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I priced out the cost of a solar roof and battery system recently after some long blackouts. The 30 year payback was something like -$3000. Total cost was half

by foxyv 5y ago

I priced out the cost of a solar roof and battery system recently after some long blackouts. The 30 year payback was something like -$3000. Total cost was half as much as my house and the system wouldn't have kept power on anyways for the 4+ days I was out of power. Meanwhile I can buy a natural gas or diesel backup generator for under $5000. I REALLY want solar and battery to work for me because I love the technology. But the math never comes out right. Grid power is just too cheap where I live. Even the wind only options.

tekknik 5y ago
Also if you make an insurance claim against your house for hurricane damage the insurance company will require a gas generator be installed during the repairs if there was mold damage. They don’t allow solar + batteries to replace it either.
bcrl 5y ago
That isn't at all what the article is talking about. It's talking about using battery farms to provide support to the electric grid for transient spikes in demand, a role that is more traditionally served by hydro-electric generators and natural gas. Using batteries to support the grid allows grid operators to reduce costs that arise from having to pay for standby capacity, as the batteries can supply power while generation capacity that is slower to respond comes online. It's not a panacea for grid operators by any means, but it's definitely a useful tool to have at hand.
- foxyv 5y ago
  > That isn't at all what the article is talking about. Just an anecdote, incidentally related to the article.
1123581321 5y ago
Might be worth looking at other vendors. It’s not as sleek, but installing a roof rack of high watt panels, a Fronius and a $10k battery should pay for itself before the warranty expires in many states when credits are factored.
- foxyv 5y ago
  Yeah, I tried a bunch of vendors, Tesla, Panasonic, and even signed up with a broker to scan for deals. They all came back negative. I'm paying like $0.11/kwh right now so there is no way. Instead I'm going to scratch my solar/battery itch with my new office trailer setup.
  - 1123581321 5y ago
    Gotcha. That’s a bummer. I pay $0.12 but our SRECs are pretty good. Six years to pay off a 10kw installation, 12-16 years with battery added depending on size. However, I went with the Toyota Camry of panels and inverter to make it financially viable; I have neighbors who paid 2.5x what I did and will probably not break even.

by foxyv 5y ago

tekknik 5y ago

Also if you make an insurance claim against your house for hurricane damage the insurance company will require a gas generator be installed during the repairs if there was mold damage. They don’t allow solar + batteries to replace it either.

bcrl 5y ago

That isn't at all what the article is talking about. It's talking about using battery farms to provide support to the electric grid for transient spikes in demand, a role that is more traditionally served by hydro-electric generators and natural gas. Using batteries to support the grid allows grid operators to reduce costs that arise from having to pay for standby capacity, as the batteries can supply power while generation capacity that is slower to respond comes online. It's not a panacea for grid operators by any means, but it's definitely a useful tool to have at hand.

foxyv 5y ago
> That isn't at all what the article is talking about. Just an anecdote, incidentally related to the article.

1123581321 5y ago

Might be worth looking at other vendors. It’s not as sleek, but installing a roof rack of high watt panels, a Fronius and a $10k battery should pay for itself before the warranty expires in many states when credits are factored.

foxyv 5y ago
Yeah, I tried a bunch of vendors, Tesla, Panasonic, and even signed up with a broker to scan for deals. They all came back negative. I'm paying like $0.11/kwh right now so there is no way. Instead I'm going to scratch my solar/battery itch with my new office trailer setup.
- 1123581321 5y ago
  Gotcha. That’s a bummer. I pay $0.12 but our SRECs are pretty good. Six years to pay off a 10kw installation, 12-16 years with battery added depending on size. However, I went with the Toyota Camry of panels and inverter to make it financially viable; I have neighbors who paid 2.5x what I did and will probably not break even.