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Solar panels vs. wind turbines for a home setup... I went all in on the wrong one
I spent about $8,000 on a solar panel system last spring for my house in Phoenix. Figured the sun here would be endless power... and it is, but only during daylight hours. My neighbor put up a small wind turbine for $3,500 and his place runs almost 24/7 even with the inconsistent gusts we get. Solar gave me zero power after 7pm unless I bought expensive batteries, which I didn't. Has anyone else regretted going heavy on one renewable source over another?
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blakestone24d ago
Yeah Phoenix sun is a beast but batteries are the real cost there. Wind's definitely the smarter play for 24/7 coverage.
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smith.nancy24d ago
Have you ever looked at what happens when the wind stops blowing for a few days straight? I'm not saying wind is bad, but you need backup either way. Batteries might be pricey but at least solar is predictable... you know when peak sun hours are gonna hit. Wind can be super inconsistent depending on where you live. Just seems like both have their tradeoffs and nobody talks about how much land wind farms actually chew up.
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phoenix_lewis23d ago
That "inconsistent gusts" line is doing a lot of heavy lifting. What happens when your neighbor goes a full week with barely any wind at all?
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