solar panels..photovoltaic ..what system is recommended for western pa?

Question

i am a roofer with other talents ..i want to explore solar panels with photovoltaic principle for electricty..inquiring about cost..i want to do the installation my self

Answer 1

WPA is a tough place especially in the winter with lack of light and snow plus energy storage for overnight is a problem. The last I looked it was about $8K in raw materials. From what I co

Answer 2

I recently looked at some systems. One company offered a 1080 Watt (6 Panels) system for $9999. This was a stand alone and did not include batteries. They offered a complete 16 panel, 3000 Watt system with everything needed to tie into electric grid for $17,000.

My problem is my power cost is 8 cents/KWH. That is, it cost me 8 cents to get 1000 watts for one hour. One KW is 1000 Watts. I checked the Internet and it seems to range from 8 to 14 in most areas.

Anyway, the problem is the 1000/3000 Watt system is its PEAK output. I figure I will only get that maybe 5-6 hours on a very sunny day. That's only about 18000 WH, or 18 KWH (3000 X 6, or 3X6). That only saves me about $1.44 on a very good day. We have a lot of cloudy days here, so if I figure I save $1.50/day for 200 days a year, maybe I save $300 a year. This is for a 3000 Watt system that cost over $16,000 not installed. Just the interest on the money is over $900/yr.

I figured I could do much more for the planet and myself by getting a little Toyota Carolla for $16000, and I can save myself over $1000/yr in fuel and help reduce pollution as well.

Answer 3

Take the calculators for a spin on GetWithGreen.com. I think they will tell you incentives in addition to some ballpark pricing -- although they may include installation. Anyway they just posted an article on all the solar energy calculators available on the web.

Answer 4

Build Home Solar Power - http://Solar.eudko.com/?FEn