PV Gap

Max Said:

where can I get free solar panels for my home?

We Answered:

i don't really know about completely free solar panels, but you can get information about the best priced ones and how to do it yourself in my site www.ecologyforlife.info

Terrence Said:

Solar Panel Prices - What's The Cost To Build Or Buy A Residential Solar Panel?

We Answered:

A single solar panel with 12V electric output costs between $100-250 to buy or build. Most of these are the portable variety (which cost less) and is a good way to reduce dependence on your utility company and generate your own electricity.

A residential solar panel mounted on rooftops costs more -- like the 185-watt Mitsubishi panel which costs $1020. But with states like CA, MA, IL, AZ (and a lot others) giving you tax incentives up to 30% the installation cost, the reasons for going green are becoming more and more better.

Lee Said:

How much will it cost to have solar panels installed in a medium 2 story residential home?

We Answered:

My best advice:  Don't bother with solar-electric (PV) panels.

Go for a solar water heater.  You'll make out a lot better by eliminating the energy you'd otherwise use to heat water than by trying to generate electricity to do it the old way.  And insulate the crap out of the place, and make all the fixtures fluorescent (except maybe in seldom-used locations like closets).

After you've done that, if you still have budget money left you can think about PV panels for the roof.

Roger Said:

How expensive and cost prohibitive are solar panels for residential construction?

We Answered:

If it's new construction, the panels are easily absorbed into the cost of the house, and would barely be noticeable. What's another $15,000 for solar electric when the house is $300,000 or more? That's less than the commission paid for selling it. If it's just solar hot water, the price tag could only be $2000 - $4000.

Also, solar adds value to the home, so it's possible that they will pay for themselves when you sell. With home prices fluctuating so much, though, it would be hard to tell for sure what the effect of having solar was. In general, the guide is to take the annual energy savings, and multiply it by 20 to get the increase in the value of the house. So if the panels can save $1000 a year, theoretically the house could sell for $20,000 more than it otherwise would.

Prices are softening, may be dropping soon. Someone in your neighborhood got a fantastic deal - $5 a watt, including professional installation. I don't know if this is a one-time thing, or a trend. We were quoted about double that just 2 years ago.

Andrew Said:

questions about solar panels for residential use?

We Answered:

If you're in a sunny area, and the cost of electricity is high, solar panels can be worth it. But it's not a big moneymaker, it's something that pays back over long timeframes. We live in northern California, and our system is about break even, but that's because our electricity usage was low to begin with. If you want to see our system, look at the web page in my profile.

Are panels worth it in your area? The only way to know for sure is to find a local installer in your phone book, and then ask for local references. If you can't find a local installer, that's a clue, and if they can't give you any references that are nearby, that's another clue.

The panels don't actually store energy, the energy is sold back to the power company when what you produce is more than you consume, driving the meter backwards. Again, this is not a big moneymaker, and in fact, it may be impossible to make a profit, depending on your local laws.

Melanie Said:

Do solar electric panels need to be UL listed in California for residential installations?

We Answered:

To get the state rebate, you must be compliant to local building codes, which means the NEC (National Electrical Code) in most places (see article 690 of the code in your library). The NEC says that you need the UL listing. Also, it must be a grid-tied installation, that is, displacing grid power. More info at

http://www.gosolarcalifornia.org/

The federal government doesn't specify UL listing. If you lived in an area that was lax about that, you would still get your federal rebate.

If you're going off-grid (batteries) in a cabin, the UL listing doesn't matter (no rebate), and you can save significant dollars by getting panels that are "seconds" from a place like sun-elec.com

EDIT: I yield to dave123. That's right, UL is not specifically required. But if you buy the cosmetic defect panels from sun-elec, they will have their certification removed. I know a number of people that used them, though, and never any problems. I'm not advocating breaking the law, but must say, when the inspector looked at our panels, he did not not look for the certification sticker on the panels. Our panels were factory prime, but nevertheless, no one checked.

Byron Said:

Anyone here have residential solar panels?

We Answered:

I have some panels on my house and no they are not cheap. If you look around you can buy them for around $4.70 per watt for a 100 plus watt panel, this will make them $470 or more. But you will get a first quality panel. And no I do not know of any fed. government programs for home owners. These kind of programs usually only go to large companies. And it does not look like our government is going to help seeing how the let the large oil companies keep there tax programs but refused to help solar. This just happened today when the senate voted on the energy plane. Good luck go solar