Rich or Rich?
First a disclaimer. I am not in any way shape or form being paid , compensated or prodded to mention any of the below companies or systems. These are just systems I have looked at to decide which way I wanted to go.
This is just an exercise to look at wealth in a different light. A light that with current US and world events may come to fruition and shine brightly.
So today a point to ponder - with the current state of affairs in the USA and the world in general lets do a dive into just what rich means.
Does it mean a 6 or 7 figure bank balance? Lets talk smaller. Lets say $10,000.00 So say you have $10,000.00 in your bank account.
Does it mean a few gold coins or a couple hundred silver coins? Quantity of 2 one oz American eagles and 8 of the 1/10 oz coins or 200 1 oz liberty silver coins.
Or maybe a $10,000.00 DIY solar kit.
Let’s look at the cost for the kit.
$13060.00 - 8% promo $12,015.20 - 30% tax credit $8410.64 Then you need to add the ground mount system. That can vary wildly if you use ground screws and unistrut and install yourself that would be less than $2000.00 as that is also -30% as a cost of the system. If you use a system like Sunmodo or Iron Ridge manufactures it can be around $6000.00.
13 kw output. (2-6.5 kw inverters wire parallel thus 13kw) 22-450 watt panels, breakers, enclosed battery rack and 5 pieces 5.2 kw batteries so 25.60 battery backup. Cables for batteries cable to get the panels to a breaker or cut out switch.
Once you really study this you are going to probably have another $1000.00 on the high side in breaker box, shut off and wire and conduit to your house.
This is a 13kw output system, 9.9 kw x 6 hours of sun so 59.40kw of available energy with 25 kw of battery backup up ( solar is over sized on the input as the panels almost never produce 100% of rated capacity, you do want the battery storage smaller so the batteries do get fully charged) Personally I would add 2 more batteries at $1150.00 each -8-30% so $750.00 each
You could safely double this amount if you hire the install out. I am a DIY and have built my own house, wired it, plumbed it, dry walled, poured concrete, trim work literally everything so this solar deal is a cake walk
Or to make it even simpler and turnkey solar back up system
Anker - Solix
Anker - Solix whole home back up. 2 6kw inverters with 3820 watt batteries for 12kw output, and 7640 battery back up with auto transfer switch professionally installed, extra battery 3820 watt batter. Total battery back up of 11.5 kw . As a promo you get a 1500 watt portable generator. Total cost turnkey installed $11,796.00 -30% tax credit $8257.20
Ecoflow Delta Ultra X Pro
12 kw inverter and with the batteries 12 kw output with smart home 3 service panel $10,900 plus $3200.00 install. Ecoflow will subsidize this to the tune of $800.00. So $13,300 and if you apply the 30% tax credit you are at $9310.00
Both the Anker and Ecoflow you will need solar panels. 430 bi facial panels in my area can be purchased new for $100.00 to $140.00 4x430 watts = 1.72 kw x6 hours for solar production of 10kw of course the solar panels need to be installed so that is not here.
All these systems are 120/240 output - ie split phase. So they will run 120 or 240 v appliances.
For arguments sake we are going to round up or down to $10,000.00.
Ground mount and roof mount are the options. I would suggest ground mount, no roof climbing to clean dust or snow and roof mount will eventually need to come off to re roof. Personal experience as I started a solar company in 2005. No one wants to take these systems off and re-install. Its straight labor and then putting back up - one mis wire and the system does not work and the people that took it off are blamed or the re- installers are blamed. Their are no winners in this de install re installed, its just a matter of who looses the most.
Standard ground mount, concrete piers with a designed for solar rack.
I am doing a self engineered system using ground screws and unirack.
For updates as I install this system
Or a super easy literally once you have the rock base done its 10 minutes to mount the panels.
These are easy assembly, ship UPS and run around $120 each. A 10 panel system would need 11 pieces as the first panel requires 2 after that 1 per panel.
Their are a multitude of youtube videos of people installing these. If you can run a shovel, a level and put bolts together you can do this system.
Well after all that we get to the nub of this substack.
Is the richer person the person with
100 $100 dollar bills $10,000.00
2 - 1 oz gold coins and 8 - 1/10 oz gold about $10,000.00
200 - 1 oz silver liberties about $10,000.00
or the person with $10,000 of solar equipment?
I would contend the person with the $100.00 bills is the poorest of the group. Fire, wind, inflation all can take it away pretty easily - inflation is the most insidious of all as you still have all that paper its just worth less.
Tied for 2nd poorest is the gold and silver people. Sure it may increase in value but it may decrease also. Its not going to zero, it survives fire and wind, even inflation. It is however a pretty stagnant holding. It does not collect interest, it does not pay for itself, it is very potable, you want some in a SHTF scenario. Otherwise its chunks of metal and in a mad max scenario who knows what it worth? It may increase greatly in value making you vulnerable to government or other criminals wanting it. The competition between those two criminal organizations will be fierce.
The richest is the person with solar. That person has cut their electric bill, possibly to the point of total off gird and no power from outside sources. Its going to be there working silently for decades. It helps pay for itself every single day. Designed correctly and in a DIY the payback can be 4-6 years, in some cases less. Recently a power company in Missouri said it was increasing rate 36% So now look at your bill $300.00 a month today and after the increase of 36% it is now $408.00 and you can bet every last penny that that will not be the only increase over the next 20 -30 years. Now if you reduce your power bill by 50% that brings it to $204.00 still a stinger but far better than $408.00 Now lets look at some other math. Since we cut our bill by $204.00 ( this number will vary as if you use 12 kw per day the Anker and Ecoflow will cut your bill to ZERO or near ZERO and most certain the sungoldpower system easily cuts it 100% If you use more well then you’re buying power from the grid - albeit less power.
So lets start with the Anker/Eco system $10,000 / $204.00 if you offset 1/2 of your new power bill. 49 months and its paid off just cutting your bill in 1/2. 4 years and 1 month then you are in positive territory.
sungoldpower system $10,000 divide by $408 because that will get you off the power grid. A blistering 24 and 1/2 months!
So where else can you spend $10.000 and make 50% plus from here to 20 years out? I’m listening.
If you have a freezer full of food all these system will keep that freezer running with sides of beef running $2000.00 -$4000.00 that alone in a 2 or 3 day summer outage pays for nearly have the anker/ecoflow. Add refrigerated food, lights and some creature comfort - what is that worth?
$10,000 in paper money will take 20-40% of that to replace that freezer of beef and no fans, lights or anything else during and outage. Just a mess to clean up. So now you have $8000 -$6000 and next go around that gets cut again - IF inflation does not beat it up even more. Sure you can throw ice at the freezer - IF stores have it.
Same with silver and gold. They are just a harder to spend immediately form of money.
Solar back up, some creature comforts - maybe not all but you will be living better than 99% of the rest of your neighbors. Freezer full of beef - still frozen days and weeks later, same with your refrigerator no spoiled food.
I did not include engine driven generators and they are ALL grid tied - you have to buy fuel, natural gas, diesel, gasoline or propane. Then run all the time - making noise that announces very loudly you have power. Do you really want people knocking on your door that are from miles away looking for food or help? After 3-5 days in a mad max scenarios where are you getting the fuel from? Yea you are not, these systems and a goldilocks system where you are without power for a day or two and society is running somewhat normally.
They have an engine that requires maintenance, maintenance contracts can run $300.00-$500.00 per year. Again it has a motor - motors fail when you need them most if your luck runs like mine. No thanks I want to work bugs out before the SHTF. These things can easily burn through $100.00 of fuel a day. $10,000 is not going to get you enough power to run a normal house for very long.
None of this included the fact the grid now being stretched to its max with the current data center build outs that are sucking the grid dry. Its not just google and Facebook, its your bank, food companies, grocery stores - you name it they have a data center using power. Do you believe if push comes to shove that the power company is going to send you power and not data centers if they cannot keep up? What is behind all the new “smart” meters being installed that hook up to the power companies - data center? Is this to help you manage your power usage or for them to manage YOUR power usage? Its the latter, let’s not fool ourselves. 99% of the people are not going to go to their power company home page and look at the power they are using. This is to throttle your usage of power. With the current raging build out of data centers their is no way for power companies to keep up. It can take a decade or more to get a new plant approved. Who knows how much power is going to be required in 2035? Guesses yes but will this boom wane or increase?
Sure every one has a different situation, the above are just my scenarios I have looked and and studied.
Full disclosure; I purchased a sungoldpower system and then purchase more panels locally to get to 84 kw of power per day. Way over what I use but its so cheap that adding more than enough is cheap insurance for nearly every winter usage scenario I have.
Rich is a relative term, in good times it can mean money, in tight times those that have taken advantage of the good times by prepping for the bad will be the truly rich. A rich person is one that is self sufficient whether its maintenance, growing food, producing your own energy - knowing how to survive without the grid or be as self sufficient as possible. Money is not everything, money does not make you “rich” knowledge and use of that knowledge are rich - even in good times - peace of mind is worth far more.
I am interested in your thoughts and comments - please do so.
Thank you
Martin