Our school is in the process of being built, but they have no plans to include any environmental benefits. I was wondering how to get a grant for solar panels (at least) or who I can talk to in order to get a grant.
Excessively long payback schemes for solar panels are being quoted. It depends on where you live, where you situate your solar panels, what you buy and if you get a grant or install them yourself. Much of the cost of Solar panels is in the installation. Any competent DIY person can install a simple solar panel system. Ours cost less than ?000 to buy and self install. What are you calling payback time? Because each time I don't use fossil fuels and use solar energy instead, I don't get a 'fossil fuel' bill. Whilst we still use some electricity for running a fridge, lighting etc we have no other fuel bills, no gas, no oil, no electric heating no electrically heated hot water. We have woodburning stoves (which run on free wood) and solar. Remember you are not just paying for the electricity/gas/oil etc that you use, you are also paying standing charges, VAT etc. Include those in your 'payback time figures' and you will see a very different picture. How long would it take you to pay back ?,000 if you only had one tiny electric bill each quarter?
Call the Architect and ask what the heck he should have put solar panels into the plans for the building. Demand Results, If no results call your local newspaper
You might do better looking at a more economical environmental project. In most parts of the US, solar panels simply don't pay for themselves over their equipment life. Schools won't be eligible for tax credits (since they don't pay taxes) and so solar panels will likely take more than 40 years to pay for themselves. The life of a solar panel is expected to be 25 years. You should, however, try to talk to the school board about things like solar water heating (which can have a very attractive payback) and light fixtures that have sockets such that they will only take compact flourescent bulbs and skylights to allow for less lighting use in classrooms and perhaps even ground source heat pumps for space heating. All of these can be quite economical, and will make more sense when installed during construction. Good luck.
I do not want to argue over the pay back period for solar panels but from the information I have been gathering, payback could be from 5-5 years, not 40. I guess it depends on the amount of sun that each panel will recieve, so maybe both could be partially correct. Another item to be aware of is that while the cost of your panels and the electricity generated by them will remain stable or decrease significantly for 25 years, the cost of your other energy sources will generally be increasing , perhaps very significantly. Since your school is being built now, it will need a roof. There are photovoltaic shingles for this. Look into it yourself. Do a google search for google green and see what they are doing already. Present this information to your PTA and any other organization who might have influence. This is really a time for your generation to step up and stop listening to nay sayers. Think for yourself, study, research it and broadcast everything you learn to others.
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