Started my solar project

[John0829]

Worst time of year to install a new system for sure. We have had a few semi sunny days, just enough to know it is working and reducing draw from the grid. It has only been in for a shade over a month and we have a metering problem the installers have yet to fix so I cannot say positively how much it has reduced the grid usage. From looking at the live feed from the panels (which does work) on those few sunny periods we saw grid usage cut down to .5 kw or less a couple of times.

Longer days and brighter sunlight will tell me if it is/was worth the expense.

 

[Hay Dude]

I poured footings today for my 5250 watt ground mount solar project. Being a retired licensed general contractor, my intent was to do this project completely myself. I found out that San Bernardino county will not allow an owner/builder do solar even though they can build a whole house legally. I think that solar is dangerous because once the panels are exposed to the sun, they are generating electricity and that could be dangerous to a novice builder. My license is inactive since retirement so they would not allow me to use that either. I found an electrical contractor to sign off on the plans for a small fee and I will still be doing the project myself.

The original design called for drilled piers, 24 diameter by 4 feet deep. Eight of them. That is a lot of footing but I am in a 120 MPH wind zone. No trees or buildings to slow it down here in the desert.

Because of the permit issues, it took me a month to get a permit. Then Covid hit and the only driller within 50 miles that could do 24 holes shut down for an unknown period. I had to keep going so I had a friend with a backhoe dig the footings. While he is a skilled operator, there is a limit as to how small a 4 deep hole you can dig. Now I had to form all the footings. I could have used sonotube but that was $500 and the closest supplier was 50 miles away. There are some drawbacks to living in isolation.

Concrete for the drilled piers would have been about 4 CY. My footings took about 4 1/2 CY.

Tomorrow it is strip forms and backfill and grade around the footings to flush them out. Then start panel installation.





I

Where are you plans for disposal of the toxic heavy metals and lead from your solar panels once they stop working years from now?

Asking on behalf of the children of future generations.

 

[kenmbz]

Just bury the panels as packaging for nuclear waste?

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Where are you plans for disposal of the toxic heavy metals and lead from your solar panels once they stop working years from now?

Asking on behalf of the children of future generations.

Paint me ignorant, I honestly did not know there was a waste problem with solar panels. Did a google search and read several articles about how large of a problem it actually is. Sad!

 

[kenmbz]

Batteries have no waste solution either.
Don't make money on post sales recycling and disposal.
How do you make it worthwhile for companies to recycle or make more repairable if their is no $ made?
Of course laws could be passed, and then, as usual, forward motion stops.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Batteries have no waste solution either.
Don't make money on post sales recycling and disposal.
How do you make it worthwhile for companies to recycle or make more repairable if their is no $ made?
Of course laws could be passed, and then, as usual, forward motion stops.

Lead acid batteries are over 95% recycleable. Sent a lot of forklift batteries in for a recycle, they left on the same trucks that brought the new batteries in.

 

[kenmbz]

I am talking about EV, LIon etc batteries.
Lead acid are pretty good for the internals.
Allowed to charge a $10 core fee, means most get returned.
External parts probably go to the dump.

 

[orezok]

Where are you plans for disposal of the toxic heavy metals and lead from your solar panels once they stop working years from now?

Asking on behalf of the children of future generations.

I don’t know, but it’s the same toxic heavy metals and lead are in the computers in your tractors. Hmmm

 

[Carl_NH]

Solar panels weight is 75% glass, 10% Aluminum (easily recycled) then - 5% silver, silicon, and copper, the rest is polymer and sealant. Each weigh about 60Lbs so if you have 30 panels that's 1800Lbs of waste of which 1550 lbs is glass and aluminum. 90-100 lbs is silicon, copper and silver which is recoverable but expensive.

Not saying this is good, but over 30 years, how many TV's, Laptops, Phones etc. will be recycled per household? New cell phone every 3 years, laptop every 3-4 years, TV maybe 5-8 years. So an average household over 30 years will generate a lot more e-waste than the solar will. These are energy consumption devices, not generation devices like solar panels.

The benefits IMO outweigh the alternatives.

 

[Richard001]

Solar panels weight is 75% glass, 10% Aluminum (easily recycled) then - 5% silver, silicon, and copper, the rest is polymer and sealant. Each weigh about 60Lbs so if you have 30 panels that's 1800Lbs of waste of which 1550 lbs is glass and aluminum. 90-100 lbs is silicon, copper and silver which is recoverable but expensive.

Not saying this is good, but over 30 years, how many TV's, Laptops, Phones etc. will be recycled per household? New cell phone every 3 years, laptop every 3-4 years, TV maybe 5-8 years. So an average household over 30 years will generate a lot more e-waste than the solar will. These are energy consumption devices, not generation devices like solar panels.

The benefits IMO outweigh the alternatives.

Not everyone has a c-phone, so those without one do not have to find a place to recycle them. My current lap top is over 10 years old and still working. If I had to use it for work, then maybe a new one would be in order, but I don't. My last TV lasted 20 years. I'm not sure where you got your number form, but they don't sound right.

Richard