Solar is certainly a help for grids in the places that have a lot of sun during the day. If there isn’t, then it doesn’t make as much sense unless you’re off grid.
One of the things I’m interested in and nervous about is how the hurricane and storms season will impact the panels. They are certainly rated for a beating I’m sure but do you have protective plates to cover them or anything? Also do you have insurance on them, meaning if one of them gets destroyed or a section, will it be insured and covered?
They are pretty solid and I'm thinking will not only hold up better than the roof, but also help protect the roof. They are covered with insurance as well, but I'm thinking that they will hold up to anything that doesn't take the roof off. With each panel having it's own microinverter, if one or more panels breaks, the others keep working. Just having the panels over the majority of the garage roof has also placed the roof into the shade during the afternoon which greatly reduced the heat in there as well. Probably cooled it 10-20 degrees on it's own from where it used to take a direct beating from the sun, now the Solar panels absorbing it and shading the roof, cooling the garage.
You're right definitely needs the sun though. I can't see how it would have been cost effective in Vermont with the near constant clouds, rain, and snow. Wind and Hydro better in places like that for sure, or maybe combo.
That's good it's insured, I figured it would be but you never know lol.
Interesting and it makes sense that it cooled the garage. I wonder if there is a way to harness that heat they generate! The things are black after all lol so it must get freaking boiling being on a roof in the direct Florida sun. If I recall photovoltaic solar panels are like 97% heat, 3% electricity generation or something. Someone smart will figure out how to use that heat!