Comments on: Home builders switch on the 'invisible' solar panels

Moving to central California? You'll be able to buy a solar-powered home that doesn't look like it's from the set of Mad Max.

[Roman12]

impressive..

If these things can provide 70% of an average home power requirements, then I must say I'm impressed. But electricity isn't very expansive in my area, and the biggest drawback is waiting 10 years until these things begin to save you money. I may consider this in the future though if electricity prices go up a lot.
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http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com

[Dachi]

Optimistic

The panels in the picture look pretty flat and cannot be tilted to get a better angle.

I think stating it will provide 65%-70% of total power is optimistic even for the region (SoCal).

There is a brief guide to calculate system requirements here: http://www.solar-electric.com/solar_system_costs.htm

And a guide to calculate average sun hours/day here:
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/atlas/Table.html

I just don't buy the 10 year figure. I can see Joe User not having the money up front, but if you could get a 10 year payback on a solar system that is fixed and mostly horizontal why wouldn't every medium to large company in all of SoCal and AZ be on solar power by now?

A 10 year pay off would mean you ~triple your investment in 30 years.

I applaud them for trying, but it seems everybody is overlooking the most practical solutions.

[clyde6977]

Powerlight

If your only a home owner don't bother, they are not interested in you. On their website they have a button to check if you are a home owner, let you put in your project info and when you click submit, you get the thanks but no thanks. Pretty bad to let you get that far and then get that response.

[durango4]

Bad idea!

PV panels produce considerably less power the hotter they get
( the voltage drops directly proportional to temperature). That is
why normal silicon based panels placed on roofs have a gap
between them in the roof to allow for air flow. Any shade that
hits these panels could also cut power to near 0 while it is
shaded depending on how it is wired.

The benefit of having a low-profile installation is nullified then
by the big decrease in performance compared to "traditional"
non low-profile panels.

[billmosby]

Does the temp increase give a clue?

Solar energy collection systems heat up a bit like asphalt or like
very dark roofs, don't they?
Solar energy systems are designed to capture as much light as
possible, unlike the earth which captures 70 percent on the
average.
If solar becomes economic and we really start to use it for
individual and industrial power, and the developing world
eventually does the same, could we end up with another source
of global warming, even after taking the CO2 emission reduction
into account? What about increasing the reflectivity of solar
energy systems to around 30 percent so this effect would be
eliminated? Sure, it would reduce energy production
commensurately, but it would eliminate what could be a serious
problem in the long run.

[bluemist9999]

Start Towards Energy Independence

I feel if we in the US want energy independence, or at least a greater degree of it, we need to look at small-scale power sources like these.

Even if we only received, say, 20% of the nation's energy needs from solar power, that would be a significant lessening of the amount of oil we use.

Each step we make towards energy independence is also a step towards freedom because we wouldn't need to interfere in the local politics of areas of the world where we are not wanted.