Are Solar Panels really worth it?

soyavow4
soyavow4 Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭
edited December 2021 in General Solar Power Topics #1
Is it worth going Solar these days?

New Home Builder in QLD is offering free Solar but any rebate(s) will go to a third party for the first 5 years.

My initial reaction was to say no to Solar for the following reasons:
* Unsightly
* Possible high failure rate
* Possibility of damage in the high wind area
* No rebates for 5 years
* High initial Carbon Footprint

What do you think?
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Comments

  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
     Free is free ? 
     If you have to pay down the system over time your payment will likely average 35 bucks more a month
     then it would be to day . 
      If the solar is free then you should make out good . 
       The building go’s up 4% every year , here the solar locks in the rate for the the term  20 years sooo 4% over 20 compounded yearly is a good savings .
        You have to look at all the terms 😜  
     Basically the guys  are selling the solar so you will end up pay more now . 
     I don’t have grid tie solar on my home , to day it would cost me 60 bucks more a month today . 
       At the way things are going it could be a big savings , but you could allways get it after the fact . 
      My solar is off grid at the cabin .
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,017 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    I'm off grid and it's worth it to me.

    I don't find them "unsightly"

    I've found them more reliable than the grid in my 20 years off grid.

    Mine have survived 60mph straight liine winds and 1 1/2" hail.

    I paid for mine so got the tax credits, there were mo rebates available.

    Carbon footprint is always over the life time of a product, Even with recycling batteries, I suspect I'm past carbon neutral. Solar panels in a grid tied system (Evergreen) ERoEI is about 6 months, perhaps 18 months in my current system where I use a lot of energy from the array without the battery. I've no done the Energy cost/carbon footprint of my off grid system, but the lead acid battery is nearly 100% recycled.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Fizbin
    Fizbin Registered Users, Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #4
    You're OP was "Is it worth it"?. You have some examples of what makes it not worth it, but what do you consider the benifits?

    We are 100% off grid.  We save about $200-$300 per month on an electric bill.  We paid about $150k for our full system and the structure the array are mounted on.  We will NEVER get our full ROI for the system.  We had it put in because we are way off the beatin' path as far as getting connected to the grid.  That and so that if we did want to get connected we'd have to have had a 30 foot wide path and road cut through the woods prior to the first power pole being placed.  That we found would be unsightly.
    "A man has got to know his limitations"
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,664 admin
    #5
    The original poster in this discussion was a spammer--The edited their post to add an advertising link.

    Not allowed.

    -Bill "moderator" B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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