"Solar Guppy" wrote in message
...
So now you saying solar thermal has no pay back ? ... please ... solar
thermal is about 5x better than solar PV in payback times.

The cost is about 1700.00 (US) for a system that will replace about
90% of
domestic hot-water needs , and in my last house , lowered my electric
usage
by about 45 dollars a month.

There are many web-references to the 3-4 year break even ... instead
of
picking on my grammar , spend some time to get your facts right and
use
Google for references instead of your obvious fact-less opinions of
solar
thermal and solar electric.

"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover""
wrote
in message ...

SNIP

My apt. owner put solar water heater panels on the roof more than
ten
years ago, and I don't think they've been cost effective. The
neighborhood vandals threw rocks at one and broke it, so they had to
pur
chicken wire over the panels to prevent damage. The cats used the
foam
pipe insulation to sharpen their claws, so it's gone for about two
feet
up from the roof. The controller and storage tanks are not working
as
they should, so I would guess that the system needs repair. All in
all,
even with the rebates, it wasn't as good as it was made out to be.

I think that the figures that you gave might be optimum, but not
realistic, when other things are considered. Like dirt and snow can
seriously reduce the solar output. So some maintenance has to be
done.
And there are other factors, intangibles, that have to be
considered,
such as breakdown on the electronics. When that happens, the owner
may
have to make a tough decision to spend a lot of money to repair, or
just
leave it unrepaired and disconnect it. Don't say that's not going
to
happen! Most of the solar heater panels I've seen are not working
after
a few years. It's a just matter of entropy. Things just get
ignored
and turn to dust, and no one bothers with them anymore.

BTW, your followup is not easily readable, misuse of commas, etc.
Needs
work.
[snip]

Facts are facts. I simply stated a fact. First off, that the solar
water heater that I have experience with, and that's a *fact*. And
secondly, your followup is not easily readable, misuse of commas, etc.
Needs work. Fact.