04-18-2014, 05:47 AM
I do my own installations & maintenance, as well as add to my system incrementally as finances permit, so my initial installation cost was much lower than $8k.
The new panels are warranted to about 80% of rated capacity for 25 years.
Even my old (35+ years) Carrizo quad-lams still produce acceptably.
With 8 180 watt Kyocera panels feeding into 4 Interstate 6 volt 2400 Whr deep cycle batteries, I can run a full sized electric refrigerator/freezer (1.5 amp), a smallish chest freezer, water pump, 3 cup rice cooker, a hotplate (experimental), lights (LED), flat screen TV, computer, and other assorted small electronics, all at the same time.
I've even run an electric cement mixer from this system. (Less than 1 hour)
A 60 month amortization is applicable only to batteries. My latest battery bank is approaching 5 years of age and is showing very little degradation. You need to consider that the PV panels will last much longer than their 25 year warranty. (300 months, not 60, equals approximately $66 per month for $20k worth of panels)
A $50 per month electricity bill means you probably don't have a clothes washer/dryer, and most domestic PV systems are not running washer/dryers as well. A $20k system probably will be able to run such high draw appliances, but using such a figure is not applicable to my system.
Call me "happily avoiding HELCO."
The new panels are warranted to about 80% of rated capacity for 25 years.
Even my old (35+ years) Carrizo quad-lams still produce acceptably.
With 8 180 watt Kyocera panels feeding into 4 Interstate 6 volt 2400 Whr deep cycle batteries, I can run a full sized electric refrigerator/freezer (1.5 amp), a smallish chest freezer, water pump, 3 cup rice cooker, a hotplate (experimental), lights (LED), flat screen TV, computer, and other assorted small electronics, all at the same time.
I've even run an electric cement mixer from this system. (Less than 1 hour)
A 60 month amortization is applicable only to batteries. My latest battery bank is approaching 5 years of age and is showing very little degradation. You need to consider that the PV panels will last much longer than their 25 year warranty. (300 months, not 60, equals approximately $66 per month for $20k worth of panels)
A $50 per month electricity bill means you probably don't have a clothes washer/dryer, and most domestic PV systems are not running washer/dryers as well. A $20k system probably will be able to run such high draw appliances, but using such a figure is not applicable to my system.
Call me "happily avoiding HELCO."
"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."
"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."