I'll definitely buy an electric mower once my gas one dies...but it's a Honda mower so it'll probably outlive me at this point.

That was where I was. My Honda died & I got a freebie AWD Husqvarna.
Used a lawn service for a while [lazy] and sold the Husky.
Bought the Ryobi when we moved & love it. No indication of any battery deterioration on them yet, but it's only our 2nd summer here. And we'll have much less to mow when the pool is done.

Yeah strangely for me it wasn't a gradual degradation. They runtime just fell off a cliff one day. I think it's a faulty BMS, but it's strange that it's all three of my batteries (and at the same time).

When I got my Ryobi stuff. The cost of batteries was why I bought the mower/blower separately. Got 4 batteries [2 6ah & 2 4ah] & 2 chargers that way, instead of 2x 6ah & 1 with the combo pack.
Yard as it currently sits, takes all 4 batteries when it gets tall.

The cost of 2 extra batteries & a charger was more than buying the 2 separately, so a no-brainer, and the mower I got was a step up from the combo pkg mower.

Is the BMS built into the mower or the battery itself? Could be built into the mower...

Battery. It's Ego equipment. Their first gen batteries had BMS issues, but still weird it all shit the bed at the same time. Unless my charger is faulty.

I've got 1 battery that acts goofy & shows near dead but keeps on going when in use, but otherwise the Ryobi stuff has been great.

How old is it? Might be worth a call to Ego and see if they can help you out before you spend a ton of money on new stuff.

~ 4 years. Well outside the warranty window.

Lame. Well getting a new one gets you into some new tech too. 4 years is a long time for this stuff.

@civicdrivr

$9200 before install is a lot for one PW, but for my usage that would be perfect. I need to speak with someone about claiming the tax credit again. If so, it brings the cost much closer to a permanent gas powered generator, but without the yearly maintenance costs.

Also, it is cheaper than other battery systems. The Enphase battery is $12k for 10kww. Tesla is 13. I got on the reservation list - I'm curious to see what they can do for me.

Is the tax credit federal or state? If it's a federal incentive then I may look into it as well. Won't be any more than a backup generator for me since we don't have time of day electricity but it would be nice to have.

Federal. VA offers nothing for renewables unless you're a business.

That's the same boat I'm in. It may offset my usage at night, but I'd mainly use it to cover me in the event the grid goes down.

If you have a variable rate energy cost you can charge the powerwall at night when energy is cheapest and then discharge it when energy cost is highest


Also the newest powerwalls should be able to handle your HVAC ( ). The older Powerwall 2 had a lower limit on peak output current which meant that 1 powerwall couldn't handle the power surge of your AC starting up, the current model should be able to handle the power surege of most HVAC systems. So you only need to buy one to power your HVAC, my friend had to buy two of the older models if wanted AC during a power outage

At least a year away from commercial production but there's a lot of companies interested in using this...

Most induction stoves require 240v while most gas require 120v so going from gas to induction usually requires an electrical upgrade so the NYC Public Housing Authority is challenging a manufacturer to make induction work on 120v, and one does then NYC will but 10k units, and other cities will probably purchase them as well. NYC did the same thing in the 90s with energy efficient fridges

Thanks big government for helping to bring down the costs for everyone

That would be nice - it would make my upgrade from a gas cooktop to induction plug and play.

I want a Powerwall real bad, but it's over $15k for one unit installed

I've been looking into ways to help with our elec. costs. The past couple months we've had the highest power bills we've ever had in almost 13 years of home ownership. 20% of our bill is TDU charges.
We've got an efficient AC & new windows, and back doors. Need to add some UV film to the window on the front door & maybe have our insulation checked.
Thinking about DIY-ing a radiant barrier in the attic to cut the heat level down up there.

Incandescent bulbs are now banned

Do it, you won't

I guess install costs are going to get cheaper. It seems this new install process needs to be approved by your local power company first before they can install it that way...

I'm curious what the radiant barrier looks like. I've been thinking of doing something to cut down on the head up there. My attic is already soffit and ridge vented and there's a fan, but my AC/furnace still have to combat crazy temps.

I hope so. Right now the Tesla site says install is $6,100. Install on my entire solar array wasn't that much.

From what I've seen, it's essentially a foil backed perforated (for humidity control) that you just staple perpendicular to the roof rafters.
Also seen soffit buffers that get put in first & keep blown in insulation from blocking the soffit vents.

Yeah I have insulation stops already.

I may do the radiant barrier when it cools down a little bit (which is ironic tbh) I'm looking at this stuff: https://atticfoil.com/

^ Thanks, I just requested a sample set from them.
From what I've read, in humid climates (TX ) you want the perforated to allow for moisture to not get trapped & lead to mold/mildew.

Good call. It's humid af here too (we haven't been below 55% in over a month).

I got a heat pump installed in my house this year