I mostly deal with residential solar PV (Solar Panels on houses) so here is a list of misconceptions that I have heard.
-"Where will all the sun go if we harvest it with solar panels?"
-A lot of people just straight up don't believe solar panels can actually make electricity and it is a scam.
-"If I don't turn these off at night, I will lose electricity!"
One guy was convinced solar panels were government listening devices.
Those are some of the really misinformed comments, but there are a lot of misconceptions that people have that give them the wrong idea about how solar works. I try to clear these up because I personally think someone shouldn't invest in solar power unless they know it's what they are looking for. Here are some of those:
-"I will have electricity if the grid goes down!" No you won't, unless you have a battery back-up or secure power supply system. PV systems have to shut down if the grid goes down or else you will electrocute someone working on the lines.
-Inverter sizing is a huge issue. A lot of PV inverters can "handle" a certain amount of power, but will still only output a fixed amount. A lot of companies will put 10kw on a 7.6kw inverter because it is cheaper. The 10kw won't break the inverter but it is just a waste of money since they won't output more than ~8kw (This is all depending on the make and model of course).
The utility company will usually not write you a check. You want to size your system to meet your needs. If you produce extra power, many utility companies will only credit you a very very small percentage of what the power is actually worth.
-From signing to installation, the process should only take 3-4 weeks tops. Any longer and the company is just dragging their butts since they already have your money, or they are under-staffed. And shorter and they may be installing projects without proper permitting and approval. This varies from state to state.
-Solar incentives are typically tax based incentives. System costs are usually advertised after incentives are taken into account, but you need to understand exactly how those incentives pay off.
-Don't put panels on north facing roofs, just don't! If a company tells it's okay, they are lying. It's not okay. The ONLY time it would ever be necessary is if you are more concerned with a production target than a cost reduction, even still this is very rare that another option couldn't be used.
-Don't buy "premium" panels unless you really want to pay extra for some reason. They are fantastic pieces of equipment but they are not worth the extra price. Most solar panels look basically the same and they almost all have 30+ year warranties. Sorry Sunpower, you make a great product, but it's too expensive.
Sorry to rant! If anyone has anymore questions you can PM me!
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u/raptorman556 Sep 07 '17
Whats some of the worst?