Calculating the value of solar (a slightly different way?)

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
User avatar
Bammerman
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:58 pm

Re: Calculating the value of solar (a slightly different way?)

Post by Bammerman »

My solar roof array is scheduled for installation in a bit more than a month. For me, it's both a financial and an ethical/environmental investment.
"As someone contemplating getting solar panels, I was wondering if anyone has noticed their cooling consumption going down after adding them? Not just a lower electric bill, I'm talking the actual load on your AC dropping due to the panels creating an extra layer of shading / convective air between the sun and the attic."
I found citations on the web suggesting cooling and electricity usage savings of about 5% from the shade cast by solar panels on an average roof. Obviously, your mileage will vary.
The researchers found that solar panels can lower a roof’s temperature by 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 3 degrees Celsius. This can significantly reduce cooling costs over the life of the solar panels. In fact, the researchers determined that the savings from reduced cooling amount to a 5 percent discount on the solar panels’ price.
https://phys.org/news/2011-07-solar-panels-cool.html
https://news.energysage.com/keeping-coo ... your-roof/

By the way, here's a citation about the increase to a home's market value from solar panels on the roof:
https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/11/12/p ... lar-homes/
Post Reply