DIY Solar Install?

[Dee2]

Hope to be able to visit (again) your fair state soon. Particularly Kauai and Maui.

 

[Hmerkle]

Always trade offs to everything

Yea like proof that non-ferrous material rusts in Hawaii! LOL

 

[Wannabe]

I know nothing about solar, but my life time experiences tell me that you can't trust anyone. So, I'll just stick to my heat pump and hope the power company isn't screwing me. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Oka]

Understand the sentiment. It used to be much easier to understand things as they were less "cross pollinated" with other technologies. When I started it was not a requirement to understand chemistry and its interactions, electronics and advanced theories. Now it is common place. But, got to keep up so we do. As I stated before, knowledge is power and the new ways we apply it becomes the exercise of the day.

I know nothing about solar, but my life time experiences tell me that you can't trust anyone. So, I'll just stick to my heat pump and hope the power company isn't screwing me. Just my 2 cents.

 

[CrealBilly]

Solar would be "easier" here in illinois. Since everything from the pole by the street to the house is my responsibility. When I had new underground service put in, I got the meter main box from our electric coop. It already has input for auxiliary power and the electric coop installed a smart "net" meter at the same time.

I checked into and studied solar about 10 years ago. At that time it was net negative meaning what you saved in solar generated power, you would never re-coop the cost of installation and maintenance. Batteries were the biggest maintenance cost at that time (10 years ago) that and solar panel degradation over time plus the hassle of keeping them clean. Plus if you look at the dirty side of solar, the panels themselves are extremely toxic and you have to pay a huge amount to despose of them legally. Just my 2¢ from studying 10 years ago. I'm sure a lot has changed since then.

Party On

 

[Dee2]

I'm keep asking the smart people about the cost of disposing batteries for all things replacing petro-fuels. Haven't got an answer yet. Maybe Elon Musk's next contribution for obtaining tax payer funded subsidies, a corporation to R&D battery disposal and satisfying the 5 R's.

 

[CrealBilly]

I suppose the best advise I could give you. Would be to do your homework. Get in contact with people who are running solar now. Then sit down with professionals and look at as many of the aspects as you can think of from, craddel to grave.

For example equipment degradation. Day 1 everything is new and operating at full efficiency but will degrade over time. If recall correctly I think the panels themselves only had a 20 to 30 year lifespan (don't quote me on this because it's from memory like 10 or so years ago). This may or may not have changed IDK... But my point is... this is just one thing of 100's you should put in your evaluation.

In the end it's only you who can determine if it's worth it or not.

For (me) being on the grid is very convenient. When my power goes out, the electric co op already knows, even before I call. They then work to get it back on. I am currently looking at a PTO Gen Set for emergencies and being able to use electric tools while working in the fields.

 

[Denis Buxton]

Installing your own solar panels can be a risk to your own personal safety and to your property for two main reasons: the height at which panels are typically installed and the fact that you're working with a complex electrical system. Most solar systems are installed as either a roof mount or a ground mount.