[metmom]

Solar panels take more energy to produce than they will ever produce and they are so polluting to make that they cannot be made in the US, so they are made in China where the government doesn’t care how much pollution is generated or what it does to its people.

[Moonman62]

Solar panels take more energy to produce than they will ever produce...

...

I’ve read that many times, but what’s the source of the data?

[Moonman62]

Here’s one article on the subject:

https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/solar-panels-now-make-more-electricity-they-use

[Moonman62]

Here’s another:

https://phys.org/news/2016-12-solar-panels-repay-energy-debt.html

[EinNYC]

Our co-op development knicked everyone $1000 last year after they installed solar panels on our buildings. The only ones who made out were the contractor and the corrupt management. The solar power generated by these panels was supposed to power common areas--lighting, laundry machines in laundry rooms, etc. Instead, I see our maintenance fees have actually risen. What a total scam.

In addition, the solar panels are UGLY and some people have reported leaks in their ceilings from the puncturing of the roofs for the installation.

[GOPJ]

It is actually worse than forcing the power company to take 30-cent electricity that it could get from a natural gas plant for 6 cents.

Here's the thing - the power company is NOT changing me six cents... and when solar panels are put up - the 'cost' of creating electricity - is born by the individual citizen. Apples for one individual homeowner ARE cheaper if the tree is in his yard. This piece does a lot of apples and oranges comparisons...

[American in Israel]

I put 600 watts of panels on a rooftop and a 400 dollar electric bill became 100 watts less. I did that 18 years ago. I have had to buy 4 sets of batteries for about 250 bucks a pop on that system. Total cost 6000 bucks. Net profit 14,000 bucks and still chugging.

No net metering in involved. This article is total BS.

The client has lowered their power usage dramatically through the years, they are down to 150 bucks a month.

And LOVE their small scale solar.

2400 watts line interactive solar can run a house that does not have electric water heating or ac. 600 watts worth of panels works fine, a max of 1000 watts.

[OldMissileer]

Solar panels take more energy to produce than they will ever produce...

I saw a short article (can't find it right now) a few months ago that broke down the cost of producing the materials necessary to make a wind turbine generator.

With the Mean Time Between Failure calculated into the equation, the wind turbine would never produce anywhere near the amount of energy that was required to make it.