I was working backwards, trying to figure out the cost of the installation based upon the price per kWh stated in the article, while plugging in plausible values for the solar constant, an optimistic no. of hrs of sunshine per day, very high conversion efficiency, etc. So, to be able to produce electricity at a price of 2.4 cents per kWh, I arrived at a cost for the installation (which would have to have an area of approx. 800 sq. meters) of about $24,000. As I pointed out, that is a ridiculously low cost for a photovoltaic installation of that size. In that much, you and I are in agreement.
I intentionally did NOT consider such economic factors as amortization rates, variable power supply, etc.
I'm well aware of the other problems you mentioned.
Regards,
I have actually been a nut for human, solar, wind, steam and micro-hydro electric power generation since I was young, not to mention many other fascinating transportation related technologies. The problem is that most of these areas are more suited for tinkerers such as myself than for use by consumers.
Our friends actually did not overpay for their off their $40,000 off the grid system. The generator that we use to power our house during outages is a 5000 watt / 6250 peak unit which can be purchased new for around $400 new. I converted it to natural gas myself which saved a lot of money.
Our friend’s use an inverter based generator that can sync with their battery/solar powered inverter system. Their generator can be used to both power the house and charge the batteries while it is working in tandem with their primary inverter. The generator they purchased cost many times what our generator cost. We have several inverters ourselves but none of them can sync with a generator or another inverter and they all cost much less than the inverter that our friend’s use. They have multiple expensive storage batteries which even when they are looked after properly still only last a limited time when they are in continuous use.
So even before you buy your solar panels you already have a sizable investment in supporting equipment to use the power produced by your solar cells. It just all adds up to much more than those who haven’t tried setting up a system would suspect that it would.
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity in the state. In 2015, a dry year, it pegged its costs for hydro at 3.2 cents a kilowatt hour, compared to 6.1 cents a kilowatt hour for natural gas.
It’s not unusual to see hydro projects across the country coming in at 2 cents a kilowatt hour.
When it comes to the average retail price of electricity, California finishes sixth-highest in the country and fourth-highest for states in the continental U.S., at 15.42 cents a kilowatt hour.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hydropower-rain-20170307-story.html