Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

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sand_dancer
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by sand_dancer »

Its such a shame in a country blessed with sunshine most of the time that solar energy is so prohibitively expensive.
Reminds me of about 6 or 7 years ago..... Every letterbox the length and breadth of Scotland was being
bombarded with flyers for solar panels by numerous Companies......

Cost were astronomical...... But fear not...... the Government will give you a grant........

Its Scotland FFS...... 3 weeks sunshine and its a miracle...... 20 degree heat and A&E swamped by
heatstroke victims......

It would probably take about 50 years just to break even...... IF.... You got 3 weeks sun EVERY year.....
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by STEVE G »

...but even at the buyback rate quoted, I think the break even would be a lot longer than they are claiming.
I suppose it depends a lot on how much of this goes on:

"The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) expects the electricity tariff will hit five baht per kilowatt-hour (unit), on a par with Singapore, in two years due to the rising price of natural gas.

Egat governor Sutat Patmasiriwat pointed to imports of costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a major reason for the projected 35 per cent increase in the power tariff from an average of 3.7 baht per unit at present, including 3.2 baht as a base factor and 52.04 satang for the fuel tariff."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/3 ... ower-bills
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by DSB »

Its Scotland FFS...... 3 weeks sunshine and its a miracle...... 20 degree heat and A&E swamped by
heatstroke victims......

It would probably take about 50 years just to break even...... IF.... You got 3 weeks sun EVERY year.....[/quote]

My sister has Solar panels installed in her house in NE Scotland, excess electricity is sold back to the electricity company, her electric bills are nearly zero these days. Reckon she will get her money back in 5 years
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by sand_dancer »

DSB wrote:Its Scotland FFS...... 3 weeks sunshine and its a miracle...... 20 degree heat and A&E swamped by
heatstroke victims......

It would probably take about 50 years just to break even...... IF.... You got 3 weeks sun EVERY year.....
My sister has Solar panels installed in her house in NE Scotland, excess electricity is sold back to the electricity company, her electric bills are nearly zero these days. Reckon she will get her money back in 5 years[/quote]


DSB

Your sister must be up near Montrose.....

Reportedly the area with the most sunshine and least rain is Scotland.....

Fair play to her.....

:cheers:
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by Pleng »

Am I right in thinking that solar panels don't actually need direct sunlight and can still make use of the suns energy even under cloud cover?
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by DSB »

Pleng wrote:Am I right in thinking that solar panels don't actually need direct sunlight and can still make use of the suns energy even under cloud cover?
Yes, correct, as long as there is light. In Scotland, a lot of people took advantage of subsidies and fitted solar panels, with a deal that excess power could be sold back to the electricity companies, therefore making it a lot more viable.

I have been thinking of solar power in Hua Hin, but as has been said before, it is too expensive and would take at least 10 years to get your money's worth. Then again, in the next 10 years, what will be the cost of electricity?
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by StevePIraq »

DSB wrote:
Pleng wrote:Am I right in thinking that solar panels don't actually need direct sunlight and can still make use of the suns energy even under cloud cover?
Yes, correct, as long as there is light. In Scotland, a lot of people took advantage of subsidies and fitted solar panels, with a deal that excess power could be sold back to the electricity companies, therefore making it a lot more viable.

I have been thinking of solar power in Hua Hin, but as has been said before, it is too expensive and would take at least 10 years to get your money's worth. Then again, in the next 10 years, what will be the cost of electricity?
And it ten years you will have had to replace how many panels? and two sets of batteries as most will only last five years. Solar just is not worth the initial and ongoing cost for a domestic consumer.
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

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StevePIraq wrote: Solar just is not worth the initial and ongoing cost for a domestic consumer.
Here in California the solar companies advertise that your electric bill should be over $150 per month to make it worthwhile :cheers:
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

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migrant wrote:
StevePIraq wrote: Solar just is not worth the initial and ongoing cost for a domestic consumer.
Here in California the solar companies advertise that your electric bill should be over $150 per month to make it worthwhile :cheers:
That is approaching 5,000Baht per month which I doubt many households pay and given that electricity is still very cheap in Thailand just shows it is not worth while
Link below gives comparative rates from a few years ago, I am not sure of the rates now

http://www.eia.gov/countries/prices/ele ... eholds.cfm
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by STEVE G »

It's a concept to keep an eye on for the future as solar power keeps getting cheaper and conventional electricity more expensive and at some point soon it will be financially viable and then you will see solar panels everywhere.
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

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STEVE G wrote:It's a concept to keep an eye on for the future as solar power keeps getting cheaper and conventional electricity more expensive and at some point soon it will be financially viable and then you will see solar panels everywhere.
Also the independence of solar can make it attractive if you're out in the boonies
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by STEVE G »

Also the independence of solar can make it attractive if you're out in the boonies
It's also a factor that in some locations, the cost saving of buying land that is off the grid could pay for the solar installation.
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by mwbrown »

I worked as an engineer for one of California's largest solar power companies for 5 years and had a 5 KW system on my house before retiring here in HH 3 months ago. I would love to learn about the solar issues in the area or meet up with anyone doing solar work. I found one alternative energy shop in Koh Samui last year and was hoping that there would be some solar here. Please contact me if you have any contacts.
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

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Bangkok Post - Solar interest disappoints, say no more

http://www.bangkokpost.com/property/new ... isappoints
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Re: Solar power setup for your home in Thailand

Post by NealLloyd »

buksida wrote:250k - holy power surge Batman ... at our current rate of consumption that would take 13 years until it paid for itself if we never paid another electric bill. :shock:

No wonder people don't use solar energy here! Fancy bricks and roof tiles are good in theory but when you have kids that leave anything with a switch on it all becomes academic!

I still like the idea of a very basic system to keep fridges, computer, fans, lights running when we're blacked out - but if those are the costs then I can live with the darkness!
Installation cost of solar panels is high now..Still I have got solar panels for my home roof as I want to use green ways of energy productions and also to cut down the electricity bills
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