Solar Panels for the home - school me - why isn't everyone doing it?

[Schlafftablett]

The ROI I calculated at our current rate of consumption was 19-22 years. The problem with our going solar is that our home is already under 30 years old, we have a brand new roof, < year old HVAC system, good windows, great insulation, all LED lighting, and all low consumption appliances. Basically, since the panel installer only finances enough generation to offset 80% of your current average use, the cost savings/offset was minimal and we'd only end up really saving about 4 months of the year so the juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

With that said, my one buddy literally makes money off of his system every month. He got quoted for solar not long after he bought his house. The home was 60+ years old with no updates and he only had about 6 months of bills to average off of. As soon as they did the install, he re-did his roof, windows, HVAC, etc and cut his consumption by something like 60%.

 

[Johnny]

New roof three years ago. If I need a roof, they will remove the solar panels for free and reinstall after a new roof is put on.

The panels are tested with two-inch balls at 75 MPH.

The panels are guaranteed against hail and if there is any damage, they will be replaced for free.

The panels are replaced when their efficiency drops for free.

While I was a tornado spotter, I had a grapefruit sized one visit my passenger seat through my windshield.

That’s a lot of free.

 

[Uncle TK]

This is the simple way to find out if it is a scam.
Have installer give you the following.
Copy of Certificate of Incorporation or LLC
10 Address of homes in your area that they installed Solar Pannels and date installed.
Print out history of OG&E Bill from OG&E website. (Real Estate Agents get them all the time)
Surety Bond payable to you if they go out of business.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

If solar is so awesome, why not build huge solar farms? Issue is they contribute to global warming! Solar Panels are dark and absorb heat, and heat the air around them. I would suspect your air conditioner may need to work harder. The panels do not work forever either, if your lucky they will last around 20 years, then when the warranty runs out you will need to replace all of them. Inverters also have a limited lifespan. What happens at night or cloudy winter days? Efficiency goes down during the day. Want off the grid, you'll need very expensive batteries that will need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years, even worse the batteries will take up more space than a backup generator. The assumption is also that the first 20 years you get a warranty, that is only as good as the company offering it and I suspect many will be out of business in less than 20 years.

Lastly, you have good credit, because you did the right thing you will be punished if you get another mortgage in the future. The current political thought is you did the right thing so you pay. The thought is also these are not your kids, their ours. Add all these together and in the future it will no longer be your electricity, it will be ours to resolve some sort of energy crisis. Yes, that is a worst case scenario but we seem to be a wash in them.

Wait another 10 years, we'll have fusion by then (what they have been saying since the Mid 1940's)...

 

[ttown]

@Snattlerake
The panels are replaced when their efficiency drops for free.


Lifetime panels love it, what company?

Batteries are your major headache and those aren’t free, maintenance on a battery system you better know what to do, when, how often, and the chances you’ll actually do it (as paying for it is costly).

We had someone come in yearly.Break down your bank to find a bad cell to find the bad battery, no problem but lots of work for most of us. I maintained a 45 kva system on a Great Dane communications trailer, that’s not me after seeing that as your solar panels are a small part of a real system.

You can upgfade anything with money, I could make my hot rod sing with $$$$$$

It is getting closer, maybe 10 real years. What were going though now they don’t want us to have power…… jmo

 

[Snattlerake]

@Snattlerake
The panels are replaced when their efficiency drops for free.


Lifetime panels love it, what company?

Batteries are your major headache and those aren’t free, maintenance on a battery system you better know what to do, when, how often, and the chances you’ll actually do it (as paying for it is costly).

We had someone come in yearly, hook a bunch of cells up and find the bad battery, no problem but lots of work for most of us. I maintained a 45 kva system on a Great Dane communications trailer, that’s not me after seeing that as your solar panels are a small part of a real system.

You can upgfade anything with money, I could make my hot rod sing with $$$$$$

It is getting closer, maybe 10 real years. What were going though now they don’t want us to have power…… jmo

No battery system. Micro inverters in each panel feeding to a sub panel.

 

[ttown]

No battery system. Micro inverters in each panel feeding to a sub panel.

So your the California model. Everything fine your okay, short outage no problem. Major outages worthless. My panels are 10 year, good luck as an individual getting the warranty …. Prorated $20 off

I would like to see the schematic of your system.

 

[Cat City Slim]

We seriously looked into solar. The primary reason is that I can’t stand our coop and little would give me more satisfaction than telling them to go suck eggs. The solar equipment would have only produced about half of our electricity needs. It wasn’t worth the investment if we were still at the coops mercy. I plan to check again in a few years. If efficiency has improved and would let us go off grid, I’d be a buyer.

 

[John6185]

What are you going to do if a hail storm moves in on you? I read where the hail can utterly destroy solar panels. Will the size of your home accommodate the control box and other paraphernalia required for the panels? Will home insurance go up due to the solar panels?

 

[O4L]

It's. A. Scam.