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52K views 25 replies 6 participants last post by  w5lee 
#1 ·
I was wondering if anyone in North Texas area has purchased a home solar panels(photovoltaics) system. The only solar equip supplys seem to be the following
Ebay,Northern Tool, Harbor Freight, Frys, Amazon and web based mfg.

Also curious about the solar evacuated tubes with heat rod used for home solar hot water . Just hoping to find a local supply point
thanks
Additonally thanks NTEAA and members
 
#2 ·
I notice that some diy people buy solar cells from ebay then frame,solder, and encapsulate to make solar panel. The same people then make youtube about their experience and process. Me personally think that I would just get solar panels and not diy a solar cells unless special application. For example residential home rooftop seems less labor/work to just purchase solar panels and not cells.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Stay far away for Ebay, Harbor Fright, and Northern Tool for any type of solar panels or equipment as it is over priced junk from China.

Where in NTX are you referring too? RE is not popular in TX because energy prices are extremely low, no NET METERING LAWS, or state incentives except on the Left Coast Island of Austin TX. Most utilites in TX will only pay wholesale prices for excess, and many will not even allow a GTI sytsem to be connected.

Most of the equipment is through installers in NTX but there are a few suppliers in Dallas area.

As for DIY panels I strongly recommend you do not try to do this. As they will fail in a very short time and with prices in the collapsing market you can buy factory panels at less cost and they come with warranties. DIY panels cannot be used in any code compliant installations or qualify for FED tax credits. You will want UL or ETL listed panels...
 
#4 ·
I somewhat agree about Harbor Freight
However, I do not understand the rest of you statement. Ebay is lousy sometime because you do not know what you get til you get the item.

I do live in North Texas DFW and I can drive to where ever for solar panels and related materials.
 
#12 ·
TX Cotton I advise you to call your Utility provider like OnCore or whoever your provider is and check out their policy with GTI systems. Then follow up by putting paper and pencil to it and run the numbers.

You are in TX like me, I am on OnCore and just locked in my rate for 3 years @ $0.086Kwh which is dirt cheap. The thing about TX is we do not have Net Metering Laws or state incentives. OnCore where I am at does have a GTI policy but it is not pretty. They will credit you $0.051Kwh for any excess you generate, and charge you $0.132/Kwh plus monthly charges for the meter and service.

So what you end up with in most cases is paying more or about the same per month than you do now with no hope of an ROI. If you finance it you get stuck with loan payments on top of monthly utility charges. I know a lot of Texans who went with a GTI system they had to finance, and they went from paying an average $150/month to the utility, to $500 to $600/month (utility + loan payment) for the next 10 years. Those who paid cash still pay the utility about the same monthly because their rates got jacked up from 9 cents to just over 13-cents per Kwh.

Another challenge you going DIY is pulling permits and passing inspections. It is possible some DIY's can get through the gauntlet of permitting and electrical codes, but that is an exception to the rule in general. No utility will connect you, nor will any homeowner insurance carrier cover the system and your home without an approved and inspected system.

So do your homework or you might just get what you are asking for; Screwed Over.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I agree again HOWEVER In my application I plan to pay outright for the solar panels ,grid tie inverter. and racking. What can eat into your wallet after those dollars is a "chuckle head" electric contractor. Oh btw are you saying these other people actually had their kwh rate increase just because their feeding back into the grid. I understand you will get below market kwh price on feedback gen electricity.Oh ya does Louisiana , Okla, or New Mex laws force utility providers(aka Oncor) to pay different rates???
 
#13 ·
Agree with the DIY being a very poor option. I am not in TX, but have found that getting the local utility to buy into renewable energy to be a seriously tough proposition. I've been working at it with continuous lobbying {a 1 man lobbying effort} and numerous newspaper articles through a sympathetic newspaper editor. After 3 years of trying, we have now gotten approval to do grid-tied solar, but they are dragging their collective feet in getting the paperwork pushed through.

Upton Sinclair was credited with the quote: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!" I'd adjust that a slight bit to end, "when he believes his salary depends on not understanding it!"

Try googling solar guerilla. It makes interesting reading on the idea of civil disobedience as related to renewables.
 
#16 ·
I agree once again , Just curious though about solar option. TXU has been fairly cooperative since I have been in Texas although some others hate on "them". Reliant/TXU, Green Moutain, and so really bore me anyhow. When you consider alot of the US was electrified by co-operatives and not big freakin corp business. Thanks sunking
 
#22 ·
Sunking
I have a new question. Go to EBAY an type flexible solar and/or look at items 270885187428. I wanna do this type of application on my 04 Toyota Prius.The vehicle roof size is 1524mm by 1093mm .I wanna max out the roof with this and get about 200-240 watt. How and what would I need to integrate into my vehicle aka diy???
 
#23 ·
I could not tell you anything about it as there are no specs listed other than 60 watt which I seriously doubt because thin film flexible panels typically are around 5 to 9% efficient. So what that means is for each square meter of surface area one would expect about 50 to 90 watts max power

Other than that I say pass as it is a rip-off because he is wanting USD $6.76/watt. I can build you a whole grid tied system for your house for less money than that with a profit. Flexible panels should cost around $2 or less per watt.
 
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