And, like I repeated a few ties above and globi noted, there’s an artstic appeal here that could be worth a lot to some people (though, perhaps not the engineering types that frequent our comments section :D).

That isn’t a drop everything and do it now rate of return, but it’s a “this is the right financial decision” rate of return.

Also, it is billed as mobile. That means the decision is no longer tied to the house. I think lots of people say to themselves; the payback is too long, what if we decide to move before the 8 years (or 15 by your numbers)? What if I can’t get the money back selling the house in a weak market? Well, what if it doesn’t matter because you can just take it to your new house?

However, people buy $100k cars because they look cool, so why shouldn’t they just buy an electricity producing Parasol for $4k?

Since this umbrella can fold should a storm arrive, it may not have to be built that sturdy.

But it would need to be far more practice than the silly little van pictured here. Make the roof flat be a flat panel. Then have two equal sized panels that sit on top of it, which can be rolled out to the sides to act as as roofs on which canvas or fly mesh could be hung. Ideally once rolled out the side panels would drop down to be flush with the centre panel.

Imaging being able to drive as far as you batteries will take you, then pulling up to camp and recharge. It would be a fabulous was to travel around Australia, the US of wherever your fancy takes you.

In Australia there are companies that hire camper vans to tourists doing their round the country holidays. They would be a great market to start with.

But if you install fixed panels at Germany’s $2/watt price you get a 11% first year return. Low risk. Increasing returns as the years go by.

Then if you add in the decades of free electricity….

Also, $4k for a 1.1kW system doesn’t seem particularly out of line with the prices I’ve seen for roof mount systems.

They’re the sort of people you see complaining on the web how no one understands their brilliant idea and is willing to fund it.

I still don’t get how the umbrella type can be cost effective. Yeah, I admit it is cool, but cost effective, no way! For one, the contraption is complicated to manufacture. Then you would need to have a sturdy base, which would be heavier than the whole umbrella panels, and should be anchored very well to the ground. You would to transport and set up the base too. I know how bad it is to lug around a beach umbrella when you wanted a sturdier base to protect against the wind. It is really more trouble than it is worth when it comes to producing energy per unit investment.