golf carts & solar power

[KevinBoyd]

HI All, any1 have any knowledge of solarizing an elecltric golf cart?currently am running 1 around 5 acres but living in the southwest it seems ideal to solarize it.

Try Earth Care Green Products out of St. Marys Ga

 

[john_bud]

Its all a question of cost. When I've run through the numbers, solar gives very long payback periods (typically 12 to 20 years) depending on the price of electricity and the amount of sunshine you'd expect.

Usually, you pay for they electricity you use via the meter, if you are not using the juice generated by the solar panels its just wasted capacity.

So, using the link above to Sierra Solar, you can buy 120 watt panels for 'only' $540, so for one kilowatt, thats $4,500 (plus all the installation costs). At $0.10/kilowat hour, I can buy 45,000 kwh of electricity from the power company, which is a 15 year payback assuming 8 hours per day usage (45,000/(365*8)) - i.e. the sun is shing when you want to charge your machine. Otherwise, add $$$ for batteries, etc.

Basically, the payback isn't there. Unless you are off grid, solar cells are way too expensive for it to make sense financially.

All true accurate and correct. You could also point out that the environmental benefits are mostly spurious as well. The manufacture of the solar cells utilizes some of the most hazardous chemicals known to man and sucks down lots of electricity. Pretty much the cost of a "green" technologies electricity will tell you how much carbon it also uses. It may be indirect, but it uses it just the same.

 

[denmansoft]

KevinBoyd:
When you get your company to where you are selling real product not just dealerships some people might be interested.....
Until then your site looks like other promoters trying to make a quick buck with half truths.