[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Solar power (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/29/2013 5:07:38 PM EDT
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So just how many of you guys have solar panels on your roof, and does it really work for you? ETA: I am trying to save money anyway I can in the long and short term.
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I keep reading articles where they say the prices for panels is crashing, and $1/Watt is realistic... but then I see estimates for a 5kW system around $12-15k. That's still $2-3 per watt.
If I could get a 5kW system installed for $5k, I'd be seriously tempted. That would run my AC on these hot ass sunny Texas days! |
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Quoted: I keep reading articles where they say the prices for panels is crashing, and $1/Watt is realistic... but then I see estimates for a 5kW system around $12-15k. That's still $2-3 per watt. If I could get a 5kW system installed for $5k, I'd be seriously tempted. That would run my AC on these hot ass sunny Texas days! Amen to that last part. |
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They are subsidized. Even with the subsidies I'm doubtful they'd pay for themselves before they need to be replaced. And if they don't pay for themselves in power savings then there is no point. They require rare earth elements to make... and China has the largest supply... I live where there are hurricanes and I'm unsure of just how sturdy and secure and undamaged... they would be. |
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I don't. But my brother does on his house. According to him, SCE pays him once a month instead of sending him a bill. But I understand the loan to pay for the solar panels is pretty steep. Over $10k, IIRC. Does the check plus whatever he used to pay to the electric company cover the loan? |
my house is off the grid and I just love it. I have 48 batteries and a genset backup. only down side is batteries are not cheap, I am replacing 7 of them this Wednesday at the cost of $260.00 each. I would say if you are doing it to try and save money on power really crunch the numbers. If you just want to be off the grid, go for it.. I never loose power no mater how bad the storm
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I don't know anyone who would claim solar is a money-saving strategy, even over the long term (and ESPECIALLY over the short term...). It's a strategy to be independent of the grid.
By the way, if one takes the $multi-K subsidy for solar, does that make one FSA? |
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If you want to save money; keep the cord, and run your house like you're on battery power.
Solar isn't a money saver ......yet. Battery cost cycle really makes it a no win if you have utilities available. If A/C wasn't a necessity here, I could probably make it with a LP & solar setup; but when there's a several thousand watt demand for all the seasons except snowbird season , it's no-go. |
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I am trying to save money anyway I can in the long and short term. Right now, there isn't any money savings to be had with solar, unless you live far enough from AC power lines to make utility power very expensive. However, solar can make sense for other reasons - i.e., for emergency backup power. For example, it doesn't take a large, expensive solar system to run a fridge, if you pick your fridge wisely. During normal times, this system helps earn its keep by powering a device that you would otherwise be paying the utility company to run. During emergencies, you still have a working refrigerator - and the power produced by the system can also be diverted to other loads as needed. It's not unusual for folks to spend thousands of dollars on a backup generator that spends 99.999 percent of its time sitting around doing nothing. That same money could buy a small solar system that not only provides backup power during emergencies, but also helps pay back its purchase cost the rest of the time. |
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For example, it doesn't take a large, expensive solar system to run a fridge, if you pick your fridge wisely. During normal times, this system helps earn its keep by powering a device that you would otherwise be paying the utility company to run. True, but not coincidentally, it's that same wisely-chosen fridge that costs next to nothing to pay the utility company to run. |
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I keep reading articles where they say the prices for panels is crashing, and $1/Watt is realistic... but then I see estimates for a 5kW system around $12-15k. That's still $2-3 per watt. If I could get a 5kW system installed for $5k, I'd be seriously tempted. That would run my AC on these hot ass sunny Texas days! 5kw is big. Just sayin. Im waiting for a high output capable system fed by a mirror array on a heliostat. |
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my house is off the grid and I just love it. I have 48 batteries and a genset backup. only down side is batteries are not cheap, I am replacing 7 of them this Wednesday at the cost of $260.00 each. I would say if you are doing it to try and save money on power really crunch the numbers. If you just want to be off the grid, go for it.. I never loose power no mater how bad the storm how old are the batteries that you are replacing 
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It could make sense in CA. What are you paying pet kilowatt hour to your power company?
Only way it makes financial sense is if you sell back to the grid. Going off grid costs more due to battery costs, plus the batteries only last 5 years at best if you use the good ones. |
| Roof mount are a bitch if you need to make roof repairs, but ground mount arrays add money to the install costs...it really comes down to your preference, array size, specific site....and a bunch of other variables. PV panels are great and they absolutely deliver, but my 2 cents....spend the money to do a ground mount install. (If you have the property, and the money for the framing, it's the way to go) |
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Quoted: Quoted: I don't. But my brother does on his house. According to him, SCE pays him once a month instead of sending him a bill. But I understand the loan to pay for the solar panels is pretty steep. Over $10k, IIRC. Does the check plus whatever he used to pay to the electric company cover the loan? Doubtful, but I'm not sure. But I guess I don't know the specifics behind it yet. Last time I asked about it (months ago), he was telling me that the panels are almost paid off. I'm gonna have to ask him about it next time I see him. |
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Solar power will be a thing when there's a storage system for the power, and when someone makes solar panels that look like regular house shingles, connect in series when laid, and are as cheap as or close to the price of house shingles. At this point in time, at least for commercial installations, there is no ROI in storage. Simply costs too much. That said, at residential consumption values, I really can't say what it might cost to maintain capacity...I still doubt that it would be economically feasible...in a perfect situation, run off the panels during the day...if possible use geothermal strategies for hot and cold water....and then run on utility after dark...but minimize the demand as much as possible. With some lifestyle changes one can really minimize their reliance on public electric utility. |
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I have several friends that have solar here in CA and swear by it. They are selling power back to the grid so the panels are paying for the,selves. Two of my friends have their systems paid off and are making money.
We are in the process of moving and will be looking in to getting solar at the new house. My question is how to shop for it and what government rebate programs are still available. |
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I have several friends that have solar here in CA and swear by it. They are selling power back to the grid so the panels are paying for the,selves. Two of my friends have their systems paid off and are making money. We are in the process of moving and will be looking in to getting solar at the new house. My question is how to shop for it and what government rebate programs are still available. Paid off does not necessarily mean profitable. Then look at subsidies. |
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I keep reading articles where they say the prices for panels is crashing, and $1/Watt is realistic... but then I see estimates for a 5kW system around $12-15k. That's still $2-3 per watt. If I could get a 5kW system installed for $5k, I'd be seriously tempted. That would run my AC on these hot ass sunny Texas days! We get hail a couple times a year, here in San Antonio. Do you get hail? |
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my house is off the grid and I just love it. I have 48 batteries and a genset backup. only down side is batteries are not cheap, I am replacing 7 of them this Wednesday at the cost of $260.00 each. I would say if you are doing it to try and save money on power really crunch the numbers. If you just want to be off the grid, go for it.. I never loose power no mater how bad the storm how old are the batteries that you are replacing almost 8 years old |
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It depends how much money in intinial cost do you want o put up before seeing results. Yep. Gotta collect a lot of sun to have it add up. Right now that means fuckloads of panels. You can go big and stay cheap if you skip the panels and collect/concentrate/convert solar thermal..... |
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<a href="http://s14.photobucket.com/user/CrazyRobert/media/DSC02477.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/CrazyRobert/DSC02477.jpg</a> Like this? WTF does a good hailstorm do to that? Has that happened to a house like yours?....i'm curious. And what about very cloudy days? |
| We had one hailstorm, the hail glanced off....we make more electricity than we use...our pool is running 12 hours a day this month. Also the panels face the east not the south, they are up 35' though, above the trees. I have quite a few 8KW days in the summer.. |
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<a href="http://s14.photobucket.com/user/CrazyRobert/media/DSC02477.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/CrazyRobert/DSC02477.jpg</a> Like this? WTF does a good hailstorm do to that? Has that happened to a house like yours?....i'm curious. And what about very cloudy days? you can beat a quality panel with a bat and it won't crack. the operative word is QUALITY. harbor freight isn't quality. |
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I keep reading articles where they say the prices for panels is crashing, and $1/Watt is realistic... but then I see estimates for a 5kW system around $12-15k. That's still $2-3 per watt. If I could get a 5kW system installed for $5k, I'd be seriously tempted. That would run my AC on these hot ass sunny Texas days! We get hail a couple times a year, here in San Antonio. Do you get hail? In 23 years living in Austin, I've only seen hail a handful of times, and none of it was much bigger than pea or marble size. |
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I looked into going off the grid and stopped as I was approaching the hundred thousand dollar mark. It would have cost me about a 1/3 to 1/2 of that if I was incorporating a lot of this stuff into a new home rather than an existing home.
The plan right now is to make the home as energy efficient as possible to save in the long term. Next, will be a small solar array and corresponding battery bank that will be sufficient to provide power to our refrigerator, chest freezer, and a couple of lights and a fan in our bedroom. Lastly, I'm going to run a Lister 12/2 slow speed diesel generator for whole house generation during times if crisis and emergency. It's not the perfect solution, but it's one we can afford. |
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I looked into going off the grid and stopped as I was approaching the hundred thousand dollar mark. It would have cost me about a 1/3 to 1/2 of that if I was incorporating a lot of this stuff into a new home rather than an existing home. The plan right now is to make the home as energy efficient as possible to save in the long term. Next, will be a small solar array and corresponding battery bank that will be sufficient to provide power to our refrigerator, chest freezer, and a couple of lights and a fan in our bedroom. Lastly, I'm going to run a Lister 12/2 slow speed diesel generator for whole house generation during times if crisis and emergency. It's not the perfect solution, but it's one we can afford. how the hell would you need 100k in panels batts charge controllers, and inverters. a 4k inverter runs $3k. a charge controller $800. batts $300 each and a quality 250 watt panels $350 each. i have a freind who has 26 panels a battery bank and inverter I know he didn't spend $100k on it. |
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Guy I work with just had 7K worth of panels put on his roof. Said it would take him about 7 years to recover the costs.
The bad: He said it shuts off if the mains power goes out to avoid back feeding the grid. Not sure if there is a workaround, but that sucks if there is not Panels will have to come down to re roof. Sure, it may be in 20 years but still that makes an already expensive project even more expensive. I guess the panels could theoretically protect the shingles, helping them last longer, but even then what about the other side? He had to pay to get a bunch of trees removed in order to realize the full benefit. |
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Guy I work with just had 7K worth of panels put on his roof. Said it would take him about 7 years to recover the costs. The bad: He said it shuts off if the mains power goes out to avoid back feeding the grid. Not sure if there is a workaround, but that sucks if there is not Panels will have to come down to re roof. Sure, it may be in 20 years but still that makes an already expensive project even more expensive. I guess the panels could theoretically protect the shingles, helping them last longer, but even then what about the other side? He had to pay to get a bunch of trees removed in order to realize the full benefit. There should be a workaround for backfeeding. I've heard of a few people here talking about them with generator use. |
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<a href="http://s14.photobucket.com/user/CrazyRobert/media/DSC02477.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/CrazyRobert/DSC02477.jpg</a> Like this? Hope he has the 50 year shingles. |
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Wait 3 years. Solar panel prices are expected to be about 1/10 what they cost now at .37 per watt, making it a very appealing choice. They have been saying that for quite a while, then the company goes bankrupt. I'm an electrician and I just had 2 large trees removed in preparation. Next up is the new roof by years end. The install will be done myself, and the only reason that I am getting ready is because it is now becoming very obvious that the price of these panels will drop rather dramatically. You don't have to believe it "this time", but I suggest you do. 2017 is the target date for sub $1/watt. This past year alone the price was pretty much slashed in half. (for an on the grid/backfeed system) 1-3 years ago: 10kw=$60-80k installed current to 1 year:10kw=$25k-40k installed |
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I looked into going off the grid and stopped as I was approaching the hundred thousand dollar mark. It would have cost me about a 1/3 to 1/2 of that if I was incorporating a lot of this stuff into a new home rather than an existing home. The plan right now is to make the home as energy efficient as possible to save in the long term. Next, will be a small solar array and corresponding battery bank that will be sufficient to provide power to our refrigerator, chest freezer, and a couple of lights and a fan in our bedroom. Lastly, I'm going to run a Lister 12/2 slow speed diesel generator for whole house generation during times if crisis and emergency. It's not the perfect solution, but it's one we can afford. how the hell would you need 100k in panels batts charge controllers, and inverters. a 4k inverter runs $3k. a charge controller $800. batts $300 each and a quality 250 watt panels $350 each. i have a freind who has 26 panels a battery bank and inverter I know he didn't spend $100k on it. Because you're not looking at everything involved. Our appliances, the stove, clothes dryer, air conditioner/heat pump are electric. We'd have to convert over to gas, so you have the cost of converting over to gas; things like having a pipe fitter do the job right, natural gas tank, concrete slab, etc.... In addition, we'd have to replace a lot of our appliances like the stove, clothes dryer. We don't have a furnace like folks do up north, we have a heat pump-which really is only just barley adequate, so I wanted to replace that with an actual furnace. In the summer we have cooling that needs to be addressed. An air conditioning system is a big drain on your energy resources so I either need to increase the size of the system, or look at alternatives means of cooling. From an energy usage stand point using a system like evaporative cooling or even radiant cooling is less of an energy hog but then there's the cost of installing either of those two options and that really causes the cost to skyrocket. In addition we're on well water so we have to factor the requirements for that as well. |
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It depends how much money in intinial cost do you want o put up before seeing results. Yep. Gotta collect a lot of sun to have it add up. Right now that means fuckloads of panels. You can go big and stay cheap if you skip the panels and collect/concentrate/convert solar thermal..... There is nothing wrong with Solar. Just need to understand some of the pitfalls of Solar. I would love to go full Solar. I would need to cough up some dough and clean up the Garage. |
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I voted NO and would check out provider's track record if I decided to go forward with installation. My brother is set to go with Solar City (in Phoenix, AZ) and it will be interesting if it goes as well as he imagines. Reports are extremely varied on delivery of promises.
Even deciding if your goal is just a modest subsidy or complete "off the grid" status is a complex decision. They are building mandated (and subsidized) solar plants in places like Delaware, which are significantly less viable than in Phoenix, AZ. We had a solar builder pay a lease option on some farm land in the Imperial Valley (CA) as they were planning to build somewhere. They didn't go with our property but these true sunbelt areas are way better than Delaware. Solar will need upkeep and some technical expertise on the part of the owner. |
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We had one hailstorm, the hail glanced off....we make more electricity than we use...our pool is running 12 hours a day this month. Also the panels face the east not the south, they are up 35' though, above the trees. I have quite a few 8KW days in the summer.. Now I am intrigued....and I work at a power plant... 
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I looked into going off the grid and stopped as I was approaching the hundred thousand dollar mark. It would have cost me about a 1/3 to 1/2 of that if I was incorporating a lot of this stuff into a new home rather than an existing home. The plan right now is to make the home as energy efficient as possible to save in the long term. Next, will be a small solar array and corresponding battery bank that will be sufficient to provide power to our refrigerator, chest freezer, and a couple of lights and a fan in our bedroom. Lastly, I'm going to run a Lister 12/2 slow speed diesel generator for whole house generation during times if crisis and emergency. It's not the perfect solution, but it's one we can afford. how the hell would you need 100k in panels batts charge controllers, and inverters. a 4k inverter runs $3k. a charge controller $800. batts $300 each and a quality 250 watt panels $350 each. i have a freind who has 26 panels a battery bank and inverter I know he didn't spend $100k on it. Because you're not looking at everything involved. Our appliances, the stove, clothes dryer, air conditioner/heat pump are electric. We'd have to convert over to gas, so you have the cost of converting over to gas; things like having a pipe fitter do the job right, natural gas tank, concrete slab, etc.... In addition, we'd have to replace a lot of our appliances like the stove, clothes dryer. We don't have a furnace like folks do up north, we have a heat pump-which really is only just barley adequate, so I wanted to replace that with an actual furnace. In the summer we have cooling that needs to be addressed. An air conditioning system is a big drain on your energy resources so I either need to increase the size of the system, or look at alternatives means of cooling. From an energy usage stand point using a system like evaporative cooling or even radiant cooling is less of an energy hog but then there's the cost of installing either of those two options and that really causes the cost to skyrocket. In addition we're on well water so we have to factor the requirements for that as well. You need to replace the dryer, stove, water heater and fridge. a fridge that runs on a single panel is about $1400. the stove water heater aren't too crazy the dryer I don't know about. my friend keeps his AC hooked to the grid, or atleast he did anyway. for heat he has two wood stoves. he has an electric well too. on his addition which doubled the size of his house he put in solar powered attic vent fans. i know they made a significant difference his attic temps are kept pretty reasonable. |