Rose Flower
Solara!
What challenges stop Americans from trusting solar as a reliable energy source daily?
Why Don’t Americans Fully Trust Solar Power for Everyday Use?
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Jollysingle
New Member
Because the price of solar equipment are too expensive, installers are charging customers crazy amount of money, and most American live pay check by pay check 
txaggie113
New Member
Until it becomes something of a standard for new home builds, it's just unlikely to break into the market in a significant way that most people would interact with it. With the current administration's pulling funds for low income installs it's going to be relegated to those that can afford the upfront costs and realize the benefits of the technology.
Maybe if we see a large jump in either the efficiency of the solar cells or battery storage then it would possibly become mainstream.
Maybe if we see a large jump in either the efficiency of the solar cells or battery storage then it would possibly become mainstream.
Sounds like a question from a class/homework.
I have friends who were taken to the cleaners by the shady solar sales men - promising the world and reality is much different...
These stories are rampant across America and contributes to hesitancy by many Americans to install Solar
Q-Dog
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ignorance.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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Mental challenges.
Spunky
Solar Enthusiast
I'm seeing PR firms being hired to find out why, there is so much opposition to large PV farms being pushed in to rural areas.
Township Boards are being voted out of office by the residents, so the corporate influence of a few twp board members is not getting the project done (money spent).
I'm opposed to anything being "pushed". If it ain't organic, there is good reason to question it.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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The main reason is because it's not a reliable energy source, daily.
But batteries are, and that's why we have them.
teal95
Solar Wizard
They have 1 large "farm" near me and are trying to build another. Every time I drive by the one that's supposed to be operational half the panels are pointed away from the sun, even when it was really hot and there were high loads. So I see no need for a second "farm" when they aren't using the first one.
rich0
New Member
Maybe. One of the issues with solar is that the power produced by a panel can vary quite a bit. On a cloudy day you'd want all those panels pointed towards the sun. On a bright day with low demand (maybe low humidity or whatever), you might not be able to use all the panels.
Of course this is also the problem with using solar for grid power in the first place. I think it has its place, but I feel like a lot of solar projects are trying to find a problem for a solution they want to promote. Much of solar would be better served by nuclear.
SnickeringBear
Solar Addict
The benefits of solar are seen as entirely for large corporations when deployed in solar farms. The average person does not gain anything being still connected to and reliant on the grid. Power price is not lower, in fact, it is increasing yearly.
Up-front cost for solar is a huge part of the reason people have not installed solar for home use. Much of the cost is from solar installation companies that jack the price up to maintain their profit margin. Add in middleman prices for components like inverters, batteries, and solar panels and you have a recipe that puts solar beyond affordability for many. If we want solar to fully go mainstream for the homeowner, it needs to be priced below $20,000 for a system that can produce all the power a home needs. This is a very large ask and is just barely achievable for a DIY person. As an example, I could purchase 2 inverters rated 12 kw for $4000, 2 batteries rated 32 kWh of storage each for $6000, solar panels rated 16 kw for $5000, and all of the other required hardware, transfer switch, and cables for $4000. This would be under the $20,000 critical limit which makes solar profitable in 7 years or less.
Then there is the reliability factor where cloudy weather, inherently low production in winter, and occasional equipment failure play into the power availability side of the equation. Americans have become used to having power available 24/7. We don't want to give that up if solar is in the least unreliable.
And there is also lack of knowledge of how solar works at a detailed level. Much of this could be alleviated by some serious efforts at education. As an example, Ecoflow Ocean is being promoted right now with advertising that emphasizes how simple it is and how easy it can be set up to work. We need more effort put in from design of hardware to installation of same to make it easy to deploy and simple to use long term.
Up-front cost for solar is a huge part of the reason people have not installed solar for home use. Much of the cost is from solar installation companies that jack the price up to maintain their profit margin. Add in middleman prices for components like inverters, batteries, and solar panels and you have a recipe that puts solar beyond affordability for many. If we want solar to fully go mainstream for the homeowner, it needs to be priced below $20,000 for a system that can produce all the power a home needs. This is a very large ask and is just barely achievable for a DIY person. As an example, I could purchase 2 inverters rated 12 kw for $4000, 2 batteries rated 32 kWh of storage each for $6000, solar panels rated 16 kw for $5000, and all of the other required hardware, transfer switch, and cables for $4000. This would be under the $20,000 critical limit which makes solar profitable in 7 years or less.
Then there is the reliability factor where cloudy weather, inherently low production in winter, and occasional equipment failure play into the power availability side of the equation. Americans have become used to having power available 24/7. We don't want to give that up if solar is in the least unreliable.
And there is also lack of knowledge of how solar works at a detailed level. Much of this could be alleviated by some serious efforts at education. As an example, Ecoflow Ocean is being promoted right now with advertising that emphasizes how simple it is and how easy it can be set up to work. We need more effort put in from design of hardware to installation of same to make it easy to deploy and simple to use long term.
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teal95
Solar Wizard
Unfortunately in our case it's the state requiring the utilities to have solar through some requirement of load capability or percentage of generation. After several projects cancellations from local objections the state is trying to take over permitting from the locals but they're finding other means to stymie the projects.
rich0
New Member
I think a big problem is that the issue has become politicized by everybody. You get politicians on one side who push PV for the sake of PV even when it doesn't make sense, because it is the PV in and of itself that is the end goal. You get politicians on the other side who oppose it for the same reasons, even when it makes sense.
An obvious example was when there was local opposition to a Chinese battery plant that made the news here a few weeks/months ago. If people want to buy batteries there is really no reason to not let people make/sell them, and it benefits the local economy. If they were making car engines or whatever the factory would probably be welcome. However, it became about political branding/etc.
I think this is a big problem with US energy/infrastructure policy. We endorse/oppose specific technologies based on the virtuousness of the technology itself, and not based on its actual performance or whether it meets the requirements. If we have some peak or baseline or whatever demand issue nobody is asking whether solar is the right technology to meet that type of demand given the local environment - the yes or no was determined before anybody looked at the numbers.
Personally I am deploying solar+ESS for resiliency, and as an inflation hedge. It makes no financial sense based on the status quo, so I can certainly understand why others wouldn't choose to do it this way.
rich0
New Member
Yeah, I'm not a fan of this stuff. I'm going to be selling SLECs when my system goes live because why wouldn't I, but I don't think they should be a thing.
I think that policy goals should be defined in terms of outcomes and just have the financials baked in. If there is a security benefit to indigenous energy, then have a tax for imported fuel (use it to pay for all those bombs in the middle east or whatever, and then people who don't like bombs can use less oil and not pay for it). If there is a health or ecological concern around emissions, then tax the emissions. You don't need to pick winners and losers, you just eliminate the externalities and let the market build whatever makes the most sense in each situation.
I think the reality is that we end up with these policies because concentrated interests lobby for them. The company that makes solar cells doesn't care about decentralized power, they care about selling solar panels, so the incentive is applied to the thing they're selling, not the outcome.
wpns
Solar Joules are catch and release
Fortunately they don't ask questions (yet?), they just ingest the Internet and regurgitate what they find.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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As soon as the government gets involved with anything, it just becomes a money pit.
wpns
Solar Joules are catch and release
Economically it only works if your ROI calculations assume a stable regulatory/economic environment over the payback period of the system, and there ain't nothin' stable over decades these days. He Who Must Not Be Named and the Chaos Party change the rules every other week, which makes ROI calculations useless for any but grid-scale solar with decades-long contracts with the grid operators.
And there are too many snake oil salesmen ripping people off.
And install costs are too high without incentives (see above).
And there's a lot of complexity and not a lot of honest installers (see above).
And people who are living paycheck to paycheck can't come up with 10 years of power bills all at once.
And HOAs and other AHJs put a lot of roadblocks in the way.
And there are no Ford/Chevy/GM/Mercedes large, long-term companies in this space that make trustworthy, reliable products (yet?)
...
Sorry you have not provided enough information to troubleshoot your problem.
Which Americans?
Type of solar equipment.
Location of solar equipment.
Use that the solar is being put to.
Images of your setup or proposed setup.
Imprecise questions lead to guesswork of a generalized nature.
Which Americans?
Type of solar equipment.
Location of solar equipment.
Use that the solar is being put to.
Images of your setup or proposed setup.
Imprecise questions lead to guesswork of a generalized nature.
Perhaps you need to be asking why the US has such HIGH prices in the first place?????
Because thats crazy high...
In Australia, we have a long history of using solar (offgrid since the 1980's, gridties were common by the mid 1990's) and every time I see US prices its a WTF moment all over again as to just how crazy high they are there...
Here a gridtie is usually around $4k Au ($2600US)- fully installed, total cost to the consumer for a 6.6kw install that will near zero many homes usage (generates about 30-35kWh a day), a 10kw system is usually under $6k Au ($4k US)- again thats fully installed by licenced and trained installers and trade accreditation electricians doing the wiring...
Going hybrid (which many if not most Australians are getting installed instead these days, gridtie is pretty much dead in the water) adds another $5k for a 14.4kWh battery (thats well over double the night time usage for the majority of houses here) making a complete 6.6kw array and 14.4kWh battery fully installed a total of under $9k Au (under $6k US) a 'large' home with a 10.3kW hybrid three phase inverter and 24kWh battery bank will run you about $13k Au/$8500 US...
That's your total 'out of pocket' expense...
Which is why over 30% of ALL Australia housing has rooftop solar (and thats including those who live in flats (apartment buildings)- which usually cant easily get solar on...
In the suburbs, it is not unusual to see literally every house in sight has panels on the roof...
After all its literally as easy as picking up the phone/logging onto the web and saying "I want solar" and usually pay a deposit of 10%...
Wait a few days (if that long, often its 'next day') until its installed and once its in and running, direct debit the outstanding amount directly from your account to theirs...
That's it, done and dusted...
Seriously how much easier can they make it lol
SplitUniverse
Solar Wizard
If the externalities were to be built into every product on the market the imports would be cut to 10% of current level (carbon cost to transport plus pollution in the producing country, to name just a few), the "old money" would be paupers at the corner of the street (after paying for all the environmental damage they have done in the past) and the vast majority of current political class would be voting on "unionizing the occupants of XXX or YYY prison" not on how to run the country.
What you propose is a social revolution that will happen on a cold day in hell, every business is trying to "externalize" as much of the cost as it can, be that social or environmental. And unfortunately businesses have more say in how the country is run than people, YAY, Power To The People!!!
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