6 ms·

Red Tape and Installation Prove Biggest Challenge to Solar Today

42 points by bootload 11y ago

unchocked 11y ago
I had a system installed last month, and the costs were about 1/3 labor, 1/3 non-solar panel hardware, and 1/3 the panels themselves. This points to limited utility of further price drops on solar panels, unless the associated hardware and labor requirements drop as well.
- dmitriy_ko 11y ago
  That's only true for rooftop installations. For utility-scale installations (solar farms) panels is still most of the cost. Solar farms will benefit the most from further drop in panel costs.
Animats 11y ago
"Every hole in the roof is a dagger through the heart of the house". That's a problem. Roofs, as building elements, suck. Walls and foundations can last for centuries. Roofs have trouble in 20-30 years. Solar panels add unplanned loads to roofs and involve holes through them. Some tile roofs can't even be walked on without damage. There's no roof standardization. Hence the problems of home rooftop solar. Commercial roofs are in some ways more promising. They tend to be flat, and much stronger, designed to support air conditioning units and other mechanical systems. But they have other problems. One big one is that the owner and tenant are usually different parties, and there may be complex tax shelter arrangements in place.[1] Negotiations become very complicated. There's interest in new roofs which are solar panels, and there are "solar shingles", but those are not in widespread use yet. [1] http://www.solarindustrymag.com/issues/SI1501/FEAT_01_Commercial-Rooftop-Success-A-Little-Ballast-And-A-Lot-Of-Business-Sense.html http://www.solarindustrymag.com/issues/SI1501/FEAT_01_Commer...
afarrell 11y ago
I'm curious how much skill it currently takes to install a panel and if some system can be designed which is only 50% more difficult/dangerous to install than a new set of gutters. I suspect I'm probably wrong since I've not done anything more complicated on a roof than tarpaper and shingles.
- brudgers 11y ago
  The big hazard with photovoltaics is the lack of circuit breakers on the sun. Part of the system is live with sufficient current for useful work whenever there's daylight. Safety is why there will always be a base level of regulation...keeping in mind that my faulty installation can kill my neighbor or a utility worker.
  - isolate 11y ago
    Why can't you just cover them?
    - hidroto 11y ago
      i have heard that half covering a cell means that the current flowing through the shaded part has more resistance and can heat up and become damaged.
  - cnvogel 11y ago
    ...then build it up to regulations (which you should in any case) and have a law to require an inspection before being allowed to connect to the grid (and earn money from it).

42 points by bootload 11y ago

I had a system installed last month, and the costs were about 1/3 labor, 1/3 non-solar panel hardware, and 1/3 the panels themselves. This points to limited utility of further price drops on solar panels, unless the associated hardware and labor requirements drop as well.

dmitriy_ko 11y ago
That's only true for rooftop installations. For utility-scale installations (solar farms) panels is still most of the cost. Solar farms will benefit the most from further drop in panel costs.

Animats 11y ago

"Every hole in the roof is a dagger through the heart of the house". That's a problem. Roofs, as building elements, suck. Walls and foundations can last for centuries. Roofs have trouble in 20-30 years. Solar panels add unplanned loads to roofs and involve holes through them. Some tile roofs can't even be walked on without damage. There's no roof standardization. Hence the problems of home rooftop solar. Commercial roofs are in some ways more promising. They tend to be flat, and much stronger, designed to support air conditioning units and other mechanical systems. But they have other problems. One big one is that the owner and tenant are usually different parties, and there may be complex tax shelter arrangements in place.[1] Negotiations become very complicated. There's interest in new roofs which are solar panels, and there are "solar shingles", but those are not in widespread use yet. [1] http://www.solarindustrymag.com/issues/SI1501/FEAT_01_Commercial-Rooftop-Success-A-Little-Ballast-And-A-Lot-Of-Business-Sense.html http://www.solarindustrymag.com/issues/SI1501/FEAT_01_Commer...

afarrell 11y ago

I'm curious how much skill it currently takes to install a panel and if some system can be designed which is only 50% more difficult/dangerous to install than a new set of gutters. I suspect I'm probably wrong since I've not done anything more complicated on a roof than tarpaper and shingles.

brudgers 11y ago
The big hazard with photovoltaics is the lack of circuit breakers on the sun. Part of the system is live with sufficient current for useful work whenever there's daylight. Safety is why there will always be a base level of regulation...keeping in mind that my faulty installation can kill my neighbor or a utility worker.
- isolate 11y ago
  Why can't you just cover them?
  - hidroto 11y ago
    i have heard that half covering a cell means that the current flowing through the shaded part has more resistance and can heat up and become damaged.
- cnvogel 11y ago
  ...then build it up to regulations (which you should in any case) and have a law to require an inspection before being allowed to connect to the grid (and earn money from it).