Can we really Save the Planet

[bastonjock]

On 5/13/2019 at 8:46 AM, fillipino_wannabe said:

population is expected to stabilize around 11-12 billion, should be manageable. 

It is economically viable in the Philippines, I installed 5kw of solar panels for around 220k pesos a year ago, it's saving me 6-7k per month. You could do it even cheaper now, I paid 6.5k pesos for 250w panels, I see them for 5-5.5k now. Would be a bit higher to have it off grid but still definitely viable.

 

Is the system set up so that you sell the excess solar power back to the electricity company? 

[jimeve]

1 hour ago, bastonjock said:

Is the system set up so that you sell the excess solar power back to the electricity company? 

Looks like grid tie at that price.

 

[Mike J]

5 hours ago, jimeve said:

Looks like grid tie at that price.

 

Maybe not.  Prices are dropping and even off grid systems are starting to have attractive prices.  I have been doing the research but so far cannot convince wife that it is a good investment even though she complains about the electric bill.   Below is a quote I received yesterday for a 5KW off grid system.  Depending on needs you might need to add additional batteries.

 

Item	Name	Qty	Total FOB Price
1	DAH SOLAR DHM72-335W	15pcs	3594USD
2	DC Combiner Box	1 unit
3	MPPT Controller	1 unit
4	TRESS 5KW Inverter	1 unit
5	Solar battery	4 pieces
6	DC cable PV1-F 4mm2	200m Red+Black
7	MC4 Connector	12pairs
8	Mounting Structure	1 set
Total CIF Cebu Port Philippine			3744USD

 

[jimeve]

9 hours ago, Mike J said:

 

Maybe not.  Prices are dropping and even off grid systems are starting to have attractive prices.  I have been doing the research but so far cannot convince wife that it is a good investment even though she complains about the electric bill.   Below is a quote I received yesterday for a 5KW off grid system.  Depending on needs you might need to add additional batteries.

 

Item	Name	Qty	Total FOB Price
1	DAH SOLAR DHM72-335W	15pcs	3594USD
2	DC Combiner Box	1 unit
3	MPPT Controller	1 unit
4	TRESS 5KW Inverter	1 unit
5	Solar battery	4 pieces
6	DC cable PV1-F 4mm2	200m Red+Black
7	MC4 Connector	12pairs
8	Mounting Structure	1 set
Total CIF Cebu Port Philippine			3744USD

 

That's a great price, less than p200k. Does that include import tax? 

[Mike J]

15 minutes ago, jimeve said:

That's a great price, less than p200k. Does that include import tax? 

That is the price to get it to Cebu.  You would need to then pay any tarrif charges and shipping to final install.  I may have an estimate for that.  I will check.

27,715 peso tarrif based on above as estimate by bureau of customs.  Subject to actual inspection and verification.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Mike J
Added import tarrif charges

[Guy F.]

How would these solar panels fare in a typhoon? The ones I've seen would not survive in a 200kph wind. I'd want them to be easily removable so they could be securely stored.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Guy F.

[Jack Peterson]

9 minutes ago, Guy F. said:

How would these solar panels fare in a typhoon?

 Good question Guy I have to admit I have never thought of that and would wonder if many others have?  

[Jollygoodfellow]

6 hours ago, Guy F. said:

How would these solar panels fare in a typhoon? The ones I've seen would not survive in a 200kph wind. I'd want them to be easily removable so they could be securely stored.

Where is securely stored in a typhoon? If the wind destruction does not get you the flooding might. 

[Mike J]

12 hours ago, Guy F. said:

How would these solar panels fare in a typhoon? The ones I've seen would not survive in a 200kph wind. I'd want them to be easily removable so they could be securely stored.

I found this doing a google search.  I did two minor edits to remove links.

Solar panels hold up well in high winds

Generally, solar panels are highly resistant to damage from windy conditions. In fact, most in the EnergySage panel database are rated to withstand significant pressure specifically from wind (and hail!). The limiting factor for solar panel wind resistance is almost never the panels themselves. In most instances where wind causes damage to a solar array, failures occur due to weaknesses in the racking system or in the roof that your panels are mounted to. 

When wind blows across a roof with solar panels, it passes through the small space that typically exists between the panels and the roof (or between your panels and the ground in the case of ground-mounted systems), causing a large amount of uplift to the panels.  This phenomenon is capable of tearing panels from their mounts, or the mounts from the roof or ground. In the most extreme cases, solar panels may stay anchored down, but uplift from strong winds can tear sections of your roof off. Cases like these show that a well built racking system may be more resistant to high winds than your roof itself.

Another source of panel damage in wind storms can be flying debris. Although more unpredictable than wind alone, due to the variety of sizes and types of materials that can be blown around in a storm, solar panels have proven to be remarkably resistant to impact from wind-blown debri in the past. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) campus in Golden, Colorado, a severe hail storm resulted in one broken panel out of 3,000 in a large rooftop array. While not a perfect predictor of solar panels’ ability to withstand any debris, this case is an encouraging reminder that solar panels are hardy devices capable of surviving varying weather events. 

[Greg41]

I'm fascinated about this disturbing issue.  I really hope that it's not too late. 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Mike J
Removed religious reference.