Solar paneled parking canopies

[_19disnA]

Even if a thread from a few years ago, have to run the numbers for where you live to see if it is worth it based on the latest costs. How much do the panels cost/how many panels will you need, how much to install, how many watts does your system need to generate, what other electronics needed to run it? Also need to factor in the average amount of sunlight in your part of the country. Output from panels degrade over time and eventually need to be replaced. Math works in some parts of the country, but not everywhere. If your payback is the same amount of time as the panels last before needing to be replaced, then all you have basically done is pre-pay for your electricity.

Some cities/states will buy back your excess electricity, but at a LOWER price then they charge you to use theirs. I have seen some articles where someone spends $40,000 on their system and then only talks about all of the 'free' electricity they are generating. Apparently the $40,000 they spent doesn't enter into their calculation of what a reasonable payback might be.

 

[mousefan73]

There are 4 of us as well and about 5300 sqft. This includes the 1200 sqft finished in the basement for them. We enjoyed the nice big house when the kids were small but it is way to big now but not cost effective to move and find somewhere smaller but still big enough for us and the in laws to have our own space.

My in laws live with us in a basement apartment with its own entrance and exit so it is effectively two homes worth of electricity.

They are fully electric so an oven, cooktop, dryer, and heat pump that does heat and cooling.

The rest of the house is gas heat and water but we are big consumers of AC with our 90+ degree days at 90+% humidity. So an additional three central AC, an oven, a dryer, and two electric vehicles for our part of the house.

oh that then makes sense.. Here nobody has a heat pump without solar, financially too much with the cost of electricity here. we pay 32-36 euro cent for a kwh. not sure what the US prices are now. and AC is a big power drain. You would need a HUUUUGE roof to cover those costs completely.

 

[kdonnel]

oh that then makes sense.. Here nobody has a heat pump without solar, financially too much with the cost of electricity here. we pay 32-36 euro cent for a kwh. not sure what the US prices are now. and AC is a big power drain. You would need a HUUUUGE roof to cover those costs completely.

My saving grace is that electricity is still affordable where I live.

All in, including all fees and taxes, I pay from 13-10 cents per kWh depending on time of year.