Why Are Solar Companies Going Bankrupt? - A DOOMED SOLAR INDUSTRY?
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Solar is a great option to reduce energy costs but you must be educated on how it works for you to be successful with this technology. Most of Americans are accustomed to plug and play technology that is set it, and forget it. Solar is not that way no matter on what scale you build your system. Solar power requires constant maintenance and monitoring to make sure the system is healthy and safe. By not monitoring your system, you will eventually ruin it and incur the cost of expensive replacement materials and equipment.
Having been using solar now for almost 5 years, I can tell you that this maybe why so many solar companies, both retailers and manufacturers are declaring chapter 11 and going out of business. The industry's biggest problem to mass adoption is education and knowledge to what it takes to run an efficient system.
GOING FORWARD
If you want to make your own grid and produce electricity, I would suggest learning all you can about building and maintaining a system. Understand upfront that this is not plug and play or set it and forget it technology. It will require your constant monitoring and maintenance. Some systems require more constant human involvement than others but every system will need your upkeep if it is to stay healthy. Education is key. Wisdom can only come with experience. Learn from the experience of others.
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Zach I am an Electrical Contractor that installs Solar. The only reason I see Solar contractors going out of business is because they are JUST solar contractors. What that means is they thought they were going to make a bunch of money so they got a solar contracting license but they really arent business contractors. They have rediculous sales scheme and commonly there are two three or even 4 hands in the cookie jar, everyone trying to make way too much money.
90% of all solar installs do not have batteries at this point. They are grid tie only. The main push in the industry has been this setup not battery systems. It is changing due to elon musk and the fact that power companies want to use everyone as their battery and distributed grid system.
Small mom and pop Solar companies are going broke because the general population will not spend the money to buy solar. An offgrid house to run like a normal house would cost 40,000.00 and no one wants to pay that, period. And they just dont buy in large enough qty to get good prices.
And 100% people are lazy and they do not want to learn how to actually own solar. I have done offgrid systems for people gave the the walk through when it was done, handed them the paper work told them they HAVE TO READ IT. and when something went weird, they called me, my first question, did you read the manuals. That stammer and claim they did but the next two questions tells me they didnt, and not to be a jerk, but I tell them the answer is in there, and they have a choice, pay me to go out there which will cost a lot because well they are off grid. Or they can learn their system and take care of it. The next response is pretty typical, but its under warranty right. Yes the manufacturers warrant their products, and I have a warranty on workmanship, but I do not guaranty production, and even if a part fails the warranty does not cover my labor, it covers the part, you still have to pay me to do the work. Too often they started pushing buttons because they ran the batteries dead and they messed it up.
If your Lazy, NO Solar for YOU! its sad how lazy people are, #1 thing I hear, "I dont wantto think about it" people spend huge amounts of money and time to avoid thinking.
Manufacturers in the US are dropping off because they were never really Solar companies, they were slush funds to filter government money out of the system. Now that is coming to an end so they just BK and all the individuals take their huge paychecks home. That and the fact that the EPA makes it nearly impossible to build cells here.
Hit me up if your needing stuff, Alt E does not have good prices, I can point you to who does at that time, lithium based batteries are actually to a point where they are making sense if you put some effort in.
Great comment you posted. I'm still getting up to speed on the battery side of solar, as it's not very cost effective here in much of the east coast and the demand isn't there. (until another Superstorm Sandy comes thru). After Sandy companies in NJ / NY were selling a TON of generators. Now that market has gone quiet.
I expect when the next storm hits up here it will push for more battery backups. Hopefully, Tesla, Sonnen and others will make it much more practical and cost-effective enough to go with that.
GREAT comment. I didn't get a chance to read it until now. I may even make a video just on your comment. Because you are in the industry, you have a better handle on the manufacturing side of things. But judging from your comment, I was right on the retail side of things for the most part. People are lazy.
Shared to educate the masses!
THANKS!
I would have to agree with your assessment. There is a steep learning curve to solar/wind power. Perhaps if the alternative energy sector put more effort into education there wouldn't be as many going bankrupt. When you run a homestead nothing is plug and play. Everything is hands on. That's why some homesteads fail too. People aren't willing to put in the effort to learn things for themselves.
I have met lots of people like this that just don't want to do the work. Lazy people are everywhere.
I agree we are accustomed to plug and play. Solar is so different. I am so grateful for you and your way of inspiring me to go solar. I hope you have a wonderful day!
THANKS! We appreciate you watching!
You're welcome have a great day!!
Part of the reason is the cheap quality panels coming out of china being taken up by the big players in the solar game. Most of the Chines panels are going to china's installations. This is why coal is dead here.
The enron's shifting form dirty oil to solar. Not because it is clean but cheap. They can replace oil coal and nuclear with solar because it cost less and is on line way faster. They have kept consumer level high so adoption is low keeping power production in the hands of the old guard. They want to sell you power not buy it from you.
I you have a grid tie system it for you is plug and play. And they work well.
Nether of the videos worked for me.
I agree, education is the main reason for most problem people have. And its not just soler or wind. People in general needs education in electronics to run them well. Electricity is not magic and i think a lot of people don't understand that. I work as a internet support rep and i get so many examples of this that i am sometimes paranoid on the road because the same people i am helping on the phone are the same one driving the death machines all around me.
The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.
- Albert Einstein
I also agree and a solar system is definitely not plug and play. I've tried to keep up with all the new fangled safety devices and it's more like a full time job. E.G. heat monitor for battery banks, monitors for making sure battery banks are getting equal charge, etc. But I figure it will pay off when the power goes down.
Same here.
If power goes down, I know you because your house will have lights.
We've been off the grid for about the same amount of time. We know so many people that would like to go solar but the cost prohibits the purchase.
There is a business in the small college town that we lived in for 19 years that has a growing solar rental business. Essentially you pay them instead of the electric company. I am thinking that they are catering more to businesses than individual homes. (I am sure there are some professors that would love to have solar panels just for something to talk about at dinner party).
I am still learning about our solar array system. The wintertime is when I monitor the most, although the only big drain on electricity would be the dryer and then the oven. Our water heater is solar heated, so at night or if we have had 4 days of essentially little sunlight....then I might be concerned.
As you know, there is ALWAYS something to fix or work on around the homestead. No idle hands here in northeast Kansas.
Thank you @mericanhomestead for the informative video and posts!
Interesting post. Hopefully the industry matures past this issue.