They're putting in Solar power at my senior mobile home park.

[Mr.Bill]

This is great news, because you really can't install solar power on an older mobile home. What they are going to do is install panels on an open field in the park then generate power directly into the grid. Then the power company will use the power credits to reduce everyone's bill.

The owners have done this at several of their parks, and the average savings per home is about 35% of their bill. Our home is all electric and $250-300 bills are not uncommon, especially in the summer. The way it works is first they have to get 51% of the people to agree to it, which they have, then we all signed an agreement to let them check our power usage history so they know how much infrastructure they need to install. Then they will add an infrastructure charge of about $30 to our rent statement every month to install and maintain the system.

In the event someone uses very little power and the infrastructure charge is more than they saved on their bill, their rent will be adjusted downward. I don't know how soon this will all be up and running, but I'm looking forward to it.

[underpants]

1. Sounds great.

We went for a walk last week and saw a house with the full deal on their roof. We are looking into it.

[doc03]

2. That sounds great. You must be in an area where you get plenty of sun. I don't think

it would be feasible in Ohio.

[Mr.Bill]

4. We're in Northern California.

So pretty much some rain in the winter and then clear skies from at least June to September.

[doc03]

8. Besides that it would be called socialism in Ohio. The Amish are more progressive

than most in Ohio today. Many of them have solar. I was at an Amish market last summer and noticed in the buggy and bicycle parking area every bicycle was electric. I asked an elderly Amish gentleman how they charge the bicycles and he tells me most of the farms have either solar power or a generator to run their milking machines. He said that they don't believe in connecting to the power grid but
God provides sun and the energy for the generator. I was thinking to myself though God doesn't make solar panels and generators. They aren't permitted a telephone in their house but they have a phone booth outside and now use cell phones? It's funny I have heard teenagers playing Rap in their buggies.

[Karma13612]

11. Their 'regulations' do vary greatly

By region.

In Northern New York, they are fairly strict compared to other states and areas.

Last I knew, they weren’t allowed cell phones. They can use generators though.

The next time I drive thru their communities, I will have to see if they have any solar panels.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

26. sure it would.

People do it here in the Seattle area and that would seem impossible but it's not!

[MLAA]

3. Just installed solar panels and batteries. Couple weeks ago.

I am pleased with it. Nice your mobile park is doing this and sounds like they are protecting everyone by offering to adjust if some individuals don’t see savings.

[Mr.Bill]

5. It really does seem to be a win-win situation.

The other benefit is it enhances the value of my home if I sell it. It also enhances the value of the entire park if the owners sell that.

I would be willing to bet there is some sort of financial participation/subsidy by the government or the power company or both for the initial costs. My grandson's wife works for the power company, I will have to ask her if she knows anything about it.

[MLAA]

6. For sure there is about 20 to 25% tax credit to home owners between federal and

State in AZ. Was more last year, but repugs reduced it.

[lunatica]

7. Who knew a mobile home park would lead us into the future?!

That’s great news. Good landlords, thinking into the future.

[womanofthehills]

9. I've had solar panels on my roof for 20 yrs

Because my boyfriend used to work for a solar company. I was totally off grid for about 5 yrs and then connected to grid. Nice to see your meter spin backwards. I’m in NM where it’s rare to have a day that is not sunny. I also have a passive solar house - south side of my small 2 story house is almost all windows. Right now it’s 48 degrees outside and with no other heat but the sun coming it - it’s probably 80 - 85 in my house - so I have the door open.

[Hortensis]

10. Evil capitalist business is doing this where citizens failed to vote

in 2016 to make it happen?

Glad to hear it, Mr. Bill. Congrats to your and your neighborhood. I have heard that panels lightweight enough for most MHs are being developed. Hopefully! We're eager to convert also.

[Mr.Bill]

16. Some newer mobile homes have shingled roofs like regular houses.

So solar can be installed on those. But most of the homes in our park date to the 70s and have the old flat roofs so the problem is the roof has to have a new layer of white goop mopped onto every 5-10 years, so access is needed.

Lighter weight panels may work in the future if I could put it on the awnings. I have 60'X8' awnings on either side of the house. More square footage than the house itself.

[Hortensis]

20. Sure, patio or carport covers built to support the load.

Our current MH on an inland marsh is flat roofed; we remodeled the kitchen for our pleasure, but overall it's so decrepit that its next upgrade will be removal and replacement with another used one rolled in under our old oaks. We really thought Irma was scheduling that for us when she raged over, but nothing.

In any case, I could definitely see replacing the patio cover in the open sun with one designed to carry solar panels if lightweight panels weren't available yet.

I envy you being there already, though. We looked into solar panels years ago when we built our house, but the cost then really was still frustratingly prohibitive, with no support systems to connect into in our region of the country. Time's finally already here now, though.

[Mr.Bill]

22. The up front costs would be prohibitive for us and

also would be for most of our neighbors. I bet there's very few of us with 10 or 20K laying around. That's what makes this plan work. No money up front, just $30 or so attached to my rent bill.

[Hortensis]

29. Love it! That kind of money comes out of our very modest

retirement savings also, so a municipal program helping move neighborhoods to sustainable energy would be very welcome.

[Stardust]

27. Great news about the lighter panels! I've probably asked ten installers but they won't consider

putting heavier panels on a 70s model mobile home. Do you have any suggestions on how I could keep up with developments? Thanks.

[Evolve Dammit]

12. Sounds like progress, efficiency, and energy INDEPENDENCE. Boy do they hate that. Good job!

[Mr.Bill]

13. Well, not really total independence,

because the solar panels will not feed directly to the homes. It will be fed directly to the grid, where the power company will buy it and return it to us as credits off our bill. They are required to purchase any generated power at their current rate they charge us for it. It also won't provide power to our homes during power blackouts, but most of us have small generators for that.

[Evolve Dammit]

28. Same as where I live. But it''s a start and they hate it. They want more oil/gas/coal consumed.

[AllaN01Bear]

14. greetings from toulumne county. qth, (location) is sonora ca.

i live in a two story apartment complex and cant do anything with solar or wind . le sigh. kudos on your trailer park owners though.

[Dem2theMax]

23. You made me homesick sharing your location.

Ever heard of Buck Meadows? I used to live there.
Best place I ever lived and the best time of my life.

[AllaN01Bear]

24. yeppers .

been living here since late 1984. my late mom and i moved here mom died 2004 and i have been living in my apt complex for 15 years now .

[Dem2theMax]

25. I miss where you are so much!

Buck Meadows, Groveland, Sonora.

Rainbow Pool!

[XanaDUer2]

15. Thanks for sharing

I hope this lowers everyone's bill and it will help the environment.
Off topic: do you enjoy living in an adult-senior mobile home park?. I'm looking at some in Arizona, and would really prefer a senior mobile-home situation on a fixed income.

[Mr.Bill]

18. We never dreamed of living in a mobile home park,

senior or otherwise. Medical issues kind of forced us into an early retirement with less income than we had planned on. My main advice would be to try and meet your close neighbors before you buy. Living close to others is different than regular housing. It would not be fun if you had bad neighbors. We have been fortunate so far and have great neighbors. We all look out for each other. My wife and I just walked the whole street and gave little bags of Christmas cookies to everyone that my wife had just baked. You have no idea how that brightens up the day for someone in their 80s that doesn't get out much. I also feel safer here than anywhere I have ever lived.

That brings up something else I never thought of. I thought of senior housing as boring and sedentary, but the fact is the housing here turns over rather quickly, which when you think about it makes sense given the age of the people. There are 14 spaces on my street and there have been five deaths in the five years I've been here. That brings up the issue of the management. We've had the same manager here for about 8 years and they are very particular on who they let move in here. When my next door neighbor passed away, three months later our manager, who has a real estate sales license and is usually the seller, didn't say "I sold the place next to you", she said "I found you a great new neighbor". That's the kind of manager you want. Avoid a place that has had a high turnover in management recently.

[XanaDUer2]

19. Thank you!

[Mr.Bill]

21. One other thing I should mention,

don't worry about living with a bunch of old people, because (are you ready?)...

You're one of them. Seriously, we have become them. A short stroll through the neighborhood will often have you noticing the sound of the same music you listened to in your teens being played on someone's stereo and maybe a little whiff of some interesting plants being smoked.

[iluvtennis]

17. Excellent - love that the mobile pasrk owners are doing this. Hope more come to the party. nt

[TheBlackAdder]

30. My local Train stations mounted them above the parking spaces to protect cars and riders too.

.

Perhaps they can be mounted on I-Beams and act as car ports or protect the roofs of the homes.

.

[Mr.Bill]

31. Certainly a structure like that could be built.

But in our case it would cost more than the home itself and few could afford that. We're talking about people living on social security and maybe a small pension. It would be a good thing to do if a new park was being built and they built it like that and just charged a little more for space rent.

[TheBlackAdder]

32. Depending on the state, there might be federal and state grants of 75% or more.