Interesting Solar Site

[windeguy]

What's Your Solar Potential? - RoofRay

This site allows you to calculate your return on investment for a solar array to produce electricity.

Unfortunately, the Google coordinates don't cover my area in the DR, but I suppose you could use southern Florida for a reasonable approximation.

The "bad news" is that I just calculated for a comparable location (in Key West, Florida) and it would take 23 years for an installation that costs US $56,000 to start to pay back. Unfortunately, not something I would even remotely consider.

[Keith R]

Thanks for flagging an interesting tool.

Perhaps as or more useful for the DR is the map of solar potential in the DR we published in the Green Team blog 2 years ago:
"A Solar Map for the DR"

[gmiller261]

What were your input parameters?

$56 K should get you in the 5,000 watt range, easily.

[windeguy]

Originally Posted by gmiller261

What were your input parameters?

$56 K should get you in the 5,000 watt range, easily.

The example I mentioned above was for a 9 KW peak array. It is easy to change the parameters to say a 1 KW (at US$7.3K) system which takes 14 years to break even. A 2 KW system was 17 years to break even.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by windeguy

The example I mentioned above was for a 9 KW peak array. It is easy to change the parameters to say a 1 KW (at US$7.3K) system which takes 14 years to break even. A 2 KW system was 17 years to break even.

When they calculate things like that, do they take into account, maintenance, repairs, replacing components like batteries, inverters & solar panels, for instance?

[windeguy]

As far as I can see, it includes a percentage factor for the additional cost of energy year over year ( that you can change) and a degradation of 10% in the solar panels energy output that happens over time. It doesn't seem to have a maintenance/battery replacement factor.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by windeguy

As far as I can see, it includes a percentage factor for the additional cost of energy year over year ( that you can change) and a degradation of 10% in the solar panels energy output that happens over time. It doesn't seem to have a maintenance/battery replacement factor.

I have little experience in costing and comparing the returns, but it has been my understanding that unless you're living somewhere in the DR, where you're off the grid with little hope of ever being hooked up, then going solar is not a very viable solution, from the financial point of view.
Of course, that's only my opinion, and I don't discount the tremendous value of going green and helping to save the Planet.

[Keith R]

My guess is that (1) the solar potential is greater in the DR than in South Florida; (2) the rise of electricity rate hikes is faster in the DR than in South Florida, therefore your time needed to get a return on the investment is shorter.

I also have to wonder at what level of efficiency they assume for the panels...

[gmiller261]

With no electric water heater, stove or dryer.

Using all low consumption light bulbs (LED eventually) the big drain would be AC’s and pumps. I think I could live on 4500 watts of solar. It would be great to have monthly run rate of near zero for electricty. And not worry how high it will go.

Florida 10.19 cents per killowatt
EDNORTE 701-1000 kWh 8.57pesos ~ .25 USD per killowatt

So payback would be in the 4-5 year time, correct?


WINDOW/ROOM AIR CONDITIONER
12,000 BTU=1 TON 2,000/TON 2.0 kWh PER HOUR


NEW CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING
1,500 SQ. FT. HOME 3,000 3.0 kWh PER HOUR
2,500 SQ. FT. HOME 5,000 5.0 kWh PER HOUR

[georgios]

Originally Posted by Keith R

My guess is that (1) the solar potential is greater in the DR than in South Florida; (2) the rise of electricity rate hikes is faster in the DR than in South Florida, therefore your time needed to get a return on the investment is shorter.

I also have to wonder at what level of efficiency they assume for the panels...

It might be a better solar solution to use a small amount of solar panels
to produce hydrogen to be directly injected into the prime mover, the generator that is. Given the fact that approx 5 watts of power can produce 1 liter of H2 per hour - 300 watts of solar power can provide a moderate amount of H2 for a 20KW generator. The savings are yet to be determined.
Will post the test results when completed - projected 18% savings.
When the genset is turned off the solar panel production can be diverted to resume battery charging...

Georgios