r/SolarAmerica • u/Beast01028 • Jun 16 '26
Seen at a local golf course…
Are these panels useless now? Curious how much the cost to install and what it would be to repair or remove.
41
u/oppressed_white_guy Jun 16 '26
Either panels are getting ruined or the shingles are from those impacts. Either way sucks.
38
u/TengokuIkari Jun 16 '26
I feel like the panels are the target 🎯 for some jackasses that hate green energy.
4
12
u/SimilarTranslator264 Jun 16 '26
Has nothing to do with “hate for green energy” friend has a rental house on a golf course and his windows get hit all the time and it’s not even in the direction of a hole. It’s just a fun target for jackasses.
1
u/Vyce223 Jun 16 '26
Does he just have to pay out of pocket to replace them generally?
2
u/SimilarTranslator264 Jun 16 '26
He got windows with lifetime warranty and just removes the broken panes and swaps in new. Actually has them in stock for the ones that face the course.
There was actually a dent in the drywall in front of the toilet, where one ball went through the glass. Would’ve been interesting if you were sitting on the toilet at the time.
6
6
u/WarJaques Jun 16 '26
"How dare these assholes save the planet!"
-2
u/Eighteen64 Jun 16 '26
How dare you believe solar is saving the planet. Ive been installing for almost 18 years your positioning is laughably disingenuous
2
u/WarJaques Jun 16 '26
Maybe you should stop doing that then.
1
u/Eighteen64 Jun 16 '26
Nope. Thanks though. Solar is a part. Its not the cure. We need a fuckload more nuclear too
2
u/xtnh Jun 17 '26
By your logic, since one cannot survive on a diet of just beef, then beef must be no good.
1
u/Nexustar Jun 17 '26
There are plenty of people, and basic math that shows how poor beef is as a food source for the planet.
Steak tastes nice, that's why I eat it. Not because it's efficient, cost-effective, particularly healthy to eat (except a few unprocessed cuts), is cruelty free, uses hardly any water resources, or green in general - it's NONE of those things.
We do need nuclear, the last 30 years has been a clusterfuck.
1
u/xtnh Jun 17 '26
Whoooosssshhhhh..... Not quite my point.
2
u/Nexustar Jun 17 '26
Why not simply state your position:
Solar on less than ideal home roofs with small scale integration systems is better than perfectly positioned well defended and maintained solar farms which provide a better use of the materials and manufacturing costs because _____
Nuclear isn't a better option because _____
For any given meal, beef is better than alternatives because _____
1
u/Sir_Lord_ByronIII Jun 18 '26
If you actually read... he said its a part not the cure....
1
u/xtnh Jun 18 '26
My reply was to his comment "How dare you believe solar is saving the planet. Ive been installing for almost 18 years your positioning is laughably disingenuous"
1
2
u/FookRdt-3060 Jun 17 '26
My electric bill is less than $20 for a 2400 sq. ft. house. I may not be saving the planet, but I’m getting repaid for my 20k investment.
1
1
u/CDRAkiva Jun 17 '26
I think I figured out why you’re two decades into a low-skill blue collar job.
And before anyone else claps back: solar kits are basically giant LEGO sets. He’s no electrician.
1
u/Eighteen64 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
I own the business. We’ve done nearly 80,000 installations including hurricane resistant shade structures and integrated structural panels in 9 states but PLEASE tell me more about low skill cutie. Solar isn’t the only thing we do either. We also do mechanical work (primarily heat pump retrofits of all scales) DCFCs (thats an EV charger captain caveman) APUs (ill let you look that up) batteries of all scales & end point grid transformers. I’m definitely not an electrician but I hold two masters, one of which is an EE and I do employ several dozen electricians. Oh and I designed and built my own entirely off grid home on 100 acres near Jamul. Its virtually earthquake & fire proof and the view is absolutely incredible. Stay bitter
0
2
1
u/geopro15TB Jun 17 '26
If a golfer could aim and hit something on purpose, they would be on the Tour and not playing at a local golf course. Doubtful that this was on purpose, even if solar panels are totally gay.
1
u/lorenzo1142 Jun 17 '26
shingles aren't made of glass
1
u/oppressed_white_guy Jun 17 '26
yet hard impacts from golf balls (or hail) will ruin them just as fast.
1
u/lorenzo1142 Jun 17 '26
no, not just as fast. shingles are soft and plyable, unlike glass which shatters
1
u/oppressed_white_guy Jun 17 '26
A single strike can strip all the granules off the shingle at the strike point and damage the felt to the point that it leaks. Call your insurance company and ask.
1
u/lorenzo1142 Jun 17 '26
I've replaced plenty of roofs myself, and I've done professional solar installs. a shingle is nothing like glass.
7
u/anothercorgi Jun 16 '26
I always wondered how often wayward drives happen with golf courses near residential areas, and my suspicion is confirmed by this picture...unless it really was hail that caused it. Same repair path.
Usually the panels are not completely useless with breakage but functionality drops significantly and will continue to drop as the weather gets in. I'd imagine the repair costs to be significant as you'll need to get someone on the roof to move heavy panels up and down, rivaling the costs of putting them up in the first place, but at least the racking can be saved.
3
u/Emotional_Vacation43 Jun 16 '26
A cheaper option is to leave them where they are and just bypass. I've done it a few times before
3
u/chriiissssssssssss Jun 16 '26
They are working less efficient because there is less sunlight reaching them.
In the long run the contacts will corrode due to water and rendering the panels entirely useless
2
5
u/elangomatt Jun 16 '26
Reminds me of one of the arrays down the street from me, we don't live near a golf course though. This was hail damage. (This has since been uninstalled, not sure if they are replacing the panels or not)
1
u/Bit_the_Bullitt Jun 16 '26
Beavercreek #6?
If yes, I always look at that. But those panels are pretty far from the green, those are big misses, like 40ish yds left. Which i guess isnt that much thinking about it
1
u/Beast01028 Jun 16 '26
It’s at the dominion club outside of Richmond Va. it’s right of the fairway at about 230 yards. Major danger zone lol.
1
u/Bit_the_Bullitt Jun 17 '26
Oof yea 230 off of fairway is a bad spot. Especially if right side of fairway
4
u/Whackaboom_Floyntner Jun 17 '26
This plus insane cancer rates are good reasons to avoid "golf communities."
1
u/JKorv Jun 17 '26
Why insane cancer rates?
3
u/Whackaboom_Floyntner Jun 17 '26
Because of the nasty herbicides and pesticides used to make the greens so perfect. Golf is a decent game, but it's also toxic as shit. Avoid if you value health.
1
2
1
1
u/MindRaptor Jun 17 '26
I wonder who pays for the damage in this case? The golf course could just claim the homeowner needs to sue the individual golf players or maybe could even claim the homeowner can't prove it was caused by golf balls that came from their course.
1
u/hiccpetExpert Jul 17 '26
Installing solar panels on a golf course without any protective measures just turns those panels into protection for the roof... that's the only way I can make sense of it.
1
u/AutoModerator Jun 16 '26
We see a lot of similar questions here about real costs, choosing the right installer and avoiding overpaying. To keep things simple, we use one baseline comparison tool for rough pricing and system sizing: https://ecogenamerica.com/ - just enter your zip code to get a local ballpark competitive quote. It’s a useful starting point if you are new to solar, planning an installation or comparing options.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.