4 ms·

Invisible solar is a genuine use case in areas with shitty power tripping HOAs, but even regular solar takes a decade to break even, so if you sell something li

Invisible solar is a genuine use case in areas with shitty power tripping HOAs, but even regular solar takes a decade to break even, so if you sell something like that at inflated Tesla level prices then they simply never will and there is no reason to buy them in the first place.

peterisza 5mo ago
What is a HOAs?
- gabrielsroka 5mo ago
  Homeowners' associations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeowner_association https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeowner_association
hvb2 5mo ago
That's where regulation comes in. California for example made it almost impossible for a HOA to block. You're not allowed to add more than $1K to the project with your 'requirements'
cianmm 5mo ago
My solar install took about 4.5 years to break even, which I understand is maybe a bit below average for where I live (Ireland).
- rgblambda 5mo ago
  Although isn't there an Irish government grant to help cover the cost of the panel + installation? That would make comparing break even times across countries quite difficult.
  - hdgvhicv 5mo ago
    Certainly isn’t today. In the U.K. solar panels have about a 14 month payback, no incentives other Thant hey are currently tax free (like food. Electric from the grid has a 5% tax) On top of that there’s an inverter, and if you can’t use all the power immediately you’d need a battery too, which tends to increase the cost. The biggest cost though is installation.
    - rgblambda 5mo ago
      I imagine the costs of purchasing and installing the panels in the UK are similar, but in Ireland there's definitely grants: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing-grants-and-schemes/grants-for-home-renovations-and-improvements/grants-for-solar-panels/ https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing-grants... You do make a good point about VAT on electricity bills also being a factor in the break even calculation. In Ireland it's 9% and that's a temporary cost of living measure and will revert to 13.5% in 2030.
shye 5mo ago
Of course, the solution to that is to nullify all HOAs, power tripping or not. They were a mechanism to enact segregation, and as such should've had no place when created, and certainly has no place now.

peterisza 5mo ago

What is a HOAs?

gabrielsroka 5mo ago
Homeowners' associations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeowner_association https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeowner_association

hvb2 5mo ago

That's where regulation comes in. California for example made it almost impossible for a HOA to block. You're not allowed to add more than $1K to the project with your 'requirements'

cianmm 5mo ago

My solar install took about 4.5 years to break even, which I understand is maybe a bit below average for where I live (Ireland).

rgblambda 5mo ago
Although isn't there an Irish government grant to help cover the cost of the panel + installation? That would make comparing break even times across countries quite difficult.
- hdgvhicv 5mo ago
  Certainly isn’t today. In the U.K. solar panels have about a 14 month payback, no incentives other Thant hey are currently tax free (like food. Electric from the grid has a 5% tax) On top of that there’s an inverter, and if you can’t use all the power immediately you’d need a battery too, which tends to increase the cost. The biggest cost though is installation.
  - rgblambda 5mo ago
    I imagine the costs of purchasing and installing the panels in the UK are similar, but in Ireland there's definitely grants: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing-grants-and-schemes/grants-for-home-renovations-and-improvements/grants-for-solar-panels/ https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing-grants... You do make a good point about VAT on electricity bills also being a factor in the break even calculation. In Ireland it's 9% and that's a temporary cost of living measure and will revert to 13.5% in 2030.

shye 5mo ago

Of course, the solution to that is to nullify all HOAs, power tripping or not. They were a mechanism to enact segregation, and as such should've had no place when created, and certainly has no place now.