Tonopah Solar Power

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$115 per panel for a controller/voltage regulator and about a grand for the grid-tie inverter, last I checked. This is for a no-battery system that won't help you a whit if utility power goes down. It's not really cost effective to build a solar system that will meet the peak demand of most residences at present.

At the present time, solar is kind of like early airpots for coffee.  Let the rich and truly devoted buy them to support the development.  Eventually everyone will be able to afford it.

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You guys are scary. We need engineers to carry special ID's with Geek endorsements. Thanks for the enlightenment though.

We don't need IDs.  We can be spotted from a safe distance with the unaided naked eye.  (Slightly redundant.)  Keep back if you can't handle technogeek.

[heironymouspasparagus]

You guys are scary. We need engineers to carry special ID's with Geek endorsements. Thanks for the enlightenment though.

Even makes me a little nervous sometimes... and I've been "living the dream" for a LONG time....
A little autism in the form of Asperger's is good for the soul!!  And good for society, 'cause without THAT 1%, we would all still be trying to figure out the wheel.

[heironymouspasparagus]

$115 per panel for a controller/voltage regulator and about a grand for the grid-tie inverter, last I checked. This is for a no-battery system that won't help you a whit if utility power goes down. It's not really cost effective to build a solar system that will meet the peak demand of most residences at present.

For large scale generation, PV isn't really the best form of solar. Solar thermal, with a power tower and molten salt storage, is more efficient than PV or the solar troughs. Perhaps at some point PV can be combined with thermal to increase efficiency more.

If one of the nearby trees dies, I may find myself with a PV system. As it is, my roof only gets about 6 hours of sun a day, at best.

I am looking at inverter that is a couple thousand.  (Figure about $1.00 per watt for a really good, pure sine inverter as would be REQUIRED for whole house.)

Right - no batteries == no good.

PV is not good for middle America, and won't be as long as natural gas and coal are so cheap to make electricity.  California, on the other hand... when you get some peak rates of 75 to 85 cents per kwh and more for many hours a day, then you can start to think about this stuff.  Germany - working well and cost effective. 

PV has other big issues that I mentioned earlier.  The molten salt process is likely to emerge with a little bit more work.  There are other things and other ways to use that, too that should be very good.

6 hours would get you quite a bit of power, but it will never be as cheap as turning on the switch at the wall.  I want my little system to be for backup when we get a week long blizzard - keep the furnace and fridge running is all I want.  Maybe expand later, but only with changes to my housing infrastructure.

[nathanm]

6 hours would get you quite a bit of power, but it will never be as cheap as turning on the switch at the wall.  I want my little system to be for backup when we get a week long blizzard - keep the furnace and fridge running is all I want.  Maybe expand later, but only with changes to my housing infrastructure.

Just the cost avoidance for many of my billed kilowatt-hours and their associated fuel charge would pay for a small system for me in about 5 years. A micro-inverter runs $150-$200, and gets you less resistive loss between the panel and a central inverter. Plus you get the efficiency gain from running each panel at its optimum current/voltage ratio, rather than forcing them all to run at the same voltage.

More sun would, of course, shorten the cost recovery period significantly.

I believe grid-tie inverters are all inherently pure sine wave. They have to be or magic smoke gets let out.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Just the cost avoidance for many of my billed kilowatt-hours and their associated fuel charge would pay for a small system for me in about 5 years. A micro-inverter runs $150-$200, and gets you less resistive loss between the panel and a central inverter. Plus you get the efficiency gain from running each panel at its optimum current/voltage ratio, rather than forcing them all to run at the same voltage.

More sun would, of course, shorten the cost recovery period significantly.

I believe grid-tie inverters are all inherently pure sine wave. They have to be or magic smoke gets let out.

Looked at Enphase M215??  Looks interesting.

215 watt for 8 hours per day is about 1.72 kwh.  Or about 15 cents.  $56 per year, or about $282 for 5 years.  Will take a while to pay back the inverter plus the cell, but that is a slick system!!  Cost avoidance on a small scale is good if you pay for the system up front and stay there a while.  I like it.

For my backup thing, I would have to have the battery for going through the night.

[nathanm]

For my backup thing, I would have to have the battery for going through the night.

And that's where things start to get expensive.   

[heironymouspasparagus]

And that's where things start to get expensive.   

No doubt.  I think I will have about $2500 to 3000 in it using a small-ish inverter.  But I don't have to worry about SWMBO complaining about power out for the blizzard....