Been an arm chair greenie from back in the 70’s. The technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, and now provide some alternatives that actually can be cost effective. Would like to see inputs from folks on this community.
Started with evaporative cooling in outback Australia. Extremely cost effective in dry climate. Of course, there are some problems. Annual maintenance on roof mounted units is a safety issue. Use of water in drought affected areas can also be an issue. And if not maintained regularly, they can affect health.
Probably most cost effective solar product up until now would be solar hot water. I especially like the all-in-one roof units, like Solarhart. Had a heat pump unit for 10 years, and hated it the whole time.
Always loved the idea of solar panels to produce electricity, but really could not afford to donate that much money for something that never paid for itself. That changed for us about 6 years ago. Put 3kW array on roof, and never looked back. If we hadn’t sold the house after 3 years, array would have paid for itself in 6-7 years, even without government rebates. Opted for AC panels with micro inverters for both safety, and ease of maintenance and upgrade. Plus, it gave me great chance to study and learn about solar electricity generation.
Now in retirement village that provides electricity at a rate so low, panels would never pay for themselves. Plus, village added 110 kW array from which we all get monthly rebates. Would love to put a battery system in, but cost is over the top. It would never pay for itself.
For techies looking for interesting technology to learn about, the inverters being offered now offer some really interesting reading.