7 ms·

Installation costs dominate the price. I check every few years, and while the hardware is down to about $5k for me, cost for installation remained $45k-$50k. Wh

Installation costs dominate the price. I check every few years, and while the hardware is down to about $5k for me, cost for installation remained $45k-$50k. Which is where it’s been for years. Makes diy very attractive though.

tapoxi 7mo ago
How big is that system? Without incentives mine was half that for 8kw.
Izikiel43 7mo ago
How hard is it to DIY?
- sfblah 7mo ago
  The installation is straightforward, but the problem comes when you want to connect to the grid, because you have to get it approved by the utility. I'm sure getting a DYI installation approved by the utility is _possible_, but I wouldn't count on it. And, you may not know that you got disapproved until you've made the investment and are sort of screwed. What I did was install solar with batteries and inverters that have the ability to never export power to the utility. That way I didn't have to tell them or seek their approval.
plantain 7mo ago
That cost makes absolutely no sense. It takes one single day for a couple of people to install solar and batteries on a residential house.
- SR2Z 7mo ago
  Baumol's Cost Disease at work, I guess.
  - ZeroGravitas 7mo ago
    It's a third or fourth of the price in Australia with equivalent labor costs. It's mostly unnecessary red tape and a broken market that cause the differences.
    - SR2Z 7mo ago
      Australian labor costs are significantly lower than the US, as are labor costs in most countries. Americans are paid pretty well.
      - ZeroGravitas 7mo ago
        Solar installer costs are broadly comparable as Australians are better qualified and even if they weren't comparable the fraction of the cost isn't enough to explain the total difference. There's various studies comparing the two countries, Tesla did one and found various technical approach changes and permitting reforms. It suggests labor is 7% of the cost in the US. Soft costs around acquisition, sales and marketing can be 18%.
metalman 7mo ago
50k? I could fly there, stay somewhere nice, buy a decent truck, put the solar PV on your roof, and make it home with 20k in my pocket to upgrade my solar power with and a truck.
- frumper 7mo ago
  That explains why many tradesman here are always driving new trucks.
pjc50 7mo ago
This is bananas. Ten years ago I paid £5.5k for a whole 3.9kW installation, which has now more than paid for itself. I can see why everyone in the US is saying "get a trade job", you can rip off householders to a massive extent.
antonkochubey 7mo ago
What kind of power we're talking about here? I was quoted €10600 (around half of which will be government-subsidized) for 8 kWp worth of panels + 10.24 kWh battery storage, including project documentation (for subsidies), labor, and materials.

tapoxi 7mo ago

How big is that system? Without incentives mine was half that for 8kw.

Izikiel43 7mo ago

How hard is it to DIY?

sfblah 7mo ago
The installation is straightforward, but the problem comes when you want to connect to the grid, because you have to get it approved by the utility. I'm sure getting a DYI installation approved by the utility is _possible_, but I wouldn't count on it. And, you may not know that you got disapproved until you've made the investment and are sort of screwed. What I did was install solar with batteries and inverters that have the ability to never export power to the utility. That way I didn't have to tell them or seek their approval.

plantain 7mo ago

That cost makes absolutely no sense. It takes one single day for a couple of people to install solar and batteries on a residential house.

SR2Z 7mo ago
Baumol's Cost Disease at work, I guess.
- ZeroGravitas 7mo ago
  It's a third or fourth of the price in Australia with equivalent labor costs. It's mostly unnecessary red tape and a broken market that cause the differences.
  - SR2Z 7mo ago
    Australian labor costs are significantly lower than the US, as are labor costs in most countries. Americans are paid pretty well.
    - ZeroGravitas 7mo ago
      Solar installer costs are broadly comparable as Australians are better qualified and even if they weren't comparable the fraction of the cost isn't enough to explain the total difference. There's various studies comparing the two countries, Tesla did one and found various technical approach changes and permitting reforms. It suggests labor is 7% of the cost in the US. Soft costs around acquisition, sales and marketing can be 18%.

metalman 7mo ago

50k? I could fly there, stay somewhere nice, buy a decent truck, put the solar PV on your roof, and make it home with 20k in my pocket to upgrade my solar power with and a truck.

frumper 7mo ago
That explains why many tradesman here are always driving new trucks.

pjc50 7mo ago

This is bananas. Ten years ago I paid £5.5k for a whole 3.9kW installation, which has now more than paid for itself. I can see why everyone in the US is saying "get a trade job", you can rip off householders to a massive extent.

antonkochubey 7mo ago

What kind of power we're talking about here? I was quoted €10600 (around half of which will be government-subsidized) for 8 kWp worth of panels + 10.24 kWh battery storage, including project documentation (for subsidies), labor, and materials.