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J.R. Ewing: Solar Warrior?

latimes.com -- Sometimes, the best person to preach the wonders of solar power is a man in a ten-gallon hat.

Specifically, that would be J.R. Ewing, the nefarious Texas oil tycoon from the hit television series "Dallas" ..Larry Hagman.

..a major proponent of alternative energy. Solar panels blanket his Ojai estate.. His 94-kilowatt installation cost $750,000 to install but helped cut his electricity bill from $37,000 to $13 a year ..

“It doesn’t make any noise and does a wonderful job,” he said. “I’ve realized that if the infrastructure is so delicate, then I better look after myself.”

He will encourage consumers to go with domestically made solar panels, “made here by Americans, for Americans.”

“It’s keeping jobs here."
“Our security is going to be in producing all of our own energy,”

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Submitted Sep 06, 2010 By: teafortwo

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1006 All-Star Author Birmingham Posts:929 Points:1,027,495 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 9:42:02 PM Ignore 1006 Report Abuse old story . . move on.
SVmike Champion Author California Posts:1,426 Points:307,850 Joined:Dec 2009	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 1:48:54 PM Ignore SVmike Report Abuse bus561: "Solar installation should be cheaper and should have been installed years ago. The oil industry has probably prevented it for this period of time. " Why would the oil industry even care? About 1% of US electricity comes from oil. Cars run on oil. Solar produces electricity. Not until this year (or really next year) will there be any (sizable) tiny fraction of cars that run on electricity.
SVmike Champion Author California Posts:1,426 Points:307,850 Joined:Dec 2009	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 1:44:53 PM Ignore SVmike Report Abuse Anyone should be completly embarassed if they have a $37000/yr electric bill. And buying a bunch of solar panels to lower the bill to near 0 doesn't negate the fact that those same solar cells could have been used elsewhere. What could he possibly be powering that needs that much power? At ~10 cents/kw-hr that is 370 MW-hrs per year.
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:3,846 Points:654,230 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 7:40:56 AM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse BTW the Hagman episode of Living with Ed will be replaying Thursday morning on Planet Green....
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:3,846 Points:654,230 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 7:38:57 AM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse BTW, the 6%-ers here are talking Madoff rates.... and we know how that story ended. Right now, the only people getting that....are the owners of the banks..
remay Champion Author Houston Posts:4,696 Points:1,654,720 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 7:35:05 AM Ignore remay Report Abuse Do whatever it takes to promote alteernatives energy sources...
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:3,846 Points:654,230 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 7:33:24 AM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse actually, this is an old story..... only the LA Times rediscovered Hagman after the recent solar commercials started.... for the nattering nabobs here, watch the Hagman episode on Planet Green this week..... the show is Living with Ed...
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:3,846 Points:654,230 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 7:25:39 AM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse Actually, for all the nattering nabobs here...... all it takes is another republican president to help triple the energy costs AGAIN..... and Hagman's system would pay for itself in about 5 years.... Californians have the GOP to thank for the high cost of energy now..... It was their dereg plan the governor (Pete Wilson/R) signed at the time, promising lower energy costs.......Then Enron came in and committed massive fraud, and arranged for the state to pay extra for energy it didn't need and caused massive rolling blackouts throughout the state.... That caused power companies to raise their rates overnight (in the San Diego area they TRIPLED). Businesses couldn't afford that, so they left the state and with that went more of the tax base.... and created a downward spiral in tax revenues...... and helped explode the state budget deficit... Thanks GOP... And when California uncovered the fraud, the GOP-controlled federal energy regulatory commission told the state that it didn't matter if Enron committed massive and criminal fraud, the energy contracts would be still binding... Thanks GOP..... After Enroning the state, the GOP set their sights higher and Enroned the entire country and destroy its economy too........ Thanks GOP...... So, with another GOP anti-american president, that $37,000 would triple to more than $100,000 a year --- so the system would pay for itself in less than a decade..... So J.R. is showing the way...... to self-sufficiency and not be an "Inhofe idiot".... BTW, costs have dropped in solar systems by a massive amount since Hagman put his system in........ and more technological breakthroughs are happening all the time..... [Edited by: Gnusman53 at 9/7/2010 8:29:07 AM EST]
gasforus Champion Author Michigan Posts:6,776 Points:1,727,615 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 6:35:26 AM Ignore gasforus Report Abuse These articles are all from yesterday!!!!!!!!!
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:15,259 Points:1,141,225 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 5:26:37 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse as for all the naysayers: smaller units cost between $10 and $20,000 - around here, the average monthly electric bill is about $450 for city dwellers. And after a year of service, you put the electricity back into the net, you get money back for anything you produce. So, it does pay itself rather quickly.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:15,259 Points:1,141,225 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 5:24:41 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse GaryG7: that is, IF you can get 6% from the stock market. Right now that's not a guarantee.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:15,259 Points:1,141,225 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 5:22:30 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse notsogrn: I was thinking something along those lines myself.
NOTSOGRN Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,282 Points:1,083,115 Joined:Dec 2007	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 1:11:45 AM Ignore NOTSOGRN Report Abuse Electricity bill @ $37,000 a year? Is it from watching all his reruns?
DellDude2 Champion Author Nashville Posts:6,778 Points:1,655,110 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:34:38 AM Ignore DellDude2 Report Abuse So Larry Hagman now only Dreams of Greenie? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares! lol I think I'll take Barbara Eden instead. da, da, da-da da-da-da, da, da...
genef01 Champion Author Nashville Posts:2,611 Points:834,680 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:30:59 AM Ignore genef01 Report Abuse Wish I could spend that kind of money. He's been hanging around Kevin Costner too long.
Zonk Champion Author Michigan Posts:4,127 Points:1,637,350 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:30:31 AM Ignore Zonk Report Abuse ER has the big bucks.
bobdec Champion Author Florida Posts:6,716 Points:1,324,615 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:30:03 AM Ignore bobdec Report Abuse Way to go Larry, moore need to do the same
jadeusa Champion Author Dallas Posts:6,895 Points:1,370,985 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:26:20 AM Ignore jadeusa Report Abuse "I Dream of Jeannie" was easy on the eyes. But I did like the bluster of "Dallas" which was funny in their over-acting.
Gerg001 Champion Author San Bernardino Posts:2,517 Points:908,495 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:23:24 AM Ignore Gerg001 Report Abuse And Jeannie didn't blink once.
LostToo Champion Author Illinois Posts:3,115 Points:715,605 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:22:42 AM Ignore LostToo Report Abuse Never watched that show ..... Not 1 time and it not because I am too young to have watched it. Just thought it was stupid and so were all the actors. This proves it and anyone that would fall to their knees over a fake oil tycoon is stupid too. Let him waste his money on this I could care less.... I am going to go watch I Dream of Jennie.
GasRJT Champion Author Kansas Posts:2,478 Points:570,735 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:19:43 AM Ignore GasRJT Report Abuse 750,000 over 20 years invested in the stock market is a better investment then this!
comprof Champion Author Houston Posts:4,378 Points:896,175 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:17:37 AM Ignore comprof Report Abuse Totally unaffordable and impractical for most of the population.
250FORD Champion Author Minnesota Posts:8,265 Points:1,303,335 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:15:00 AM Ignore 250FORD Report Abuse I guess if you have the money its a good thing. It will take him over 20 years to pay for this.
vulcan96 Champion Author Ohio Posts:21,169 Points:2,639,595 Joined:Aug 2004	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:12:08 AM Ignore vulcan96 Report Abuse a lot of good comments here both pro and con. the solar regulators and batteries are insanely expensive and do break down on a regular basis so the average family home can not come close to being able to afford it at this time. my small system has been worth it due to 3 extended power outages over the past year because i was able to keep my freezer, sump pump, and oxygen concentrator running the whole time.
roadrunnerMO Champion Author Kansas Posts:5,991 Points:1,233,260 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:11:38 AM Ignore roadrunnerMO Report Abuse We do need alternative energy sources here in this country. All the alternatives we can work into the system.
GaryG7 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:11,537 Points:2,240,300 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:06:43 AM Ignore GaryG7 Report Abuse This proves that we have a long way to go before solar contributes more than a rounding error to our total power needs. If he took the $750,000 and invested it in a conservative mix of stocks and bonds, with a total average annual return of 6%, it would pay his electric bill with a little left over. ($750,000 * 6% = $45,000)
tobin2010 Champion Author Topeka Posts:3,921 Points:694,735 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:05:59 AM Ignore tobin2010 Report Abuse What people don't understand is it is not always what you save. It will take 20 years to get back his investment but 750,000 invested over 20 years in the stock market can be worth over $2 million dollars. Not a good investment at all!
TXGasPriceSpy Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:5,322 Points:1,010,350 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:03:03 AM Ignore TXGasPriceSpy Report Abuse J.R. was a bad boy.
96sc1 Champion Author El Paso Posts:7,440 Points:1,142,330 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:02:50 AM Ignore 96sc1 Report Abuse So...he is over 20 years away from breaking even (assuming zero maintenance over that time). That's doesn't sound like much of a deal to me.
PithyOpiner Champion Author Stockton Posts:12,310 Points:1,172,725 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:01:32 AM Ignore PithyOpiner Report Abuse Well, Larry, if it took you $750,000 to get your electric bill down to $13 and saving you $37,000 a year, it's going to take 20 years to recoup your investment of $750,000. Are you still going to be around in 20 years?
Rt118E Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:6,709 Points:905,660 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Sep 7, 2010 12:00:34 AM Ignore Rt118E Report Abuse It would be smart to follow his lead on Green.
REKEY Champion Author South Carolina Posts:6,206 Points:1,233,480 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:58:38 PM Ignore REKEY Report Abuse JR is not the bad guy any more!
CRAZYEDDIE2010 Veteran Author Ontario Posts:294 Points:204,185 Joined:Jul 2010	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:57:47 PM Ignore CRAZYEDDIE2010 Report Abuse ODD THE AMOUNT.WHY SO MUCH POWER? HUM?
esorsd Champion Author St. Louis Posts:3,493 Points:1,184,765 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:50:36 PM Ignore esorsd Report Abuse I agree with RedRam2005
RedRam2005 Champion Author San Antonio Posts:5,696 Points:1,057,210 Joined:Dec 2007	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:47:33 PM Ignore RedRam2005 Report Abuse If cost is no object, you can have all the "free" electricity you can use.
JLJunior Sophomore Author Texas Posts:245 Points:1,867,840 Joined:Oct 2004	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:41:22 PM Ignore JLJunior Report Abuse Hmmm. Not figuring in rebates, it looks like a 30-year pay-back. Must be some tremendous rebates to justify this (anybody know of any photovoltaic panels projected to hold up for that long?), but they're not mentioned in the article. I wonder if he expects to live that long?
camel1 Champion Author Minnesota Posts:6,045 Points:1,815,440 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:39:44 PM Ignore camel1 Report Abuse over twenty years to break even? That is a tremendous time. This is certainly not being done for financial gains from it.
weenerdog Champion Author Detroit Posts:7,334 Points:1,437,635 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:39:15 PM Ignore weenerdog Report Abuse Very interesting
aldog365 Champion Author Nashville Posts:3,150 Points:1,559,710 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:36:40 PM Ignore aldog365 Report Abuse It will take how many years to recoup that money? I dont think Larry will live that long.
JoseM All-Star Author San Bernardino Posts:890 Points:605,010 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:34:32 PM Ignore JoseM Report Abuse Is this a joke?
Huskersed All-Star Author Atlanta Posts:703 Points:337,950 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:32:07 PM Ignore Huskersed Report Abuse Amazing.. It proved saving tons of money in the long term.
ifallsguy Champion Author Minnesota Posts:4,420 Points:1,212,705 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:31:17 PM Ignore ifallsguy Report Abuse doesn't figure in the rebates from the feds and CA. And will he live long enough to even see it break even.
Eichhornchen Champion Author Detroit Posts:3,772 Points:747,390 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:30:47 PM Ignore Eichhornchen Report Abuse He is helping pave the way for the average person
joel27nc Champion Author Raleigh Posts:8,157 Points:1,392,445 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:27:11 PM Ignore joel27nc Report Abuse Looking at the installation cost there is definitely no gain till a long run.
CobraLeader Champion Author New Jersey Posts:267,902 Points:1,200,750 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:19:48 PM Ignore CobraLeader Report Abuse ... To be or not to be, that is the question????? ...
JettaKnight Champion Author Toronto Posts:1,355 Points:1,712,435 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:19:08 PM Ignore JettaKnight Report Abuse HailstormCA San Diego "So, barring any maintenance costs and rate increases that'll take 20 years or so to break even. Not bad. What could he have gotten from other investments?" Okay, so you did the math to figure out the break even time... and we KNOW that rates increase every year, so it'll pay for itself well before then. Now, go the other way: he spent OVER $3,000 per MONTH on electricity before installing the panels. If the costs are linear (not likely, but lets say so for now), then a 9.4 kW system should cost around $75,000 to supply someone that has a current annual bill of $3,700. I have to give him some credit for this: "He will encourage consumers to go with domestically made solar panels, “made here by Americans, for Americans.”" It doesn't say that you have to buy the system... if some entrepreneur can figure out a way for consumers to lease or otherwise finance a system (like cars or houses), then everyone wins. Otherwise, consumers will go for whatever is the least expensive system... and that very well may be one that's made in China.
tedjm1 Champion Author New York Posts:3,540 Points:389,685 Joined:Dec 2006	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:17:16 PM Ignore tedjm1 Report Abuse I wish I could do what he did. But everyone does not have the home or wherewithal to pay for it. In any case, good for him.
CumminsFanOH Champion Author Columbus Posts:1,670 Points:827,990 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:16:54 PM Ignore CumminsFanOH Report Abuse Let's see - $750,000 spread over how many years to break even? Looks like 57 years, and that's not figuring present value of the money and costs to keep it working after wind storms, and everything else that can happen. You have to be smoking something to think this is a cheap way to go.
Blue_Cruzer Champion Author Lexington Posts:5,152 Points:1,202,725 Joined:Mar 2007	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:15:33 PM Ignore Blue_Cruzer Report Abuse I doubt there will be many other private citizens installing $750.000 systems to help cut electric bills.
rxman1 Champion Author Toledo Posts:6,996 Points:1,396,195 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Sep 6, 2010 11:15:00 PM Ignore rxman1 Report Abuse He has the money to invest in solar.