using half the power but he hasn't saved the Fortis basic fee which is now up to $32.09.

Money has a cost, either you pay interest or you are lucky enough to collect it.
His $23,000 borrowed is about $266 bimonthly plus he still has about 450kWh from Fortis
for another $77 to Fortis.  Total bimonthly with solar $343.  Had he done nothing
that power from Fortis would cost $$246 bimonthly.  Now the solar argument is power costs are going up.  Yes and solar panels make less power every year with age and might last 20 years.

The solar inverters typically need replacing in 10 to 12 years, about $2400 today, how much in 10 years? unknown.  Solar panels will fail, commonly water ingress, 5 year warranties for workmanship.
Those 25 year warranties that say they will still make 80% of their original power, worthless.  Mr. Shadracks biggest problem.  Toxic batteries.  If he can expect 3000 charge discharge cycles, tops 10 years, call it a bonus.  I have no idea how much his batteries cost.  I do know they are hazardous waste just like his solar panels.

His other statement "some around him with solar panels are making a modest income"...Bull@##$%.

And to think this is helping the planet, its the opposite.  Cradle to grave, all the non renewables in mining transportation and nasty chemicals and recycling costs, they increase the carbon footprint in BC.  BC is all clean green waterpower, nothing is cleaner.  For solar power to even begin to be green it must avoid the burning of non renewables such as coal in a conventional power plant somewhere.  That cannot happen in BC.
So Mr. Shadrack has dirty power increasing our carbon footprint(his) and pays more for the misery of trying to live in the dark as much as possible to pretend his solar fantasy works.

Hope this helps someone understand the value of solar in BC, enough money is wasted, its time to end it!!  Education will do this.