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> Reality: one to three years, and their "lifetime" is 20-30. No, that’s a fantasy. My 13 kW system will probably take 10 years, maybe more. A good friend of

> Reality: one to three years, and their "lifetime" is 20-30. No, that’s a fantasy. My 13 kW system will probably take 10 years, maybe more. A good friend of mine, with a similar system as mine but a few years older has already had three (quality, name brand) panels fail (the regulators). Most of my neighbors with the ~4 kW systems they were leasing to people years ago say it was a complete waste of time. Also, have you seen what power companies are doing with rates? Peak electricity is up to $0.65 per kWh. Good luck breaking even if you install solar under these conditions. When I did my system rates were less than half what they are today. I love solar, or I would not have made the investment. However, there’s the reality of solar and the fantasy or dream of solar. Most people don’t understand the realities of the technology and think of it as magical free power. That, it is not. Not even close. I can show you horrible looking power output graphs of what happens when a cloud flies by…which happens a lot. You can easily lose 50% of your output for an hour. And, like my neighbors, if you have a small system, you are getting screwed at $0.65 per kWh.

ncmncm 4y ago
Most people are paying a lot more than they need to. In particular, Home Depot or Lowes, or typical solar installers, will charge 4x wholesale for a panel. You can get a pallet-load of 400W panels for well under $200 each, now, so 45 for well under $9000, generating up to 18 kW, but rarely less than 5 kW on a winter day. Putting up brackets has become quite cheap. The above does not count electrical work, and (optional) batteries.
kkfx 4y ago
Well... Wait, I have a small (5kWp) system, in a region where is reasonable to have it (French south Alps), it pay back at actual (high, artificially IMO, but far lower than non-nuclear neighbor countries) energy prices but with a new home (insulation and equipment) it pay back in around 11.5 years ad current rate. That's because hot water can be entirely made with it ONLY (not all days but most) since I can get hot water normally heating it only once a day or once in two days (big reservoir, heat-pump + classic resistence, Daikin EKHHP to be more precise, cited because it's not on sale anymore substituted with a very similar unit), I can irrigate my garden only on solar, aircon thanks to local climate (fresh at nigh, hot during the day) run almost only on solar etc. Yearly self-consumption is around 50%, this month is around 72%. Surely it's not something universal: - you need to live in an area where solar is interesting, there are many in the world, but normally people do not migrate for that; - you need a new(-ish) home, well insulated, airtight, designed to consume the minimum possible with actual tech etc and that DO have a (far bigger) cost (than p.v. alone); - to maximize self-consumption you need automation, so far NOT that nice&easy since most commercial appliance are hard to integrate and limited, and/or WFH to being able to concentrate energy usage when the Sun shine; - perhaps you need an EV to recharge from the p.v. instead of the grid. Long story short: if you can't satisfy the above requirement p.v. is not that convenient BUT if you can it is, not so exceptionally but still interesting and if coupled with a bit of lithium storage (very HARD to pay back in monetary terms) it might offer protection good enough against blackouts. A thing to be considered these days. The EV for me have the similar purpose NOT for environmental or monetary terms but to ensure the ability to move by car if there are gas shortages around. It's hard to evaluate such guarantee in monetary terms, but it's still a thing to be considered...

ncmncm 4y ago

Most people are paying a lot more than they need to. In particular, Home Depot or Lowes, or typical solar installers, will charge 4x wholesale for a panel. You can get a pallet-load of 400W panels for well under $200 each, now, so 45 for well under $9000, generating up to 18 kW, but rarely less than 5 kW on a winter day. Putting up brackets has become quite cheap. The above does not count electrical work, and (optional) batteries.

kkfx 4y ago

Well... Wait, I have a small (5kWp) system, in a region where is reasonable to have it (French south Alps), it pay back at actual (high, artificially IMO, but far lower than non-nuclear neighbor countries) energy prices but with a new home (insulation and equipment) it pay back in around 11.5 years ad current rate. That's because hot water can be entirely made with it ONLY (not all days but most) since I can get hot water normally heating it only once a day or once in two days (big reservoir, heat-pump + classic resistence, Daikin EKHHP to be more precise, cited because it's not on sale anymore substituted with a very similar unit), I can irrigate my garden only on solar, aircon thanks to local climate (fresh at nigh, hot during the day) run almost only on solar etc. Yearly self-consumption is around 50%, this month is around 72%. Surely it's not something universal: - you need to live in an area where solar is interesting, there are many in the world, but normally people do not migrate for that; - you need a new(-ish) home, well insulated, airtight, designed to consume the minimum possible with actual tech etc and that DO have a (far bigger) cost (than p.v. alone); - to maximize self-consumption you need automation, so far NOT that nice&easy since most commercial appliance are hard to integrate and limited, and/or WFH to being able to concentrate energy usage when the Sun shine; - perhaps you need an EV to recharge from the p.v. instead of the grid. Long story short: if you can't satisfy the above requirement p.v. is not that convenient BUT if you can it is, not so exceptionally but still interesting and if coupled with a bit of lithium storage (very HARD to pay back in monetary terms) it might offer protection good enough against blackouts. A thing to be considered these days. The EV for me have the similar purpose NOT for environmental or monetary terms but to ensure the ability to move by car if there are gas shortages around. It's hard to evaluate such guarantee in monetary terms, but it's still a thing to be considered...