Solar panels

jeffrefrig said:

A bunch of folks in my hood have them. There's gov't funding, too. The one thing I do know is every neighbor that has them, the panel company removed and installed a new roof first. Lady two doors up just had a new roof that was 2 or 3 years old and they still replaced the roof. Didn't you just get a new metal roof, Acorn? I'd hate to see you waste all that money. Good luck!

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You are correct, Jeff.
I asked and was told they have a system that doesn’t require drilling any holes in a metal roof.
I have no idea how it would work.
As far as longevity, I’m 68 now, 25 years would put me at 93.
What do you think my chances are?

TXBryan said:

We have three panels in series at our ranch, two 80W and one 100W. We are off the grid as the power provider wants a tad too much to run power to our cabin. We continuously charge six deep cycle batteries and run through an inverter for AC power.

I can't run a fridge or an air conditioner but most everything else can plug in. After about three or four days the batteries typically need a decent recharge and that's about as long as we tap them before heading home (it's only about 20 minutes from our home in town).

The reliability of the panels has been excellent and the only regular maintenance I do is wash them every so often to clean the dust or rain-deposited soil from them. Been up over ten years and the efficiency has not declined enough to notice yet.

Ours are pretty tough as we've had some decent hail storms and so far so good. I know for a fact they've taken tennis ball sized stuff. Probably helps they are positioned at about 35 degrees relative to horizontal.

Our system sure beats listening to a generator.

Bryan

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I have something similar for my camp...(4) 100w panels, 200 AH AGM battery and a 1000w pure sinewave inverter. I have the only outhouse power plant that I am aware of, from the outhouse I buried a cable to the camp and have it wired. Runs the basics...tv and some lights. If I run the frig it will last a weekend. So I rarely have to run the generator with battery charger unless I am running the frig for an extended period of time. Battery recharges during the week when I'm not there.

Interesting subject, we have a Hybrid Highlander. The solar panels like an all electric vehicle I wouldn’t own them . Actually putting up 2 small solar panels to keep the security cameras charged today, it’s a pain to take the cameras down to recharge every couple months.

So after the salesman visits put “Updated” in your thread title and give us the info on the cost and how long it takes till they pay for them selves. The solar panels seem more of a green thing than actually having any benefit or cost savings like an electric automobile. Good luck, Larry

ACORN said:

...As far as longevity, I’m 68 now, 25 years would put me at 93.
What do you think my chances are?

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Also, how steep is the roof and could you get up there to clean the panels? If you're in a rancher you may be able to do so from the ground with an extendable pole...at least for a few years

I'm 72 and such things are stuff I have to think about for any future plans.

IIRC, most are made in China.

dockmurgw said:

I have something similar for my camp...(4) 100w panels, 200 AH AGM battery and a 1000w pure sinewave inverter. I have the only outhouse power plant that I am aware of, from the outhouse I buried a cable to the camp and have it wired. Runs the basics...tv and some lights. If I run the frig it will last a weekend. So I rarely have to run the generator with battery charger unless I am running the frig for an extended period of time. Battery recharges during the week when I'm not there.

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Nice charging and discharging in the same building!

Rudi said:

IIRC, most are made in China.

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But some are being made here:

10 American Made Solar Panels (2024 Manufactures List)

American-made solar panels: Who are the top manufacturers?

NYlakesider said:

Nice charging and discharging in the same building!

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I could run 20 camps on baked beans night!

Next door neighbor installed a stand alone panel system out of concerns over small children and his mother in bad weather. Claimed to have dropped $100K on the system. Skipping technical analysis of the system, my SWAG is that's maybe 1/3 the value of his property. Cost/benefit doesn't seem to add up.

While property shopping decades ago looked at a place and discovered it had solar panels, a wind turbine and substantial battery backup. While there were other reasons not to buy, dealing with battery change and disposal didn't appeal. Those weren't car batteries.

There are so many extenuating circumstances to consider. Location - are you near the equator or more northern or southern longitude? Snow much? Power load - normal 2400sq ft residence or mcmansion with electric heat, AC, electric range, electric clothes dryer, hot tub, MRI machine? Need to Level 2 charge an EV? 2 EV? Your standard 200A service connection may not be enough. Grid tie only or backup power with battery array and generator?

I had installed an Automatic Transfer Switch at home to power by generator when grid goes down. Use gas for range/cooking, clothes dryer and heat/furnace which minimizes electrical utilization. Biggest draws are well-pump, microwave and coffee pot. With everything running off of generator, under 4.5kw, usually down around 3.8kw. When I got the hybrid F150 Powerboost, I was able to use it to power home in place of generator. Traded in Powerboost for F150 Lightning EV and now can use it to power home.

Solar panels on roofs provide protection of the roof from hail and also provide shade. But yes, they can and will get destroyed by a big hail event. Rather replace panels or roof? Neither is cheap...

Homeowner's insurance might be affected in certain markets. Resale value may or may not be affected.

A ton of fuzzy math involved in this equation. After getting a solid quote for my home, I passed as I have several EV and needed to ensure that my design was sane. For instance, the quote I got was for install with micro-inverters on each panel whereas if I was wanting to install the Ford Pro Charge Station with Home Integration, I was going to need DC from the panels.

Have built and maintained dozens of off-grid sites as well as sites with grid power and solar. Case use and cost are the driving factors. 20 years ROI seems like an awfully long time. But if your power bill goes to zero or spins the meter backward, that needs to also enter the fuzzy math equation.

dockmurgw said:

I could run 20 camps on baked beans night!

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Only the local seismograph can prove that !

PatriotX said:

What chemicals are you referring to? Residential panels are largely silicon.

I’m genuinely curious.

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toxic chemicals in solar panels include cadmium telluride, copper indium selenide, cadmium gallium (di)selenide, copper indium gallium (di)selenide, hexafluoroethane, lead, and polyvinyl fluoride.

I highly suggest you discuss this with your homeowners Ins agent. Also inquire who pays to have all the panels removed and reinstalled should you need to reroof (You do). Ask about the panel deterioration rate over time. People here in FL are losing their ins over them. Ask how long his company has been in the business. Many are very "short-term" here, making warranties worthless.

oldbrownhat said:

But some are being made here:

10 American Made Solar Panels (2024 Manufactures List)

American-made solar panels: Who are the top manufacturers?

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From 2007-2011 I had a consulting contract with a CA company that made solar panels, among other products. They quit the solar bizness because they could not compete with China.

The irony was that some of the raw materials for their other product line was sourced from China, because US components were too expensive.

Can you say Generac?.........Cheaper.......Lots less ugly....And will run the whole house if needed.

Every man and his dog has been putting up solar here. The lease deal seems very popular, and this state has been very aggressive with legislation encouraging their use. Why not? Some joker calculated that the area presently covered by the Nellis ranges and the Nuclear test site could easily power the entire US with a suitable distribution system. Not sure what happens at night, though.

I have recently noted that there are two attachment systems, one spaces the panels off your roof so you need wire skirts to keep the pigeons out. Mind you, it does form a kind of fly sheet over the roof. The other system has the panels closely mounted to the roof tiles. Fixes the pigeon issue, but I reckon it will create a heat issue because of the dark color of the panels. Our roof spaces get hot enough as it is.

I went the other way and got my attic spaces reinsulated just before the COVID shutdown. The way electricity and natural gas prices have gone thanks to the Ukraine war, I am paying that $3.5k off at quite a rate.

I talked to one neighbor who bragged that she was saving $80/month on electricity since installing her panels. I asked her how much the payment on the panels was. She got a funny look on her face, and said, "Oh . . . umm . . . well, it's about $350."

Our off-grid Forest Service cabin has a 4KW, 48 volt solar SYSTEM. The system is comprised of 12 335 watt roof mounted panels, Outback power electronics, 16 12 volt sealed telecom batteries, and a 11KW propane Generac. It was a $30K idea in 2019 and it powers the cabin completely, even in the winter months. As a result, we spend a lot of time in the forest, and that is desirable. It has been a game changer.

Being in Arizona plays a big role in the system performance. I don’t think I’d be near as happy if I was still in Michigan. Where you live is an important variable. I also believe that an electric vehicle for around town use starts to make sense. I can charge it for free as I make way more power than I use. Of course, we do all of the heavy usage before dark.

The critical path seems to be finding a place to store all those little electrons!

Tom H.

I second what Harrison said , check with your homeowners insurance agent . Like so many here , my insurance company is leaving Fl . When I was calling around , the 2nd or 3rd question was always do you have panels on your roof . Now we do have hurricanes which can rip them off , but other parts of the country have their share of storms . So do call and ask , you might get lucky . And do go by what the salesman tells you .

Solar Panels

I have solar panels which was installed free though a federally grant. The panels saves me approx $100.00 month on my electric bill. Downside is you have to sign a 25 year lease. Also here in Florida the Home Owner Insurance Companies require a new roof be installed before they will insure your house. I had to pay the solar panel company $1784.00 to remove the panels where the new roof could be installed. After the new roof was finished I had to pay the solar panel company another $1784.00 to reinstall the panels.