Solar Panels

[Working Man]

I should be able to electrify my scooter bin (bike trailer) with some PV panels. Anyone have a good source for these, along with needed controller???..

Any pros and cons for the different brands and types,,,etc,, such as monocrystalline,, etc,.

The fact that I can get power, to do what I want and not have to pay for petroleum products makes me happy!! :

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Solar panels are cool, but expensive. I heard "they" are developing solar panel roof shingles for houses. You wouldn't even have to pay a power bill if you had those!

 

[manu1959]

Solar panels are cool, but expensive. I heard "they" are developing solar panel roof shingles for houses. You wouldn't even have to pay a power bill if you had those!

freind of mine just did his house....he pays no power bill and actually sells power back to the power company

 

[waltky]

Solar power is fastest growing source of energy...

Solar Energy is Fastest Growing Source of Power
Thursday 5th October, 2017 - A report shows that solar energy was the fastest-growing source of power last year, accounting for almost two-thirds of net new capacity globally.

The International Energy Agency said Wednesday that the rise was due to a boom in photovoltaic panel installations, particularly in China, thanks to a drop in costs and greater support from governments.

It is the first time that solar energy growth surpasses any other fuel as a source of power. Coal in particular had continued to grow in recent years despite global targets to reduce carbon emissions.

The IEA said solar panels capacity grew 50 percent last year, with China accounting for almost half the expansion. The country has become a leader in renewable energy production, with the United States the second-largest market.

Solar Energy is Fastest Growing Source of Power

 

[Old Rocks]

Solar panels are cool, but expensive. I heard "they" are developing solar panel roof shingles for houses. You wouldn't even have to pay a power bill if you had those!

Not that expensive at all, and the price is getting lower every month. And several companies already have solar shingles, as well as solar glue on for metal roofs.

Tesla Solar Roof

Solar Panels from Wholesale Solar

 

[Old Rocks]

Solar panels are cool, but expensive. I heard "they" are developing solar panel roof shingles for houses. You wouldn't even have to pay a power bill if you had those!

freind of mine just did his house....he pays no power bill and actually sells power back to the power company

A friend just installed solar on his roof in Tacoma, Washington. Not a place known for sunshine. On an east facing roof. That was six months ago. He has not paid an electric bill since, and just got a check in the mail for $250. Says his payback, at this rate, is going to be less than 3 years.

 

[xband]

I should be able to electrify my scooter bin (bike trailer) with some PV panels. Anyone have a good source for these, along with needed controller???..

Any pros and cons for the different brands and types,,,etc,, such as monocrystalline,, etc,.

The fact that I can get power, to do what I want and not have to pay for petroleum products makes me happy!! :

I can talk end on end about solar panels and without going into detail that is a bad investment. Buy a home gasoline or diesel powered electric generator for when the grid goes down. The US has more than enough fossil fuel to last far into the next century.

 

[gipper]

Put these on my motor home and they work great, as long as I can get a few hours of full sun each day. No need to run the generator. We can boondock for as long as our water tank lasts.

 

[eagle1462010]

The only thing that matters is the KWH for the buck. Kilo Watt Hours for the buck.........The initial investment to get sustainable energy for a house is very high..............It must be then divided over the expected life span of the solar grid to determine the cost per KWH.....You must also factor in if you want to grid tie or stand alone...........A lot of states allow massive fees to tie into the grid destroying the gains you expect to get by having to pay the utilities just to have the panels.

Do not be fooled by the salesmen of how cheap it is............it is not...........

Solar power for remote locations isn't a completely bad thing..............can provide power where utilities not available and keeping a large amount of fuel is not efficient.

Overall.........cost is much cheaper staying on the grid per KWH

 

[xband]

The only thing that matters is the KWH for the buck. Kilo Watt Hours for the buck.........The initial investment to get sustainable energy for a house is very high..............It must be then divided over the expected life span of the solar grid to determine the cost per KWH.....You must also factor in if you want to grid tie or stand alone...........A lot of states allow massive fees to tie into the grid destroying the gains you expect to get by having to pay the utilities just to have the panels.

Do not be fooled by the salesmen of how cheap it is............it is not...........

Solar power for remote locations isn't a completely bad thing..............can provide power where utilities not available and keeping a large amount of fuel is not efficient.

Overall.........cost is much cheaper staying on the grid per KWH

Make hay when the sun shines and on cloudy days no solar power and no solar power at night. I gave a thought covering my roof with solar panels but then I need expensive inverters and batteries.
edit: Cost Effective is the key.

 

[eagle1462010]

How much electricity does an American home use? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much electricity does an American home use?
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer.

 

[xband]

How much electricity does an American home use? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much electricity does an American home use?
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer.

The best solar panels are only 3% efficient when the Sun is shining bright. Use a clamp on ammeter on the legs to your house. P=VA and P is measured in Watts.

 

[eagle1462010]

How much electricity does a solar panel produce?

Typically, homeowners in the United States use about 900 kWh a month on average. So, take 900 kWh and divide by the amount of kWh one solar panel produces over the course of a month (30kWh), and you get a 30 panel installation. 30 panels x 250 watts per panel equals a 7,500 watt system (7.5kW).

Again though, these are just rough estimates. It’s best to connect with an expert we trust near youwho can appropriately size a system and help take advantage of all the local incentives to get it done right and as affordably as possible.


The AVERAGE HOME would need 7.5 kW system.......If you use just the average power consumption in this country.

So let's look at the cost of a average system from the Old Rocks site.
The Ranch 7.8 kW 30-Panel Astronergy Off-Grid Solar System - Wholesale Solar

Cost of the solar grid........$16,971
Cost of battery bank...........$5,000 to $8,000 off grid
Cost of installation.........?????

So your out of pocket 24 to 26 grand before installation.......for the AVERAGE HOUSE NEEDS.......figure at least 5 Grand for the installation.................

So............let's ball park it a $30,000............

Note this is very low ball figure.......installation of 30 of these panels.......with wiring and conduit would cost more....also note the area needed to install ..........each panel is 65 inches by 39 inches.......roughly 5 by 3 feet................

Give it a lifespan of 15 years even though they say it will last forever...........cost of 2 grand a year......more than likely much more.................

900kwh per month times 12 times 15 equals............162,000 kwh's ..................AVERAGE HOME............divided by the cost comes to 5.4cents per hour.................but only in Utopia........lol



Today the average cost of energy from solar PV in U.S. is reported to be 12.2 cents per kWh, which is about the same as the average retail rate. Those who keep close tabs on electricity prices might think that it is about on par with what they are paying for their own electricity at home.Mar 31, 2016

Given that probably costs more like 40 gand for the install............

Rocks is right that the prices are falling, but there is still a very large upfront cost.......and a very large amount of space needed to install it....................
Annual Electricity Price Comparison by State

my state averages 9.37 cents per kwh........................


Done so to see where we really are with the cost of solar power............fyi

 

[xband]

How much electricity does a solar panel produce?

Typically, homeowners in the United States use about 900 kWh a month on average. So, take 900 kWh and divide by the amount of kWh one solar panel produces over the course of a month (30kWh), and you get a 30 panel installation. 30 panels x 250 watts per panel equals a 7,500 watt system (7.5kW).

Again though, these are just rough estimates. It’s best to connect with an expert we trust near youwho can appropriately size a system and help take advantage of all the local incentives to get it done right and as affordably as possible.


The AVERAGE HOME would need 7.5 kW system.......If you use just the average power consumption in this country.

So let's look at the cost of a average system from the Old Rocks site.
The Ranch 7.8 kW 30-Panel Astronergy Off-Grid Solar System - Wholesale Solar

Cost of the solar grid........$16,971
Cost of battery bank...........$5,000 to $8,000 off grid
Cost of installation.........?????

So your out of pocket 24 to 26 grand before installation.......for the AVERAGE HOUSE NEEDS.......figure at least 5 Grand for the installation.................

So............let's ball park it a $30,000............

Note this is very low ball figure.......installation of 30 of these panels.......with wiring and conduit would cost more....also note the area needed to install ..........each panel is 65 inches by 39 inches.......roughly 5 by 3 feet................

Give it a lifespan of 15 years even though they say it will last forever...........cost of 2 grand a year......more than likely much more.................

900kwh per month times 12 times 15 equals............162,000 kwh's ..................AVERAGE HOME............divided by the cost comes to 5.4cents per hour.................but only in Utopia........lol



Today the average cost of energy from solar PV in U.S. is reported to be 12.2 cents per kWh, which is about the same as the average retail rate. Those who keep close tabs on electricity prices might think that it is about on par with what they are paying for their own electricity at home.Mar 31, 2016

Given that probably costs more like 40 gand for the install............

Rocks is right that the prices are falling, but there is still a very large upfront cost.......and a very large amount of space needed to install it....................
Annual Electricity Price Comparison by State

my state averages 9.37 cents per kwh........................


Done so to see where we really are with the cost of solar power............fyi

What is an average home electric usage? Al Gore pays $30,000 per month for his mansion's electric bill but that was ten years ago. Al Gore is a multi-millionaire and can afford it.

 

[eagle1462010]

How much electricity does an American home use? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much electricity does an American home use?
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer.

The best solar panels are only 3% efficient when the Sun is shining bright. Use a clamp on ammeter on the legs to your house. P=VA and P is measured in Watts.

I am an electrician and I'm not pushing the solar panel issue...............I understand ohms law VERY WELL and have installed solar panels to remote locations at work because the cost was too great to run conduit and wiring to the location.

There is a very high cost of installing...............components will fail over times........and the lifespans of the batteries will not match the lifespan of the panels..............not to mention a storm can break them as well...............Not to mention if improperly installed they can burn your house down..................One lightning strike and they aren't insured your out a lot of dang money.....................

My purpose was to put a more factual information on this thread than ............THERE GREAT...........LOL

 

[eagle1462010]

How much electricity does a solar panel produce?

Typically, homeowners in the United States use about 900 kWh a month on average. So, take 900 kWh and divide by the amount of kWh one solar panel produces over the course of a month (30kWh), and you get a 30 panel installation. 30 panels x 250 watts per panel equals a 7,500 watt system (7.5kW).

Again though, these are just rough estimates. It’s best to connect with an expert we trust near youwho can appropriately size a system and help take advantage of all the local incentives to get it done right and as affordably as possible.


The AVERAGE HOME would need 7.5 kW system.......If you use just the average power consumption in this country.

So let's look at the cost of a average system from the Old Rocks site.
The Ranch 7.8 kW 30-Panel Astronergy Off-Grid Solar System - Wholesale Solar

Cost of the solar grid........$16,971
Cost of battery bank...........$5,000 to $8,000 off grid
Cost of installation.........?????

So your out of pocket 24 to 26 grand before installation.......for the AVERAGE HOUSE NEEDS.......figure at least 5 Grand for the installation.................

So............let's ball park it a $30,000............

Note this is very low ball figure.......installation of 30 of these panels.......with wiring and conduit would cost more....also note the area needed to install ..........each panel is 65 inches by 39 inches.......roughly 5 by 3 feet................

Give it a lifespan of 15 years even though they say it will last forever...........cost of 2 grand a year......more than likely much more.................

900kwh per month times 12 times 15 equals............162,000 kwh's ..................AVERAGE HOME............divided by the cost comes to 5.4cents per hour.................but only in Utopia........lol



Today the average cost of energy from solar PV in U.S. is reported to be 12.2 cents per kWh, which is about the same as the average retail rate. Those who keep close tabs on electricity prices might think that it is about on par with what they are paying for their own electricity at home.Mar 31, 2016

Given that probably costs more like 40 gand for the install............

Rocks is right that the prices are falling, but there is still a very large upfront cost.......and a very large amount of space needed to install it....................
Annual Electricity Price Comparison by State

my state averages 9.37 cents per kwh........................


Done so to see where we really are with the cost of solar power............fyi

What is an average home electric usage? Al Gore pays $30,000 per month for his mansion's electric bill but that was ten years ago. Al Gore is a multi-millionaire and can afford it.

Don't confuse me with the die hard solar panel is the only answer crowd.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

How much electricity does a solar panel produce?

Typically, homeowners in the United States use about 900 kWh a month on average. So, take 900 kWh and divide by the amount of kWh one solar panel produces over the course of a month (30kWh), and you get a 30 panel installation. 30 panels x 250 watts per panel equals a 7,500 watt system (7.5kW).

Again though, these are just rough estimates. It’s best to connect with an expert we trust near youwho can appropriately size a system and help take advantage of all the local incentives to get it done right and as affordably as possible.


The AVERAGE HOME would need 7.5 kW system.......If you use just the average power consumption in this country.

So let's look at the cost of a average system from the Old Rocks site.
The Ranch 7.8 kW 30-Panel Astronergy Off-Grid Solar System - Wholesale Solar

Cost of the solar grid........$16,971
Cost of battery bank...........$5,000 to $8,000 off grid
Cost of installation.........?????

So your out of pocket 24 to 26 grand before installation.......for the AVERAGE HOUSE NEEDS.......figure at least 5 Grand for the installation.................

So............let's ball park it a $30,000............

Note this is very low ball figure.......installation of 30 of these panels.......with wiring and conduit would cost more....also note the area needed to install ..........each panel is 65 inches by 39 inches.......roughly 5 by 3 feet................

Give it a lifespan of 15 years even though they say it will last forever...........cost of 2 grand a year......more than likely much more.................

900kwh per month times 12 times 15 equals............162,000 kwh's ..................AVERAGE HOME............divided by the cost comes to 5.4cents per hour.................but only in Utopia........lol



Today the average cost of energy from solar PV in U.S. is reported to be 12.2 cents per kWh, which is about the same as the average retail rate. Those who keep close tabs on electricity prices might think that it is about on par with what they are paying for their own electricity at home.Mar 31, 2016

Given that probably costs more like 40 gand for the install............

Rocks is right that the prices are falling, but there is still a very large upfront cost.......and a very large amount of space needed to install it....................
Annual Electricity Price Comparison by State

my state averages 9.37 cents per kwh........................


Done so to see where we really are with the cost of solar power............fyi

The sun light is more direct the further south the location is and night time and cloudy days are a also factor.
Wind turbines work at night and are not affected by latitude.

 

[xband]

How much electricity does an American home use? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much electricity does an American home use?
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer.

The best solar panels are only 3% efficient when the Sun is shining bright. Use a clamp on ammeter on the legs to your house. P=VA and P is measured in Watts.

I am an electrician and I'm not pushing the solar panel issue...............I understand ohms law VERY WELL and have installed solar panels to remote locations at work because the cost was too great to run conduit and wiring to the location.

There is a very high cost of installing...............components will fail over times........and the lifespans of the batteries will not match the lifespan of the panels..............not to mention a storm can break them as well...............Not to mention if improperly installed they can burn your house down..................One lightning strike and they aren't insured your out a lot of dang money.....................

My purpose was to put a more factual information on this thread than ............THERE GREAT...........LOL

I am a jackleg electrician and proud of it. Call me legtrician which will make me feel prouder than I already am. I eat 480 AC three phase for breakfast and dine on 30,000 VDC for supper and for midrats, the sky is the limit. : )

 

[eagle1462010]

How much electricity does an American home use? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much electricity does an American home use?
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer.

The best solar panels are only 3% efficient when the Sun is shining bright. Use a clamp on ammeter on the legs to your house. P=VA and P is measured in Watts.

I am an electrician and I'm not pushing the solar panel issue...............I understand ohms law VERY WELL and have installed solar panels to remote locations at work because the cost was too great to run conduit and wiring to the location.

There is a very high cost of installing...............components will fail over times........and the lifespans of the batteries will not match the lifespan of the panels..............not to mention a storm can break them as well...............Not to mention if improperly installed they can burn your house down..................One lightning strike and they aren't insured your out a lot of dang money.....................

My purpose was to put a more factual information on this thread than ............THERE GREAT...........LOL

I am a jackleg electrician and proud of it. Call me legtrician which will make me feel prouder than I already am. I eat 480 AC three phase for breakfast and dine on 30,000 VDC for supper and for midrats, the sky is the limit. : )

midrats............hmmmmm.............another ex military man.................learned my trade in the Navy.............

 

[xband]

How much electricity does an American home use? - FAQ - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

How much electricity does an American home use?
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. Louisiana had the highest annual electricity consumption at 15,435 kWh per residential customer, and Hawaii had the lowest at 6,166 kWh per residential customer.

The best solar panels are only 3% efficient when the Sun is shining bright. Use a clamp on ammeter on the legs to your house. P=VA and P is measured in Watts.

I am an electrician and I'm not pushing the solar panel issue...............I understand ohms law VERY WELL and have installed solar panels to remote locations at work because the cost was too great to run conduit and wiring to the location.

There is a very high cost of installing...............components will fail over times........and the lifespans of the batteries will not match the lifespan of the panels..............not to mention a storm can break them as well...............Not to mention if improperly installed they can burn your house down..................One lightning strike and they aren't insured your out a lot of dang money.....................

My purpose was to put a more factual information on this thread than ............THERE GREAT...........LOL

I am a jackleg electrician and proud of it. Call me legtrician which will make me feel prouder than I already am. I eat 480 AC three phase for breakfast and dine on 30,000 VDC for supper and for midrats, the sky is the limit. : )

midrats............hmmmmm.............another ex military man.................learned my trade in the Navy.............

I beg to differ. Gasoline is flammable and you use it to drive your car. Get in a wreck where the gasoline in your tank burns you up to a crisp, there is no legal recourse to sue the gasoline company unless your drive a Corvair, unsafe at any speed and your heirs can sue General Motors and live in luxury.