New Solar PVs

A lot of us have homes we spend some time in. Discussions can be about any topic that may be of interest that you can think of... renovations, purchases, expenses, etc, etc
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T1 Terry
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Location: Mannum South Australia by the beautiful Murray River
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Re: New Solar PVs

Post by T1 Terry »

W31r wrote: Sun Dec 16, 2018 9:52 am The one thing that always had me wondering was
You take 6 to 8 years to offset the initial cost ( prepaying for the power and loss of earning on payment) and then replacing equipment would be then required on the cheaper units due to age from that time.


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Welcome to the forum W31r, that name must have given the teachers a few headaches when you were at school :lol:
The reasons solar panels etc are replaced is either poor maintenance or a better product on the market. The poor maintenance issue is probably the biggest solar panel killer of all. The panel didn't fail from old age, it was neglect that killed it. Allow a few layers of dirt to build up around the edges of the panel where the rain can't wash the dirt off because of the lip created by the frame and the damage starts. This section of the modules are now in shade but the rest of the module is in full sun and this damages those modules around the edges. Leave the panels with a dirt layer because they weren't cleaned properly and the modules get damaged. Have a close look at an old panel that doesn't seem to be working as well as it did when it was new and you will see the centre of the modules look a different colour to the edges. Heat causes this and a dirt layer stops the heat from being radiated back out through the glass.
I have solar panels that have a Solarex brand label on the back that still work fine. they date back to the mid '70's, 40 plus yrs old. The problem with them is output for area covered, these 40 plus yr old panels are rated at 70w, 2 of these panels take up more area than a Tindo 295w panel or a Sunpower 327w panel. Personally I'd choice the Tindo because they are made here in Adelaide Aust to suit Aust conditions and have local back up, but maybe that's just my bias on things.
The point is, these panels haven't died from age related problems, they have just been left behind by the ever improving technology.

New battery technology is the same, choose well and you can expect 20 yrs or more before you need to replace them because they have lost too much capacity. Again, this relies on maintenance and a good protection system to save them from being murdered.
Look at the cost of the system amortised over 10yrs to 20 yrs and factor in the cost of both the power charges and the line connection fees and the solar power you generate, store and use yourself is a lot cheaper than the stuff you buy ready to use.

T1 Terry
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine. – Jim Barksdale, former Netscape CEO
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Greynomad
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Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:16 pm
Location: Rutherglen, Vic.

Re: New Solar PVs

Post by Greynomad »

Newcastle George wrote: Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:47 am
W31r wrote: Sun Dec 16, 2018 9:52 am The one thing that always had me wondering was
You take 6 to 8 years to offset the initial cost ( prepaying for the power and loss of earning on payment) and then replacing equipment would be then required on the cheaper units due to age from that time.
We placed an order for installation at home but cancelled it due to the fact that we use little power during daylight hours but mainly for the reason quoted.

George
George,
We're in precisely the opposite situation:
As we're both mainly home during the day, we use more power then than at night, when it's just one or two (LED) lights and the TV... very little drain.
Until now we've sometimes left it till evening to do the laundry and hang it out, so it gets full benefit of our solar-powered clothes drier (the clothes line :P ). We also used to use the dishwasher at the end of dinner at night.
We have switched to doing both during daylight hours now, to maximise use of the solar PVs.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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