<p>In our state, HOA rules against solar panels are null and void. </p>
<p>On the snow front – my next door neighbor (and we’re about Grey Poupon houses) has solar panels, and the snow lets loose with a Whomp! as it hits the ground. Scared me good the first time it happened; I can hear it inside my house. On the parts of the roof without the solar panels the snow seems to melt rather than avalanche. Not worrisome now that I know what it is, but it really was scary the first time.</p>
<p>And the whole Federal subsidy for cheap electricity in some parts of the country is ridiculous. Years ago I worked on the fed’s “Buy High, Sell Low” subsidy program for the PNW, which already had the cheapest electric rates in the country. But our federal tax dollars went to work buying power at, say, 6 cents a kwh from the utilities, and selling it back to them at, say, 3 cents a kwh, though it was all a paper transaction. Meanwhile, I headed home to an area that didn’t benefit from this program where I was paying 11 cents a kwh.</p>
<p>Arabrab: no idea what brand the lights are. We got them from the electrician who was working on our kitchen remodel. Phillips would be my best guess–they don’t look exactly like the newest Phillips ([Department</a> of Energy announce Philips as winner of L Prize competition](<a href=“News center | Philips”>http://www.newscenter.philips.com/main/standard/news/press/2011/20110803_lprize.wpd)) but they’re close.</p>
<p>“Are there LED flood lights for in-ceiling canisters? do you know the brand/model of your warm LEDs? Are they suitable for canister lights?”
The Sylvania DIMMABLE warm [ 500 lumens ?] 17 WT LED’s[ not bluish] I have are all in the in ceiling canisters. They ARE heavy, so you have to be careful that they dont pull down the trim around the can. They ran $39 ea at Lowe’s, so we only replaced the bulbs that are on a lot- kitchen, FR. AND they work with regular dimmers so you can cut down your energy use even more!! We used the Levitron dimmers.</p>
<p>I’ve got a fluorescent light in my kitchen which has been there since we moved into the house more than 10 years ago, it gets turned on and off every day. I heard on NPR that the light bulb industry is actually mad at Congress about them cancelling the lightbulb rules because they make LED with warm light and demonstrated that no one could tell the difference in light quality. I haven’t actually seen these bulbs, and don’t know what they cost. As I recall they used 72 watts instead of 100, not as good as fluorescent.</p>
<p>Some of us have more money.
No Edison bulbs are being manufactured in the USA.
Big box stores still have a big inventory of Edison lights.
Do you still spend money for energy if no one is in a room?
Is the energy bill paid by the female or male?
I have a large position in a LED r/d/manufacturer.</p>
<p>My H and I were looking into solar. After the Halloween snow, we were without power for over 7 days. We couldn’t go to a hotel because of the pets. The temperature in the house was in the 40’s, no hot water, no computer, TV or phones. We were miserable. Solar may have a long pay-back, but at least a tree branch doesn’t cut off your power. Can you tell I’m still bitter?</p>
<p>hayden, tree branches usually do not cut off natural gas lines It maybe cheaper to convert your house to gas. We have 2 gas fireplaces, gas cooktop and gas hot water heater. All were very much operational during our infamous power outage a few yeas ago.</p>
<p>BunsenBurner: you and I suffered through the same power outage. Our gas stove worked fine but our gas furnace turned out to have an electrical spark system and thus was inoperable. Our house got cold.</p>
<p>We were not too smart because the house came with a generator panel, but we did not buy a generator until much later! The two fireplaces kept the house relatively warm (56 degrees was the lowest T registered in the house). D made herself a nest by the fireplace and slept there, surrounded by the cats. We were fine in our bedroom. Our furnace is wired into the generator panel, so after that infamous storm we bought a generator and used it during the next power outage to power the furnace - it only needs to be on for a couple of hours to heat the house.</p>
<p>They aren’t really any different than regular incandescent bulbs…they just burn longer (and hotter!). I have a few halogen fixtures where I really need bright light and hate to change the bulbs (ie outside upper corner of the house).</p>
<p>Solar panels on a roof are okay, as long as they don’t reflect onto someone else’s property and create glare problems. But someone in our area put up solar panels on the hillside BELOW his house, so he doesn’t see them looking out. They don’t spoil his view, but they spoil the view of the homes with a view of that hillside!</p>
<p>Tatin, consider yourself lucky, since no one will paint solar panels. When people complained to a neighbor that his newlybuilt shed obstructed their view, he commisioned some art to be painted on the side of the shed - a very anatomically correct, bloody eyeball. Or so the urband legend goes. :D</p>
It maybe cheaper to convert your house to gas. We have 2 gas fireplaces, gas cooktop and gas hot water heater. All were very much operational during our infamous power outage a few yeas ago.</p>