Comments on: The Cost of Solar Energy Keeps Dropping, But…

By: colin genge

colin genge — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 04:49:26 +0000

Consumer Reports two issues
Consumer Reports two issues ago said it is finally the right time to buy solar for a residence but I don't recall they said a word about doing conservation measures in consort. They definitely need a conservation guy on staff since the influence the decisions of so many!

By: Tania Gray

Tania Gray — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 20:13:53 +0000

Excellent article as always
Excellent article as always Allison. I expect the falling cost of PV has hit bottom or close to it. If NREL expects installers to work for less every year that is unlikely. PV Business is not sustainable supplying modules below cost, for very long. We are starting to see PV module failures after 3-4 years because of lower grade parts and quality control.

There is an innovative hybrid called SunPump that combines Solar plus Heat Pump to achieve more. Indoors it is like Geothermal, and outdoors it uses new Photon Panels on the roof to perform direct exchange by circulating refrigerant, rather than water and underground exchange. The result is a low cost package that is uniquely both Renewable Energy (solar) AND Energy Efficiency (heat pump). Unlike Solar, a SunPump can produce on demand Day and Night, comes with 8 kW thermal storage plus backup, and is about 1/3 the cost installed. For someone that wants hydronic floor heating and hot water, this is a compelling package with a low cost Zero-carbon footprint.
https://www.sunpump.solar/

By: David Butler

David Butler — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:23:03 +0000

I agree it makes no sense to
I agree it makes no sense to devote resources to PV without first addressing the envelope. I cringe when I see 10kW systems on 1970's vintage slump block homes with with single pane glass an no wall insulation. That being said, we should reject any approach that doesn't look at the metrics for a given project. There's always a point beyond which it makes more sense to apply PV. That point varies dramatically by market, depending on climate, local energy costs, incentives and net metering rules. The bigger question prospective solar customers should be asking is how likely they are to lose retail net metering in their particular market, given the current trend by utilities and regulators to curb rooftop solar.

By: Dale Sherman

Dale Sherman — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 22:20:51 +0000

An interesting phenomenon I
An interesting phenomenon I’ve noticed may help drive efficiency on the coattails of newly installed PV systems. Homeowners interested in acquiring a PV system have typically done some modest energy efficiency; new windows, LED lamps, added insulation, etc. However, after their utility bill goes to zero (except for connection fees), they suddenly become interested in driving their consumption down further, especially if their banked kWh’s runs dry about February.

While before PV they could have lowered their monthly bill, now they want to ensure that any cash-flow is from the utility to them, and they want to grow their kWh bank as much as possible.

In the past, reducing their utility bill was a modest “reward”, but after going solar, homeowners have “incentive” to save. Reducing the outflow of money versus changing the direction of cash-flow is a very powerful psychological shift, one that the home performance industry should capitalize on.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:54:51 +0000

“It’s the beautiful woman or
“It’s the beautiful woman or hunky guy of the energy world. But you don’t want to forget your protection — energy efficiency — before you go over there and get something started.”

– LOL oh boy.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:53:53 +0000

HVAC issues? We never hear
HVAC issues? We never hear about HVAC issues on this blog. :)

By: ARMANDO COBO

ARMANDO COBO — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:14:06 +0000

$2.93 per watt??? Does that
$2.93 per watt??? Does that price includes rebates? What brand? Our prices in North TX for SunPower 327 panels are $4.50/watt before any rebates (Austin is $4.10/watt). I know there are other brands, like Renogy, LG or cheap Chinese PV that are cheaper, but when one includes the warranty, SunPower is no brainer.

By: Terje

Terje — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:09:32 +0000

Good point. There are still
Good point. There are still many low hanging fruits that can have a great impact on energy consumption. Being in the business of actually doing testing for Energy Star for equipment it is impressive how much the manufacturers have managed to drop consumption, in particular in idle mode. A level VI power adapter is under 0.1 W no load condition.
Now for housing, my experience buying an Energy Star house has been sobering. Except for a few CFL light bulbs in the house, not a single appliance was ES rated, not the fridge, not the stove or anything in the kitchen. And it is so easy to find an ES fridge…..for the bigger item the hot water tank was not ES and the HVAC was for sure not ES….it does not even have a AHRI certificate….really disappointing. I have already replaced my hot water tank with a heat pump unit from GE and it has been great so far. But fixing the HVAC and all it’s issues is a venture in it’s own. Maybe I should start blogging about that?
But thanks for a good article and a good point. All the little items in the house adds up and should be done before throwing solar on the roof. The solar system will be smaller too if the other items have been taken care of first.

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:07:45 +0000

Eric, BIPV is a good
Eric, BIPV is a good technology that can help. We still need efficiency, though.

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:06:45 +0000

Stu, yes, the duck curve is a
Stu, yes, the duck curve is a problem and no one has figured out how to keep those PV modules producing when the Sun goes down in the evening. But there are solutions: efficiency, orienting more PV modules to face west, and storage. As things stand now, though, you are correct that solar by itself has limits.