Pallets of PV: Communities Purchase Solar and Drive Down Costs Together

[freshwest]

4. Don't know about OR, but here they haven't. Installing them can be a DIY project. Check YT, etc.

It does require investment on the part of the homeowner. A friend of mine was refinancing her home anyway, and added the cost into it. Total cost was about $20K on a $350K home and will be used as part of the reason for maintaining that sales value whenever she sells it. The cost covered the panels themselves, installation, permitting, wiring into her existing system and the meter for running it back to the grid. There are others without that financial ability who have installed smaller systems as shown by many videos on youtube and associated websites.

Where my friend lives there isn't much sun, as we usually have cloud cover sufficient to block out direct sunlight. When one checks TWC one can see that the UV rating is low most days. But we can see the meter spinning at all times except at night sending the power up to the light company. She is now spending the same money for her total electric 2 story home with 2 baths, 4 bedrooms and 4 people than she previously spent for 1.

There are examples such as the woman living in the 84 square foot house in WA and others in NM and other states where a people are totally off grid. Naturally this requires a change in thinking. One of the problems in home building and city codes is that they wont' bend for a less energy conservative life style. When a person is paying a high mortgage in a home that doesn't come with these newer ways of saving energy built in, they have a hard time finding the cash to make these changes. Those without it make more radical lifestyle changes to live their vision and have a great sense of independence and freedom.