Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

kamoylan t1_ive76p2 wrote

Reply to comment by FishMichigan in Rooftop solar trumps all fossil fuels as renewables smash more records on main grid [Australia] by EnergyTransitionNews

What is the total cost of ownership?

$1/watt in a field. Does that also include:

  • Aquiring the land?
  • Changing the land to suit the solar power? (e.g. changing the crop to not shade the cells, clearing trees, etc.)
  • Building the electricity transmission lines to where it'll be used?

$2.50 - $3/watt on a rooftop. The points above are already paid for (maybe electricity infrastructure needs upgrading).

−1

Fausterion18 t1_ive9no3 wrote

The $1/watt includes all of those.

Rooftop solar is by far the most expensive option. The installation costs way more and the equipment does as well.

5

Surur t1_iveoddk wrote

According to Tony Seba solar panels are now becoming so cheap, they can be used as construction material.

3

Mernic666 t1_ivgrryd wrote

Up vote for having watched Seba's latest series. I think I rewatched 6 times over the weekend (road trip in sunny Australia). Heh.

I suspect that this example was hyperbole on Seba's part, as the retail cost of structural plywood is still a hell of a lot cheaper than solar panels in AU, and I don't think they have the same structural qualities.

However, the point that they can be used as a substitute for exterior wall flashing, even if the primary purpose of producing electricity is significantly reduced by not being positioned for maximum efficiency, was not lost on me.

I wonder what purposes they'll serve at the end of the decade when they have reduced in cost by another 75%, and the 'possibility space' continues to open...

3

Surur t1_ivgvo29 wrote

Funnily enough, I came across a real-life example where a guy on youtube said the same thing, but in practice.

https://youtu.be/bXd-aP06lug?t=502

With the price of wood these days it may actually be true.

2