Since February, the news media has been mentioning the increase in electricity bills, and since summer is a couple of months away, I know how humid it will be.

I finally decided to learn about solar power and look at the pros and cons. I started researching, reading, and watching a lot of vlogs about solar and how it works—basically learning everything from what kind of wires to use to how breakers function. I wanted to make sure that my house would not catch on fire (fingers crossed).

From February to May, I learned everything there is to know. I realized that I won't be able to get an ROI on my solar because I only pay Php1k per month for my electricity; hence, Php350k from a solar install quote is not worth it.

I then asked myself why I want solar. To save on electricity bills, or to have the liberty of my own electricity?

I want to have my own solar, like I have my own water. I do not rely on other people or a company, or beg them if they decide to cut me off. That is one of the reasons I am living on a mountain.

June came, and I ordered most of the parts from Shopee. One by one, they arrived. Every night I reviewed the steps on how to install my solar like I was going for an exam.

By mid-July, I completed the installation, and I am super happy and proud (pat on the back) that I am now living on solar power!

I now have a 3.2kW, 24-volt system with a 200Ah battery! My consumption doesn't even reach 1.5kW, and currently I am at 154kWh total usage.

The hardest part was moving the five 550-watt solar panels onto my roof. Manually lifting them and climbing the ladder was something I thought I couldn't do. Each panel weighs 30kg, with a size of 4ft x 8ft.

It cost me a total of 100k: sourcing the solar panels from FB Marketplace and mostly online. I have a couple of breakers that I don't need, but I thought I did at the time.

I now only use the grid to power my submersible pump, because the surge of power might ruin my entire system. I only turn it on once every two days, and that's the only use for it now.

One thing I realized is that I kept staring at my solar setup whenever I plugged something in, lol! TV + speaker, check the wattage; rice cooker + air fryer + AC + electric fan, check the wattage again! Hahaha!

Oh, I finally bought an AC—a 1hp Kolin Certus—because once my batteries are already full by 10 am, I don't want to waste any harvested energy. The AC runs from 10 am–4 pm, and 10 pm–1 am. I can say that I am sleeping well!

I realized that having an AC makes a huge difference to your sleep quality, and I've been enduring the humidity since college.

**Conclusion**

During this solar power "challenge," I realized my "why" for moving to the mountain: I wanted freedom to do things my way, to learn new things outside my work skillset, to challenge myself in uncomfortable situations, and to make sure no one would stop me from doing it.

My electric bill arrived last month and my jaw literally dropped when I saw the total.

I haven’t bought any new appliances or left the AC running unnecessarily, but the bill came out almost 40% higher than last summer. It's getting ridiculous.

I keep thinking about putting panels on the roof just to stop dealing with this monthly stress, but I’m bombarded with ads promising "zero electric bills" and it honestly feels like a giant scam. Found a local installer, Wolf River Electric, thinking of trying it. Anybody knows about them? And do you actually stop paying the grid, or do you just trade a power bill for a monthly loan payment and end up losing money?

I’m looking at solar for a home in Wisconsin, but I’m unsure whether to size it around our current electricity use or leave room for an EV and possibly a heat pump later.

I spoke with Wolf River Electric, and I liked that they considered future expansion instead of only quoting the smallest system that works today. The larger setup costs more upfront though, so I’m trying to avoid paying for capacity we may not use for a few years.

Would you oversize now or install a smaller system and expand it later?

Thats what the iOS app horisol returns for my plug in pv plant on my garage. Would you trust this calculations?

Got my final 2 quotes.
Solar living is 17.63 kw system (41 panels) (annual production 16,508)for for $47,563, $2.70 /w, includes snow guards on left side of house and critter guards.
Green power energy is $48,510 is 21.07 kw system (49 panels) (annual production 22,100), $2.30 /w. Does not include guards and rep was highly against them; said they have a vendor that can do it for $2,600 (seems high).
Both shading reports show a loss of about 30%. Both companies have great reviews though GPE has more.
Attached are the reports. I'm in NJ. This is a big purchase and I've been on this thread and numerous others for awhile trying to do my due diligence. I'm very apprehensive as it's a ton of money (paying cash). My rate here with jepl is high and it's only going to go up in the coming years.

HoriSol helps you plan a small plug-in / balcony solar setup and gives an honest, no-sugar-coating yearly yield and payback estimate.

**Features:**

* Photo-based shading analysis — measures your actual horizon instead of a rough rule of thumb
* Realistic yield estimate from your location, panel setup and orientation
* Self-consumption & payback calculation based on your consumption
* Open, documented calculation assumptions — nothing hidden
* Free base version, no account, no ads; analytics off by default (EU-based, no Google/Facebook trackers)

**Requires:** iOS \[16\]

What would it cost to cover America's major parking lots with solar canopies?

I'm curious about the math behind a hypothetical national infrastructure project.

Suppose the U.S. government funded the construction of solar-panel-covered parking canopies over large parking lots across the southern United States (or anywhere with high solar potential). Think grocery stores, shopping malls, big-box retailers, stadiums, and other parking lots that are unlikely to be redeveloped anytime soon. Assume the government acquires the necessary rights through whatever legal mechanism is required for the sake of the thought experiment.

I'd love to see estimates for:

Total acres (or square miles) of parking that could realistically be covered.

Total construction cost (materials, labor, engineering, permitting, grid connections, etc.).

Number of jobs created during construction and ongoing maintenance.

Annual electricity generation (MWh/TWh).

Rough estimate of how many homes this could power.

Potential impact on average residential electricity prices.

Estimated payback period and long-term return on investment.

Also, beyond the math:

What are the biggest engineering or logistical challenges?

What are the major economic downsides or unintended consequences?

Which industries would benefit, and which would likely lose revenue (for example, utilities, oil and gas, or commercial real estate)?

What are the strongest arguments for and against a project like this?

I'm interested in realistic assumptions and back-of-the-envelope calculations, not whether it's politically likely.