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C02 is Green Energy. Plants ingest C02, Water & Sunlight & CREATE Oxygen, Soil, Food & Building Materials & FUEL (WOOD). To be anti-C02 is to be anti-Green.
Solar panels wouldn't be so bad, if they were permanent. Most degrade, where they generate little if any, electricity by the time, they're 20 years old. They may be okay for residential use in some cases, but even if they're 100% efficient, they don't generate anywhere near enough power for industry.
My neighbor got solar panels on his roof-a year or so back . He was crowing about how inexpensive the whole thing was because of the government rebate. This year he had to get his shingle roof replaced because of leaks. He ended up having to pay a separate contractor almost seven thousand dollars to remove and then reinstall the panels after the shingle was replaced. All total he paid $26,000 for the roof replacement plus $6,800 for the panels. What a deal!
My neighbor just paid 9k for the removal and reinstall. He didn’t have any roof leaks but his roof just got old. His panels have been up since the 90’s and he loves them.
Why include the cost of the re-roof? He would have needed a new roof anyway. If the panels caused the pre-mature roof replacement would he have reinstalled the panels, I ask😊
@@skimanfree1073 No way anyone would ever trust the roofing company to remove and re-install panels. Plus, it is probably part of any guarantee that would be in place, that the original solar company performs this kind of service.
I've had an offgrid solar electric home since 1988. My 12 volt system (and needs) are small. I installed it myself and added to it over time. Total cost a few thousand dollars. Solar panel cost has come down, but battery prices have gone up. My last set of 4 golf cart batteries lasted 19 years. I haven't had an electric bill since 1988. My panels are NOT on the roof.
Acquired my first solar panel about 25 years ago. Have added more over the years, learning as I went. One of the main reasons I like solar is for when there is a power outage. My batteries keep fridge, water pump, and furnace running.
Each to his own, personally I would much rather have a whole house generator running on gas. It also depends on how frequently you have a power outage.
@@justinbenjamin4651 Fortunately no storms with damaging hail (tempting fate by saying that). I have sufficient batteries for couple of days in Winter, longer in Summer. Also have had Honda generator for 30 years. Converted to propane for better reliability (500 gallon tank).
I worked for a painting contractor who worked as a 'green energy installation contractor' for a while. He explained to me that he really wanted to believe that it was the right thing for the environment but after years of nearly endless lawsuits and companies that went bankrupt to avoid warranty reimbursement he realized it was simply a whole industry wrought with scams and dishonesty. And that's how he wound up a painting contractor.
Sounds like he was a subpar PV tech.. And his job performance was probably the type that's explained in this video, which is fear mongering at it's finest. Been in the industry since 2014 and most the O&M I perform is due to upgrades or fixing other crews mistakes. 🤷🏻♂️
I bought my PV system in 2018 for $21k. I immediately got $7k back in tax credits, then have conservatively saved $8,300 in electricity bills and made $7,043.09 in selling electricity back to the grid. I have had no issues.
I doubt your post as well. If you pay $0.15 KWH for electricity, the power company pays you about $0.04 KWH for your electricity you provide back to the grid. The power company does not pay you the same rate you are paying them. Plus how much does the $1,000,000 liability insurance policy cost that most electric companies require you to buy year after year to pay them if your system causes damage to theirs. "saved $8,300 in electricity bills and made $7,043.09 in selling electricity back to the grid" is not even close to adding up.
Plus the hassle of removing and reinstalling the solar panels as the roof ages and deterioration. That's if you are the few people who were lucky to have trouble free solar panels installation free from defects, roof structure & roofing system damage.
One thing your research didnt reveal is the life of the inverter. Ours lasted about 7 years, then the electrolytic capacitors dried out and the inverter circuit board blew up! It was a goner, really toasted. Being an electronics engineering technician, I installed a replacement inverter myself. The system still works, but we do only get about 2500watts max on a summer day. It's original output was 4000watts grid-tie.
Can you use the same kind of inverter (pure sine wave of course) that RVers use? If so I would think that wouldn't be that expensive or is just that the 4000 watts is dramatically more than the 2,500?
What brand of inverter failed? I use a gopower 2kW inverter, and a flex max 80 charge controller. I had to replace the gopower after about ten years, flex max continues to work normally. These seem to be good quality. Our gridtie inverters are china clones and lasted about twelve years Thank you for your time to reply
@@kf5hcr176 It was a 4kw Fronius inverter. I replaced it with another 5kw Fronius unit. Our panels on the house are about half as efficient as ones available today.
@@KoRntechdoubt that the panels degraded that much, that would be extreme. He has provided far too little information about his system to troubleshoot.
I'm a professional solar installer here in Brazil, and I must say I didn't think it would cause so much damage to asphalt shingles. Here in Brazil 85% of houses use ceramic shingles, and the gaps between shingles allow the anchor points to be installed easily, it's also way easier to locate the wood beams. The other 15% use metal roofs, and those use different anchor mechanism, but still, much much easier to make a perfect water seal on the anchor points than that with asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are basically nonexistent here, it's waaay too expensive, like 8X more expensive than ceramic, and like 10X more expensive than metallic for the entire roof.
I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and have solar panels installed on ceramic rooftop, like most houses. The anchoring system seems well designed and built and not so subject to leaks. Indeed shingles are flat.structures and seem very prone to leakage, so this is more an American challenge. My bill has reduced by 90% (I pay the minimum rate) and credits are stored for the high demand months on summer, when air conditioning runs 24/7 and energy bills double or triple. The market here is saturated with companies, so one has to search carefully to avoid trouble - pretty much like when buying a car you better watch Scotty and get advice from experts.
I would say solar would be pretty efficient in a hot, sunny, climate like Brazil, or anywhere near the equator for that matter. For those of us that live north of the 50th with 7 month long winters. I'm just not sold on the whole idea.
I’ve done construction for 25 years and it always cracks me up seeing solar panels on a 15 year old shingle roof 😂 how people end up successfully stupid is a head scratcher
@@Nat_SarimThat's not what he was saying. He's saying they are installing panels on shingles that look 15 years old. Not that they only last 15 years. If I was getting solar I'd put on a new roof first so you don't have to worry about it, I think that was his point.
25-30 year shingles NEVER last that long. At most 12-18 years and the warranty only covers cost of shingles not the other 75% which is labor.@@Nat_Sarim
I have 7 on my roof. ROI was 4.5 years. I also have 3 not on the roof which charge three batteries that run my fridge and freezer 24/7. Reserve of about 3 days of power for them in the batteries. In a pinch in really bad weather I can charge the battery with a generator to keep the fridge and freezer cold. It's nice to have options.
Nothing wrong with Solar panels as a backup or to charge small appliances, but the green agenda is a LIE. They've known since the earliest days of IPCC that Climate Change was another scam perpetrated by greedy, corrupt power hungry elites.
We have been fully solar for about 5 years. Our panels are not on our roof, but rather are in a stand alone almost ground level installation. We had to have an inverter replaced, covered fully under warranty. We sell the extra power we produce during the day to the power company, paid at a per unit price, in credits. At night, power is provided by the power company to us, at half the rate they pay to buy power from us. Credits can carry over. Living in the Az. desert, summer requires a lot of air conditioning, pre solar, up to $400.00 per month. Now, in the hottest 3 months, we pay about $40.00 per month. The rest of the year, our electricity bill is $17.00 per mo., different taxes and fees that account for the barest minimum you can be charged. To us, at this point, solar has performed as we were told it would, and we are pleased with it.
Smart to not put them on roof. I tell people all the time...do a separate awning or put them on a patio roof or gazebo...NOT ON THE ROOF. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HERE 👍
@@lisalee2885uhh I'm sorry you Americans dumbfound me, here in Australia almost half of all single family homes have solar and it's all on our roofs, I have never heard of a damages roof apart from a few cracked shingles. We have the installation down to a t. Single family homes produce almost 1/2 our power requirements during the day in some states and a full 1/4 of all electricity in Australia. If it was a big deal I bet it's because you don't have well trained installers
I had solar panels installed 5 years ago on a 3 day old new roof. They used a hammer to locate the beams to screw into. This destroyed the shingles! I was quite upset and made them pay for the replacement of those shingles. I live in Texas with lots of sun and over those years have averaged about 50% power savings. The summer is largest bills and winter/spring months they pay me ($5 to $10 month). The AC and Pool use lots of electricity during the summer. I would recommend watching them install the solar panels and walking the roof during this time. If you plan on getting a new roof have the roofers and solar installers work together!
Wait, so your shingles busted from the installers locating them? Sounds like they just used cheap material for youe house, I've been locating rafters that way for years. Perhaps they were blown out by the lags not going in perpendicular
Concise is not a word i would use to describe this video. Concise means clear and brief. The video was 10 and a 1/2 minutes long to tell you solar is bad. More importantly though, it was in no way accurate. Do bad things happen if you don't do your research and go with someone who works out of his garage instead of a reputable contractor (like him)? Absolutely. Are there "used car salesmen" who screw you on car purchases? Again, yes. I haven't seen a single video of him warning of that scam, but almost every video he makes, suggests what used car to buy. Hypocrisy isn't just a river in Africa. (Please correct sarcasm and really show ignorance).
Thanks Scotty for the concise information, I am a retired automotive technician and enjoy your videos on auto repair and when asked by family or friends about car repair I refer them to your videos. This video is clear that your logic and mechanical understanding goes far beyond automobiles,something a person with common sense can understand.
Scotty , I had a solar salesman come by the house , I was looking for an itemized estimate on the cost. His reply was” we don’t give itemized estimates “ my reply was “ I won’t buy your system if you can provide one” needless to I didn’t buy the overpriced system for 42k
This is great - it is neither for or against solar - just an honest presentation of all the facts to consider, which is exactly what people need to make a proper, informed decision. I think a lot of people get suckered into it without always understanding what they're getting into. Great example... Just down the street from us, there is a 1-story home which has a row of solar panels installed on the south-facing roof (this is in London, Ontario, Canada). The problem? The house immediately south of it is a _two-story_ house, and these homes are only about 6 feet apart! I don't know the story behind it; if the sales people were pushy or the people int he house were just very gullible or what, but wow.
On another note, since I live off grid, I only use a small chest freezer, and a small refridgerator, along with LED lights of which I only need 2 at any one time, and I also run my water pump occasionally. I paid around $4k for my system, and taught myself how to install it just before I retired. in 2016
You did it the smart way first. You increased the efficiency of your home first meaning you didn’t need such a large system to purchase and maintain saving you money, headaches and easier to maintain.
In Croatia where I live there is an option to have a deal with national electric energy provider. During the day you sell surplus energy to power company and at night you recieve energy from them. Only thing you have to look out for is to be at 0 or below in energy "export" if you go above you become an energy producer which puts you into a nasty tax situation.
Great video. I am an electrician and have worked in solar installation for several years. I found your video to be accurate. I installed a system on my roof and did the installation myself. The system has paid for itself multiple times, but I feel much luckier than most. For other homeowners in my area, it is almost impossible to get help with repairs to solar systems.
Solar contractor charged 4-5 times per watt to install one selling it as a long-term shift from paying a utility to repaying the loan that filled their pockets money so the owner can drive around in a lifted Ford F-350 platinum. The industry is heavy commission based everyone has a handout trying to make money off the deal.
I like that Scotty doesn't tell us Solar BAD, but rather provides us with the possible issues you need to look into before getting them and what to do to prepare, so you would maximize your returns.
I agree, there are some downfalls in having solar panels installed on your roof! But I believe they should be a stand alone system facing the south part. That advice seems reasonably correct.
Most solar installers will scam you and you will end up paying a monthly fee. Best way is to buy and install the solar system yourself that is the best way to do it.
I have a 925 Square foot house and a few years ago we for some odd reason wanted to look into solar panels. We got quoted $35k for our little house from Pink Solar! I was shocked, they were relentless too. After we said no, a few days later they were knocking on our door and didn’t want to leave. Safe to say we didn’t answer the door 😂😂
my house is the same size. i didn't even look in to solar as my electric bill is like 30 -40 bucks/ month so there would be no way it would ever pay financially plus i'm 62 so don't know how long i got in this house.
Hi Scotty, you forgot to mention RFI. Charge controllers and inverters of all types emit radio frequency energy over a wide range of the radio spectrum from a typical residential or commercial solar installation. This is known as RFI, radio frequency intererference. . This is due to the rich content of harmonics and broadband hash generated by the intrinsic switching nature of an DC to AC or DC-AC-DC inverter. The total amount of energy being released by an inverter can range from tens of KHz to hundreds of MHz, raising the radio spectrum's background noise floor, potentially blanketing radio communication systems. The wiring throughout the home becomes an effective electromagnetic transducer, known as a transmitting antenna system. The radiated energy can be detected at great distances. The rapid and exponential growth of solar energy installations is alarming, and many radio services could be rendered unless due to the increase in the background radio pollution. The consequences could be dire, even a national security risk.
The best way to avoid most of these issues is to install the solar on a deck or back yard. But this does take up a lot of your area. So good for semi-rural areas, less so for cities. Where I live, the "homes" don't even have mroe than 5-8ft of back yard anyways, they are packed in so tight. EDIT - and yes, learn to DIY and hire an electrician. It's really simple when the panels are on simple supports sitting on a cement pad in the back yard. You also get to keep 100% of the rebate. Fun fact: DIY solar installs using old panels that are considered "bad" because they produce only 70% or so or their rated power due to age are often available for next to nothing. Again, check with a pro to be sure, but 10K for a DIY install with older panels is quite possible. Again, provided you have the land. :)
I second installing them in a back yard rather than a roof. The risk of damage to the roof isn’t worth it to me. When it comes time for a new roof or if you need any roof repairs it’s going to cost more since you then have to remove and then reinstall the system. I also cannot stand the way the panels look when they’re installed on the roof. They’re just an eye sore to me unless the whole neighborhood has them. Fortunately for me if I ever choose to go solar on my roof the south facing side of my house is the back side so I wouldn’t have to see the panels everyday when I pull into the drive.
Even only 10k is 6-7 yrs of electric bills for me... we just conserve more I guess. Minimal AC from window units, and a 62° thermostat setting for heat... that's in Wi. I know alot of people that got systems that arent coming close to what they were promised with solar. Payback for me wouldnt happen in my lifetime.
@@dinobot_maximize Versus 30-40K, damaging your roof, and grifters? Easy money. A cement pad takes 2-3 days to make yourself as it's not like a driveway - 4-6 inches will do just fine, same as garden paths. Typically this is 2x8s an inch or two in dirt and a level/screws/chalk line (etc). The frames are literal DIY angled pieces with metal and bolts and the weight alone keeps them pretty much in place. Conduit, some sealant to keep it all watertight... easy and legit DIY you can do in a week or less with the help of someone who knows electrical. Because it's on the ground and you can walk around it, it's basically as real life Erector Set. For protection, install some metal shutters on hinges. It takes minutes to secure them during storms. Simple pins to hold them in place works well enough. (or long nails) That leaves the inverter and or batteries and actual electrician and the inspection. And you walk away with a system that is closer to $5K after rebates. Or basically free if you find some used panels. :)
Great video as usual Scotty! Love the music and editing. Although I think you over emphasizing solar being a scam when in reality it is not. The problems are mostly due to just bad, unprofessional and uneducated pushy commission based sales reps trying to make sales (cutting corners) solar installation companies that struggle to keep up with high cost construction equipment, cash flow issues, and maintenance or repair issues. It’s a potential high risk high reward industry. I work in residential solar (as part of my companies cost saving and resilient property design consulting), have 15+ years of experience in the field, and I educate homeowners on all the issues you discuss in the video. These questions come up commonly and there are lots of misconceptions about solar and how it works. Calling it a scam doesn’t really help, because in general that is not true, but educating people about common challenges and things to consider is very helpful. Regardless of the fact that solar has been around for 30+ years, the industry is still in its infancy. As you say less than 8% adoption - Nationally actually I believe it is more like 5%). In my business, I highly value honesty, integrity and long term relationships with my clients in their effort to be more resilient, so the company I work with warranties roof penetration and the whole solar system for 30 years (everything but the battery which has a 15 year warranty). With the company I choose to partner with, the warranty is funded into a separate LLC company with the sole purpose of long term warranty fulfillment so if the main solar company ever did go out of business the warranties are fully available & covered. Many of the issues you discussed are being addressed by the industry or by regulations being put on the industry, both of which are good, in my opinion. Lastly, I’ve helped dozens of homeowners go solar and none of my clients have had any of the issues you discussed. Sure, it’s construction, so it’s not a cake walk. There are sometimes challenges, but we work together to get them addressed, so we have a well designed, well built, awesome solar system with a happy customer, and therefore word of mouth referrals is our bread and butter. My homeowners who have gone solar are seeing 25-75% reduction in the cost they pay per kWh of energy. As you said, savings are the greatest in areas with higher energy costs and when solar is bought in cash, but even financing can save people a lot of money on monthly energy bills. And, with an aging and increasingly unstable grid, solar plus back up battery storage is making more and more sense financially and logistically across the country. It takes less than 5 years for solar panels to offset their embodied energy from manufacturing and transportation. So the myth that they are worse for the environment, is simply a myth. Cheers & keep up the great content.
I live in Arizona, 1/2 of my roof faces South but I will not install solar panels because I don't have the $25,000 in cash nor will I sign a lease. We wouldn't even consider buying a home here that had solar panels on the roof. Scotty didn't point out if you lease the solar and decide to sell your home the new buyer has to pay off the lease or qualify for a separate loan and that could slow the process of selling.
Also dont forget to please check your LOCAL tax rules. Time and again my friends installed solar panels only to discover the township they reside in considers it a home improvement. Their home value assessment went up which increased their local taxes!
Only Scotty will tell you the truth from cars and solar panels. My next door neighbor had the panels installed. After a year or so, their roof started leaking. Finally they spent all the savings on electricity and plus big bucks to get the roof redone. My other neighbor needs new panels and batteries due to the downgrade solar absorption & battery after a few years. That's where the catch is, it is no longer free. You need to pay a hefty amount to get them replaced. My final verdict, never have someone drill holes on your roof or you will have fun, I mean lots of fun to deal with it.
I put a solar system in my roof for less than $10,000 that runs 24/7. No problem with the roof because my roof is concrete. People keep talking about the pollution caused by producing and transporting solar panels or building an electric car. But they forget the inmense amounts of pollution our way of living, for the past 150 yaers, produce.
A couple more things that Scotty didn't discuss. 1. If you purchase solar panels and are paying the solar company on an installment plan, they will have a lien on your house which may be difficult to resolve in the event you sell your home. 2. Several articles comin out of Florida about insurance companies dropping homeowners coverage due to solar panes and/or charging significant fees to cover the panels.
to your #1 response its in the agreement with a UCC-1. A UCC-1 is a legal form that a creditor files to notify interested parties that they have a security interest in a debtor's personal property. The filing serves as a public notice that the creditor has the right to take possession of the assets as repayment on the underlying debt. UCC filings do not impact your personal credit score, but they will show up on your business credit report for the past five years. A lien is only put on homes with solar if they cant make the payments from said installment plan. If there isn't that in question of that option in the plan then i would recommend not signing with them.
There are good and bad solar companies as well as the equipment and anecdotal experiences but ours certainly ranks as what a PV installation should be. $11k total outlay after federal tax rebate, we rolled the new roof (built-up low slope) into the 33% tax rebate, five year ROI. We are in the most expensive electric market in the country and we have 100% offset with our modest-sized system. No issues and free electricity for the next 20 years.
What do you mean rolled the new roof onto the tax credit... so you mean when you got solar, you got a new roof too and totaled the cost of roof plus solar and took the 30% credit on that? We are in that position where we need to get a new roof to get the solar so if we can do that, that would be great!
I installed panels on the rear of my home which faces south I have between 80 and 90 percent reduction in my power Bill's to date. Most months I pay the minimum. I figure a 6 to 7 year pay back. I'm happy so far. If the rates rise it will be faster.
One detail you missed is that most solar systems will shut themselves down if the power goes out, to avoid back-feeding the grid. It takes a specialised off-grid switching system that can disconnect itself to keep power in this situation, which is expensive to get installed. Most of this applies to Europe too, where we went with a reputable local company that installed our panels. Aside from the monitoring dashboard being unreliable, the system has been running flawless for about 3 years now. We got it installed when we were doing well financially while the government gave us multiple stacking incentives for installing panels or other house improvements. Our roofing is ageing and probably should have been replaced beforehand, but it's fully water tight and we can afford the extra fees for moving the panels if needed. We're happy with our solar system and it is beneficial when combined with running a local server. But it's more a fun extra, as our heating and hot water system is still powered by natural gas. It's not in the way for us and it's interesting to see how long it lasts.
There are times I'm glad to live in an area of the country that has 270+ days of overcast. You don't see solar panel salesman around these parts. Between October and April, I subscribe to a magazine called "Sun Monthly." It helps me to remember what the sun looks like. We don't want to relive the "Panic of 1936" when the sun came out one afternoon in February and everyone roited thinking the world was ending.
They don’t work at night. In California where I am it’s hot well into the night in July and August. These will offset costs but not eliminate them. I’ve asked a few homeowners with Solar about their bills and it’s not a magic fix. You’ll need a massive amount of battery storage to get to an off grid situation. It’s summer, get out and go to the lake or the beach. Acclimate to the seasons, you’ll live!
DIY. Buy 4 lead acid tractor trailer deep cycle batteries. put them in parallel and create 48 volts Buy some portable 30 watt solar panels, dc to dc converter (12 volts to 48 volts), or three in parallel to make 48 volts; run batteries through a 5000 watt inverter. may need to have extra power for AC in hot summer, otherwise those deep cycle batteries can handle the whole house.
Thank you Scotty for bringing up this topic, is amazing the number of horror stories about this, I almost fall into the scam crap here in FL when decided to give it a shot since my neighbor owns ones of these solar companies, they convinced me but I didn't wanted to go with the standard setup that was useless if power goes out so I decided to have some battery backups that would help to store some power while being able to use some juice during the day if power is out. Long story longer, the day of installation the techs were not familiar with my "upgraded" system and said that another tech with special license had to install that system, so I told they weren't going to install anything in my new roof, that was probably the only good part of all this, the honesty of the installer when he saw my setup, that fact immediately made me realize that after the installation I was going to be dealing with a lot of problems and excuses from the seller and installing company, all of that led me to start a fight with the neighbor and ignore their contract, which at the end of the day got dissolved by itself... these companies know that they have more to loose when starting a legal battle so they just drop it. I haven't heard not even one good experience here in FL about this solar stuff, best thing to do is staying away from it.
You did the right thing. Solar panels are a scam and not worth it. Maybe in CA, where electric is ridiculous, but even then, not worth the hassle and worry.
@micker9830 thanks for sharing your thoughts, I'm so glad those panels never went up on the roof of the new house, I'm hearing horror stories too with insurance going up and roof warranty being voided as soon as they install them. Better waiting 10 years until that market shapes up with real expectations and who knows....
LOL, I live in northern California 45 minutes from the closest town. We've been running our houses off solar, hydro, wind And gas generator backup since the early 80s. If you're going to go solar, make sure you buy your own equipment and install a battery bank.otherwise it's absolutely useless when the power goes out. Your power will be out too, without a battery bank. Also most programs through your utility company means they own the equipment not you. Regardless though if your house is fully electric you're gonna have to have a huge solar array to keep it going without supplemental power, forget trying to charge an EV.
I'll install solar panels if one of these 2 conditions are met: 1) If i have to pay for the whole thing, which means i am the one generating electricity, then i expect to be able to set the cost to the energy companies that i provide. or 2) The energy company pay the % difference (cost of using electric from the grid eg 40c kw/hr vs cost of supplying power to the grid 20c kw/hr. That means 50%) in installation, maintenance, and rental cost, since part of my property is being used for generating power. Until then, NO. I know a scam when i see it. Its outrageous to expect the home owners to pay for the infrastructure, generate power on behalf of the energy companies AND give up part of their property for energy companies only to have them set the price of energy going into the grid. This is egregious level of greed.
I like this. Its not a "Solar is Bad" More of a "They are not telling you all of the Truth about it" And he is Completely Right. I Installed a Solar array on my House that I bought. But I did a lot of Research. Had the Roof Redone while doing it. And made sure to take extra care for leaks and other problems. I got a Battery system with it. And honestly It was not TO bad price wise. I was not trying to off set my entire power costs but get something to offset Power outages and High temp days where the energy bill spikes. And so far it has helped and been worth it. But it took a LOT of work. Research and time to make sure I was not falling into a trap or getting scammed. I am a tax preparer so I am use to heavy amounts of research as well doing a lot of leg work. But for a lot of people I can totally see this being to much and them relying on the words of many companies that will cut corners or exaggerate things. But yeah. Solar has worked out for me for the last few years. But I Did a lot of research and spent a ton of time making decisions and making sure it was just right.
Good on ya Scotty for telling it how it is.most people still don't realize that most things are only designed to relieve them of their money and they will be worse off than before
Scotty, I would never let anyone WALK on my roof...let alone drill hundreds and hundreds of holes in it with fasteners and screws. I told my brother who did get solar the reason I would not! I know for A FACT...my roof would leak like crazy afterwards. The sales person will NEVER tell the potential customer the downside of solar. So...NOT ME! Glad you covered this. 👍🏻😉
My average electricity bill is about $85 per month which I don't even consider solar. If I would ever install solar panels that would be on my patio, not on the roof. I don't want leaks.
The Big Problem are Critters getting Underneath the panels and Borrowing the wires for a Nest. You end up with shorting that requires removal of the panels and thousands of dollars. Also, You need to clean the Panels every few months or you get a huge drop in production. It's best to mount it on a metal stand away from your house. Those Inverters also get hot and short out, possibly causing fires. My friend has this and wants to have the panels removed. He was told that Removal is Thousands more. Your Roof is Leaking? Good Luck getting the panels off to fix it.Also the Warranty does not cover any damage to the Panels for any reason or anything other than the Panels themselves such as wiring or other hardware. The warranty usually ends after 10 years, so when you have problems it will cost thousands. 20 Panels equals 100 holes in your roof. Who thought that this was a Good Idea? You get Leaks? You need this headache to save $200 a month?
@JoshPezzner bc my electric bull is less then $100 a month. No solar can match that for my usage. I've had several companies try. My house is gas. So I'm not 100% electric.
I have a customer who has a solar system and paid $65,000.00 cash. The company came out to start the install they found one of the panels were cracked. And once the install was complete, they they found out that there was another bad panel and there was something else that went wrong with the battery backup. They fixed the battery backup that day or the day after. They had to orderthe two new panels which took a year to get them part of the time remodeling their house. I know for the time I was there which was a couple months he would call the company everyday. Then came the day the he got a call from a differnt company to schedule and install day. They came out while I was there and the home owner was home to meet with them. Come to find out the original company went belly up and filed for bankruptcy and he was one of the lucky ones who got his system repaired. Now there's a class action suit started. Now he's screwed if anything goes wrong with it the warranty went away when the company went away.
I've had the door to door guys come around and first I tell then that I have done the math and know that the "Break Even" time over energy savings is almost 20 years - not including a new roof. Then I say - I will not be here that long - they agree mostly and just leave.
Roofing warranties and solar installation warranties have never been worth anything as most companies go belly up before 25 years anyway. However the manufacturer warranty on the equipment is likely still good so just price in the cost of having repairs done when getting a solar estimate and never assume their warranty they're offering is worth anything.
I learned the hard way. Most of the people that get scammed are to ashamed to admit it. A person needs a field full of panels and a basement full of batteries.
My parents tried getting solar panels installed. More than half way to thru the installation the company file bankruptcy. Now my house is stuck with large non-working solar panels. Im not sure what we can do with them but after seeing this video I'm pretty sure now it's what's causing our house to heat up like crazy
If you have panels you don't have to pay on since they went belly up., id say you may be in a good situation. Just get an inverter and have a pro install and tie to grid. Then watch that electric bill drop down.
Can we please for love of God just get over the fact that, yes, Nuclear does come with some risk, but its what we should be using? Nuclear solves so much of our energy problems and would actually make electric cars more viable.
I like solar power on my RV. I can go for many days on solar power alone depending of the time of year and weather. I can go 4 days easily. Most RV are using LED lights. Running the microwave is out of the question unless the 2500W propane generator is running. The frig runs off of propane too. The stove and heat will run off of propane too. However, camping in the wild for a week is not that hard. The down side is that insurance companies are reluctant to insure houses with solar panels because wind can rip them and the roof off the house.
No offense but it doesn't sound like you are running much from solar on your rv. I suppose it helps with fuel being so expensive now (governments fault all round the world), but if you have to run most things on generator or propane anyway, it doesn't seem like it would be a universal benefit for everyone. Thanks, for the real world information.
I installed a DIY system for a fraction of what companies are charging. Even including 20.4kw of LiFePo4 batteries I'm at about 10 grand. In a typical month I pay the base minimum to the electric company. During rainy cloudy months I have to buy a lot of electricity. Just like every thing else in life you will experience problems with the system that will require repairs. I've developed shorts in a few panels that have shattered the glass. I had a bridge rectifier fry in a combiner box. As far as hail goes, they're rated for golf ball sized hail. I have gone through a couple of hailstorms no where near golf ball size with no problems. Solar panels do protect your roof from hail as well.
I got a quote for $44,000 for solar on my house. But, by the time I paid that off, I would need to replace them. That did not include battery backup. For small applications it is cost effective. I have some on my ambulance rv.
Two things. 1 I don't install solar because they want to put it on the roof. 2 Trees may not be in the way today, but keep in mind that the trees that are barely out of the way will grow. One last thing is that these people often check to see if you can use solar by checking Google maps, which isn't going to be as good as a visit to your site. This can give you a false positive. Back in the 70s there were a lot of alternate energy devices coming out, and the consensus was if it advertised a government kick back, it didn't work. A friend of mine has a solar setup as you describe. He is currently facing having them taken off his roof at his expense to replace his roofing.
I hear this problem all the time and this is why solar is tuff to sell. There's no problems with having solar on your roof if its installed properly and if you don't want it on the roof you can do a ground mount which is effective just as well . They do not do anything to the trees unless they hang over the roof, then they just trim them back, they never remove them. All trees stay lol And as for new trees that grow, don't plant them near the solar .......just some things to think about. Solar is very good and if you have a bill that averages over $100 a month then its something to think about. Good luck
Solar only makes sense in places where you cannot connect to a grid. Maybe it could work in desert areas like Nevada too. Ideally you don't have the panels on your roof either...better to have it in a separate area from the house. Scotty did a good job explaining the flaws of roof installed solar panels.
I was in the national park service alcatraz island from 1994-2018 in 2010 we installed solar and been saving $3,500 a month in diesel fuel,I volunteer a few times a year and it's still going
People don't realize they dont need them. They can get by without them. They only need the battery backup and a smart panel. The way it works takes advantage of the highs and lows of the daily cost of electricity from their utility. During peak hours utilities charge more $. So you smart panel switches to the batteries during these times, saving you money. Then during off peak times the panel switches back, recharging the battery and powering their home.
Thanks much for your video. I had thought about getting solar panels but watching your video has made me think twice. It's my same thinking about electric vehicles. To help lower my home electric bill I bought led bulbs. My whole house is led. I bought them even in the beginning when they weren't popular. Even my 2000 Camry LE is led. The only things I can't change to led in my Camry is the hazard light switch, the cigarette lighter, the clock and master switch light in the driver's side door. But the rest of the Camry is led. And I like it just fine.
Good info scotty. People definitely shouldn't assume that solar panels will eliminate their electric bills. Should plan more to have a system for backup power in place of, or in addition to, a gas generator. Starting off with a small ground based system and upgrading if that goes well.
Nice job pointing out so many things about solar. I have solar ground mount with 55kw of battery backup. I built my whole system with used panels and even built my battery banks. I have $14,500 into my system of 10kw solar. Everything he say says is true. I looked into having a company do my system and that would have added over $10,000 to install. My payback right now is 7 years. I am not totally of grid I pay 2 months a year for electricity and a $10 a month fee for the months I don't use any. Only way I would install solar on any roof is if it was a 50 year roof and I had full day of sun to them. Look up if its white clouds you could get 80% of rated, light grey clouds 30-60% and dark grey 0-10%. I see when its raining or snowing I get at max 1-3%. Batteries are getting cheaper. I missed selling my extra summer electricity back by 6 months. Oh they offer credit but with the fees and everything its not worth the hassle. I will put another $7k into my setup so in winter I wont need the grid which will put me off grid except for Natural gas and I will figure out how to stop that also. Be careful if a company want to sale you solar contact BBB and see what complains are said about them.
Also on the real estate side. If the first owner installed solar panels and then wants to sell the home. The solar company has a say on wether the homes gets approved to be sold to the potential new homewoner. If the 2nd home owner doesn't want solar panels. Your out of luck since the contract transfers to the new home owners.
Scotty Kilmer still uses a Rolodex and doesn’t clean his yard or garage. It’s really the person I look to for advice on technology. He right in the fact that solar hasn’t been the most efficient and reliable as a sole source of power, but with todays panels appliances , and LED lights most people have in their homes, adding LiFePo4 battery banks, you can be independent of the electric company.
8 months, $0 bill, +$300 credit. $12,640 after incentive install for 8.1kW. I did my homework and easily avoided all the Scams Scotty listed. The only downside was the months of learning, but I am fully in control and confident I will avoid paying the power companies. Scotty's warning are valid, but a proper install really does pay off big time!
I've been researching solar for a couple of weeks now with the simple purpose of having a backup power solution. I spent so much time researching all the components and trying to make sense of all the costs. And in the end it's just not as practical or reliable as a generator. The finishing punch for me was peak sun hours. Meaning solar panels only work 4 to 5 hours of the day, so you need really large capacity and storage to really make it work. So much space and maintenance requirements it just does not make any sense at all for home use. And just think about this: Any and all technology first becomes economically viable at mass-scale before it becomes efficient enough for the consumer. So how come solar has not taken over in any sector of the economy? Because it's not efficient even at mass scale!
Canadian Shield; i installed my own panels and system at 1/4 of the cost, also..install on a metal painted roof..my system 7yrs old now...zero issues,zero roof damage or leaks, still at max peak power....
I have solar and I agree with the numbers. My tax credit came back to me as a refund, just as if I over paid in taxes for the year. Also, I don't have an electric bill at all for my system, and I paid upfront for it. Now, after I use the power I need, the rest gets sold back to the power company. By the time winter comes, I have around 500-600 dollars in credit. That covers my electric bill for the winter here in MN. So in my case, I have not received a bill from the day it was turned on. But you need a good amount of panels to do that. I went larger than recommended on my system, thinking someday I would have an EV. Now when my panels reach EOL I'll have them removed, install a new roof and new panels reinstalled. Insurance said they pay for removal and reinstall if I need a new roof, I just have to pay for the panel which would be around 8k. Now some states don't pay as well for power you send back to the grid, but MN does. Scotty is right on everything he said, not everyone will have a 0 dollar bill. But things will get better if we keep working on them. Cars didn't get better gas mileage and cleaner overnight. Great video Scotty PS don't have them install it in the winter and install them on the ground if you have the land
Looked into it a few years ago with different companies. Nothing added up. The utility company doesn't let you go off-grid, here. They didn't have a battery system for me. They wouldn't answer questions about hurricane damage. The roof installation seemed really dangerous for my roof. It was all sketchy as heck.
A solar “regional manager” came to my house and complained that I had refused every sales person that he had sent. “Why?” Told him I wasn’t interested in signing any Power Purchase Agreement. Also, I wasn’t interested in anything but Off Grid. He told me, “They won’t let you go off grid…” I responded, “No? What happens when you stop paying your electric bill?” He stared at me and quietly said, “You may have just found a loophole.” Never saw them again.
how can they not let you go off grid? If there's one thing I can't stand, its a system all set up to force you to be stuck in this world system. I checked with my city fortunately for me they specifically said you do not have to be hooked up to the grid as far as the permitting and zoning goes. Well I'm building a hut in the woods without a permit anyways so it doesn't matter anyways but I'll probably build something more permanent the legal way when I can afford it all with cash only and that will be off grid as well. I take it you must already be hooked up to the grid, and they refuse to disconnect service. Seems like in this almost dystopian age of taxes and forced existence fees the only way to out smart the system is to slip under the radar
You can absolutely go off-grid utilizing advanced technology from Enphase. But utility company was talking about is a lot of solar systems have anti islanding for safety purposes.
I dropped two panels of my roof while installing them and didn't damage them. Golf ball sized hail tore up my roof, except where protected by solar. When the grid went down I had power while everyone else didn't. I saved the total cost of the install in THREE YEARS!! I also drive an electric car to work and use %100 solar to charge it. I have zero electric bill (I still heat with gas) My solar install cost me $7,000, for a dui grid tied was free from the power company.
1 out of 4 houses in my neighborhood has solar panels installed. It's nonstop door to door asking if we want them, I always answer with a not interested. In time, they're going to see the downside of having solar panels.
Sur, there are shady solar install companies - shady companies in any industry - errrr your beloved Toyota marking up vehicles by $10k ??? The issue is what the utility companies give you for your electricity per kWh and you are limited to the production, it's capped. The issue is natural gas is so cheap in the US it's hard to beat it but one day that will change - who knows when.
People should learn this stuff for themselves. I started with used UPS batteries, a PWM charger, and a 250 watt panel. Powered a few low-voltage things like my Wi-fi and HAM radios. Now I'm up to 1,000 watts of panels, 6kWh of batteries, MPPT charging, and an inverter powerful enough for the refrigerator, TV, and coffee maker. I make about 5kWh per day - less than 20% of my total electric consumption. No need to max out the roof in one signature - microinverters are key for starting small and gradually adding grid-tie over time. My next step is one of those all-in-ones Will Prowse is always touting.
Agree 100%. I've been watching Will Prowse's videos to learn all about setting up my own solar powered system. Havent done it yet bc it costs over $12k for a new roof and Im moving soon but will once I find/buy a new place. Also need to mention to check local laws to find out what you can do on YOUR OWN PROPERTY. You may need permits so that's a huge hassle to deal with.
@@direwolf3972- When you see the cycle life on a battery that is actually giving it's life down to 80%. In practice - if a battery is good for 3,500 cycles this means that if you fully drain it and fully recharge it every day, it will last 3,500 cycles above 80% capacity and 3,500 cycles is roughly 10 years. After that, it will likely last another 10-20 years but below 80% efficiency. And most likely there will be even better technology by then.
Thank you Scotty..... you always get to the point and give good information to know..... when facing a project. I have been a cal, state B contractor from the 80s...... for people that have plenty of money they can afford to deal with solar panel problems and can afford the best system and will do fine in the long run. There are 2 things to give serious consideration before getting a system NUMBER 1..... if you dont expect to live in the home for the next 10 years dont contract for a system . NUMBER 2 seriously consider mounting you panels on the ground. or making a shade structure for parking or patio area... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Have it & it works. Took my annual bill from $1500-$1800 to under $200 per year. Sad thing is the 15 panel system I paid 18.7k for in 2017 [with 10.2k in eligible tax credits which either increased the state & federal refunds or reduced the amount owed by same $ amount but one must have both state & federal taxes withheld to receive the available tax credit $] is now a 12 panel system @ only 11.3k with 5.7k in eligible tax credits meaning the expenditure could be as low as 5.4k instead of 8.5k. They reinforce the roof rafters with 2 by 6 planks & get the necessary permits with a 25 year warranty. Tesla Solar City was the company who did the install & their price was the best.
I installed on my own a simple 3000w system on the side of my house for about $2,000 last year. (Still need to do final calculations and get my rebate.) So far it's working well, and reduces my electric bill about $20-50 a month. It's a simple grid tie system, so no batteries, but only works when the power is on. Fortunately I'm knowledgeable and handy enough to do everything myself. I plan on doing a RU-vid video soon when I get everything looking professional. Yes, Scotty is correct about all the downfalls. I researched and put in a system that avoids most of them.
You need to install a transfer switch to disconnected it from the grid when the power goes out. That way, it powers your house with out backfeeding into the grid.
I will never go grid-tie as it is not worth the hassle. My electricity total is .17/Kwh and I can never match that with any solar setup. Pick the major components needed in a power outage, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, entertainment system, computers, and router (all 120 volt) build an off grid system that can handle that load for 2-3 days and be done with it. Spend a few hundred more for a small generator to recharge your batteries if there isn't enough sun and you are done.
That's in the long-term plan. I would need different inverters, and batteries to go off grid. I'm ok with what I have to see how it works on the cheap.
That's why I did it myself and finding good deals on overstock parts from installers online. My rate is about that too. But I saved a few thousand dollars over a conventional system and installation. So it was worth doing running the numbers with a payoff of 3-5 years.
I am building a cargo trailer RV conversion and put 4-355 watt panels on it with a 5KW 48V battery and inverter... Since the trailer sits in my driveway when I am not using it, I have the system running my computers and fans in my home office which lowers my electric bill $20 or so a month. I had a power outage for 12 hours a couple weeks back (VERY RARE), and used the system to run my fridge as well as the office.
Thank you Scotty for this video. Yes, for the most part, this is quite true. Just like any purchase, you need to research it to be sure of what you are getting. Generally, solar PV cells will save you money in the long run. Battery backup is expensive if you want to have backup power for evenings or during power outages. I am a Registered Professional Engineer in Florida and design solar PV systems.
It has been revealed by experience that covering your roof for a significant amount with solar panels it will seriously obstruct fire fighting when needed. When catching fire , the uncovered roofs will serve as an inlet for firefighting water but when solar panels are mounted this is a serious obstruction and thus more fire damage will occur.
Speaking from experience: Holes are cut into roofs by firefighters at residential structure fires to remove smoke and heat. If fire is coming out of a hole in your roof, and we need to pour water into it, chances are the rest of your house is f@&ked.
We put solar panels on our house right when we had a new roof put on. Everything has a 25 year warranty and even when I include the loan payment it cut our monthly expenses for electric in half. Right now I'm sitting in our RV in Oregon completely off grid with lights, tv, internet, air conditioning, and heat all being run 100% off solar. It was expensive, but we never pay for campsites. It paid for itself in about 9 months. Give me that free energy!
One thing that's missed is that States charge the homeowners tax per year. Depending on how much the rate is it differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. State to state. But it would be included in your real estate taxes. Especially VIRGINIA!!!!!!!!!!! "Yea your electric bill is low but your real estate tax would be astronomical!
I love Scotty's common sense. The other thing they don't tell you is power companies are starting to charge fees if you have solar. Plus, some insurance companies don't want to cover homes with solar. Way, way back in the past if you produced extra energy you could sell it back to the power company for the same price they were charging for power, those days are long gone.
The first step that everyone misses is a power audit of your home to increase the efficiency. If you find and remove all the phantom loads you can reduce your electrical load meaning you can reduce the number of panels needed saving you a lot of money. Instead of needing 16 panel system after making your home more efficient you may only need an 8 panel system.
My dad has TESLA solar panels , he has high interest rate so he’s almost paying double for the panels and isn’t seeing any benefit YET, hasn’t had them for 6 years yet. For a medium income family wouldn’t recommend, indeed he had to do some roof repairs after installation .
