Discussion of the Day
Do you have solar panels?
Lee S12-May-22
With the push for green energy all the rage over the past number of years, have you put up solar panels on your roof?
Why or why not?
Comments
  • mary c
    Can't afford them.
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    • Debra F 499651
      No but if we were younger we would love to have them; At our age we don't think we'd see any benefits.
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      • Grommie
        got 16 but the sun needs to come out more often.
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        • CourtneyM1993
          yes
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          • Bev
            Haven't had to pay for power used for 9 years. They are worth their weight in gold.
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            • Imperia S
              No I rent and the landlord won't agree, but Idid have many years ago
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              • Carolyn H 319412
                I have solar panels now but when I move, the house may not.
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                • Ann M 73686
                  Yes. I think my bills are a bit lower.
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                  • Nicole A 764628
                    No, Do not own home.
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                    • Phyrephly
                      same
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                  • SereneBee
                    Photovoltaic cells since January 2010 and a solar Hotwater system since August 1980 -- so that would be a YES! Why because it's good to be environmentally aware that we live on a finite planet~
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                    • T.A
                      Use to but the battery source needs to be improved. With the Sep21 storms impacting our residence we were left without power and the battery source did not even work because it was constantly connected. Just like any electrical device, if it’s connected to power it actually drains the battery source resulting in only working whilst connected. After many months and still waiting for repair, we have chosen financially to not invest in these panels in the short term until improvements have been made and batteries are a lot cheaper to purchase
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                      • Amy A 822324
                        No, they are too expensive.
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                        • Mariaj
                          Would love them but too expensive
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                          • Ruth v
                            Yes we have solar panels and they are great. A real saving.
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                            • Mary M 329762
                              I have see no difference in price. The government should pay us put on my roof. Better ways to make the house keep energy less.
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                              • Dimitri T 100433
                                no
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                                • Margaret K 767858
                                  Yes. We only have 10, but it more than halved our bill and its well and truly paid for itself now.
                                  ·
                                  • Barbara M 70809
                                    We bought panels 10 years ago. We had to pay a much higher price back then but we do get an extra 44c per kWh for power exported. We achieve credit of about $1000 per year oon our power bill so we have now cut even. We will look into batteries when we price comes down and we lose the government incentive
                                    ·
                                    • beverly w 540992
                                      no i do not have them as i am renting a small unit and my power bills are so low its not worth the landlord paying out a lot of money to get them
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                                      • IdentifyAs
                                        God, no!!!! Another BS scheme by the Governments, the Greenies etc. Whilst good in theory, it just doesn't work, the outlay is too much, damage not covered, lifetime is short. I have enough problems!!!
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                                        • View all 4 replies
                                        • Mary M 329762
                                          I agree
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                                        • mary cMary M 329762
                                          and i am agreeing as i am a Mary too and we gotta stick together.
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                                        • IdentifyAsmary c
                                          Absolutely!
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                                        • Mary M 329762mary c
                                          iam mary agree with the mary as well
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                                      • tiffany l 417806
                                        No. We are in a very large warehouse and the area we would need is massive. So is the cost
                                        ·
                                        • Larry S 382961
                                          Yes but got a problem with them. We had pigeons roosting under them and may have damaged the wires. Have to save money up to get a sparky to check as roof is very high and not for me to climb up there.
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                                          • Rose L 834941
                                            yes 15 years ago now
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                                            • Liane H
                                              My old landlord put them on but then his daughter moved in and took over the property a few years later before any of my bills showed any reductions.and yeah most benefits come from using certain at certain hours.
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                                              • Glenys H 310155
                                                already there when we bought the house, we did install them on our old place some time before we sold.
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                                                • doug m 408074
                                                  Getting there! Built the new house, have the connections but not the cash!
                                                  ·
                                                  • Katzeye
                                                    No but I would like to
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                                                    • View all 3 replies
                                                    • mary c
                                                      here in wellington i would do better with a wind turbine on my roof!
                                                      ·
                                                    • APBmary c
                                                      The World's windiest Capital...you are right there...just common sense
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                                                    • mary cAPB
                                                      or maybe one on my head to give me some damn energy.
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                                                  • Heather B 573246
                                                    Yes. We put them on over 10 years ago. Best thing we have ever done.
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                                                    • Edith v
                                                      Yes I do & in WA climate I very rarely pay for power
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                                                      • Woofers
                                                        No. the public home housing authority I rent from is under enough pressure, without adding solar to the equation!
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                                                        • Greg B 520364
                                                          No WE did try but the company was a con. Wanted 10000 that is too dear
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                                                          • mary c
                                                            wot the..
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                                                        • melva m
                                                          yes we have 8
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                                                          • Alan A, 2527- NSW
                                                            Yes, 20 panels and a battery also.
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                                                            • Edith v
                                                              I have 20 panels & rarely pay for power I get bills Jan; & Feb; ,July, & Aug; Is it worth getting a battery
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                                                          • Sabine V
                                                            Yes l just wish l had a battery to go with them and l would not need the electrics at all
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                                                            • Edith v
                                                              why don't you get a battery (I'm thinking about it but I haven't priced one ) are they expensive?
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                                                          • diane c QLD
                                                            yes we have solar,its very good, save heaps on the power bill.
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                                                            • Peter M 273033
                                                              I would if I could afford it
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                                                              • Lynette W 328802
                                                                What are they going to do with all the old solar panels when they come to the end of their useful life????
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                                                                • Paul J 94868
                                                                  No. I am renting...
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                                                                  • John B 89024
                                                                    Terry S me to.
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                                                                    • Richard M 407933
                                                                      Solar panels used to be a great investment but not any more. Good panels are very expensive and at my age I am never going to reduce my power bills for anything like what they cost. The real difficulty is what the power companies pay you for the power you provide has been reduced to a level that has destroyed the investment potential. You can reduce the cost of the power you use but it's going to take many years before you break even and by then the panels will be well past their useable life. The greatest demand for most people is at night when the panels obviously aren't producing anything so a battery installation in the system is more or less essential and they are far from cheap - although their cost is coming down. If you got in early - congratulations, it has been very worthwhile for you but for the rest of us - the horse has bolted.
                                                                      ·
                                                                      • Terry S 676925
                                                                        Best thing I ever did ... mine cost under $2000 and after 8 years I haven't paid one single bill; I'm always in credit - a small one but a credit!!
                                                                        ·
                                                                        • mary c
                                                                          Gosh that sounds like a great deal.
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                                                                      • DENIS PONCH
                                                                        l left out one thing SUNNYBOY INVERTERS are the ONLY ONES TO BUY THEY COST A LOT BUT I HAVE HAD THEM FOR 11 YEARS WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE . PS DON'T BUY CHINESE ONES THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER BUT DON'T LAST. That's Life People D Ponch.
                                                                        ·
                                                                        • TERESA A 29757
                                                                          Yes just got them installed 3 weeks ago.
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                                                                          • Tiffany L 690503
                                                                            It is too expensive
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                                                                            • DENIS PONCH
                                                                              If you can afford them GET THEM every new house should have solar panels l bought them 11 years ago and they pay for my electric and 70% of my gas bill on 12 panels. They have more than paid for themselves That's Life People. D Ponch
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                                                                              • Maria Sybella Y
                                                                                No
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                                                                                • roger l 315504
                                                                                  Yes, had panels for many years, , took advantage of a state govt offer a couple of years ago and installed a 14 Kwh battery, cost $6K and have almost recovered that cost already through cash rebates from 'supplier' and 'free' power.
                                                                                  ·
                                                                                  • Asesh S
                                                                                    No we haven't but thinking of getting it soon.
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                                                                                    • JANET R 328390
                                                                                      Yes I have had solar panels for many years. I was lucky at the time and had money so got a very good cash deal. I am very happy with solar panels but there are other added costs - like my Inverter recently broke down and cost $1000 - but I still think it is worth it.........................
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                                                                                      • Carolina Z
                                                                                        no, i do not need them
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                                                                                        • Cely
                                                                                          No I don't have them as I rent.
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                                                                                          • Pauline T 68358
                                                                                            yes, just wish the rain would stop and the sun would shine !!!!!!!!!
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                                                                                            • Ellen C 69679
                                                                                              Yes we recently had the installed. Hopefully to save money.
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                                                                                              • Kim N 285099
                                                                                                Too expensive of course. I will have one if they price get more cheaper. I like green energy.
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                                                                                                • Robert T 597718
                                                                                                  no thank God
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                                                                                                  • Colin L 88398
                                                                                                    Yes though I do question how well installed they are as the claimed output has never been achieved. At best I have seen an output of 4/5ths of the claimed power ratting but then along with the hybrid inverter and batteries we do not draw much electricity during peek hours so have very few problems between 4 to 8 PM nights.
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                                                                                                    • Elizabeth E 70858
                                                                                                      Yes definitely wouldn't be without them, have saved us a few thousand dollars, well worth the dollars spent. We bought a generator when we have a blackout, costs a lot less than a battery.
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                                                                                                      • JANET R 328390
                                                                                                        I totally agree.
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                                                                                                    • Sonya F 68771
                                                                                                      yes try to save money
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                                                                                                      • Jenny L 591463
                                                                                                        Yes and we don't get a power bill at all, even in this weather. Of course still paying them off and it will take around 7 years not to mention the saving of not having a bill. We will be getting a more advance system once we can afford an EV in about 5 years time I would say. With a battery and more solar panels on a new car port. More money to spend down the track. Looking forward to getting an EV so we no longer need to rely on fuel and we will save money on maintenance as our old car has just cost us a small fortune to have some things fix on it. We are getting as little as 6.6c feed in tariff when we got our first lot of solar panels grandly a 1 kilowatt system the feed in tariff was 55c. Would like that on our 6.6kw system but no they had to drop it. Oh well still don't get a bill so that is nice.
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                                                                                                        • Joe B 288252
                                                                                                          Not value for money in my situation. The pay back time is way too long, all my carbon will be sequestered before I’d get my money back……lol ……better for the utilities companies to invest in new tech and charge a few cents more for power
                                                                                                          ·
                                                                                                          • Igor A
                                                                                                            Too expensive to install and maintain the solar panels. Also you buy power by Retail prices. When you sell your solar power back into the grid they pay you Wholesale which means they do not want your solar power in their grid.
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                                                                                                            • Jan H 753322
                                                                                                              We don't have solar panels but as we rent there are not any allowances for owners to put them on our roof
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                                                                                                              • Tupulua S
                                                                                                                sounds cheaper to run, but the cost and installation, not only the panels but the box to store your energy. I am not sure if that box can be attached to your house or away from your house,, and the maintenance, going to be a huge cost to the household
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                                                                                                                • Stephen F 84899
                                                                                                                  Not in our building none of the owners are keen at all. When I do move yes I would get solar panels.
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                                                                                                                  • Joy L 68767
                                                                                                                    this is the second house we have had panels on the first was 16 years ago and it was in Darwin and we were getting the same for pay in rate as we were paying. That was great. Down here we put them on the roof around 9 years ago to help with the bills and because we are the sunniest country in the world and should be helping
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                                                                                                                    • Bugalugs
                                                                                                                      No we don't because three different companies told us it was not viable for us to have them as our electricity usage was so low. We opted for a company which supplies ONLY Renewable Energy sourced from their Solar Farm at Tailem Bend SA and Snowy Hydro. In SA that company is "LUMO Energy - a 100% Australian Owned company whose parent company is Snowy Hydro - also a 100% Australian Owned Company which can never ever be sold or listed on any Stock Exchange as it is of Immense National Security Importance
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                                                                                                                      • monika K 555354
                                                                                                                        Yes we do.
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                                                                                                                        • Pat C 618241
                                                                                                                          We run all our electrical requirements for our office computers, TV, 'fridge and small electrics from the solar my hubby installed 15 years ago. We also took advantage of the government's first solar offer. Sadly they now seem to be threatening to remove our rebate - too many of us have installed solar! By the way, the amount of power needed to power the electric car batteries from average house solar panels would only give the car enough power for about 1 day's per week driving.
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                                                                                                                          • Judi D
                                                                                                                            My bills aren't high enough to support making the change.
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                                                                                                                            • Gaza
                                                                                                                              yep.
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                                                                                                                              • 77ccusmc
                                                                                                                                No the roof can not hold the weight but I’m looking into solar farms
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                                                                                                                                • Mopos
                                                                                                                                  Yes 10 years ago and reap the rewards for doing so.
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                                                                                                                                  • Sandra C 12043
                                                                                                                                    We have had them over 10 years. Saves on your electricity bill, helps the climate. If we shift from here then we will install them where we buy too if not already fitted. It's the way to go. Once the price of batteries comes down we will install them as well.
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                                                                                                                                    • Maria B 89860
                                                                                                                                      No, Why not indeed! The dreaded word finance, the lack there of! That's another thing that also requires ongoing maintenance. Anyway been also thinking lately that maybe so many people have managed to install and good luck to them, that now Electric cars are being put in the market place so as to still keep generating income for the Utilities as no longer getting from the Manufacturing Industries as they've nearly all closed done and as for the Residentials well in the old days had none of them paid their bills was cheaper to write them off than pursue them in court.
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                                                                                                                                      • Ann D 726256
                                                                                                                                        no
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                                                                                                                                        • Ann H 652541
                                                                                                                                          no I thought they would be expensive
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                                                                                                                                          • Cecile F
                                                                                                                                            No
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                                                                                                                                            • Rifat H
                                                                                                                                              I remember at our household when the Solar panels were available at our area, they were turned down. The household had concerns over the appearance of the house. It was thought that it would give the impression that 'the homeowners NEED to save on expenses - and maybe are not all that well off'? I myself thought getting Solar panels was a great idea, but my household disagreed on the matter! I think many people think like my household! They should develop much better Solar panels - the type that use maybe the roof tiles themselves and so onlookers cannot actually tell you have Solar panels. I think then, you'll get more people - maybe even everyone installing Solar power! :-)
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                                                                                                                                              • Christina D
                                                                                                                                                No because we live in a rental and the landlords won't allow it
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                                                                                                                                                • Val B 69099
                                                                                                                                                  No we do not because we are renting but if we ever owned pour house and could afford it we surely wood have them
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                                                                                                                                                  • Dada WA
                                                                                                                                                    Yes
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                                                                                                                                                    • Warren J
                                                                                                                                                      Yes. But I need more.
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                                                                                                                                                      • James B 70778
                                                                                                                                                        Yes
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                                                                                                                                                        • JANN R
                                                                                                                                                          Yes I have had them for about 10 years now its made a big difference to my electricity bill I save heeps
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                                                                                                                                                          • Julie K 348980
                                                                                                                                                            Due to the fact I am in an apartment block and it is strata title, I am unable to install solar panels.
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                                                                                                                                                            • Robin L 79437
                                                                                                                                                              Yes
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                                                                                                                                                              • DADS BOY
                                                                                                                                                                YES
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                                                                                                                                                                • writerrochelle
                                                                                                                                                                  Could have them for free if I owned a home, but I have to rent, so, no...Washington state was installing them at no charge for homeowners. I would love to own a home, but at 74 and on Social Security, no chance...
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                                                                                                                                                                  • Debra H 757085
                                                                                                                                                                    No. But I have wanted them for about 5 years. I can’t afford them.
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                                                                                                                                                                    • Maree C 80174
                                                                                                                                                                      yes also have solar hot water
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                                                                                                                                                                      • John b 479999
                                                                                                                                                                        No
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                                                                                                                                                                        • Carmel C 103964
                                                                                                                                                                          Yes but no batteries yet. It was a great purchase
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                                                                                                                                                                          • Linda R 394234
                                                                                                                                                                            Would love to but with additional expense of battery storage etc to do it properly whole thing too expensive.
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                                                                                                                                                                            • Sheree T
                                                                                                                                                                              Yes had them on our previous home which we sold 3 months ago and are having them installed on our new home this month.
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                                                                                                                                                                              • Mr Blobby
                                                                                                                                                                                No as I live in a rented place.
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                                                                                                                                                                                • BLACK LIVES MATTER
                                                                                                                                                                                  No, but I rent (apartment) - not worth it for me!
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                                                                                                                                                                                  • Chosen
                                                                                                                                                                                    Waste of money. My daughter has 3 panels on their roof and it saves them approx $11 a month. It's all one big Con job by the Energy companies and those that make and sell the panels. Oh that's right they are going to save the planet.... pfffft.
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                                                                                                                                                                                    • galarina
                                                                                                                                                                                      no not yet but would love them
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                                                                                                                                                                                      • Melissa C 607868
                                                                                                                                                                                        Not yet but its definitely in the plans
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                                                                                                                                                                                        • doris t 277529
                                                                                                                                                                                          why defiantly?? do you want them or don't you??
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                                                                                                                                                                                        • Melissa C 607868doris t 277529
                                                                                                                                                                                          lol sorry that was a typo! I meant to say Definitely
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                                                                                                                                                                                      • Penny W 835623
                                                                                                                                                                                        Yea I do
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