Start-Up Claims it Can Halve the Cost of Residential Solar

January 7th, 2009 by Ariel Schwartz

One of the major barriers for anyone looking into a residential solar system is the hefty price tag, but a start-up called Solar Red claims it can halve the cost of residential systems. The company’s major product is a solar panel mounting system that uses brackets to weave in with roof shingles. These can be installed during construction or retrofitted. After the brackets are installed, the solar panels quickly snap into place.

Since the brackets are so cheap to manufacture, Solar Red claims its solar system only adds $825 in costs to a new roof. As new solar technology comes along, solar panels can be removed within minutes and replacements can be placed on the brackets.

So, what’s the actual cost difference between traditional solar and Solar Red? A typical 5kW residential system costs about $42,000. With tax credit and incentives, that drops to $19,000. Solar Red’s system costs approximately $32,000, but credits and incentives lower the price to only $10,000. That may not be affordable to many people, but it’s certainly more attractive than a $19,000 investment.

Solar Red is in the process of emerging from stealth mode, so more details will be reported as they become available.

Companies and homeowners are finding more and more ways to cut residential solar power costs. This system looks like a promising one further helping to make solar power more affordable.

Photo Credit: NREL

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Tags: panels, residential solar, solar red

About the Author

Ariel Schwartz was formerly the editor of CleanTechnica and is a senior editor at Co.Exist. She has contributed to SF Weekly, Popular Science, Inhabitat, Greenbiz, NBC Bay Area, GOOD Magazine, and more. A graduate of Vassar College, she has previously worked in publishing, organic farming, documentary film, and newspaper journalism. Her interests include permaculture, hiking, skiing, music, relocalization, and cob (the building material). She currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

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http://www.squidoo.com/diy-solar-panels-kits Nettie@Diy Kits

I really like just how so many people still assume solar technology is science fiction, yet every single day one more MW or 2 is being built. A great deal of activity in this sector that it’s expected to reach 1GW in the usa by the end of the year.
gary

you guys need heat tape
gary

you guys need heat tape
http://www.ourhomeremedies.com/natural-cure/4-tricks-to-avoid-weight-gain-during-holidays/ Ari Lestariono

I think alternative energy is great.If one day can remove the internal combustion as motor driven given to replace with old technology it would be a revolution to mankind and it can create a healthy atmosphere and save the blue planet earth.We no longer depending on Oil and Gas resources, all energy can obtained through biofuel, solar energy, wind energy.
http://www.ourhomeremedies.com/natural-cure/4-tricks-to-avoid-weight-gain-during-holidays/ Ari Lestariono

I think alternative energy is great.If one day can remove the internal combustion as motor driven given to replace with old technology it would be a revolution to mankind and it can create a healthy atmosphere and save the blue planet earth.We no longer depending on Oil and Gas resources, all energy can obtained through biofuel, solar energy, wind energy.
Rick Jolly

“The company’s major product is a solar panel mounting system that uses brackets to weave in with roof shingles.”

They’re called roof jacks and are available at hardware and building supply stores.
Rick Jolly

“The company’s major product is a solar panel mounting system that uses brackets to weave in with roof shingles.”

They’re called roof jacks and are available at hardware and building supply stores.
Jerry Siegel

Should be easy. On frosty days, my solar system starts clearing itself using the heat generated in the wires of the cells when it starts generating electricity. On snowy days, if you ran some electricity through the cells, the heat would generate water at the cell/snow interface. I’ll bet the snow would slide off very quickly. I’ve seen it happen on my system. For a grid tied system there is utility power at the inverter. Some switches to isolate the inverter, rectify the current and put the correct amps into the solar cells should do the job. Obviously, you need to pick the amount of power used very carefully. And you need to check with the solar panel manufacturers to see what current is allowable.
Jerry Siegel

Should be easy. On frosty days, my solar system starts clearing itself using the heat generated in the wires of the cells when it starts generating electricity. On snowy days, if you ran some electricity through the cells, the heat would generate water at the cell/snow interface. I’ll bet the snow would slide off very quickly. I’ve seen it happen on my system. For a grid tied system there is utility power at the inverter. Some switches to isolate the inverter, rectify the current and put the correct amps into the solar cells should do the job. Obviously, you need to pick the amount of power used very carefully. And you need to check with the solar panel manufacturers to see what current is allowable.
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Joe Real

I fully agree that most of the solar PV installers are ripping off customers. They are impediment to adoption of solar technology.

If you have experience replacing roof tiles or installing roof tiles, anchoring the brackets is a no-brainer feat. The 5 KW system would cost you at most a one and a half day job to mount the panels. Then you simply hire an electrician for inserting the circuit breakers for the inverters on your main circuit board. That would cost anywhere from $120 to $250 installation. Most solar PV have instructions on how to connect wires panel by panel, that part you can do, but for the main circuit board for a grid-tied PV, you would need an electrician. So the total installation cost would only be 1 1/2 day of your labor plus $250 for the electrician, perhaps $200 for the permit from the city. So total of no more than $700 installation cost. Problem is that the DIY method are often not certified for rebates. I hope there is a program for certifying the DIY providing that you hire professional technician. The tiled roof are one of the easiest to mount solar PV if you have these brackets that can be anchored in between overlapping tiles, they are naturally leak proof due to the way they are arranged. An installation with a solar PV company would charge you anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 not including the price of the panels, while if you do it yourself, would cost you less than $700.

It is good step for Solar Red to reduce their prices of installation, even then, it is a very lucrative installation job. Unlike other solar PV installers, greed has no bounds, and so they charge an arm and a leg for the price of being green. They charge exorbitantly because they know you have the rebates, and they want to have it all plus you dole out more.
Joe Real

I fully agree that most of the solar PV installers are ripping off customers. They are impediment to adoption of solar technology.

If you have experience replacing roof tiles or installing roof tiles, anchoring the brackets is a no-brainer feat. The 5 KW system would cost you at most a one and a half day job to mount the panels. Then you simply hire an electrician for inserting the circuit breakers for the inverters on your main circuit board. That would cost anywhere from $120 to $250 installation. Most solar PV have instructions on how to connect wires panel by panel, that part you can do, but for the main circuit board for a grid-tied PV, you would need an electrician. So the total installation cost would only be 1 1/2 day of your labor plus $250 for the electrician, perhaps $200 for the permit from the city. So total of no more than $700 installation cost. Problem is that the DIY method are often not certified for rebates. I hope there is a program for certifying the DIY providing that you hire professional technician. The tiled roof are one of the easiest to mount solar PV if you have these brackets that can be anchored in between overlapping tiles, they are naturally leak proof due to the way they are arranged. An installation with a solar PV company would charge you anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 not including the price of the panels, while if you do it yourself, would cost you less than $700.

It is good step for Solar Red to reduce their prices of installation, even then, it is a very lucrative installation job. Unlike other solar PV installers, greed has no bounds, and so they charge an arm and a leg for the price of being green. They charge exorbitantly because they know you have the rebates, and they want to have it all plus you dole out more.
http://GlobalPatriot.com Global Patriot

This is great news on reducing solar installation costs. Allowing for upgrades is also key, as technology will continue to evolve and many will want to put in the latest products.

That leads to a question about what to do with the old panels. Will we see outdated solar panels shipped off to developing countries, as we have often seen with old computers?
http://GlobalPatriot.com Global Patriot

This is great news on reducing solar installation costs. Allowing for upgrades is also key, as technology will continue to evolve and many will want to put in the latest products.

That leads to a question about what to do with the old panels. Will we see outdated solar panels shipped off to developing countries, as we have often seen with old computers?