Are Solar Panels Systems Worth It?

telcodad · 2025-05-14T13:52:56+00:00

Every now and then, I get to thinking about having a solar panel system installed on my home. But then, I see/read about horror stories like below, and it changes my mind. Also, would it be better to purchase or lease a solar panel system? Thousands struggling to get solar panels fixed after company’s bankruptcy. How the new CEO is trying to help By Mahsa Saeidi & Walter Smith Randolph, CBS New York - May 13, 2025 https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/sunpower-bankruptcy-solar-panel-broken/ Maria and Louis Pinneri’s golden years have been shaded by a broken solar panel system. In 2011, the Staten Island couple leased it through SunPower, a giant in the industry. In March 2023, they say it broke – specifically, the inverter, which converts electricity generated by the sun into electricity appropriate for the grid. “And they told us as soon as we get the new meter, we’re going to replace it,” Louis Pinneri said. “And I never heard it from them again.” …. : Rodgers says in recent months, dozens of small to mid-size solar installers, contractors and companies have failed. “It is an industry that has pretty much collapsed,” he said. “And the other problem, I’ll just tell you, is the government … ’Oh, we can’t do it because we can’t get this vote through. Oh, we’re going to pay for a part of your system, we’re not going to pay for part of your system.' And those jerk-arounds take a toll.”

Dks01

No. Just don’t. If you have to replace your shingles, your solar installation has to be removed at your cost.

pandaman1784

Dks01 the solar companies that i worked with and my friends have worked with refuse to install solar panels unless you have a new roof. i like this policy. because your roof should survive the lifespan of your panels.

pandaman1784

iahawkeye83 The housing market is NOT in my favor right now. Not enough inventory, housing prices are out of control, and interest rates are sky high.

to be honest with you, short of another pandemic of calamity, the housing market will never be in a buyer’s favor again. a decade of low interest rates have locked in much of the housing market with super low interest rates. unless you REALLY have to sell, those folks are not likely to let go of those mortgages. i’m one of those people. i will most likely pay off the mortgage after 30 years than to sell. heck, i rather hold the home and rent it out. breaking even in terms of rental income is better than selling at this point. my home is printing me money just by the fact that i have a low interest mortgage.

second, governments are wary of weak stock markets and weak housing markets. they will immediately jump in with some sort of financial support if they see a wobble in the market. as such, you won’t see much selling price decreased.

with both of these factors, you’re constantly going to be lots of buyers chasing low, expensive inventory. the only real solution is to build a crap ton of new homes. but most of the desirable areas are already taken. the next step is to further increase densities of cities. but i personally love a single family home.

telcodad

pandaman1784 the solar companies that i worked with and my friends have worked with refuse to install solar panels unless you have a new roof. i like this policy. because your roof should survive the lifespan of your panels.

I’ve heard that too.

Does having solar panels over them actually extend the life of asphalt roof shingles?

Dks01

telcodad There are other, serious issues. Snow and birds. $20k to remove them.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/i-would-like-to-have-them-off-my-roof-ontario-man-might-have-to-pay-20k-to-remove-solar-panels-from-his-roof/

pandaman1784

Dks01 There are other, serious issues. Snow and birds. $20k to remove them.

![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/pf/resources/images/ctvnews/favicon.ico?d=134) ‘I would like to have them off my roof’: Ontario man may have to pay $20K to remove solar panels

multiple problems here. first, they leased the panels. huge no-no

second they didn’t install snow breaks. those should have been installed to prevent crashing down of snow

finally, no critter guards around the bottom of the panels. that would keep away all birds and rodents.

pandaman1784

telcodad Does having solar panels over them actually extend the life of asphalt roof shingles?

i think it really depends. it definitely keeps the roof cooler as it gets less sun. but the life of shingles is also heavily dependent on the attic ventilation. if your attic isn’t properly ventilated, the shingles will bake from the bottom and can fail.

telcodad

Dks01 There are other, serious issues. Snow and birds. $20k to remove them.

![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/pf/resources/images/ctvnews/favicon.ico?d=134) ‘I would like to have them off my roof’: Ontario man may have to pay $20K to remove solar panels

Yeah, I thought, if I were to get them, I would see about mounting somewhere not on my roof, like make a covered patio or something with them.

cypherstream

telcodad that patio idea is petty cool. If you have the land, pole mount, articulating panels further away from the house are great too. I’d like to have an array away from the home, but our backyard is lined with trees. Suburbia out front, trees out back… best of both worlds- but limiting when it comes to solar placement.

Dks01

telcodad That mounting would last about one winter before being destroyed in my climate. This is a more common solar panel installation here.

telcodad

I remember going to a college somewhere where the parking lot had a covered parking structure equipped with solar panels. If you don’t have a garage, a Solar Carport could be an answer:

Everything You Need to Know About Solar Carports
Solar.com
https://www.solar.com/learn/everything-you-need-to-know-about-solar-carports/

Somewhat-Reticent

Also remember what one gust of wind can do.

cypherstream

Trane Technologies did the presentation tonight at the school board meeting. It would take 7-12 months to complete, cover all the electricity needs of 2 out of 6 schools, panels last “more than 30 years” and cost $3.89 million. After grants we would be on the hook for $1.136 million and payback time for that would take about 6 to 8 years. The array will be built on a bare field at one of the elementary schools. Next steps are a $7500 agreement with MetEd, our utility provider. Straw poll was 9-0… guess the district moves forward. 6-3 vote on a 3.25% preliminary budget tax increase as well. Final budget vote is in June but by now it’s pretty obvious the taxes will go up.

real_aurgathor

cypherstream

Is that a system with 580 panels, or with 2232 panels, because that’s not clear after looking into the math,.

These are 580 Watt panels, so 580 of them could generate up to about 336 kW. However, the inverters are rated for 50 kW nominal, meaning 7 should be more than enough, or even 6 by using their max PV rating.

With 2232 panels the max rated power would be 1294,6 kW, and that divided by 18 is 71.92 kW, which is about halfway between the inverters’ nominal rating and their max PV power of 90 kW. (see: https://www.chintpowersystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CPS-SCA50-60KTL-DO-US-480-Datasheet-12-5-2024.pdf )

Could not find prices for the panels, but at $1/watt, $580 per panel for comparable output can be assumed, the converters have an MSRP of around $8k, but I’ve seen actual prices in the vicinity of $5,5k - 6.5k.

With those numbers and 2232 panels, I got about $1.5M as the DM cost for the panels and inverters.

geek

Take a look at recent news headlines around solar. If you are concerned with companies being around for support, etc., I wouldn’t count on it.

telcodad

geek Take a look at recent news headlines around solar. If you are concerned with companies being around for support, etc., I wouldn’t count on it.

Yeah, scary news:

Solar stocks plunge as Republican tax bill worse than feared for clean energy
CNBC - May 22, 2025
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/22/solar-stocks-plunge-as-republican-tax-bill-worse-than-feared-for-clean-energy.html

Solar stocks plunged on Thursday after House Republicans passed a tax bill that terminates key clean energy credits.

Residential solar installer Sunrun plummeted more than 35%. The legislation ends tax credits for installers like Sunrun that lease equipment to customers.

The GOP bill is a “worse than feared” scenario for clean energy, as it takes a “sledgehammer” to the Inflation Reduction Act, Jefferies analysts led by Julien Dumoulin-Smith told clients in a note.

Some 70% of the rooftop solar industry now uses lease arrangements, making the bill disastrous for companies like Sunrun, Guggenheim analyst Joseph Osha told clients.

Enphase and SolarEdge plummeted about 16% and 24%, respectively, as sales of their inverters would take a hit from lower demand for rooftop solar. ….

Astyanax

Dks01 That mounting would last about one winter before being destroyed in my climate. This is a more common solar panel installation here.

OMG! A potential home buyer would be fine with an eyesore colossus like that taking up the backyard??

Astyanax

cypherstream panels last “more than 30 years” and cost $3.89 million

…and no one considered maybe panel technology may evolve during these next 3 decades? Maybe they become 2-3X or more efficient and maybe 8-9 years you’re back in the same room hearing another schpiel to replace those with the “new and improved ones” that will get you a “quicker” ROI for “a few dollars more” for another $3 million?

Remember Jimmy Carter’s solar panels on the White House was only 40 years ago and how much better are today’s panels compared to his back then?

This is all assuming the panels you’re getting work flawlessly for the costs their presenting throughout all those decades.

cypherstream Straw poll was 9-0… guess the district moves forward. 6-3 vote on a 3.25% preliminary budget tax increase as well. Final budget vote is in June but by now it’s pretty obvious the taxes will go up.

Apparently I was naive in assuming the point of doing it at all was to “save money”. Then it doesn’t even cover all the schools.

These guys would’ve been thrown out of the meeting room in my county let alone have it approved.

geek

Astyanax

Astyanax OMG! A potential home buyer would be fine with an eyesore colossus like that taking up the backyard?

Speaking for myself-

Entire backyard? Probably not. A small portion of it? Absolutely, especially when it can at least eliminate some building attachment issues. Plus, I like to admire my toys. 😄 That’s a little hard to do when they are on the roof.

Good point on technology changing over 30 years. Wonder how many of those people voting “yes” actually plan to still be there to see payback. “Solar”, “AI”, “EV” seem to be the letters that everyone is attracted to because the are somewhat new and shiny and generate buzz. I like to see actual proof/benefits before I open my wallet.

Astyanax

geek Speaking for myself-

Entire backyard? Probably not. A small portion of it? Absolutely, especially when it can at least eliminate some building attachment issues. Plus, I like to admire my toys. 😄

Whenever I’d look out the window to see the backyard that -thing- is all I’d see no matter how big the yard is. I’m very much into seamless technology where stuff works without being seen.

Now if I were a kid I’d probably think that was the coolest thing to have! I’d tell everybody at school “I bet you don’t have an ion cannon in your backyard to shoot down star destroyers out of orbit like I do!” 😄

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