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The price to get solar installed in the US is insanely high compared to the cost of the materials. I've seen my extended family get quotes north of 40k for mode

The price to get solar installed in the US is insanely high compared to the cost of the materials. I've seen my extended family get quotes north of 40k for modest installs. I got a modest system with batter for around 9k in the EU, and id say I'd install the same for under 5k at today's prices.

sitkack 2y ago
A kitchen remodel in a high income city in the US is 75k-100k for something basic. The lopsidedness of US prices for light construction projects is a huge problem.
- ben_w 2y ago
  And there I was, thinking spending ~£€10k each for two kitchens recently was extravagant.
  - pcurve 2y ago
    What country are you based?
    - ben_w 2y ago
      One is in the UK, the other is in Germany.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - dzhiurgis 2y ago
        Did that net you a dishwasher?
        oezi 2y ago
        Dishwashers cost 300-500 EUR in Europe.
        ben_w 2y ago
        In the German one, yes. The UK kitchen didn't have one, and while I'm not 100% sure why — was handled by my rental agency, with me deferring to them entirely for whoever they suggested for the work and whatever design they suggested for the layout — I suspect it may have been too small. But the cost of a dishwasher is a small fraction of the rounding error, and I was rounding up quite a bit in both cases — even the (more expensive) German one is EUR 8903 with dishwasher, hob, sink, delivery, installation, and all taxes.
        jessekv 2y ago
        Germany has commoditised kitchen installation. Perhaps because kitchens are often not included with the apartment?
        ben_w 2y ago
        That causes kitchens here to be often modular and removable — I've literally seen someone take their kitchen sink with them on a tram here. The kitchen I got here, is a permanent installation, because my partner didn't want the normal German style.
- narrator 2y ago
  You got to get multiple bids. I had a small remodel job. I got three bids. One was for 3x the lowest bid, one was about double the lowest bid. After evaluating, I contracted with the company that did the middle bid and they did a great job. Not getting multiple bids on something that pricey is really financially irresponsible, IMHO.
- oezi 2y ago
  Ikea will sell you kitchens for 4k including appliances and set everything up for 2k. In Europe. (without electricity and plumbing)
  - ponector 2y ago
    You forgot that in US kitchens are huge. Could be bigger than typical studio apartment in a crowded EU city.
    - albertopv 2y ago
      Ingenious question, huge to do what, exactly? I manage to cook for 4 people in my tiny kitchen, what's the purpose of such big kitchens?
    - oezi 2y ago
      True. 40k is the most I can think that 98% of people would ever spend on a kitchen in Europe.
spywaregorilla 2y ago
11k for my house in MA net of a few thousand in subsidies last year. I don't think I really believe your quote of 40k. Does that even break even on energy bill savings?
- tails4e 2y ago
  Exactly, it makes no financial sense, you'd never get payback on it at that price. The company offering it had payment plans and all, with 0% interest, to make it more attractive, but that's just part of the grift.
- kevinob11 2y ago
  I'm in the Seattle metro area and 25K to 40K is very common. They tell you all kinds of subsidies and payback periods but the out of pocket or loan is always in that range. And payback periods are terrible here given the weather.
  - kitten_mittens_ 2y ago
    My parents spent $18K on rooftop solar in the Boise metro area. One Tesla powerwall battery and install on top of that will be another $15K.
    - tails4e 2y ago
      And the Powerwall is also a ripoff vs many other options. 5kw battery module can be for for 1.2k, so 3 modules give 15kwh for under 5k
      - lacksconfidence 2y ago
        depends on the market. The 5kw options i was quoted were Enphase 5p batteries, average price from multiple installers was $5k per battery installed.
        tails4e 2y ago
caymanjim 2y ago
Your $40k price is the high end and only in some markets, and has a whole lot more to do with regional labor costs than anything else. The same system would probably be $15k installed in another market. And that's before the enormous subsidies that are on offer in many states. Or if you're at all handy and willing to educate yourself, you can DIY it for a fraction of the cost. That's obviously not for everyone, but you don't need any professional skills. You could hire an electrician if you want to be grid-tied.
- Spivak 2y ago
  Yeah, holy balls. My neighbor got theirs installed for $11k all-inclusive $9k after the Biden subsidy. And that included a complete replacement and expansion of their electrical panel to to accommodate it. $40k sounds unreal they better be gold plated.
  - mattmaroon 2y ago
    Probably just in California. Everything there is gold-plated pricing.
MostlyStable 2y ago
My FIL has basically decided to just install his own solar from now on after getting quoted 10's of thousands of dollars in install labor cost for a job that he ended up doing himself in less than a day. And yes, it was done to code and spec (he's an engineer who runs a small manufacturing company, so the job was well within his skill set).
throwup238 2y ago
> I've seen my extended family get quotes north of 40k for modest installs. They got the "fuck off" price because there's far more demand that supply at the moment. When businesses have more work than they can handle, they'll give customers quotes with absurd markups like that. It's enough money that it's worth the disruption if the customer actually wants it that bad, but they also don't really want the customer.

sitkack 2y ago

A kitchen remodel in a high income city in the US is 75k-100k for something basic. The lopsidedness of US prices for light construction projects is a huge problem.

ben_w 2y ago
And there I was, thinking spending ~£€10k each for two kitchens recently was extravagant.
- pcurve 2y ago
  What country are you based?
  - ben_w 2y ago
    One is in the UK, the other is in Germany.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - dzhiurgis 2y ago
      Did that net you a dishwasher?
      - oezi 2y ago
        Dishwashers cost 300-500 EUR in Europe.
      - ben_w 2y ago
        In the German one, yes. The UK kitchen didn't have one, and while I'm not 100% sure why — was handled by my rental agency, with me deferring to them entirely for whoever they suggested for the work and whatever design they suggested for the layout — I suspect it may have been too small. But the cost of a dishwasher is a small fraction of the rounding error, and I was rounding up quite a bit in both cases — even the (more expensive) German one is EUR 8903 with dishwasher, hob, sink, delivery, installation, and all taxes.
        jessekv 2y ago
        Germany has commoditised kitchen installation. Perhaps because kitchens are often not included with the apartment?
        ben_w 2y ago
        That causes kitchens here to be often modular and removable — I've literally seen someone take their kitchen sink with them on a tram here. The kitchen I got here, is a permanent installation, because my partner didn't want the normal German style.
narrator 2y ago
You got to get multiple bids. I had a small remodel job. I got three bids. One was for 3x the lowest bid, one was about double the lowest bid. After evaluating, I contracted with the company that did the middle bid and they did a great job. Not getting multiple bids on something that pricey is really financially irresponsible, IMHO.
oezi 2y ago
Ikea will sell you kitchens for 4k including appliances and set everything up for 2k. In Europe. (without electricity and plumbing)
- ponector 2y ago
  You forgot that in US kitchens are huge. Could be bigger than typical studio apartment in a crowded EU city.
  - albertopv 2y ago
    Ingenious question, huge to do what, exactly? I manage to cook for 4 people in my tiny kitchen, what's the purpose of such big kitchens?
  - oezi 2y ago
    True. 40k is the most I can think that 98% of people would ever spend on a kitchen in Europe.

spywaregorilla 2y ago

11k for my house in MA net of a few thousand in subsidies last year. I don't think I really believe your quote of 40k. Does that even break even on energy bill savings?

tails4e 2y ago
Exactly, it makes no financial sense, you'd never get payback on it at that price. The company offering it had payment plans and all, with 0% interest, to make it more attractive, but that's just part of the grift.
kevinob11 2y ago
I'm in the Seattle metro area and 25K to 40K is very common. They tell you all kinds of subsidies and payback periods but the out of pocket or loan is always in that range. And payback periods are terrible here given the weather.
- kitten_mittens_ 2y ago
  My parents spent $18K on rooftop solar in the Boise metro area. One Tesla powerwall battery and install on top of that will be another $15K.
  - tails4e 2y ago
    And the Powerwall is also a ripoff vs many other options. 5kw battery module can be for for 1.2k, so 3 modules give 15kwh for under 5k
    - lacksconfidence 2y ago
      depends on the market. The 5kw options i was quoted were Enphase 5p batteries, average price from multiple installers was $5k per battery installed.
      - tails4e 2y ago

caymanjim 2y ago

Your $40k price is the high end and only in some markets, and has a whole lot more to do with regional labor costs than anything else. The same system would probably be $15k installed in another market. And that's before the enormous subsidies that are on offer in many states. Or if you're at all handy and willing to educate yourself, you can DIY it for a fraction of the cost. That's obviously not for everyone, but you don't need any professional skills. You could hire an electrician if you want to be grid-tied.

Spivak 2y ago
Yeah, holy balls. My neighbor got theirs installed for $11k all-inclusive $9k after the Biden subsidy. And that included a complete replacement and expansion of their electrical panel to to accommodate it. $40k sounds unreal they better be gold plated.
- mattmaroon 2y ago
  Probably just in California. Everything there is gold-plated pricing.

MostlyStable 2y ago

My FIL has basically decided to just install his own solar from now on after getting quoted 10's of thousands of dollars in install labor cost for a job that he ended up doing himself in less than a day. And yes, it was done to code and spec (he's an engineer who runs a small manufacturing company, so the job was well within his skill set).

throwup238 2y ago

> I've seen my extended family get quotes north of 40k for modest installs. They got the "fuck off" price because there's far more demand that supply at the moment. When businesses have more work than they can handle, they'll give customers quotes with absurd markups like that. It's enough money that it's worth the disruption if the customer actually wants it that bad, but they also don't really want the customer.