6 ms·

Just a side note, most quotes I got from companies installing solar panels on my roof ranged between $3/kWh to $4/kWh.

thinkcontext 2y ago
Your units are wrong, kw not kwh. And your decimal place is wrong, the going rate is around $3 per watt. And I'm not sure how you were trying to relate that to battery storage.
- redundantly 2y ago
  I believe the person you responded to was talking about battery storage for solar set ups.
  - lazide 2y ago
    There is zero chance right now of any battery storage being in the $3/kwh range. Even in the manager-of-the-battery-factory-took-some-home-for-cost situation. That would be one of these [https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Perfect-Applications-Warranty/dp/B084DB36KW https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Perfect-Applications-...] for $3, if we were only talking batteries. No MPPT or line chargers, etc. That’s about what the plastic and internal bus components are going to cost for that battery, with no actual battery internals.
    - Qwertious 2y ago
      For example: A Tesla battery is roughly 80kWh, and costs $5k - $10k. If it were $3/kWh then it would cost $240. And since most home batteries are 10kWh they would cost $30 (plus electrician labor costs and wiring).
ChuckMcM 2y ago
Solar panels have indeed become much cheaper, although it is important to distinguish between energy "provided" and energy "stored." Which why the combination is so important. It is often great to look at solar in terms of a "solar day" which is defined as the hours during which the panels deliver peak capacity. On my house, there is about 6kW of solar panels, and under optimum productions they produce for 5 hours in a day, so a total of 30kWh. What gets to the house or the grid is reduced by efficiency losses and the difference between performance under "standard test conditions"[1] and what is actually their environment. My house reliably produces just over 5kW at its peak or about 25kWh in a solar day. In California, if you are tied to the grid as my system is, you are still at the mercy for how much the power company will credit you for power you generate vs charge you for power you consume. That has been a source of argument hear for the last 20 years. With sufficient local storage, you can completely disconnect from the grid and that removes this pricing power of the power company over your energy production. Something I hope to do within the next 5 years. [1] This is sort of the MPG equivalent rating for solar panels, good for comparing panels to other panels but bad for guessing how much power they will produce for you.
grecy 2y ago
Two months ago I got 6.8kW installed on my house for $13,000CAD. Some of that was DIY, but I just bought the whole system retail. So just under $2 CAD/kW installed and running - inverter, licensed electrician and permits, everything. (That's under $1.50 USD/kW) The panels are now cheaper than when I bought them too :)
- papercrane 2y ago
  Where did you get the kit from? I've been considering it, and I figured $2 CAD/kW is the 10-year break even point for me, which would be amazing since you can get a 10 year interest free loan for it.
  - grecy 2y ago
    I googled around for a while, and found pioneersolarenergy.com. Super helpful, good shipping price, etc. As well as the 10 year interest free loan check if your province has any rebates. The "Greener Homes" grant gave me $5k (So I only have $8k on the loan). It just made 1000 kWh in June, I'm super happy.
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  $13,000 / 6.8kW = just under $2,000/kW. Or did you mean W?
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - grecy 2y ago
    Sorry, you are right, $ per Watt.

Your units are wrong, kw not kwh. And your decimal place is wrong, the going rate is around $3 per watt. And I'm not sure how you were trying to relate that to battery storage.

redundantly 2y ago
I believe the person you responded to was talking about battery storage for solar set ups.
- lazide 2y ago
  There is zero chance right now of any battery storage being in the $3/kwh range. Even in the manager-of-the-battery-factory-took-some-home-for-cost situation. That would be one of these [https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Perfect-Applications-Warranty/dp/B084DB36KW https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Perfect-Applications-...] for $3, if we were only talking batteries. No MPPT or line chargers, etc. That’s about what the plastic and internal bus components are going to cost for that battery, with no actual battery internals.
  - Qwertious 2y ago
    For example: A Tesla battery is roughly 80kWh, and costs $5k - $10k. If it were $3/kWh then it would cost $240. And since most home batteries are 10kWh they would cost $30 (plus electrician labor costs and wiring).

ChuckMcM 2y ago

Solar panels have indeed become much cheaper, although it is important to distinguish between energy "provided" and energy "stored." Which why the combination is so important. It is often great to look at solar in terms of a "solar day" which is defined as the hours during which the panels deliver peak capacity. On my house, there is about 6kW of solar panels, and under optimum productions they produce for 5 hours in a day, so a total of 30kWh. What gets to the house or the grid is reduced by efficiency losses and the difference between performance under "standard test conditions"[1] and what is actually their environment. My house reliably produces just over 5kW at its peak or about 25kWh in a solar day. In California, if you are tied to the grid as my system is, you are still at the mercy for how much the power company will credit you for power you generate vs charge you for power you consume. That has been a source of argument hear for the last 20 years. With sufficient local storage, you can completely disconnect from the grid and that removes this pricing power of the power company over your energy production. Something I hope to do within the next 5 years. [1] This is sort of the MPG equivalent rating for solar panels, good for comparing panels to other panels but bad for guessing how much power they will produce for you.

grecy 2y ago

Two months ago I got 6.8kW installed on my house for $13,000CAD. Some of that was DIY, but I just bought the whole system retail. So just under $2 CAD/kW installed and running - inverter, licensed electrician and permits, everything. (That's under $1.50 USD/kW) The panels are now cheaper than when I bought them too :)

papercrane 2y ago
Where did you get the kit from? I've been considering it, and I figured $2 CAD/kW is the 10-year break even point for me, which would be amazing since you can get a 10 year interest free loan for it.
- grecy 2y ago
  I googled around for a while, and found pioneersolarenergy.com. Super helpful, good shipping price, etc. As well as the 10 year interest free loan check if your province has any rebates. The "Greener Homes" grant gave me $5k (So I only have $8k on the loan). It just made 1000 kWh in June, I'm super happy.
SoftTalker 2y ago
$13,000 / 6.8kW = just under $2,000/kW. Or did you mean W?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- grecy 2y ago
  Sorry, you are right, $ per Watt.