Photovoltaic solar panel installation (in HD)
During the week of June 21, 2010, I had a photovoltaic solar system installed at my home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The installation took place over two days, with the panels installed the first day and the electrical connections completed the second day. The system consists of 18 235-Watt panels, and each panel has a dedicated inverter installed under the solar panel. As you can see, the crews were fast, neat and professional. I shot this with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 digital camera and edited it using Corel VideoStudio Pro x2. Edit: The new digital electric meter was installed on July 14, 2010, so this system is now generating power and feeding the grid. For more about me and what I do, check my website at www.bobkovacs.com.
Tagged with: Installation • Panel • PHOTOVOLTAIC • Solar
Filed under: News
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Well, I am a finance guy, but not like some would think. I’m an investor by nature, anthropology student by academic and green energy enthusiast. For an investment that has a lifespan of 25-30 years with a positive equity return of 20ish years, that’s almost the most attractive investment I’ve come across. The only investment I could think would be better would be a more efficient panel with a longer lifespan, which is continuously being developed. Solar energy = green energy = money in the
@Fenix26 One more thing… finance guys like to see a payback in 2-3 years at the longest. To them, 6-7 years is not economical. I think they’re idiots, but that’s how they make the rules at banks and such.
@Fenix26 Well, we just figured a payoff in 6-7 years and we have always been interested in renewable energy. Anything 20 years in the future is so far out there as to be that you can’t really plan for what will happen. There could be some breakthrough and we’d all be powered by cheap home cold-fusion systems.
You’ll have to ask “everybody” about why they don’t do it. Maybe coming up with $31k cash for the initial payment is an issue.
@pvreditor
So, if you pay off the unit in 6-7 years and the life expectancy of the unit is 25-30 years, right away you are looking at, roughly, 20 years of free, invested capital? From my calculations, if the panels last approximately 25 years, one would be looking at a 50k profit.
Is this true by your calculations and if so, why doesn’t everybody do it? Especially, those that live further south than the Virginian latitude?
@Fenix26 Yes, we figure a payoff in about 6-7 years. But when you consider that the panels add about $10-15K in value to the house, the payoff is much better.
I see. So, if you make approximately $2,500, or save $2,500, and net paid about $16,000 for the unit, would it be fair to say that the solar panels would pay themselves off in about 6-7 years?
Then, of course, the sweetener would be the increase in home equity due to the solar panels?
@Fenix26 A “per month” savings isn’t meaningful, as we use no commercial electricity in the summer months but use it extensively in the winter months. We probably save about $1000 year in electricity cost. Then we get about $1500 per year in energy payments. And we will probably get most of the cost of the panels back when we sell the house.
What is the approximate percentage of savings do you get a month with the new solar panels?
@90466893 about the pay as electrician here in chicago well depends of the experience and how well you do your job along with knowledge. no matter what you do for living always take proud of it. I do.
@90466893 well I progress in 2 years because I have the motivation to take as career nor as job,plus I bought books and study by myself to learn. I believe some people just do work because they have to, and later they complain about it, if you like what you do, always you wants to do better because just you like or love it. I love my job.
@oewbuilders
How’s the pay like? how would i be able to progress?
@90466893 I’m electrician I started it 7 years ago and I love my job. Now I have an interview with a company that install solar panels, and solar water heating in Chicago, good luck and If you love what you do, do it, otherwise just don’t.
Great Vid! Thanks for the Upload
@ramvaradan Thanks for the nice comment!
Our power seldom goes out — it’s probably up 99.99% of the time. Batteries and inverters are expensive, and batteries need maintenance and replacement. It’s hard to spend $5k or more on something that will be used 0.01% of the time, then have ongoing battery replacement every 6 years.
I have a couple small standalone UPS systems for minor outages and a generator for longer outages.
gr8 video, thanks for putting it up. btw — you don’t have battery backup meaning … if there is a power outage you are not covered — is there a reason, why you did’nt opt for it?
thanks
@iceman6ck3 This has been asked and answered in the comments below. But the short answer is: No. When utility power goes, the panels stop producing power.
good video. Since this is a grid tie system does it provide power to your home if the power from the utility company is off? Just curious.
@loretobarbados I never wear a harness on the roof. It’s just a 1-story home.
Don’t these guys wear harnesses??
Oh that would make sense. It drives me nuts to see solar panels shaded. Thanks again for the great video!
@javierurieljr Scroll down just a couple of comments and you’ll see.
how much do you paid for this complete sistem?
@MacOSJoey We had several trees cut down last year, although there are LOTs of other big trees. There is still some shading that cuts down the power output in the mornings, but we hate to cut down 20 more trees to fix it.
It looks like you’ll get some shading on those panels because of those trees… How does it affect your power output? Good video, though.