# Ask the guy who installed solar panels on the roof anything **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 21, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031 "2014-10-21T14:57:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/1 "2014-10-21T14:57:49Z")
I installed a grid-tied 5 kW (20 panels) systems on the roof of my house back in June this year. Ask away… ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/2 "2014-10-21T15:00:19Z")
Cool. Do you have it hooked up so you can sell electricity back to the grid? Do your neighbors care at all? Have you calculated how long until you break even? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/3 "2014-10-21T15:08:31Z")
what region are in you? Have you noticed a difference in your electric bill? what did it cost to install? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/4 "2014-10-21T15:13:54Z")
Did you do it yourself? What did it cost? Do you need an electrical contractor to finalize things? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/5 "2014-10-21T15:15:09Z")
What’s your favorite kind of salad dressing? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/6 "2014-10-21T15:22:31Z")
Are you willing to post a picture of your house with the panels on? I’m curious how they look. Did you have to deal with any trees blocking the area where you wanted to put the panels? How did you address that? Or, do you have any trees that you think will eventually grow to be an issue? I’ve only toyed with the idea of installing solar panels, but when I have, I’ve always thought, “But what am I going to do with that big damn tree?” I can’t really see removing a tree for environmental reasons… ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/7 "2014-10-21T15:48:56Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Cool. > Do you have it hooked up so you can sell electricity back to the grid? > Do your neighbors care at all? > Have you calculated how long until you break even? Yes, it is grid tied. I had to sign a “distributed grid” agreement with my utility so that they credit for the electricity I send them. They will not pay me for it, but I can use it “for free” within the bill period. So if they deliver 1000 kWh in a month, and I give them 500 kWh, I only pay for 500 kWh. I talked to my neighbors before the install and all were positive. After the install one neighbor was upset, but she seems to be over it. At least she hasn’t mentioned it lately. Break-even is somewhere in the 8-10 year range depending on if the price of electricity goes up or not. > [@Procrustus](#): > > what region are in you? > Have you noticed a difference in your electric bill? > what did it cost to install? I’m in north Texas. Yes, a big difference in the bill. Summer bills were $170-$220 a month. This summer they were July: $86. August: $82. September: $46. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > Did you do it yourself? What did it cost? Do you need an electrical contractor to finalize things? I had a company do the whole thing. You don’t technically _need_ an electrical contractor, but the city will inspect all the work here. Cost was $14k - 30% fed tax credit - $1k utility incentive = $8,800 net cost. > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > What’s your favorite kind of salad dressing? Honey mustard is where it’s at. > [@Bayard](#): > > Are you willing to post a picture of your house with the panels on? I’m curious how they look. > > Did you have to deal with any trees blocking the area where you wanted to put the panels? How did you address that? Or, do you have any trees that you think will eventually grow to be an issue? I’ve only toyed with the idea of installing solar panels, but when I have, I’ve always thought, “But what am I going to do with that big damn tree?” I can’t really see removing a tree for environmental reasons… I didn’t have any trees in the way, and I also have a large south facing roof. Got lucky. I’ll post a pic in a few minutes. Pretty sure I have one somewhere… ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/8 "2014-10-21T15:52:59Z")
Pictures: [![](https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/FirstRRSolarPanels_zpsfd3ce7df.jpg) ](https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/FirstRRSolarPanels_zpsfd3ce7df.jpg) [![](https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/20140617_172235_zpsb01da8c7.jpg) ](https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/20140617_172235_zpsb01da8c7.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/9 "2014-10-21T15:53:20Z")
How do they do in hailstorms and high wind? That would be my biggest concern, also living in North Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/10 "2014-10-21T15:58:11Z")
What’s your favorite bike? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/11 "2014-10-21T16:05:02Z")
> [@zwede](#): > > Pictures: > > [http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/FirstRRSolarPanels\_zpsfd3ce7df.jpg](http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/FirstRRSolarPanels_zpsfd3ce7df.jpg) > > [http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/20140617\_172235\_zpsb01da8c7.jpg](http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/20140617_172235_zpsb01da8c7.jpg) Awesome, thanks. They look great, not like those awful solar panels of the 80’s that stood up on little towers attached the roof. What’s the expected life of the panels? What kind of maintenance is involved? Do you need to have a tech service them at some interval? ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/12 "2014-10-21T16:14:46Z")
> [@bump](#): > > How do they do in hailstorms and high wind? That would be my biggest concern, also living in North Texas. They’re rated for 1" hail @ 50 mph. By the time the panels break, the entire roof is gone anyway. I checked with my insurance co and the panels are considered “part of the structure”. That means they are covered by insurance. Oddly enough there’s no extra cost for this. > [@Lanzy](#): > > What’s your favorite bike? I’m more of a car guy, but if I got a bike it would probably be this one: [http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/sr.php](http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/sr.php) > [@Bayard](#): > > Awesome, thanks. They look great, not like those awful solar panels of the 80’s that stood up on little towers attached the roof. > > What’s the expected life of the panels? What kind of maintenance is involved? Do you need to have a tech service them at some interval? I think they look good too. Not sure what the neighbors problem was. Maybe just some sort of shock. Our HOA has some cosmetic rules for the install, but they are easy to comply with. Black brackets, panels must follow the roof line, panels may not extend above roof edge. Stuff like that. 30 year life expectancy. Performance guarantee is 80% of rated output after 20 years. There is no maintenance or scheduled service. If there is no rain for a long time I might hose the dust off, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/13 "2014-10-21T16:23:04Z")
Do you have a battery bank and inverters? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/14 "2014-10-21T16:30:19Z")
> [@zwede](#): > > Pictures: > > [http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/FirstRRSolarPanels\_zpsfd3ce7df.jpg](http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/FirstRRSolarPanels_zpsfd3ce7df.jpg) > > [http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/20140617\_172235\_zpsb01da8c7.jpg](http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/zwede/House/20140617_172235_zpsb01da8c7.jpg) Nice! What was the unhappy neighbor’s complaint? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/15 "2014-10-21T17:29:40Z")
I looked into solar panels and decided against it, primarily for 2 reasons. 1. is that they seemed to be supported primarily by government subsidies and did not seem that economically viable otherwise, but also because 2) I had concerns over the roof needing replacing. My roof was about 15 years old when I first began looking into it, and has an expected lifespan of about 25-30 years. But if you need to redo the roof, you need to completely remove and reinstall all the solar panels, which is quite expensive and changed the equation entirely. Those were my two main issues, but I was also concerned about 3) that the installation itself involved a lot of drilling into the roof, which required mainatance and could cause problems, and 4) the solar guy told me there was no way to know for sure how long the panels lasted, since they were fairly new and there is no history to go by. Basically, did you consider these items and what are your thoughts about them? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/16 "2014-10-21T18:35:24Z")
Is this agreement with the service delivery company(Oncor) or with your provider(Spark, Gexa, Reliant, etc.)? Because I would imagine with the broader array of the latter in North East Texas(also my area) it would make a difference in how flexible your ability to change providers when rates/plans change would be. It’s something my wife and I have been looking into ourselves, although our southern exposure isn’t as large as yours is, so our break-even would be longer. We also installed a reflective roof(after the hailstorms a couple years ago) so our power bills aren’t as high as they once were, so it’s not as pressing an issue. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/17 "2014-10-21T18:56:46Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Do you have a battery bank and inverters? No batteries. I rely on the grid for storage until I need it. The inverters are mounted underneath the panels (one inverter per panel). Advantage of that is each panel is controlled individually. If I have shade on one panel only that panel has reduced output. I can also monitor each panel’s output individually. The monitoring system uploads data to a server and I can log on to that server via the internet. They have a public link (not as much data as I see). Here’s the public link for my system: > **[Enphase](https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/web/z6uy381748?public=1)** > > Enphase Energy > [@kayaker](#): > > Nice! > > What was the unhappy neighbor’s complaint? Oddly enough that the panels were blue. She was expecting black. I’d think blue looks nicer than black? ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/18 "2014-10-21T19:11:48Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I looked into solar panels and decided against it, primarily for 2 reasons. > > 1. is that they seemed to be supported primarily by government subsidies and did not seem that economically viable otherwise, but also because 2) I had concerns over the roof needing replacing. My roof was about 15 years old when I first began looking into it, and has an expected lifespan of about 25-30 years. But if you need to redo the roof, you need to completely remove and reinstall all the solar panels, which is quite expensive and changed the equation entirely. > > Those were my two main issues, but I was also concerned about 3) that the installation itself involved a lot of drilling into the roof, which required mainatance and could cause problems, and 4) the solar guy told me there was no way to know for sure how long the panels lasted, since they were fairly new and there is no history to go by. > > Basically, did you consider these items and what are your thoughts about them? The way I see the subsidies is that the only way solar panels can be produced at a low price is if volume is high. But you won’t get the volume unless the price is low. It’s a catch 22 and the only way to kick start it is with subsidies. Prices have come down something amazing and soon solar will be competitive with fossil fuel based electricity even without subsidies. I don’t have a problem with subsidies as long as they are targeted to kick start an industry, and will be discontinued at some point. If the roof replacement is covered by insurance, panel removal & re-install is covered by insurance. There is no insurance surcharge for this. And in north TX it is rare to have to pay for roof replacement yourself. Every 15-20 years there’s a storm that wrecks the roof anyway (and insurance covers). I just had my roof replaced a few weeks before the solar panel install (hail storm in April killed it. It was 15 years old). I don’t see what maintenance the brackets would require. There is flashing at each bracket and the screws are sealed with polyurethane. Same thing as any other thing coming out of your roof (vent pipes, attic ventilation, etc). I’m surprised the solar guy would say there’s no way to know how long they last? Solar panels have been around for 50 years now. All the big names give a 20 year performance warranty (minimum of 80% output after 20 years). They’re considered “dead” at 30 years but they still have some output even then. That’s unless there’s a storm severe enough to damage the panels, but regular home owner’s insurance covers that. > [@Mtgman](#): > > Is this agreement with the service delivery company(Oncor) or with your provider(Spark, Gexa, Reliant, etc.)? Because I would imagine with the broader array of the latter in North East Texas(also my area) it would make a difference in how flexible your ability to change providers when rates/plans change would be. In my case I’m in a CoServ area, so I have no choice of provider. Bums me out because I’m not happy with CoServ at all. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/19 "2014-10-21T19:27:26Z")
Have you ever made love to a man? If so, who’s your favorite Beatle? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031/20 "2014-10-21T19:49:01Z")
> [@zwede](#): > > The way I see the subsidies is that the only way solar panels can be produced at a low price is if volume is high. But you won’t get the volume unless the price is low. It’s a catch 22 and the only way to kick start it is with subsidies. Prices have come down something amazing and soon solar will be competitive with fossil fuel based electricity even without subsidies. I don’t have a problem with subsidies as long as they are targeted to kick start an industry, and will be discontinued at some point. I don’t know what kind of subsidies they have in TX, but in NJ they are subsidized on an ongoing basis by something known as SRECs (renewable energy credits). The state imposed a mandate on all energy companies that they either produce X amount of renewable energy or purchase credits from other people who are producing this. Anyone with solar panels got credit for a certain amount of SRECs annually, and these were sold on an SREC exchange based on current prices. At the time I looked into it, they were trading at about $600 a credit, but there was no guarantee as to what the future held in this regard. (They subsequently plunged to below $100 per SREC, so anyone who bought based on the higher price would be crushed. There were people who locked in long term SREC contracts, though these tended to trade at lower prices to begin with.) Of course I’d like to think I was shrewd in appreciating the collapse of the SREC market, but in reality I was just nervous about it (along with other issues, as mentioned). The issue I had was not ideological, but that the price of SRECs was based on an artificial force (the state set the SREC requirements for utilities) and not by natural demand and market forces. > [@](#): > > If the roof replacement is covered by insurance, panel removal & re-install is covered by insurance. There is no insurance surcharge for this. > > And in north TX it is rare to have to pay for roof replacement yourself. Every 15-20 years there’s a storm that wrecks the roof anyway (and insurance covers). I just had my roof replaced a few weeks before the solar panel install (hail storm in April killed it. It was 15 years old). Again, things might be different in NJ. We generally use shingles, which wear down and require replacement every 25 years or so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-installed-solar-panels-on-the-roof-anything/702031.md?page=2)