4 ms·

Is solar still coming down in price? What kind of bothers me is even if the panels were free it would still probably cost $10,000+ to have someone install them

Is solar still coming down in price? What kind of bothers me is even if the panels were free it would still probably cost $10,000+ to have someone install them on my house, thus I'll probably never be able to do it :-(

roel_v 16y ago
10k for just the labor? Nah. It takes 2 persons 1 day to install PV panels on a 'regular' house, including the carpentering, electrical installation etc.. That's 1000$ or so in semi-skilled labor.
- tocomment 16y ago
  I think a new roof costs like 20K. So I figured covering my roof with something would cost at least half of that. Is it really that fast?
  - roel_v 16y ago
    Panels are put on the roof, you can't use them as a roof (actually there are panels nowadays that can do that, but I'm talking about the 'mainstream' products). Assuming you have a good roof, what they do is open it up in a few places to anchor supports to your roof structure (the rafters) and then put the panel on those supports. The amount of work that the opening up and closing the seams takes will depend on your roofing; some types are easier to work with than others, but still that wouldn't make more than a day's work of difference. A typical installation has only about 10 or so panels. Once the supports are on there, you hoist the panels up, screw them to the supports and that's it.
  - roel_v 16y ago
    In addition (I'm on a roll now ;) ) a complete new roof including materials will cost let's say 20k. The actual work of that is, I'd estimate, only about 5k or so, the rest is materials But then you get a complete new roof with new joists and the whole shebang, which is quite a bit of work. (of course it's also going to make a difference if you cover a roof in Michigan or in Texas, or in NYC... )
jodrellblank 16y ago
What bothers you (in the present) is that if solar panels were free (they aren't), it would probably cost (a number pulled out of thin air with no research, therefore deliberately chosen to be high enough to annoy yourself) to install them on your house, which you predict negatively that you wont be able to afford ever. Are you always this cheerful and optimistic? Have you considered ... being happier?
- tocomment 16y ago
  Wow, when you put it like that it sounds ridiculous :-) I'll try to have more optimism for the solar industry .. maybe in general too.

roel_v 16y ago

10k for just the labor? Nah. It takes 2 persons 1 day to install PV panels on a 'regular' house, including the carpentering, electrical installation etc.. That's 1000$ or so in semi-skilled labor.

tocomment 16y ago
I think a new roof costs like 20K. So I figured covering my roof with something would cost at least half of that. Is it really that fast?
- roel_v 16y ago
  Panels are put on the roof, you can't use them as a roof (actually there are panels nowadays that can do that, but I'm talking about the 'mainstream' products). Assuming you have a good roof, what they do is open it up in a few places to anchor supports to your roof structure (the rafters) and then put the panel on those supports. The amount of work that the opening up and closing the seams takes will depend on your roofing; some types are easier to work with than others, but still that wouldn't make more than a day's work of difference. A typical installation has only about 10 or so panels. Once the supports are on there, you hoist the panels up, screw them to the supports and that's it.
- roel_v 16y ago
  In addition (I'm on a roll now ;) ) a complete new roof including materials will cost let's say 20k. The actual work of that is, I'd estimate, only about 5k or so, the rest is materials But then you get a complete new roof with new joists and the whole shebang, which is quite a bit of work. (of course it's also going to make a difference if you cover a roof in Michigan or in Texas, or in NYC... )

jodrellblank 16y ago

What bothers you (in the present) is that if solar panels were free (they aren't), it would probably cost (a number pulled out of thin air with no research, therefore deliberately chosen to be high enough to annoy yourself) to install them on your house, which you predict negatively that you wont be able to afford ever. Are you always this cheerful and optimistic? Have you considered ... being happier?

tocomment 16y ago
Wow, when you put it like that it sounds ridiculous :-) I'll try to have more optimism for the solar industry .. maybe in general too.