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Greetings,
I am curious about solar panels for my home in Minneapolis. I read several sites that say "invest this and save this after x years" which sounds great but I dont quite understand all the ins and outs. Wondering if any folks have gone solar on their homes and care to discuss it?
(Im also curious about a Tesla battery to reprieve power outages in case anyone has gone that step further.)
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I have an array on that I use for things like recharging gadgetry like computers and phones and interior lights. Check your PMs
One thing you have to be careful of is installing them on roofs. Live electricity feeds can be dangerous for firefighters if the installation isn't designed with rooftop firefighting in mind.
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I have worked on several solar jobs as an installer. I can tell you some specifics about it, but I doubt it is the type of info you that would be helpful.
Much of it depends on your State. Each state has different programs for rebates, as well as code and license requirements for solar companies.
The best general advice I could give is to look for a solid company (it might be a very small company) to do the project. There are a lot of guys around here who will do an estimate, then sub-contract the work out to someone else. If you have issues, now or in the future, you want someone who knows what they are doing, and not just someone who is a part-time salesman. Also, while the work is not rocket science, there are a lot of little bits beyond just the panels. You need inverters to convert the DC produced by the panels into AC. You also need a shutoff, a ground, and some other misc stuff that is important. It is also likely that if you have an older house, you might want to be sure you electric panel is in good shape.
Tying the panels into a battery system and/or backup generator is totally possible, but requires a competent specialist. For that kind of thing, you really need a professional, not just someone who took a weekend class.
Generally, the solar equipment is pretty nice, high quality stuff. The panels should last 20-30 years, if not more. Even the inverters should last a long time. We use Snap-N-Rack clamps and EnPhase inverters. I think the last set of panels I installed were Samsung or LG.
While I don't think it needs to be said, this stuff involves being up on a roof, and panels capable of producing some serious electricity, that have no on/off switch. Don't mess around if you don't know what you are doing.
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I work in commercial Property Management, specifically intelligent building controls. If I were to do anything myself it would be to come up with a software program to track the progress of the panels. I have no desire to try and install the system myself. Though I have some contacts that might be able to point me to some good contractors.
My house is at least 100 years old, but all the electrical is updated. I have two 200watt panels in the basement (house had an addition added in '91.) So i'm not too worried about compatibility with my home.
My biggest question is how to determine if my location (Minneapolis, MN) is a good candidate. I also am looking to hear how exactly the system works with local utility and how my investment plays out. A lot of sites say things like "invest 9k and save 20k over 20 years" but don't explain how any of it works.
So here's a tangential question: We know a fantastic roofer who tears off the roof down to the rafters and rebuilds the entire thing. It is, quite unfortunately, what our house needs. And we were amazed by his work.
So... we'd like to also have him throw on solar panels, which almost certainly mean he'll subcontract the job to a solar specialist.
Is this a terrible idea? What should we watch out for?
(Our house is a whopping 1000 square feet in the S.F. Bay Area, so we're not going to get a ton of power from the panels, but any little bit'll help.)
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NH - I can't speak for anything solar panel related, but if you're doing a complete teardown to the bare plywood roof (or rafters), have you considered a metal roof instead of tiles or asphalt shingles? My parents did their home over a decade ago; their house is an easy 4-5 degrees cooler in the Florida summer (same insulation levels in attic) with the AC off, and their AC bills are noticeable lower. It's practically zero maintenance, has held up to tropic storm force gusts, and no increase in noise from hail or rain. Metal roofing is more expensive upfront, but it seems to be worth it in the long run.
Edit: Just checked with dad; he says it runs even cooler in summer, up to 8-9 degrees.
Chief Technical Officer
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If you're replacing the existing roofing tiles, you might want to consider Tesla's Solar Roof.
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Chief Technical Officer
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My biggest question is how to determine if my location (Minneapolis, MN) is a good candidate.
Try Google's Project Sunroof.
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Metal roofs are great and will last longer than you will. They are also about 10X as expensive as a conventional roof.
One of the reasons im considering solar now is the roof was replaced in '13 so the panels and roof life span would match up nicely.
Project sunroof says 16 installations in my zip code and 46% viable.
If you're replacing the existing roofing tiles, you might want to consider Tesla's Solar Roof.
Yeah, those are the ones I was thinking of
Sounds like you are well set up.
Looks like you can find your house and it will tell you how suitable a location it is. If you would like additional info, I can break out my solar textboook and try to get into some specifics based on your roof pitch and facing and such.
I think most of the inverters come with options for monitoring your system, including software for internet connection, and data collection. You seem like you would be capable of tying in battery backup and or a generator if you wanted.
[textbook]
Minneapolis - Lat 44.88 degrees Elevation 255 meters.
July numbers in kWh/sq meter/day
Lat - 15 6
Lat = 0 5.7
Lat + 15 5
[/textbook]
The way the systems "make money" is by reducing your electric bill. Let's say the system costs $20,000, with the cost reduced by incentives and rebates down to $12,000. This system produces $1200 worth of electricity per year. So in 10 years, you have broken even on your initial investment. If the system last another 10 years, you will have made $12,000. That is the basic idea, although there are various other risks and factors. A significant component to making solar pay is Net Metering - this means buying and selling what you use and produce with your utility. Your state was the first to do it back in 1983, although I don't know how it would affect your situation.