Solar Panels

[Fitz]

Anybody got any feedback on house panels in Az. I was just curious now that SRP APS will be raising our rates just like gas. Just looking for general info.

[hinoonaz]

Waiting for the next generation sometime this year. Efficiency is getting so much better. Five years ago your whole roof had to be covered. Now, maybe a third. Cost has to come down also and/or gov. rebates again.
Gary

[Robert McLinden]

Had mine done back when SRP had the good rebates (50%) along with the fed and the state. Saves about 65% on my annual bill each year. Also acts as a sun shield on the Master Bedroom. That room (south facing roof) went from the warmest in the summer to the coolest. I'd put dummy panels over the rest of the roof just to kill the direct sunlight.

I also have fake grass, saves a lot of water. Hell I even have a fake Cobra.

[Mulv]

All solar panels put out about 40 watts, the efficiency is in the control and connections. What is little known to the consumer is that if one of the cheaper panels fails, your whole grid is down as they are series connected like the old xmas lights. You will need a lot of panels to run your house under peak load, way more than you can fit on your roof for sure.

The savings come from the reverse power that you make when you are not home and there is low load. Basically you make credits that you can use when you light everything up between 6pm and midnight. So if you are home all of the time watching TV and microwaving popcorn you will save some money but not as much as if you have a vacant house during the day. Also be aware that no solar panel makes 100% of its rated juice as the sun is on an oblique angle . Any dirt - like dust - lowers the efficiency as well by a surprising amount - I have the numbers somewhere so you need to clean them a lot here in the valley. I am working on an automated gizmo to take care of that on commercial panel farms.

I used to have a solar panel biz in silicon valley and my current partner in a start-up makes the connecting chips to balance the load and allow for parallel connection so I have a bit of insight into the production end, others could speak of their home benefits.

Everyone who is a serious player avoids the residiential market at all cost - impossible expectations , potential for damage during install and liabilities later. Anyone in the residential end of things makes a lot of "statements". Be sure to talk to APS for a reccomended installer.

If you completely covered the roof of a huge shopping mall with panels you might generate 40% of their needs. The only way to make solar in a practical way is on a farm of about 100 square miles. That would make enough juice to power the western half of the US into the next century. The problem is the NIMBY clause that we see occuring in the central valley of California right now...

[Fitz]

Thanks guys. I wanted some basic insight. I was aware of keeping them clean and was concerned about install i.e. creating a large wind shield/parachute so those few storms that we get may rip off the panels etc.

I just don't see that many panels around the valley other then for Water heaters.

Glad I asked. Thanks Mul. Hell I am just going to move to Canada where you get free medical, and free wood.

[Mulv]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Glad I asked. Thanks Mul. Hell I am just going to move to Canada where you get free medical, and free wood.

And a housing market that is on fire - prices up 40% in some cities this year. Gee, why would you regulate the banking and financial sectors?


The reason you don't see panels here in Arizona is the government's short sighted planning department that refuses to give tax or other incentives to boost solar. They figure that the nuke plant is good enough to supply the area. Lucky for us there have not been any nuclear accidents in the world recently so I feel safe with low bidders assembling death stars....