ACORN
Member
We have a guy coming over Weds. to pitch solar panels to us.
Anyone have them?
Long term benefit?
Anyone have them?
Long term benefit?
Solar panels
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Nope........And never will.......Don't my roof uglied with or the holes required to mount them. When they die you can't just toss them into the landfill due to chemicals in the panels.
twodog max
Member
I don't want them things on my roof or filling up my property. Sure they work to a point but they lose efficiency over time and are full of hazardous chemicals. They reflect sunlight making in hotter nearby and hailstorms are rough on them. If government freebies go away they will pass out of favor. In some areas it seems homeowners are being taxed on the "free" power they produce. Greedy politicians will always figure some way to gouge the common person.
GypsmJim
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We have a mountain campsite with an RV permanently set up. I do have power, but I don't like to leave the trailer plugged in 100% when we are not there.
I installed a single 100W solar panel and it keeps the RV battery charged at 100% ALL the time. In the Winter, it still provides some juice even if there is no more than an inch of snow on the panel.
We looked into putting solar on the house a few years ago. I would not mind putting it on the back. Comparing the cost vs. the annual savings showed the ROI to be unacceptable in my opinion.
I installed a single 100W solar panel and it keeps the RV battery charged at 100% ALL the time. In the Winter, it still provides some juice even if there is no more than an inch of snow on the panel.
We looked into putting solar on the house a few years ago. I would not mind putting it on the back. Comparing the cost vs. the annual savings showed the ROI to be unacceptable in my opinion.
What chemicals are you referring to? Residential panels are largely silicon.
I'm genuinely curious.
THE PILGRIM
Member
My Dau-SIL have a large ground mounted solar array.
It was there when they bought the property.
It seems to function well and they are happy with it.
I also share concerns about the roof mounted panels although that is the only option available for lots of folks including me.
It was there when they bought the property.
It seems to function well and they are happy with it.
I also share concerns about the roof mounted panels although that is the only option available for lots of folks including me.
You got to get the roof worked on and you have panels it gets quite expensive!
I do not have them but a couple people I know talked about them!
I do not have them but a couple people I know talked about them!
OP
ACORN
Member
Ummmm, that's why I asked.
Harrison
US Veteran
Adding to some of the other cons noted here. Check your homeowners insurance. In many places those solar panels on your roof will either increase rates, or void your insurance. Plus where I live the savings don't offset the cost to install and maintain them. Also we have hailstorms which may, or may not,destroy the things. Better to hope for a return to "drill baby drill" which would bring utility rates down.
Right , but you immediately started getting opinions from people without solar .
This ^^^^ What would be the rest of your setup? Does the local utility offer a plan to feed power back to the grid? This I think is the most common scenario as using them to help power a house probably requres a big investment in a serious battery system and re-wiring. As part of a new "ultra-green" build with battery storage this might work but not for the rest of us regular mortals.
There are a lot of them installed just south of me in Bellingham WA, (not the sunniest place in the country) no doubt partly due to subsidies being available. A colleague of my gf's in Bellingham did this "and swears by them" but OTOH she also spent $50k on an exotic purple bathroom, so...
She lives on a hill with lots of sun, though.I'm not sure about them "being filled with toxic chemicals"- probably no worse than a lot of things we already own/use. They are hard to recycle but there are places in the US now that handle this. (More so I suspect than recycling the thousands of lithium batteries from power tools etc., never mind EVs and hybrids.) Usable lifetime is around 20 years or a little more. (Is that more than your "usable lifetime"?)
And the other "awkward" question: Where are they made? Most likely China, which annoyingly is way ahead of us in a lot of renewable tech, despite still using coal in the interim.
I doubt you'll save money on your electrical bills, especially in the short term. I'd think that selling power back to the grid might be worthwhile in principle if a lot of people in your area are doing it as part of an overall larger plan.
We looked into it a while back, but when we started to put pencil to paper, it came down to the fact that it would take a little over twenty years before it actually paid for itself. I explained that to the representative. He stammered a bit, then said, "Uh...well...uh..yeah, you're right." I'm almost 76, so I figured it probably wouldn't be worth it.
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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
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
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!
Very useful. It is possible that my gf & I may end up building a place for ourselves when she retires and we downsize and live in the same country (!) and if so, as a new build, some sort of solar/battery system might be a consideration, even though we don't get as much sun as you - esp. in winter - up here and have pretty good hydro.
I currently have a whole-house battery backup system with a charger/inverter and an old Onan diesel genny. I can pretty much run the house for 4-5 hrs. at a time in an emergency, including heat as I have a condensing gas boiler & HW rads and that doesn't take much power. Likewise the pellet stove if the boiler has a problem. Only the well pump and microwave etc. need real power so I fire up the genny if I need to use them.
Not directly relevant to Acorn's question but as someone's sig. line here says, "Knowledge is wasted if not shared."
I have a neighbor who sells them. He candidly advised that most people will not recoup the purchase price of a solar system during either their lifetime or the productive life of the panels. His caveat to the above is that if one does his own installation, it might fall back into the category of being more "affordable" (whatever that means).
As to the lease option of a solar system, he said having something on your roof that you don't own can be an issue in the event you sell your house.
My neighbor did advise that if one is interested in a stand alone system (not hooked up to a net zero utility company system) to provide power in any scenario where power is not available or has been disrupted, solar has merits beyond cost.
As with all things, opinions can vary widely.
As to the lease option of a solar system, he said having something on your roof that you don't own can be an issue in the event you sell your house.
My neighbor did advise that if one is interested in a stand alone system (not hooked up to a net zero utility company system) to provide power in any scenario where power is not available or has been disrupted, solar has merits beyond cost.
As with all things, opinions can vary widely.
We lived on solar for a while, when we were off grid. We actually went with a hybrid system (solar and generator), which gave us great reliability.
Solar power systems are quite technical so do lots of research. Proper sizing of the system is critical, as is truly understanding your power needs.
Panels last about 25 years. The system requires maintenance, so be aware of that as well.
Solar power systems are quite technical so do lots of research. Proper sizing of the system is critical, as is truly understanding your power needs.
Panels last about 25 years. The system requires maintenance, so be aware of that as well.
DWalt
Member
I believe I would perform a very detailed economic analysis to determine the project NPV first. Including what it might do to your home insurance. I would guess the payback time could be excessive. There is a lot of information on the internet.
GypsmJim
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A buddy also has an RV with two 100W solar panels installed to keep the battery charged while the camper is not in use. He uses a genny to power the AC units when he is there. Also, good service and has been quite useful in maintaining the battery.
This Spring a tree fell and did a job on the RV. The solar panels were in the direct line of the tree trunk. When I got enough limbs cut away so I could reach the back door and also the battery compartment, I was amazed that the 2 crushed and bent panels were still providing some juice!
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OP
ACORN
Member
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?
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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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
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
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...As far as longevity, I'm 68 now, 25 years would put me at 93.
What do you think my chances are?
I'm 72 and such things are stuff I have to think about for any future plans.
But some are being made here:
10 American Made Solar Panels (2024 Manufactures List)
American-made solar panels: Who are the top manufacturers?
Nice charging and discharging in the same building!
I could run 20 camps on baked beans night!
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
