Residential Solar

We installed new windows with the tax credit available back in 2011(?) and had to go e-glass for the $1500 credit...after living with them for a while now I realize that they have no business up here in the north where we spend much more of the year heating rather than cooling...I lost the solar gain I used to get from the windows, and it never was a ton due to narrow casement style windows with awnings...but it was still noticeable in the spring n fall.

 

The second thing I did after buying this house was put in new windows with low e. The bay windows sill let in plenty of solar gain and last summer I installed double cell honeycomb shades as reinforcement to my light blocking/heavy curtains. I've found the shades also help block out the cold at night and during overcast days better than with just the curtains.

BUT, I can tell you that when the old, huge willow tree was on the south side of the house, it helped keep the house so much cooler during the summer. I had to have it taken down in 2017 (1/5 of the crown fell onto the house during a storm) and in 2018 was when I got the portable AC for the livingroom.

Good thing I WFH now so I can open/close the shades and curtains on sunny days to encourage gain during the winter and no gain during the summer.

 

There's plenty of little black bugs sharing those good times with the willow trees.

 

I believe it was a black willow. I don't know how old it was, but it was probably planted shortly after this house was built to stabilize the fill from being absorbed into the swamp.

Yeah, the ants were loving that tree.

 

Not a good day for the array!

 

I believe in renewable energy, and economics and things that make sense. However, I live 10 minutes from the 45th parallel or the Canadian border. Your roof is what my roof is look like since Thanksgiving.

The song I’m dreaming of a White Christmas. Here is I’m dreaming of a not white Halloween.

 

Snow w

Snow will stay on a metal roof all winter?

 

On the shallow pitch easily month at a time

8-10 inches snow .. then a freeze stays a while

 

It's not like Jan/Feb are high production months heavy weight calculated into ROI and a low pitch roof would require a solution for that low pitch. Not like there are none.

 

Yup, as you can see even if the snow wasn’t there production would have been minimal with the could cover.

 

Looking/pricing pole mounted instead of roof

 

Pretty much, yes.

And when it warms up, nobody that remembers, will not park close to a building with a metal roof and the snow slides off and lands on the vehicle!

Some businesses will actually block off the parking area next to the buildings in the slide area.

 

Seen that one. A Prius didn’t fare well.

 

Gonna be a cold day in hell before I do a solar install.

 

Research how much they charge the electric company to sell back to them. 4x the going rate. Ponzi scheme.

 

Financially, I have no reason to anyway. Guy down the road did a huge install and last time I talked to him, he wasn't happy. Told me the local provider was metering his overage at a fraction of what he was outputting.

 

Wife has it on her building at work. The owners put them on. So far they have NEVER got a credit. Had it for 1 1/2 years. They just pay the monthly payment for them and still pay hydro a good chunk of money every month.

 

A good install company should manage expectations. Up here, December thru February are very minimal production months because of cloud cover days, snow and low sun angle. Also, they should size it taking into account all of that so you make up production during prime time. If neither of those are done, then the customer is bound to be disappointed. Also, the homeowner should do their part and not be overly optimistic.

For example, the first quote I got, from the first company, was for 14 panels and they broke it down to producing 200 kwhs in December, 250 in January and 350 in February. I saw those numbers and was pretty sure they were full of hogwash. When I had them add two more panels, they said production would rise by 50 kwh each of those months (more hogwash perceived on my part). My feeling has been verified as with 20 panels, and minimum snow this year, December production was at 165 kwh, and so far this month it is at 95 kwh. And with snow covering the panels right now, and storms predicted every couple of days, that won't rise much in the coming week. However, my expectation was for minimal production anyway, because I understand the weather and sun angle here at my house, so I am not unhappy.

My metal roof doesn't shed snow as well as most just because of the shallow pitch. At the same time, that shallow pitch "should" actually help out in the summer.