Posted on 02/07/2021 4:09:31 AM PST by Steely eyed killer of the deep
Doing preliminary research to install solar on my new house.
Just curious, what’s the total cost of the installation compared to your monthly savings?
Where do you live and what is the life expectancy of those panels?
Ask them what it is going to cost you to recycle the panels in 20 years when they wear out. Bet you can’t get a straight answer...
First, make sure your power company will “buy back” your power. Some are not equipped to accept backfed power into their grid as they’re primarily in the business of selling not buying power.
ask your roofer/builder what the life expectancy of your roof with solar installed is
Solar is a joke unless its a passive system.
I saw somewhere that after 10 years they begin to weaken and should be replaced
Depending on where you live (avg sun power per day in watts per square foot) the number of panels you have to put up varies widely. Those are a big part of the variable cost.
Then there’s a discussion about intended use and loads.
If you intend to operate modern US electric residential structure with solar, hope you got spare money to throw at a huge expense for batteries and panels. Electric dryers, ranges, heat pumps and ranges/ovens are generally beyond any ‘affordable home solar system.
A reasonable solar system,say $20-$30k in Florida-like latitudes and below will give you a payback, and even allow you to go ‘net’s during sunny days, ie selling power (at wholesale rates) back to your power company. But if during that sunny day in Fort Lauderdale your AC is running, you take a hot shower, run the dishwasher and dry a couple loads of clothes, then you can expect to reduce your power bill. If you live alone simply, as a FL retiree, you will likely have months where FL Power pays you, instead of you paying the bill.
Solar will absolutely meet expectations for an emergency backup for fridges, freezers and lighting, the well pump and maybe the water heater if you are smart about total load per hour. Most places in US solar WILL reduce your total power grid consumption, but a fast payback for a typical US home is a Don Quixote quest. Solar helps, and if done right it can help a lot. It will enable you to live a somewhat modern lifestyle during a power outage. I look at solar as something I paid for, an asset, that provides me peace of mind. Sure it let’s me heat my greenhouse forn’free’ ... as long as I ignore the $5K I spent making that possible.
I am wandering a bit here.
If you set reasonable goals for solar, it’s a good deal and it’s reassuring to have it.
1. Be realistic about your available sunpower, YEAR ROUND.
2. Cost is directly tied to peak and average loads. Omit the dryer, range/Oven electric water heater, electric HVAC and it’ll be a reasonable cost.
3. The big items are panels, batteries, inverter/charge controller and installation. All are variables.
4. Depending on where you live you should probably expect to replace panels at a roughly 5% per year rate due to failure and date. It can be less.
Net: if you design for ‘survive the ice storm’ and maybe reduce my bill a little, you’ll be happy. Or just invest in solar to power for off grid structures like a greenhouse, deer camp or garage (sans heater) you’ll be happy.
Power a normal house? Write big checks.
Excellent point. Don’t install solar over old roofing. $$$$ ahead if you do.
The payback may exceed the life of the toxic solar panels.
Break even point 11 years. Panels die in 20 years. Too many sloppy installs. Ideas: More insulation in the attic. Energy efficient windows. Capture waste heat from the air conditioner and thermosiphon it to your hot water tank. (Still wanna play? Buy a $120 deep cycle battery and a cheapo $80 solar panel. Go camping and impress everyone.)
I’m looking for a portable solar unit for when we have the inevitable brown outs.
I want my liberal neighbors to look longingly at my flickering lights all evening
Suggestions ?
If it is like my liberal BIL, it is a 25 year payback. He is 65
A neighbor lost his one solar panel to “an object from the sky”.
Because this was in Miami, we speculated on its source. :(
I’ve heard that some shingle warranties are voided if you install solar. At the least, unless your roof is only a few years old you should re-shingle first. Of course that kills the solar “savings”
Where in China are the solar cells manufactured?
There are some UV efficiency maps online. You might want to review some of them to see if your locale is optimal. As I recall, not too many parts of the country are highly rated. Most range toward the middle of efficiency.
We used to have a printout to show the door to door solar scammers since we live in a medium optimal area.
What direction does your roof face. As I recall, facing South at about 30deg. is best.
Do you need to cut down any trees?
Find out if you get any subsides that reduce the cost of your solar install. Are there any tax breaks that you can get? There is nothing like a little redistribution of wealth and corporate welfare to solve any non-existent problem.
I can’t see them being cost efficient in say Michigan when they could be covered with snow most of the winter and then as you say, air conditioning in the summer....
How often do you get hail? snow? High Wind? Number of sunless days?
Good luck!
Don’t discourage him. For every solar panel that goes on a roof, it leaves just that much more cheap electricity for me from the power company.
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