09-14-2012, 06:35 AM
Biggest challenge to a $2500 system is the "island price" for solar panels (and batteries, charge controllers, inverters, etc), and the "fridge premium" if you go with a DC fridge.
With commodity parts and off-island panels, it's possible to design a $2000 system that includes a fridge and water pump. Many of the "expensive" parts are available from Amazon; several eBay vendors offer free shipping on the UniSolar PVL panels (they're flexible, so can be rolled up into a USPS flat-rate box).
I paid under $2/W for my panels, so it was cheaper to install enough wattage to run a dorm fridge ($200, WalMart). Works great, no generator required.
With commodity parts and off-island panels, it's possible to design a $2000 system that includes a fridge and water pump. Many of the "expensive" parts are available from Amazon; several eBay vendors offer free shipping on the UniSolar PVL panels (they're flexible, so can be rolled up into a USPS flat-rate box).
I paid under $2/W for my panels, so it was cheaper to install enough wattage to run a dorm fridge ($200, WalMart). Works great, no generator required.