Got a letter from my county, in partnership with...

[K Frame]

a solar panel non-profit -- Solar United Neighbors.

It's promoting Solar Switch, a group buying program.

You can register for an assessment to see how much a solar installation will cost and an estimate of how much you can save.

I think I'm going to register to see what they have to say. I doubt that I'm a good candidate because my house faces east west, but what the hey. And I seriously doubt that I'll be in my house long enough for it to make financial sense to add solar panels.

Stay tuned to see if K Frame goes environmentally woke!

[K Frame]

Well, so much for that.

Solar looks like it could cover upwards 98% of my electrical costs, but it would be completely offset by the cost of the installation in SU's estimates.

Meaning... no perceptible gain.

[HeroHog]

But, look at the CO2 Savings and that warm feeling as you contribute to saving the planet!

[Northwoods]

We put in a ground mount solar system. It provides around 90-95% of our power consumption on a net metering setup.  We pay a little less for it than we would have paid to the power company for same power.  Mostly we did it as an inflation hedge.

[K Frame]

We put in a ground mount solar system. It provides around 90-95% of our power consumption on a net metering setup.  We pay a little less for it than we would have paid to the power company for same power.  Mostly we did it as an inflation hedge.

If I were going to be in this house for another 20 to 25 years, I'd seriously consider it.

But I'm not. So it makes absolutely no sense at all.

[WLJ]

If I were going to be in this house for another 20 to 25 years, I'd seriously consider it.

But I'm not. So it makes absolutely no sense at all.

About when they would have to be replaced. Reportedly they last about 25-30 years according the great all knowing internet.

[Northwoods]

About when they would have to be replaced. Reportedly they last about 25-30 years according the great all knowing internet.

Which means when ours are done we'll probably just dispose of them as by then it's likely to not be worth replacing. But if it is worth replacing, we can do that if feasible.

Or we'll sell in 15-20 years and make it someone else’s problem.

[Ben]

I'm still waffling on this for myself. I don't care about the enviro part, but I have been looking at the solar + batteries option both for the current tax credits/deductions, and the zombie apocalypse part of my brain likes it as the best very long-term power outage solution.

On the other hand, I've also been looking at the whole house propane genset, and also propane genset + batteries options. The genset alone would be WAY less than the full solar system I'm looking at, even if I buy a second 300gal or whatever propane tank to dedicate just to it, and it would likely give me weeks of power before the propane ran dry. The genset plus batteries would be significantly more than just the genset, but still a good deal less than solar, and I think there are still tax credits just for whole house batteries.

I've also seen on youtube where guys have bought the batteries, running only them and charging via grid power, which seems to work great for automated switchovers for short outages. Then if the power goes out for an extended period, they built portable solar arrays. Basically like 5-6 400 watt panels on a portable 2x4 frame with a tilt function, and they roll that out to charge the batteries if they're looking at long term outages. It basically plugs into the same port that would be used for a dedicated rooftop or whatever solar array. Longish charging times compared to a dedicated 20-30 panel solar system, obviously, but kind of a neat SHTF workaround. And if they have a portable generator, they can always run that to charge the batteries up if the sun isn't cooperating.

One of the main reasons I'm looking at these options is to not deal with my current portable generator/lockout switch solution. Power outages here have been short enough that it's not worth me dragging out the genny and doing all the power switchovers, but sometimes I get annoyed if they go into the 4-5 hour range and I'm dealing with USB lighting, having to go to hotspot internet, etc. The current portable is a cheap and viable solution, but a dedicated and  automated switchover system would be a major convenience.

[Hawkmoon]

Well, so much for that.

Solar looks like it could cover upwards 98% of my electrical costs, but it would be completely offset by the cost of the installation in SU's estimates.

Meaning... no perceptible gain.

How old is your roof?

Solar installations make a LOT of holes in your rook, and those holes aren't "flashed." They're just patched with globs of roofing cement. When (not "if") your roof needs to be replaced, someone has to take all those panels down before the roofers can even start work. IMHO, the only way to prepare for a solar installation is to have a new roof installed, and the have ice and water shield put down over the entire surface of the roof -- not just at the eaves, rakes, and valleys. The reason is that ice and water shield is elf-healing, so when the fasteners for the solar panels punch through the singles, water can't follow the fasteners through the roof and into the sheathing and attic.

Removing and then resetting the solar panels is not cheap.

[K Frame]

"How old is your roof?"

Just passed 5 years on a 50-year roof.

Yet another reason why this simply doesn't make sense for me.

[BobR]

There is maintenance to go with solar that many people forget about. Here in NV a lot of people in my community have solar. Most of them are covered in bird crap (pigeons) or dust. I would guess their efficiency has been degraded by 25%, if not more. If I were a young entrepreneur I would start up a solar panel cleaning service with a subscription that would clean panels every 3 months or so.  The people with the solar also found out that the local electrical company that banks their kWH for credit wipes the book clean every December 31, so the first few months of the year they are paying for solar and their electricity. Even with those drawbacks if I figured I would live for another 10 or 15 years it would be something I would look into. Another thing that pops into my head every now and then is disposal of old panels, while it can be done now fairly easily what will happen in 20 years at the EOL of the panels?

bob

[WLJ]

Whatever happened to the solar shingles Elon was working on? Thinking either he gave up on the idea or SQUIRREL! (Starship)

[JTHunter]

About when they would have to be replaced. Reportedly they last about 25-30 years according the great all knowing internet.

That would depend on their ability to survive "storm damage", in particular - hail.

[WLJ]

Whatever happened to the solar shingles Elon was working on? Thinking either he gave up on the idea or SQUIRREL! (Starship)

To answer my own above question they're on the market https://www.tesla.com/solarroof

And after a google search not the only ones

[WLJ]

And pricey

Solar Shingles Cost

Solar shingles typically cost more than solar panels because of the amount of materials needed for installation. The average price of solar roof tiles ranges from $15,000 to $20,000, but Tesla shingles could cost more than $70,000, along with a lengthy installation period. However, the ultimate cost of solar shingles depends on the size of the roof, the energy needs of your household and the manufacturer and installer of the shingles you have chosen. You can compare this to the cost of solar panels here.

https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/solar/solar-shingles-buying-guide/

[JTHunter]

Ben - one problem with the batteries is the same problems that many EVs are now facing - fire hazard.  Unless you go with deep cycle lead-acid batteries or gel-type batteries, the lithium-ion ones are a potential fire risk.

[Northwoods]

There is maintenance to go with solar that many people forget about. Here in NV a lot of people in my community have solar. Most of them are covered in bird crap (pigeons) or dust. I would guess their efficiency has been degraded by 25%, if not more. If I were a young entrepreneur I would start up a solar panel cleaning service with a subscription that would clean panels every 3 months or so.  The people with the solar also found out that the local electrical company that banks their kWH for credit wipes the book clean every December 31, so the first few months of the year they are paying for solar and their electricity. Even with those drawbacks if I figured I would live for another 10 or 15 years it would be something I would look into. Another thing that pops into my head every now and then is disposal of old panels, while it can be done now fairly easily what will happen in 20 years at the EOL of the panels?

bob

Ours resets at the end of March.  We generally use up our kwhr credits in February and usually don't produce enough power to offset consumption until April or so.