The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

[dxmnkd316]

Holy ****

https://twitter.com/bradmossesq/stat...508318721?s=21

[aparch]

So about that deck I was thinking of having built

I am so thankful that my wife and I were able to redo our deck last Memorial Day before the lumber prices went bonkers. I think for giggles we did an online estimate again for materials (16x12 deck, composite top boards) and it's triple what we paid.



I am not looking forward to needing to replace some trim around the eaves and windows this summer though...

[dxmnkd316]

We'll probably go composite. It's what buyers seem to want. And if lumber is that insane, I'm hoping composite will be going for a relative discount.

I have to imagine the wood is because of the housing boom that's going on. There has to be a massive shortage for any house to get 55 offers regardless of price.

[BassAle]

Solar install scheduled for June. Should be able to offset 100% of my usage (but I may have to cut down a couple huge trees to reduce shading to hit that). Getting 26% back as a tax credit is pretty great.

[dxmnkd316]

Even in Maine you're going to get 100% offset? Holy cow.

[BassAle]

Even in Maine you're going to get 100% offset? Holy cow.

to be fair, it’s possible because of net metering. You install a pretty big system and bank a **** ton of credit with the power company in the summer.

also, efficiency goes up in the cold so that helps.

[dxmnkd316]

I remember someone on here adamant I was wrong that solar would be a feasible option. Glad to see the tech has already caught up.

[LynahFan]

I remember someone on here adamant I was wrong that solar would be a feasible option. Glad to see the tech has already caught up.

Hmmmm - I wonder if that was me? If so, then you're mis-remembering the arguments about solar that I was adamantly making. Solar is just fine for those who have the acreage. My argument (hard, cold , physics-based calculation, really) was focused on the folks who live here:



Where are they (and their 4.3 BILLION urban-dwelling compatriots) supposed to hang their panels? By 2050, the number of urban dwellers will be approaching 7 billion. And that doesn't even get into industrial users of electricity, many of whom are extremely intensive users in relatively small footprints.

Solar (still with the right subsidies, I might add) is just fine on a local scale for rural/surburban folk whose rooflines afford them enough properly oriented surface area to collect their own. Have at it - enjoy! But let's not pretend that solar will solve our global electricity demand.

[dxmnkd316]

It could have been. I honestly don't remember. Either way, you're not wrong about it being unable to solve all our electrical woes.

[The Sicatoka]

I remember someone on here adamant I was wrong that solar would be a feasible option. Glad to see the tech has already caught up.

If you mean me, I stand by prior statements: Wind and solar make sense but only after large scale energy storage catches up. And I mean large scale, and notice I don't say "battery" because some really interesting new energy storage tech is coming about.

Side note: I ran the numbers to take my house off the grid. I based my assumptions on Prairie Sun Solar data (representative of what I'd get for solar) as it is reasonably near where I'm at. I assumed five cloudy days and one sunny (data supports that worst case). I'd need panels to do six days of usage (that day's usage and charge five day's worth) and batteries for five day's usage. I'd need almost two acres for the panels and batteries and house. Better batteries would cut that down some, but I still need the panel space.

[unofan]

If you mean me, I stand by prior statements: Wind and solar make sense but only after large scale energy storage catches up. And I mean large scale, and notice I don't say "battery" because some really interesting new energy storage tech is coming about.

Side note: I ran the numbers to take my house off the grid. I based my assumptions on Prairie Sun Solar data (representative of what I'd get for solar) as it is reasonably near where I'm at. I assumed five cloudy days and one sunny (data supports that worst case). I'd need panels to do six days of usage (that day's usage and charge five day's worth) and batteries for five day's usage. I'd need almost two acres for the panels and batteries and house. Better batteries would cut that down some, but I still need the panel space.

Yeah, but that simply shows why trying to cut yourself off of the grid is stupid, not that solar power is bad.

Trying to run your own gas/coal generation facility to power your home year round would be similarly unfeasible.

[The Sicatoka]

to be fair, it’s possible because of net metering.

Net metering hurts the power distribution company unless they have a high monthly connection charge and a low energy rate. (Think: Cell phone. You really don't pay per minute, you pay a monthly fee to have the phone and be connected. The power distribution company needs to go to a model like that to pay for their infrastructure to keep you connected to the grid if your state allows net metering.)

With net metering you pay X for each kWh in and get paid that same X for each out. Seems fair to you. But, you're using the power distribution company's infrastructure to deliver your energy.

Net billing is more reasonable: When you buy you buy at retail, when you produce you sell at wholesale. All energy sellers are equal wholesalers and the power distribution company just becomes a wheeler of energy.

All that said, most homeowners produce excess (sell) when the grid doesn't need it (off peak demand times). So now the power company is forced to buy energy that is not in demand at the time, and that forces the power distribution company to raise rates.

[The Sicatoka]

Yeah, but that simply shows why trying to cut yourself off of the grid is stupid, not that solar power is bad.

Trying to run your own gas/coal generation facility to power your home year round would be similarly unfeasible.

Nothing you say is wrong. But nearly two acres of panels is not appealing.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Def not as aesthetically beautiful as say, an oil field!

[St. Clown]

We'll probably go composite. It's what buyers seem to want. And if lumber is that insane, I'm hoping composite will be going for a relative discount.

I have to imagine the wood is because of the housing boom that's going on. There has to be a massive shortage for any house to get 55 offers regardless of price.

There’s no inventory of houses for sale, but demand for houses is still there. Last week there were fewer houses for sale than realtors. I’m not sure if that’s ever happened before the current situation.

if you’re able to sell and rent for a few months to a year, you might find some great gains if the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic relents.