We are supposed to be getting central air…probably minisplits as well. We have window units right now.
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If you are adding or replacing central AC, consider an AC with heat pump capability that may cost less to operate for heating than fuel burning heaters.
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Deleted. Off topic.
We know about heat pumps, etc. Thank you.
We have solar panels that make enough to cover our bills and we bank extra, especially in the summer. Not sure they ever expire but we use them in the winter. We added a mini split (ac only) to our master bedroom. The evaporative coolers have to be winterized and unfortunately 1.5 months in spring and in fall there are multiple days that are just very hot.
I am EMF sensitive. I was excited about a rental and had to decline because there were solar panels. Central AC systems may also be a problem. I may be a canary in the mine. The EMF from solar panels may affect others over time.
Did you go to the place and notice any specific issues?
If you are concerned about EMFs, you can purchase an inexpensive EMF meter, rather than guessing by the existence of various electrical devices like computers or mobile phones in the area.
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Since the solar panels and its wiring are DC - I suspect the concern would be the inverter, which produces the AC, matching the utility grid frequency that the various household appliances, like hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, PCs/laptops,… expect.
Someone with a residential (supplementary) solar system might be willing to shut down their system during your stay, even if it means that during daytime they’ll be paying the utility a little extra (for their AC power).
Thanks I have a meter and am aware it is the inverter (and the smart meter). The owners of the house talked with their electrician and someone at the solar panel company and decided it was too much. I had told them the panels would need to be covered with a black cloth to prevent the panels overheating and being damaged, or even igniting. I offered to pay for that.
I can tell where the modem is in an apartment above me. If I sit in a chair near a hidden modem, after awhile I will look and find it. The symptoms are very specific. I was “electrocuted” (neuro puts it that way!) and was hospitalized in 2014 and that started this problem.
I’ve never heard that.
I can speak from first-hand experience, that a non-working inverter (even over several months) in the basement does not affect heat absorption in the panels on the roof? I’m not a physicist, but AFIK there is no “heat transfer” affected (or prevented) by a working/non-working inverter?
All that should be needed is pull down the (likely big/large) lever that separates the inverter from the grid - at which point the inverter(s) will shut down. But one can purchase soft covers for any smart meters for the house, if that is an added concern.
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While the potential health issues caused by different electronics are an interesting topic for a thread, it really is off topic on this thread. I recommend starting a new thread about this topic.
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Understood.
As a solar system owner, I’m actually thankful that this person’s experience (of which I had been ignorant) had been mentioned under this topic - so that I have some awareness, just in case a future visitor of my house might share similar concerns about solar panels.
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One thing I might have missed glancing at this thread is the issues with leasing. My daughter is helping a friend look for a home in the suburbs of Sacramento where many houses have solar. They have learned that they aren’t interested in any that have leased panels. At least where they are looking it’s a firm no on buying a house with a lease. One house looked great but it had approximately 23 years left on the lease and an option to purchase at the end of the lease for 24,000. Basically making the house worth less and difficult to sell.
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I guess it would depend on how much the lease costs per month, and how much that offsets the costs of electricity.
We purchased…but we also made sure the 25 year warranty would transfer to subsequent owners…and it does. That’s also worth checking if you get solar.
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In our case, we purchased outright with a transferable warranty and also made sure net metering stays with the house!
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Same here
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Dito
This link lists some big issues with leasing. A leased system is owned by the solar installer/manufacturer (not to be confused with a financed system). The major one is that the owner of the system gets to enjoy the federal and local financial incentives… the $ is not necessarily shared with homeowner in the case of a lease.
Leased panels can introduce an added layer of complexity, e.g.:
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in addition to qualifying for the mortgage, the prospective buyer will also need to qualify for the solar lease they intend to take over, requiring a second credit check at a time when people try to keep a “low profile”.
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the lessor might have entered a lien against the property - in addition to the seller’s own mortgage.
One option could be for the seller to “pay off” the lease ahead of the sale, so that the solar system becomes an “owned” system that simply becomes part of the house.
Leasing is a form of financing - but yes, it is different from a home owner purchasing a system outright, and just taking an (unsecured) loan to pay for it.
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Yes, it is, but not to be confused with outright purchase that was financed with a loan which is what I meant.
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