Posting in IMHO because I’m hoping this thread will be about suggestions and opinions, although I would like the info to be as fact-based as possible.
I am an engineer / tinker and enjoy “systems” type hobbies, so this is yet another mania my family has to put up with. I’ve got a lot of ideas, but they are tempered by the multitude of issues I hear about when I sit down to do my homework. So I would like to propose this as the discussion thread on the pros, cons and alternative ideas having to do with installing–and maintaining–renewable energy sources of any kind. This can include solar, wind, wood burning, geothermal, home hydroelectric, whatever you consider “renewable.” I’m starting this thread in 2021, so if an older thread from 10 years prior exists, please link to it, but let’s try to include only “recent” info here if we can.
This thread does not have to focus solely on DIY projects, but should include discussions on having professionals do the work, together with the pros and cons of bringing contractors into the picture. What kind of things do you wish you knew before you get started? What kind of products are available now, say, compared to a few years ago, that could change your opinion? What would you like to see more or less of?
And, because there are so many other threads mentioning these topics, might as well include them: Are these systems “better for the world overall” or not? Are they totally toxic to manufacture? Are better alternatives just around the corner? (“Mr. Fusion”) Etc.
To start things off, I would suggest there are different levels / purposes for installing renewable energy sources. The “hobbyist” level is likely lower cost, experimental, and may generate power sporadically, perhaps enough power accumulated in a day to run a small refrigerator and a couple of LED light bulbs, ~100 W continuously. There are kits available online that include the basics of such a setup. For instance, one kit I saw recently had, for USD $3k, a small wind generator and 3 solar panels, each roughly cookie-sheet sized, mounted on wheeled frames at an angle, so as to receive the sun at almost fully perpendicular (normal) if pointed correctly. These plug into a battery charger, which charges a battery, roughly of the same performance level as a car or boat battery. Then on the output side, you have an inverter, the device that converts battery 12V DC into the usual USA 120V AC for home appliance use. I imagine someone living in an apartment might make use of such a toy setup, but the amount of power involved is so small as to make it hardly worth it. Here is the link.
One immediate issue I have with this setup is that it doesn’t appear to be easy to expand upon, without spending way too much money. The battery charger / input output units appear to be proprietary and focused on this small scale setup, so putting money into this system is not likely to pay off if you tried to expand it.
The level above hobbyist might be called “home improvement,” with higher amounts of power generation and much more substantial integration with the power grid. Here, you see “power walls” from the likes of Tesla or Generac, various electronics including the ability to monitor inputs, outputs and switching between house power and grid power, and even the ability to export power to the local power grid, where allowed. For this you’ll probably need permits, inspections, contractors (especially electrical), and loans, in addition to tax breaks. I would expect such a setup to cost USD $10,000 to $20,000 or more. With such a setup, you should be able to take a substantial bite out of your electric bill even with stationary, roof-top mounted solar panels.
I guess a third level, which spans the gray area between “hobbyist” and “home improvement” would be “living off the grid.” If you are not well connected to a reliable power source, then adding solar and/or wind energy sources (with their requisite batteries and electronics) provide the ability to live in a modern, temperature-controlled home with lighting, pressurized hot water, electronics and appliances, etc.
I recently saw a YouTube video of a “home improvement” type installation. Bottom line, for the modestly-sized house in question, in the “not too hot, not too cold” climate of the Boston area, the annual kWh generated by the new system was about 6,000. In this case, about 90% of their rooftop was covered in PV panels. Now, in my home, we have at least two PC’s on at all times, and have to run the A/C for about 3-4 months per year. Although the house is well insulated and we use LED lighting to save energy, our annual kWh count is closer to 14,000. I’d suggest it’s the PCs and the A/C that are mostly to blame. If I did the same setup as in the YouTube vid, then I’m looking at saving maybe $600 to $700 per year, and the cost to do so would be ~$20,000. For me to make this investment, I’d need a big grant or substantial tax breaks to push me in this direction. Because the cost of electricity is low, I’m not adding renewables because it’s too expensive not to. It’s because it is interesting, satisfying and hopefully a fun experience to do so.
Other factors worth investigating include fixed vs. movable solar panels (to catch more energy during the day), wind vs. solar, solar panel efficiency, cleaning, and the ongoing drop in prices. Are there any other systems dropping in price these days? Or is it just the PV panels?
I admit I was disappointed to learn that wind generation, in the form of small, home wind generators (the kind you play with alongside your hobby kit’s solar panels) just don’t generate as much power, long term, as the solar panels do. However, I’ve not had a chance to play with these items in my current environment. I do know that there are many windy nights around here, during which the solar panels would not be producing anything, but the wind generators would be in fine form…provided the gusts of wind are not too strong.