Thoughts on mega wind and solar projects

[Phil Timmons]

@Phil Timmons just for reference for here, 16kW ground mount, low end quote was $65k three years ago. That's close to double to triple roof mounted solar in this area.

Roof PV is plug and play at the planning offices. Ground mounts all require signoff from multiple engineers, which increases the price, and unless you are a PE and can sign your own plans.

Very much "YMMV"!

All the best,

Peter

Tends to be a case-base on the Contractors. Some specific skills contractors do roofs. Others do ground. You want to shop for the ones that do what you need. Like you would not want to hire a car painter to paint your living room. Or something. Dunno. Just find the folks that actually do what you want. Not the ones who run up a price just to get you to pick something else. Sort of funny -- I do that with roofs. I call it "Sharing the PITA." (PITA being in Pain in the @ss).

Our numbers are down in the $1 to $2 per Watt range -- full install -- but do not let the customers get too wild on what they get. Sort of like Henry Ford was supposed to say of the Model T? You can have any color you want as long as it is Black.

But, yeah, as far as PEs -- it is part of the game. Both roof and ground. We have three EE, and two Structural. Some places need neither, some both, and some one or the other. I am a 30+ year Master, so I generally have the permitting covered. I never argue with a building inspector, and get things checked before hand, so life is easy.

The real difference for Ground v. Roof is really about (the real words) On-a-Building (Building Code, duh huh?) v. a "Structure" that is NOT a Building. Keep it OFF the Building and the Building Issues (of National Electrical Code) do not apply. The specific terms are Rapid Shutdown. That was some sleaze recently added to the NEC. Costs about $100 more per panel to put on a roof.

Got so tired of having to explain this so many times -- I put some sketches on line, just so folks can know what they can get without me having to do entire essays after someone thinks they already know everything from listening to a discussion on talk-radio, or wherever the retardation spreads from. Just been too busy to update this page, but maybe I should get a kid to do so? These are all $1 per Watt, full install.

Electric Farming Company Home Page

Your "quote" example was $4 per watt (or so, right?). But that was just "a quote," right? I mean you did not "buy" at that price point, right? You follow where this is going? That may be a quote, but is NOT a sales price, as no such sale occurred? I am asking, not saying? For example -- catch a little of this video, parallel product, good for perspective. -- anyone can quote any price. But that does not mean there is any such sale.

 

[ponytug]

@Phil Timmons Yes, I didn't bite at the price. In shopping around that was the lowest of the quotes received. One group did something unique in my experience. They quoted it, and then about four days later called to say that they had thought about it and decided that the job was beyond them, and they would like to pull the quote. (And it is not as if I want an unwilling contractor doing work for me...)

All the best,

Peter

 

[hoozie]

~16 months ago I installed solar on our house from Project Solar. They do the site plans and file the plans with the utility and the county, then send you a pallet of panels and parts. You supply any conduit and wires.

8kw in panels (but only 6kw in micro-inverters) and Enphase control boxes was around $15k. Then the 30% tax credit.

In that time it's generated 2.5MWh, or roughly $2250 in electricity.