Co2 What?

I agree that this is a GA.

I am surprised that one would bother to reuse electronics to obtain the silicon. Silicon is so abundant in the Earth's crust and there is so much glass available today with a much higher silicon content percentage than any PC board or IC package.

The original question reminds me of Douglas Adams quote that Arthur Dent couldn't build a toaster from scratch. He was right but somebody did try.

Great answer, now add in the batterys and inverters and lifespan.

Spades has given you a very good estimate.
Just note that the question of power output needs some refining.

It all depends where you are, what solar insolation is present, weather, maintenance effort and so on.

And as Spades says the assumed operating time and life expectation of the panel has also to be taken into account.

If you set up solar systems in higher latitudes the power output will be less and less, but be aware more sunshine could warrant a higher latitude setting if the weather and annual cloud cover is more favorable.

I guess it does get down to power output. How many panels to put on roof. Where to put the batterys and inverters.

The battery system does not change how much power the solar system creates, only how much is usable for yourself.

The inverter has a high chance of affecting your output.

Energy can be converted to monetary units...

..."As of January 2018, the average cost of solar in the U.S. is $3.14 per watt ($31,400 for a 10 kilowatt system)."...

Figuring my average electric bill and assuming that a 10kw solar pv system would be break even with my energy usage needs, that gives a 24 year payback time period....so it would be like paying my electric bill for 285 months in advance.... If I invested the $30k I would only need about a 5% annual return to actually pay my electric bill in total....at the end of 24 years I would still have the $30k, and would have paid electric cost for the last 24 years.......If I had installed the solar pv system, I would be looking at another $30k to replace the now aging system that was now only producing 8kw....plus repairs and maintenance costs....So after installing the new system I am now -$60k in the hole, and if I had not installed the system and instead had invested the money I am now +$60k ....

Yes, but I believe you overlook the overall advantages of solar. If you go all in solar when you build (passive, active hot water, P V, and steam electric generation) add tax credits you get for building a truly energy efficient home (which means a home that "pays attention" to the sun, the energy the house "makes" as opposed to how much it "needs" from the grid is a BIG selling point. For me, not enough attention is put to all the advantages of solar. (Wind power adds just a small amount of overall power output) .Making steam for making electricity is proven over and over again. Power stations should switch to natural gas and be augmented by steam generation.

You guys are amazing, if I add my 2 good answers to all yours, that's 2153 . I think we're on to something.

Yes I believe you overlook the cost of backup systems that are needed with intermittent energy sources...and the availability of qualified builders that are building these houses you speak of.. You are citing anecdotal evidence as if it's mainstream widespread availability....just not so....Most residential developments now are restricted by HOA's as to what your house looks like, what changes you can make to your property, and other restrictions...any new technology that is incorporated into a house must meet building codes, this alone can hamstring any attempt at deviating from the norm....change takes time....

You hit the nail on the head. Residential developements have been very restrictive, because of the different planning divisions of citys and towns. They have been controlled by the real estate loby which restricts passive solar homes for their own reasons. I have worked on some solar subdivisions here in Colorado some with 4 plexes using a communal greenhouse as an entrance. But they are rare. I don't think that the "planning" departments will change unless "buyers" become eduacted, and demand that homes pay attention to the sun.

Too True Craig. Possibly the driver for Solar City to attempt the Solar roof angle. That removes 90% of the arbitrary building code restrictions. The question remaining, are they able to produce enough solar shingles. The most promising thing about this is that it's an outside the current box approach which to me means we are finally seeing some quality investment in R&D and new ideas and tech being deployed.

The same thing is now happening in electric cars. More and more new ideas and technologies are being developed and experimented with. The more electric cars and solar installs that get sold, the more grid size battery installs, the bigger the incentive to invest in research and suddenly you have an industry.

That was Musks plan all along, if you look back on his founding statements. He was not trying to be "The next big car company" or solar company. His goal was to push the issue and get others out of their comfort zones and into the game. That is how real progress gets made.

And good saying from my therapist days.

A comfort zone is a wonderful place, but nothing ever grows there.

Yes, but the battery problem still exists. When you store that much energy in that little space, it's like cramming 2 quarts of s..t into a one quart container. To remodel an existing home to install solar roofs , pipes, wires, shortage tanks, battery packs, maintenance men/woman, etc, is a daunting task, and very expensive. The complexity of these systems also must be taken into account. If every new home had to meet "better" standards, I mean "pay attention to the earth and the sun", in passive ways, and solar steam powered generating stations, to add to the existing grid, the advantage is....It's tried and proven old school stuff , which people can understand. There are many parts of the country that are well suited for solar developement, but the homes still don't meet "solar" standards.

These homes that I'm talking about are built by "very qualified builders" , hired by progressive open-minded owners, who deviate from your "norm", and know about "buyer beware" . It's 2018 not 1950. Change has happened.

Let's face it, we are stuck with the grid. Some of the newer solar steam powered generating plants use salt as sort of a battery. It's tried and proven . And they are built by "do gooders"

Where do you think those incentives come from? I'll tell you, they come from taxes, you think you are avoiding the cost, but all you are doing is raising the price of electricity for everybody....Renewable energy is expensive, in Germany the country is going broke trying to subsidize solar and wind power, and the result has been more and more expensive electric costs...

In short the more wind and solar power you have installed, the higher the electric prices go...All you are doing is robbing Peter to pay Paul...In the end you are stuck with the cost one way or the other...Where do you think the money comes from to pay for these outrageously expensive systems?? It comes from you....

Wind is my renewable energy, I'd rather be sailing. I feel lucky to be "stuck" in S. W. Colorado, with the Ancients.

You are absolutely correct, but as a self funded retiree who gets none of the free hand outs like pensioners and dole recipients do from the government, I am happy to take a bit when I can.

Had I taken the high ground and refused to take advantage of the offered subsidies, I would still have the high power bills without the benefits so, yes, I have likely contributed to higher taxes and power bills, but considerably less so than those pensioners and dole recipients who contribute not a brass razoo - and the return on my investment is way higher than the cost to me for having done so.

I think you're mad to not take advantage of opportunities when they arise, and this was one that was too good to pass up.

It's no different than utilising negative gearing or any other of a number of subsidies on offer, they all come out of the public purse and, depending on their circumstances, only a select few can take advantage of each of them - this was one that I could use and I make no apologies for that.