Came here to say exactly the same. I have 2 GM with 10 panels on each. One is over my shed, which keeps it way cooler and the other is a car port for visitors cars. Easy to clean and see what's going on!
So apparently the Secret Service invented new rules for protecting President Trump "The attacker/shooter is ALLOWED TO TAKE 8 SHOTS AT TRUMP before the protective detail is allowed to stop the shooter Failure to follow orders will result in being charged with a FELONY" Did I get it right?
You wouldn't build a house on a shit foundation as that would be counter productive and obvious. Why anyone wouldn't have a surveyor evaluate the weight limitations of their roof and integrity of their roof tiles prior to installing panels, that's a school boy error on the property owner side for not looking in to that himself. Asphalt tiles for example are cheap, shit and they break down very quickly which means it will (if you want it to last) require some sort of maintenance or coating just to prolong it a tiny bit more, but even then it doesn't even come close to the longevity of Clay, Slate or concrete tiles for the most part. You should always have a good structurally sound roof over your head (think about it) and if you do why not stick them on your roof?
@@ecotts You can have the perfect roofing material and it can be in perfect condition, but then still have problems because an incompetent solar panel installer didn’t do their job correctly. You can’t control everything so don’t take the risk.
@@ecotts You must not know hat you are doing then, as Asphalt Shingles last for at least 20 Years; without "Coating" anything. Thank you for confirming the Suspicion though.
Do ANY of these Solar install contractors do anything right? The list of people here in Florida complaining about them is very long Plus Florida being a hurricane-prone state makes me wonder if it won't go flying off like a Cessna airplane if the winds go over 50 MPH
@@oculosprudentium8486 First rule is NEVER contract with people just going door-to-door to sell stuff. And out of the DOZENS of solicitors for this solar crap over the years (In spite of my prominent NO SOLICITORS sign!), only ONE ever would even admit they were selling solar. SOLICITOR: "I'm from Zing electric and we're doing some work in your neighborhood..." ME: (Fed up with these people and interrupting) "Are you selling solar?" SOLICITOR: "Not at all sir. We're doing an energy audit of homes in your neighbor..." ME: (Knowing that's a lie and interrupting again) "Does this audit and your business result in putting solar panels on my roof?" SOLICITOR: Well, yes sir... ME: "Then you're selling solar and I'm not interested. Goodbye." (Shuts door.)
@@oculosprudentium8486 Actually, there are pictures of a self-sustaining well-built community that weathered a hurricane just fine--and had power while others didn't.
@meddlehedd1194 Wife: We need solar panels on the roof. @meddlehedd1194: I'm not letting someone drill holes in my roof. Solaroos (Or Other Cheesy and Now Defunct Solar Company): Oh trust us sir. If our system damages your roof or causes leaks, we will repair or replace your entire roof. Solar Goat: Hold my beer...
I have the exact same ladder. I fell off it last year and it was 6 months off work. The most interesting part of my experience was seeing how many people are at the same hospital seeing the same specialist and how many are ladder related injuries. Mind blowning, it was like being in line at McDonald’s.
RN for all my adult life. Worked in home health and workers comp for some years....had many patients who had spinal cord injuries due to falls from ladders. Made me more careful about climbing them myself.
Man, that's crazy! I only fell off of one and it was a 9ft step ladder and like a fool I was pulling an "Animal House" (OLD movie) move by scooting it while I was up on it. The worst part is I thought to myself, "do I really want to do this?" I did, when to the ground and fractured my wrist.
Even out here in sunny AZ solar is a scam. It takes 40+ years for these panels to even pay for themselves and that's not factoring in any repairs or panels that will fail and need replacement.
@alejandromoreno5056 Guess you intentionally slept through all his comments about solar system problems and companies out of business. That's the "other side", in answer to your pretend question.
We are close to signing for a solar install. Watching this has reinforced my fear of damage to the roof and a whole lot of stress and expense in the future. The Solar company's gloss over it. Thank you for educating us. We will not be moving forward with solar.
Sure it’s going to do some damage. Most roof sheeting is only 1/2” thick. The rafters are generally 2 feet apart, some might be 16” apart. The odds of getting the bolts to hit just the rafters are pretty slim. So with only bolted to the sheeting,the panels are going to move a bit with a good wind or if it snows. Which in time will wobble out the bolts holes and water will start seeping through, then things will start rotting. Even if that doesn’t happen, shingles don’t last forever, probably 20 to 30 years, depending on the climate in your area. So you’re going to have to pay to have the panels taken off, pay someone else for a new roof, then pay to have the panels reinstalled.
That is how they keep the cost down, by telling you that you can install S Panels on older roofs. then when the roof goes bad, you have to pay to take the panels off then pay to have them reinstalled. IMO if you put S panels on you need to replace the roof first.
I'm a Certified Indoor Air consultant and Home Inspector with a degree in occupational Environmental Health and Safety here in California. Thank you for bringing this information to the masses. I see this type of damage all the time. California keeps pushing the Solar panel roof installation, and we see this kind of poor installation all the time. Solar energy is a great addition, but not on the roof. I'll definitely be checking out your videos.
I had the same problem with mine. I had a bad leak in my garage. It was Solar City at the time it was installed. Tesla bought them out. They did try to repair it first and that failed unfortunately. It was determined that the install was not done correctly and more leaks were found over my garage. Tesla picked up the tab and replaced half of my roof. I talked to the guys who inspected and they told me they have a lot of roofs to replace because of a bad install. I live in Southern California. I won't get into the crappy contractors they sent to do it. Long story short is I fired the contractors because they hinted I was to pay them and not Tesla. I finished most of the roof myself. I did it in 2008 after a remodel. Five years later and no leaks on my solar. I did have another leak that I suspect from the contractor I fired that leaked into my kitchen. I couldn't prove it. Last year I tore off the other half and found where it was leaking. My girlfriend a coworker and I did the rook ourselves last summer.
@@waltermessines5181 🤣 EMF sensitivity is fictional. Extensive medical and scientific studies have not found evidence that these symptoms are caused by EMF exposure. The symptoms are psychosomatic. Do more reading.
I just had solar panels installed. Or, maybe, I should state that I am STILL having solar panels installed across three months and counting. The company I did business with, which was highly rated and highly reviewed, doesn't actually do the installs. They contracted out to a third-party. And that third-party is a horror show. The amount of mistakes and damage has been a nightmare, and I am all over them to repair and complete every single thing. The bad news is that it takes weeks and multiple trips to get the right people out with the right gear to do the right scope of work and fix something. The good news is that the panels are on line and I am benefitting even though they cannot get to the final inspection and turn on the billing. So I am getting free solar through my first desert summer. And its all their fault.
@@rastus666 If it's a good installation then they were screwed to the roof and the screws were encased in copious amounts of white sealant - probably with the brand name Dicor.
I had solar panel "seepage" like you showed, with no visible leaking. I learned about it when my Wife screamed bloody murder at 6:00 AM when the kitchen ceiling fell in as she was making coffee!
I got scammed into buying solar and was sold 25 panels for $48K and payments $200 a month for 25 years.The Salesman lied and said there was a $12k cash rebate but turns out it was a tax credit so useless to me. After seeing the small amount of credit from my monthly bill I did the math and the result after a year was it cost me $1395 to have them. I have since filed for bankruptcy and my attorney is offering the Creditor $500 for solar..lol ...They are still on even though Ive been told for several months they were coming to turn them off. Im cringing after seeing this video now and wondering how long before my roof leaks or if the Creditor will come take the panels off even though they will have to repair the roof? ...Solar Panels are a Scam.
Are you in NC? I had a lying salesman pitch the exact same thing back in 2016 or so. Even the price 48k at 200 a month was identical to yours Some dude dressed like a lineman came out initially and said Duke power would be sending someone out to speak to me about solar panels, a couple of days later some kid comes to my house and pitches solar claiming it costs less per month than a power bill and "you own it". I asked about the warranty on the batteries and inverters and "everything is guaranteed for life". Doing the math it would have been 60k+ for this crap
It doesn’t matter the amount of panels. It’s the cost per kWh. You could have 100 solar panels, or 20, and the combined total could still put out the same out. Saying 100 sounds like you’re getting something big, when you’re getting garbage. Solar mini splits are a way better investment.
@@user-ln7of9gs4sI am going the mini split route here in Florida. I don't ever want to be without ac for the whole house again at 96* inside after a day. If one breaks, we still have air. And off grid. No scammer solar company
I installed solar on the ground rather than on the roof. There were numerous companies that offered to install on the roof, but only one pointed out that the roof tiles I had, while being top quality, were not suited for solar panels. I went with this one company and opted for a ground installation. To fix a faulty roof installion would have ruined me. This is in Poland, so it looks like a common problem
@@keekeemyfirstcat8410 trackers are expensive. Much cheaper and easier to buy a couple additional panels. Ground mounting is better in areas with snow.
@@keekeemyfirstcat8410 When panels were 500 or 600 bucks apiece, a tracker for a thousand could make sense. I have been buying used ones in Phoenix and on Craigslist for 35-75 bucks each. They will last 20-30 years and are so ridiculously cheap a tracker just isn't worth the cost. to get a thousand watts for 120 bucks is crazy cheap.
Not sure how you came on my feed but cant wait to see you install everything back on especially how you do the flashing correctly and run the wiring. Just got a roof leak and wil be removing my panels. This video came in clutch 😂
We have a leased system. After 6 years we had roof leaks under the roof panels. The leasing company dropped it in our lap for repairs. After 3 months I located a company that would remove and replace the 28 panels. Cost $8,000. My roofer had to have the tiles made, house is 35 years old. 8 sheets of plywood, under layment and labor $37,000. I will never recover the costs. My brother in law has a ground mounted system with battery system. Much better.
ground mounted is always best, but a properly mounted roof system can also have the benefit of keeping your house cooler in summer. problem is these contract companies don't hire professionals, use professional anchors or care because in 3-5 years they will be gone anyways.
I can't imagine trying to carry even one of those panels down that ladder, let alone eighteen! Walking around up on that roof like it's nothing. My knees would be stiff as a rusty hinge from fear. God bless you as a hard-working man.
I was thinking the same thing. I could have done that in my gym rat days but not today, not a chance. If I even go up and down a 9' step ladder a few times I cant walk for days. My first full knee replacement is happening in about a month.
the SS does not dare to go on a roof with an even smaller pitch - you should be commended for your bravery that is so severely lacking in govt agencies
@@independenttntn3276 Start doing tension exercises Now! NOT after! See 'Todd Dunn' channel he had a knee done and a while ago and shows exercises that make recovery much quicker. It's putting tension on all the muscles, using different positions and holding it there until you can't.. ie.. sit in sofa chair and lift foot off ground a few inches and hold it there (while watching TV) .. and keep holding it there.. till you can't.. then quick rest and do same again but increase by a few inches and others all the way to straight leg. Do same laying in bed on front. also standing up just hold foot off ground by bending knee and hip and increasing height. Also do stretching and very clean diet ie Keto and no seeds etc.. only use sea salt and have cod liver oil. And he needs a safety harness with fall arrester.. Minimum! with big danger of rotten wood causing him to go off balance, only needs to happen once. Ladders need securing and should have someone with him..
When I got my siding done, my contractor saw my ladder in my garage and told me they called those widow makers. Told me to get rid of it and that it’s worth the money to get peace of mind when buying a ladder.
Never put holes in your roof unless it’s absolutely necessary. Even the smallest hole can leak unbelievably. In other words, don’t put solar panels on your roof.
I would suggest making a harness so you can lower the panels down by rope if wind permits. Or lower them down by rope by letting them slide down the ladder. Have a second ladder to use to lower yourself if needed.
@@jimlocodo6601 A scissor lift would definitely make it a lot easier but renting or buying will eat into his profits. I'm assuming that he chooses to be a one-man operation to keep costs down, either that or it's difficult to find reliable part-time help.
Dish won’t install on a roof anymore. Gutter install with crappy cable runs looping over the roof hanging loose down the wall with a non weatherproof hole in your siding
I think it would be much easier to have a roofer that's not an illegal to the solar and satellite, as it's just flipping the switch and using an impact driver.
so basically the bottom line of having solar panels is that they will DESTROY your roof Because the contractors who install the panels don't care a shyt about your home or roof they are only focused on installing the panels on the roof and to move on to the next poor sucker. And since 98% of these solar companies disappear after just 2 years, expect little to NO support from them
My roof took a hail beating so I had to take my panels down (50) before the roofers came to replace my roof. (I rolled the dice on putting my array on an older roof and lost) There was only one lag bolt that there was any sort of water penetration out of all of them. Pride of ownership (and knowing if you half-ass your own stuff it's going to be on you) had the roofer comment he didn't expect to find what he did knowing I put them up by myself. But you're right, solar companies generally suck and then disappear, but that seems to be the norm now with any trade. I've fired 2 different contract painting/drywall companies in the past 3 months and am doing it myself. I think the real bottom line is if you want something done correctly, you have to do it yourself. I LOVED my array. It supplemented my crypto mining, when that stopped, I was running 8 tons worth of AC in the Texas summer and still watching my power meter turn backwards.
One of the reasons I don't recommend roof installs, particularly by companies that haven't been around 'forever'. Add to that the risk to firefighters... BTW, IF you decide to do a roof install anyway, get it done with a new roof at the same time. Panels are good for 20-25 years. If your roof is already 10-15 years old, you'll likely be replacing it before the panels are done.
That's why I didn't install solar in our house. BTW, we get some strong winds in our area, and everyone in our neighborhood had to get our roofs repaired.
Yep. That's one reason I'm doing my own. The other reason is I do ALL of my own work from the cars to the solar, to the house and down to repairing my own appliances. The "professionals" (Solar Goat - Brandan) EXCLUDED as he's clearly GOOD and does honorable work) can all stick it.
A friend of mine died on a ladder like that. His legs got tangled up in the rungs, the ladder slipped sideways, and it drove him into the concert like a hammer. Please get some fall arresting equipment.
Just as scary as walking on the side of the road next to fast moving vehicles. Less scary actually because you're in charge of your fate instead of trusting the cars whizzing by
I used ladders up to 30 footers we spent all day on ladders of one size or another the point is skilled workers don't take risks they know how to put up a ladder and how to climb and climb down them often carrying loads . The average DIY 'has no clue and should be supervised.
Solar panels and satellite dishes are no no’s to install on top of shingles on my house. Thanks for this video to provide more than just a “shoot from the hip” assumption.
I have no idea why this showed up on my feed. I have no clue what you were talking about most the time but I found it absolutely fascinating and finish the entire video lol.😆
Yeah, I know I did it. That’s because the kids that I was working with were too stupid to use the Lyft. But once I showed them, the lift will carry up five panels at a time they stopped carrying them up the ladder on their back.
My neighbor has a tilting flat wall of plywood covered in panels that he rolls onto his sunny. Vacant driveway, charging up batteries for house converter...and lats it flat rolling it into garage for storms or whenever he wants. Small house with 50 tin roof guarantee, soooo.
@@CynthiaWord-iq7in That's a really good option. One of my first solar panel projects, I built a large chalkboard style easel with pneumatic tires. It held (5) 200 watt panels and had a 20ft lead that plugged into an outlet on the outside of the battery shed. I got this idea from building an easel for a fresnel lens used for cooking. If you have the time throughout the day to move the panels just a couple times you will still get better solar than static mounted on a roof.
I installed panels to form a carport roof on my side driveway. Shingled them to shed water into the house gutter. Totally transformed that side w/ no more rain and evil sun. Nice to park a classic car and stuff there. Easy to get at the panel wiring and no vermin nesting underneath, nor risk of roof leaks into the house. I series wired as 2 strings to a new hybrid all-in-one off-grid 6kW inverter. Cost $5K parts w/ by-me labor.
My husband inspects these…. Man the stuff he’s seen ….Be safe ! At least Your in BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY doing that work ! I drove thru Utah last year. I’d never been thru the middle of the states, been almost all the way around the edges of the US …but UNBELIEVABLE BEAUTY out there! I think cried thru most Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and into Colorado…Now I understand the song America the Beautiful after 60 yrs in Jersey ! My heart exploded with the sight of those mountains!
I have always been suspect of these roof mounted solar installations. Like most other industries I assume these solar companies subcontract the work to the lowest bidder regardless of their qualifications. Also it does not make any sense. The purpose of a roof is to protect the home not to generate power. Attempting to use this space for more than one purpose adds maintenance cost while more than likely degrading the effectiveness of the roof. Another consideration. If new shingles are installed I believe a roofing company can cite the solar installation as a reason to deny any warranty claims.
It's so cool that you share your work, bro. I live in California, and I do the exact same things you do, bad inverters, bad ac systems, R&Rs, communication problems, water leaks, etc. I love doing service. We always have lots of work. Hope you have fun in the next one.
Ha ha, 36 years in Hayward, dope capital of the bay area. Grew up in Fairway Park. Left in 97 and never no regrets. I do miss the beautiful weather and roads. But the idiots in State government are why I got out.
Personally, I have been following this tech for over 40 years now and I was about to have solar panels but I had a serious pause in my spirit about it Now public opinion has radically shifted about it, and anyone coming into my neighborhood to sell it, runs a very high risk of being shot or stoned
LOL considering you ripped almost an entire shingle off, I hope the roofers were starting soon! What you found regarding the roof looks and the solar install is why I do ALL of my own work on my home including electrical, remodels, HAVC installs, EVERYTHING! I just don't trust people. Kudos to you are you obviously do good work!
@@independenttntn3276 you must be new to youtube solar videos. Most of the country you have to have a licensed electrician do all of it. And you cannot get homeowners insurance without licensed installers, and that is virtually everywhere.
@@5400bowen No offense intended bud but I have no idea what you mean by, "you must be new to youtube solar videos." Secondly, I don't know where you get your information from but it's wrong. You do NOT need to have a licensed electrician to install solar in "most of the country, virtually everywhere." In fact the opposite is most likely true. I can install anything I want in my state (and the one I moved from) and can (and do) do ALL of the work myself. I can build a house without any permits if I want to and can do the wiring, including the electrical panel, the pluming, septic, roof, HVAC, you name it, I can (and do) do it all. The only thing I need is to have my electrical panel and septic inspected by a state inspector (and pass inspection) before the utility company will turn my power on, but again, I can do the work it just has to pass inspection. I've also owned 6 homes and never had an insurance company ask if I had solar. Now for those who choose to live in cities, townships, subdivisions controlled by a homeowners association or other incorporated areas with codes, and it sounds like you do, then you will need all kinds of permits and licensed contractors to do the work. But that is NOT the case in many rural areas as they usually don't have codes because they don't have building inspectors, nor code enforcement and everything that comes with it. I would NEVER live in a place like that. EVER. It's my property and I'll do as I choose with it.
That's the spirit! We need more people like you. Same for me, build several houses in different countries in my time off. Also, of a much higher quality.
Yep I know that feeling. Had a DIRECTV install they ungrounded my antenna. Then later got Comcast Internet they ungrounded the satellite and the antenna. And the whole time I'm having to explain what a drip loop is.
My neighbor was one of the 1st to install solar panels on their roof. Sold the home and new home owner removed the solar panels immediately after moving in. New roof. Home looks much better.😊
Awesome demo. It looks like you really work hard but enjoy what you do. I'm retired now but the last job I did was a PV system on a flat roof of a commercial building. The customer bought a used system from the owner of the building next door. 240 panels. Almost every MC4 connector was fried and about 10 optimizers were bad. After completing the job I said never again. The roof was slippery in the morning and the temperatures during the day were too much for me. I was 63 years old then and thought why not retire. Be safe buddy.
That is EXACTLY what I was worried about. They whined, but I made them do a ground install and run a trench to the house. A tiny bit of extra work for them, but peace of mind for me.
Yep. It's refreshing to see someone who appears to enjoy their work. I'm so tired of hearing people protesting against being required to return to work at the office after being allowed to work remotely. Spoiled brats!
I had the same damage to my roof from solarbear here in Florida. I had to hire a lawer cause they wouldn't cover my roof. Even with providing photos of the hardware missing almost every truss, water dripping from their hardware and even a 3rd part inspector documentation. Still it's been like several months working with an attorney and haven't gotten anywhere with solarbear! 50k for a new roof! After 40k worth of solar had been installed just over a year before we noticed wet spots and leaks!
I'm sorry to hear that. It feels like an echo chamber in here, reading about other peoples' frustration with trades in general. I'm a homeowner who is willing to do some work but lack the knowledge. I don't want to experiment on my house, esp when it comes to structural things. But finding trustworthy trades can be tough.
ryant1090 many installation companies have new hires with no knowledge and they do the work on your house. They could have some workers that just won't learn or care.
Sadly, you'll likely lose in the end, because this happens to almost everyone who installs solar. It's basically a situation where if everyone is screwed, it's like no one is screwed. These companies couldn't even pay to cover a fraction of all the damage caused, and the government has a green agenda, so they also have to sweep these things under the rug to keep pushing it, which means the average person suffers and loses. The fact is, even with a good install, solar is just bad for roofs. Roofs aren't meant to have anything on them but shingles, and roof shingles operate on a simplistic concept of overlapping layers to keep the water out as long as it can run down the slope. Sealant doesn't last very long in the extreme conditions like a roof where it's going to be 120f+ all the time. That's why roofing is soo simplistic in the first place. The moment you go drilling into things, you're undermining the integrity of those simplistic concepts, even with sealants, because no sealant lasts for long, they always crack and split after a few years.
I've always been hesitant to drill holes in my roof. Holes leak, they all eventually do (water finds a way), no matter what kind of amazing sealant you use. There has to be a better way (Perhaps gluing the rails to the roof?). I've had panels before, up on a flat carport, mounted flat. I found that cleaning them is important to their function. So, I probably wouldn't use them again unless I had the room to put them on the ground, low, where they are easy to inspect and repair, and where a hose can reach. And never flat. Installed like that, in the sun belt, and solar is awesome. Tesla was marketing some solar roof shingles. But that seems very complex, with limited longevity. There are even windows that collect solar energy. And paint. We're still figuring this out. But we are still figuring out the internal combustion engine too. Improvement is standard behavior, in everything.
Agree. Putting holes through shingles will just lead to trouble. I had the same thought, using PL or similar adhesive, and maybe clamps off of the eve. There must be a better way, but contractors want fast and easy. I wonder if any installers have solar on their own roof.
@@joeshmoe7967 What about subpar installaion of the equipment and fires. Lithium ion fires are not easy to put out and you don't want to be near it. I smell something now and then from my neighbors townhouse. Chemical or something. He is not the brightest person.
I love your videos, we just had panels taken off our roof due to leaks, but we reroofed with a metal roof and chose not to re-install the solar because we were already having inverter failures and didn't see solar as a benefit to us anymore. Personally I would never put solar on my house again, maybe over a carport but not on my house.
Really appreciate you taking the time to show the roof leak damage and tearing enough off to show it in the sunlight so you can clearly see the spread on the roof decking. Love the "Just because it's not dripping doesn't mean it's not leaking" you said. I'm new to this and likely will be doing a ground based install at my place because we have a lot of land, but this is good to see and know. Curious what the correct way to install the mounting hardware is without causing leaks.
This video illustrates exactly why I would never put solar panels on my roof. Plus I don't think there is any real cost savings over time. It's just another complicated system that is prone to fail. How does it hold up under hail? When I need a new roof, there is the added cost of removal and replacement. Why would you want to degrade the integrity of your roof by putting screws through it? Sounds great at first, but I believe there are hidden costs down the road. I cannot see any benefits from doing this.
There are definitely cost savings you just 1. Have to diy (these companies hella overcharge for what you could do for a fraction of the cost) 2. Use an offgrid system not one of these gridtied ones. Power Companies will screw you. Also if it's an offgrid system you can still have power in an emergency I've had power go out a few times in the last couple months and I was able to stay online because of solar. I promise there is cost savings but you have to DIY
When I was 66, my wife and I bought a new house. We had people come out and take a look at solar for us and they ended up giving us a proposal which would have eliminated most but not all of our $175 average monthly power bill. Just running the math quickly I calculated that in order to break even I would have to live to age 115. Hard to imagine they'd even present something like that to a prospect.
@@pleskbruce The solar industry is mostly a scam taking advantage of people who don't understand the technology or finances involved. Like the first reply said. DIY or don't bother.
Wow, you are seriously uneducated sir. I have installed hundreds of solar systems in Southern California and I have many systems that are nearly 20 years old and I have never had a single single leak on a customers roof and all of my customers have a payback or break even point of less than seven years.
Thanks for the information. It helps me understand what to do for a new solar setup... and one big feature will be to place the solar panels no where near my new roof.
You sir have elephant balls. If you can come up with the money you should invest in systems to improve your safety. Buy the elevator tracks that will bring your panels up and down for you. It's much more dangerous on the ladder when you are also carrying a panel.
Thanks this was an excellent video. I have never seen the other part of the solar mounting problem explained like this. This seals the deal for me, no holes in my roof.
So interested to see and hear from the coal face grafter. I engineering 44 years and installed and commissioned / serviced my own kit, what you learn fast is how its done right, this is no BS and the moment you said "these guys ave gone out of business like they always do" I just thought yes Im subscribed here. Its a pity your not told why the pannels need to come off with your experience you could provide gold dust to the owners / installers. I just didnt know the GO SOLAR!...go out of business model was same in the US as here in UK but then why not we all know any company offering 10 year guarantees on domestic work will obviously disappear after 9 but then again I was lucky the company that installed mine put the solar in for knock down price and when the inverter packed in after 8 years it was a simple plug and play with a little used Ebay swap out. At the end of the day those who can look after themselves will win out, your channel is a massive help, if my solar goes wrong again it will be me fixing it but here in the UK we use tiles so the solar is installed using clips that reach under the ends of the tiles so mechanically no drilling through the membrane so hopefully no reason the solar should give rise to any leaks........if done right........thats an if!
England, UK. The house behind ours had solar panels installed, perhaps 5 years ago, on a Marley (concrete) tiled roof. They were all removed a few weeks ago, the tiles and felt removed, the roof re-felted then the tiles replaced. Then the solar panels reinstalled. All due to leaks on a clay tiled roof.
Dunno why I found this video so fascinating but thanks for creating it! Will watch more soon. I've been apprehensive about adding solar to my newly roofed home. Wondering if I would rather create a giant solar carport.
That's exactly what I did. I put Bifacial panels on a 2x2 metal frame. Bifacials let some light through and give extra power. Win win win. So easy to clean and keep operating at peak, plus not being on the roof the panels stay cooler and are therefore more efficient. More winning!
In my rural area, pole mounts are the way to go, better cooling/performance is one reason. My 3.2 KW array is also tilt adjustable, as it's framework is a 6" sch. 40 pipe that saddles in a 24" long piece of channel iron, clamped in place with 5/8" U bolts. I made over 50 of these 10' by 20 racks for others, and would deliver them to my customers with the panels mounted and pre-wired, and they were built so I could lift them with my boom truck and set them on the 8" vertical pipe. BUT the last one I did I was told by the inspector that they needed to be engineered (none failed, ever) and they were not "approved."
Engineering certificates are important. The fact that one never failed may mean you’d pass the certification process with flying colours. Might even save you getting sued one day.
@@en2oh Agreed, and that's why I quit building them! My crane biz ended up leaving me little time to mess with solar installs, paid better, and is less hassle! Too bad though, it was a very cost effective install for both me and my customers, based on what they told me (I was cheapest, quickest, and best bang for the watt buck.)
Good point you show at 8:50 relieving tension on the mount. Every material needs room to expand and contract, (some more, some less) ESPECIALLY if it is exposed to hot and cold! Our aluminum siding does a ton of movement when the sun gets on it and then shrinks in the evening. I would think a good mount would allow the panel 'movement'.
Here in Germany hardly any roof has asphalt shingles; instead, clay shingles are the most common type. Mounting a solar system is pretty simple: metal hooks are mounted onto the rafters. The hooks have two 90 degree bends: the upper end - upward of the bends - is mounted flat onto the rafter, the lower end protudes between 2 shingles and holds the mounting bar the solar panels are tied to. The mounting process is quite simple and often done by solar companies, not even roofers, and numerous people do it themselves. BTW clay shingles roos last pretty long. 50 years is a nominal lifetime. Our house's roof has clay shingles, too and is in a pretty good statement. The house is 40 years old now. We had a big initiative by our federal government in 2022, completely waiving VAT tax on solar equipment (from regular 19% down to zero!) A ridicilous tax on energy produced and consumed on premise has been waived as well (was probably introduced by our "conservative" Government in the 2010s to discourage people from installing solar on behalf of the "big four" of the energy industry). That the USA have practically banned the import of solar panels from China helped Europe quite a bit as panels are now very cheap: I paid 80 € (under 90 $) per panel for my small solar system in April, now the price is even lower, at about 50-60 €. China has overproduction and subsidizes panel production. We even gave up on our own production - not competitive. As we have much higher energy prices in Germany (from 26 €-cents per kWh and upward, with a peak of over 40 €-cents in the energy crisis of 2022) solar plants amortize in a reasonable time, despite the fact that a typical single-family home uses much less energy than an american home (4000 kWh/yr vs 11000 kWh/yr) - with air conditioning being rarely used here. A 10 kW plant including installation costs about 15000 €, with a battery 20000 € if you call a contractor to do all the work. Amortisation time is typically 15-20 years. Currently, home owners get 8 cents/kWh for each kWh fed into the grid, but new systems will get less or get throttled down remotely as we now have quite an overproduction around noon in the summer months. Neverless, the price difference between grid and you own solar will make it pay. Quite a number of homeowners now also use heat pumps or split HVAC systems to heat their houses and at least partially use their solar plants for this purpose. But if you really want to play it cheap, you buy a smaller solar plant (from 350€ and up), possibly add a battery, use a certified inverter limited to 800W and just connect it to your house's grid via a normal socket. You do the mounting yourself and do not have to call a registered electrician and don't need a permit from your supplier either. The only obligation is to fill our an online form to register your plant. I have such a system. It had cost 1000€ and has produced 1000 kWh this year. I already saved over 300€.
Wow, that was crazy to have a tax on home energy producers. It's interesting how different things are everywhere. We've been looking for a couple of years but have been waiting due to falling costs. We finally jumped this year. Our state(we live in the US) currently matches the price produced to normal usage charges. But it goes away next year and drops to a flat 10¢ per kwh. That would've significantly increased our time to break even. Fortunately we're lucky enough to have a house that allows a ground mount setup due to our property. Our roof is constructed in nearly the exact opposite way(nearly all facing north) to benefit from solar there. The only downside is we aren't allowed to increase our arrow in the future, beyond 10% if we want to get the matched rate, so we did oversize it s bit more than need. It's great to finally see solar really taking off here in the US. Even in our rural area it is growing fast. Most of the farmers and other more rural have finally realized it can help make you independent. So now they've partly changed their views. Good for them! Do what's right for you.
I do residential service but thinking about trying to get into solar service and removals because like you said most of the companies go out of business. I’m super curious how you price this job or the total for removal and reinstall.
This is why I like a carport solar panel system. I don't really care if it leaks. It is just for shade. Although, I have 10 acres and don't have the same restrictions as others.
That's why I prefer ground mount, easy to maintain, easy to clean easy to self inspect. Roofing is expensive and installers, ..well let's say it like it is; "It's hard to find good help these days." Koo-does to solar Goat, great video but really Dude get some help! lol Any good places in Utah to get used panels at a fair price?
Thanks for the video! Interesting: As a mechanical design engineer, I've always wondered how the roofing systems stay intact under all those solar panels I see screwed down to rooftops.
Secret Service job there.. LOL but hey... Great Video! You just covered everything I wanted to know about solar. Thank You Very Nice! Stay Safe Up There 👍
Thanks for the no bs vid. I'm in NZ and had the salesman at my door two or three years ago offering a free solar rooftop installation, subsidised by our then loopy green govt in conjunction I think with Blak Rok. The company has recently gone under btw. Despite the zero cost, one of the reasons I argued against it with him was that I didn't want a whole lot of extra roof penetrations for reasons you have proved and I too have seen over the years. As well as that, as a taxpayer I was going to be paying for something I didn't want, as the payback period calculations I had previously done made no sense; by the time the savings had paid for the install, if it hadn't already failed by then (which a number of people I know have had theirs do) it would be time to replace it. He couldn't understand my lack of excitement for 'something for nothing' as he mistakenly saw it. Keep it simple. He was young and wide eyed, as we all have been at some stage.
i don’t know anything about solar but i just feel like it’s a huge part of the problem with people that bought in to the whole solar thing. Like it’s not a terrible idea, it can be a great way to add power to the rest of the power base. But then people automatically think ohhhhh green green green i am helping the environment and neglect to cross all their t’s and dot all their i’s and then hire bad installers who do not guarantee their work or something or other like that. And then the warranty if there even is one is not honored. Or the company goes out of business. All of those things completely and utterly cancel out anyone’s idea of “helping” the environment by “going green” with solar panels on their house. jee whiz.
Could just learn how to diy. I learned how from TH-cam not a big system yet (just 200 watts atm) but it's plenty enough to power my lights thermostat and CO2 detector (Living in Camper so all that's 12v) it's really not that hard if you take a little time to learn how
I DIY'd my second array. When drilling you know if it's in the stud or not and I only missed one and used a small piece of hanger with a 90 degree bend with 2" end to find which way to go to drill right into that rafter, 1" over. 16 holes, all directly in the rafter and properly sealed and water proof.
@@theotheleo6830 Being a camper actually makes things harder than a home installation in some cases I have less space for panels and less space to for the inverter/Charge controller/batteries. The overall basics are the same. Main difference is that everything will be powered by Inverter and not 12v because all your stuff will be 120v. You also will have alot more roof space to work with than I do.
I saw so much misery from these confounded things as an insurance adjuster in Phoenix. These holes still come around knocking on doors, and the radio waves always carry advertisements. If I was made of money I’d never buy these or an EV.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. It validates my fear of what could happen to my perfectly good roof if the panel installation was not perfect. Perfectly hitting a stud in the center of sheetrock is hard enough. My genuine question: Would it be safer to install panels perfectly if a new roof is installed as Step 1 with solar as Step 2? Oh! I see below where people indicate metal roof sometimes has the capability for solar to attach to it.
I'm a skeptical potential customer of solar panels, and a hands-on landlord who's known how to use tools for 60 years. It baffled me, watching this video, how the original installation of the solar panel mounting brackets "missed the rafters," according to Solar Goat. Makes me wonder how often this happens, all over the country, with OSB soaking up rainwater... OSB isn't structural to relying on OSB as the "fastened-to" partner of a lag screw (?) seems wrong. Yet the screws removed weren't long enough to hit the rafters, where they? Roofers call a spike that misses a fascia board or rafter a "shiner." I made the roofer fix those, in a timely manner during roof change. Not LATER, when the shiner might only be cut flush to the underside of the sub-roof, with flush-cutting bolt cutters. I would think that a stud-finding tool would be ubiquitous, for roof-mount solar panel installers.
@tsl7881 the most common steel roofing system used today is a Standing Seam style where the fasteners are protected from the elements. Those penetrations never see rainwater, unlike the holes put in the roof to mount panels.
Really the only way to install solar is to install mounts at the time of the shingle install, this way one can install the attachment and flash over it w ice and water shield and then install underlayment and shingles over that. And removing and reinstalling the solar IS a significant cost and effort many home owners just don’t consider.
Honestly this is the truth about many things - if you want something done right, do it yourself. It's the only way to be 100% you can trust it - but the caveat is that the homeowner has the knowledge of what the right way is AND the time to make sure they do it correctly. This is why many people hire things out though - they put their trust in the knowledge of "professionals." Unfortunately professionals hire labor that may or may not treat the job like it's a personal thing to be proud of. The labor may not be as careful, or skilled. Mistakes are made. Also to professionals you are a "job" and they have many jobs they need to get to in order to be profitable. If they rush too fast from job to job under pressure, the quality of work goes down - it's just basic physics. Probably why you're more likely to get better quality with a higher cost contractor - though that's not always the case either. You could just pay more for the same garbage work others would do. Such conundrum on what to do. Personally I'd prefer the DIY way, even it it takes me longer to do. It's going to save me money, AND I'm going to know I was meticulous as could be in the installation.
@RichardTurlington i agree. Every time I hire a professional, I get a crap job done at a high price. Leaking toilets, over torqued nuts on my cars, failed disconnects on my septic pump x2, roof shingles installed wrong, gouged out trees from landscape work... Its too bad manufacturers hide behind "hire a professional" and dont include the good to know details in their manuals. Or that states dont put out guides for DIY of easy tasks like installing an EV charger to code in that state.
@@MtnXfreeride same, im so sick of hiring a "professional" only to get sh1t work and then if you call them out to honor their "warranty" they give you the run around.
We had our roof done with a removal and reinstall. Quotes from $250 per panel to 125. End up with paying 3200$ for 24 panels remove, reinstall. and one guy did it all!
Both of my roof installations have been flawless :). I installed the second one myself and know how it's sealed. Quickbolt 2s, proper sealant, love it!
Shingles are such a scam. Limited lifespan and an incredible number of possible leak points. The further south you go, the less the life from the sun UV. With this roof, they used OSB panels and that is the worst possible panel for roof material. The OSB rots very quickly when moisture is allowed to contact.
I am a Licensed General Contractor in AZ: 1. Shingles installed correctly can last 40-50 years or more, depending on the manufacturer's design. The thicker layered shingles usually have a minimum warranty of 40 years. 2. Shingles USED to not last 10 years here in AZ. But roofing manufacturers improved their products radically. 3. Today's asphalt shingle roofs do last the length of their warranties. 4. Several roofing manufacturers now offer lifetime warranties. 5. OSB is far superior to plywood 6. There are code requirements for nailing shingles 7. Shingles are one of the most cost-effective roofs to install 8. Architectural shingles produce beautiful roofs and often are installed on high-end homes 9. Tile roofs do last longer and are more durable provided they are installed with a thick underlayment material in hot climates. Typically, I install a torch-down modified roof as the underlayment for tile roofs. This produces a lifetime roof. A cheaper method is to install a minimum of 40 lb underlayment under the tiles. This will provide a roof life of 40-50 years
I'm re-roofing a property and adding solar. I figure a guy like you would be an excellent consultant on such a thing as you see what actually holds up over time and what does not. Too bad the property is not near Utah.
I can totally feel your frustration, dude I mean I'm mad just watching this with you. I see what you see. It hurts, doesn't it? and it's not even yours I love you. Thank you for sharing so much thank you
My Back Yard is a good place for a Rack of Solar. My roof is for gathering free heat 6 months out of every year from my new 45 year roof... Solar and Satellite free zones. The ridge Vent is free AC with the new exhaust fan dumping passive solar heat as needed. Gotta Love my old TV tower Antena at 45ft or so in the air. This Video showed me one smart Roofer who knows Solar ... Get Rich Buddy, you earn it. Then get yourself a Class 3 or Better ladder, given all that combined weight and big fall line... My 24 footer falls short on old two story roofs. I have a zig zaggy death ladder, for gutter clean outs, that scares me...
I am so glad I have a ground mount system. No roof issue to worry about.
Ground mount is the way to go if you have the option.
I am looking for one now, I refuse to put panels on my roof
A pair of solar pergolas are sounding pretty good right about now.
Came here to say exactly the same. I have 2 GM with 10 panels on each. One is over my shed, which keeps it way cooler and the other is a car port for visitors cars. Easy to clean and see what's going on!
@@simonpaine2347 Hey! Do you happen to have any photos of your system? I am looking to do something similar.
You shouldn't be on that steep roof mate. Even the Secret Service isn't allowed on a roof with greater than 0.0000001% gradient 🤣🤣
So apparently the Secret Service invented new rules for protecting President Trump
"The attacker/shooter is ALLOWED TO TAKE 8 SHOTS AT TRUMP before the protective detail is allowed to stop the shooter
Failure to follow orders will result in being charged with a FELONY"
Did I get it right?
Need them some old couch cushions
You win. 🙂
The roof the roof the roof is to slanted
@@Bob-gy6ud lol
This just confirms what I’ve surmised all along and is why I would only install solar over a freestanding carport or patio.
You wouldn't build a house on a shit foundation as that would be counter productive and obvious. Why anyone wouldn't have a surveyor evaluate the weight limitations of their roof and integrity of their roof tiles prior to installing panels, that's a school boy error on the property owner side for not looking in to that himself.
Asphalt tiles for example are cheap, shit and they break down very quickly which means it will (if you want it to last) require some sort of maintenance or coating just to prolong it a tiny bit more, but even then it doesn't even come close to the longevity of Clay, Slate or concrete tiles for the most part.
You should always have a good structurally sound roof over your head (think about it) and if you do why not stick them on your roof?
@@ecotts
You can have the perfect roofing material and it can be in perfect condition, but then still have problems because an incompetent solar panel installer didn’t do their job correctly. You can’t control everything so don’t take the risk.
In Australia you can buy Sheds that are pretty big, very useful for workshops and storage.
@@HadouGunThose are common in the U.S. as well.
@@ecotts You must not know hat you are doing then, as Asphalt Shingles last for at least 20 Years; without "Coating" anything. Thank you for confirming the Suspicion though.
Looking forward to seeing the reinstall done correctly.
Do ANY of these Solar install contractors do anything right?
The list of people here in Florida complaining about them is very long
Plus Florida being a hurricane-prone state makes me wonder if it won't go flying off like a Cessna airplane if the winds go over 50 MPH
@@oculosprudentium8486 First rule is NEVER contract with people just going door-to-door to sell stuff.
And out of the DOZENS of solicitors for this solar crap over the years (In spite of my prominent NO SOLICITORS sign!), only ONE ever would even admit they were selling solar.
SOLICITOR: "I'm from Zing electric and we're doing some work in your neighborhood..."
ME: (Fed up with these people and interrupting) "Are you selling solar?"
SOLICITOR: "Not at all sir. We're doing an energy audit of homes in your neighbor..."
ME: (Knowing that's a lie and interrupting again) "Does this audit and your business result in putting solar panels on my roof?"
SOLICITOR: Well, yes sir...
ME: "Then you're selling solar and I'm not interested. Goodbye." (Shuts door.)
@@oculosprudentium8486 Actually, there are pictures of a self-sustaining well-built community that weathered a hurricane just fine--and had power while others didn't.
Wife: We need solar panels on the roof.
Me: I'm not letting someone drill holes in my roof.
You don't need to drill holes in your roof for solar.
@meddlehedd1194 Wife: We need solar panels on the roof.
@meddlehedd1194: I'm not letting someone drill holes in my roof.
Solaroos (Or Other Cheesy and Now Defunct Solar Company): Oh trust us sir. If our system damages your roof or causes leaks, we will repair or replace your entire roof.
Solar Goat: Hold my beer...
@@thursdaythought7201 What holds the panels to the roof?
Are you an expert?
@thursdaythought7201
@@justinkayz8995 if you have a decent metal roof, the substructure for the panels just slots into the profiles every meter or so
This is why we put our solar on a separate purpose-built canopy, not on the roof. I tried warning my neighbors to no avail. Thanks for the expose`
Putt it down tto the abysmal building sandards you have in the US. Thatt never happens here in the UK.
@@rogerphelps9939 Keep telling yourself that. And go back to school and learn to spell correctly.
please link pic or vids of this. I don't like permanent installations because of leaks and permits.
@@MrSparks54 ai dont keair bout spelin
@@productcheck mme ehthre
I have the exact same ladder. I fell off it last year and it was 6 months off work. The most interesting part of my experience was seeing how many people are at the same hospital seeing the same specialist and how many are ladder related injuries. Mind blowning, it was like being in line at McDonald’s.
Gravity, top of a ladder 2 stories up ..........there is no plan B.
RN for all my adult life. Worked in home health and workers comp for some years....had many patients who had spinal cord injuries due to falls from ladders. Made me more careful about climbing them myself.
I walk down ladders backwards just like steps!
@@Dirtydog306 interesting
Man, that's crazy! I only fell off of one and it was a 9ft step ladder and like a fool I was pulling an "Animal House" (OLD movie) move by scooting it while I was up on it. The worst part is I thought to myself, "do I really want to do this?" I did, when to the ground and fractured my wrist.
It's refreshing to see the other side of residential solar electric instead of all the marketing hype.
Won’t buy that for my home. Holes in roof better come up with something better.
Even out here in sunny AZ solar is a scam. It takes 40+ years for these panels to even pay for themselves and that's not factoring in any repairs or panels that will fail and need replacement.
what other side? he just removed the panels because they are putting a new roof
@alejandromoreno5056 Guess you intentionally slept through all his comments about solar system problems and companies out of business. That's the "other side", in answer to your pretend question.
@@Luther-1968 i guess 🤷🏻♂️
We are close to signing for a solar install. Watching this has reinforced my fear of damage to the roof and a whole lot of stress and expense in the future. The Solar company's gloss over it. Thank you for educating us. We will not be moving forward with solar.
@bandbyoneMIDIWe had an estimate done .
50k and that only runs lights
No refrigerator 😮
We obviously said NO
Sure it’s going to do some damage. Most roof sheeting is only 1/2” thick. The rafters are generally 2 feet apart, some might be 16” apart. The odds of getting the bolts to hit just the rafters are pretty slim. So with only bolted to the sheeting,the panels are going to move a bit with a good wind or if it snows. Which in time will wobble out the bolts holes and water will start seeping through, then things will start rotting. Even if that doesn’t happen, shingles don’t last forever, probably 20 to 30 years, depending on the climate in your area. So you’re going to have to pay to have the panels taken off, pay someone else for a new roof, then pay to have the panels reinstalled.
That is how they keep the cost down, by telling you that you can install S Panels on older roofs. then when the roof goes bad, you have to pay to take the panels off then pay to have them reinstalled. IMO if you put S panels on you need to replace the roof first.
@cheesecakefan4880 Yeah ours was about 50k+ plus we'd have to cut down 1 tree. I will never. It's a scam.
Don’t do it. You’ve been warned.
I'm a Certified Indoor Air consultant and Home Inspector with a degree in occupational Environmental Health and Safety here in California. Thank you for bringing this information to the masses. I see this type of damage all the time. California keeps pushing the Solar panel roof installation, and we see this kind of poor installation all the time. Solar energy is a great addition, but not on the roof. I'll definitely be checking out your videos.
I had the same problem with mine. I had a bad leak in my garage. It was Solar City at the time it was installed. Tesla bought them out. They did try to repair it first and that failed unfortunately. It was determined that the install was not done correctly and more leaks were found over my garage. Tesla picked up the tab and replaced half of my roof. I talked to the guys who inspected and they told me they have a lot of roofs to replace because of a bad install.
I live in Southern California. I won't get into the crappy contractors they sent to do it. Long story short is I fired the contractors because they hinted I was to pay them and not Tesla. I finished most of the roof myself. I did it in 2008 after a remodel. Five years later and no leaks on my solar. I did have another leak that I suspect from the contractor I fired that leaked into my kitchen. I couldn't prove it. Last year I tore off the other half and found where it was leaking. My girlfriend a coworker and I did the rook ourselves last summer.
@@waltermessines5181 🤣 EMF sensitivity is fictional. Extensive medical and scientific studies have not found evidence that these symptoms are caused by EMF exposure. The symptoms are psychosomatic. Do more reading.
I just had solar panels installed. Or, maybe, I should state that I am STILL having solar panels installed across three months and counting. The company I did business with, which was highly rated and highly reviewed, doesn't actually do the installs. They contracted out to a third-party. And that third-party is a horror show. The amount of mistakes and damage has been a nightmare, and I am all over them to repair and complete every single thing. The bad news is that it takes weeks and multiple trips to get the right people out with the right gear to do the right scope of work and fix something. The good news is that the panels are on line and I am benefitting even though they cannot get to the final inspection and turn on the billing. So I am getting free solar through my first desert summer. And its all their fault.
All good info. To know. Thanks
There is nothing wrong with the solar on the roof. It's just as with everything else, it has to be done correctly. That's all.
Thank you for your time. I always was concerned about putting holes in my roof. No roof mounted solar for me...
I had solar installed on a camper recently, and they used some kind of glue instead of screws.
@@rastus666 If it's a good installation then they were screwed to the roof and the screws were encased in copious amounts of white sealant - probably with the brand name Dicor.
@@wcraft No screws, only glue.
@@rastus666 That's interesting. Never seen that before on an RV.
I had solar panel "seepage" like you showed, with no visible leaking. I learned about it when my Wife screamed bloody murder at 6:00 AM when the kitchen ceiling fell in as she was making coffee!
Install solar panels on the ground..THINK People..THINK
@gcflower99 I hope it wasn't you who did the installation work. If it was me then I'd be in hospital typing this with a pen between my teeth 👨🌾
@@stonemagic540
And less grass to mow?
stonemagic540 Ground isn't any better. Next, you'll need gutters for the solar panels. Plus it takes up valuable land real Estate
@@yosefmacgruber1920 not really..they are not flat on the ground..check out how they do it
I got scammed into buying solar and was sold 25 panels for $48K and payments $200 a month for 25 years.The Salesman lied and said there was a $12k cash rebate but turns out it was a tax credit so useless to me. After seeing the small amount of credit from my monthly bill I did the math and the result after a year was it cost me $1395 to have them. I have since filed for bankruptcy and my attorney is offering the Creditor $500 for solar..lol ...They are still on even though Ive been told for several months they were coming to turn them off. Im cringing after seeing this video now and wondering how long before my roof leaks or if the Creditor will come take the panels off even though they will have to repair the roof? ...Solar Panels are a Scam.
Thay said it's free government panels , thay just want your money 🤑💰💰💰!!!!!!
Are you in NC? I had a lying salesman pitch the exact same thing back in 2016 or so.
Even the price 48k at 200 a month was identical to yours
Some dude dressed like a lineman came out initially and said Duke power would be sending someone out to speak to me about solar panels, a couple of days later some kid comes to my house and pitches solar claiming it costs less per month than a power bill and "you own it". I asked about the warranty on the batteries and inverters and "everything is guaranteed for life". Doing the math it would have been 60k+ for this crap
@@fartdonkey8290 no in Texas and the solar company was Blue Raven from Colorado.
It doesn’t matter the amount of panels. It’s the cost per kWh. You could have 100 solar panels, or 20, and the combined total could still put out the same out. Saying 100 sounds like you’re getting something big, when you’re getting garbage. Solar mini splits are a way better investment.
@@user-ln7of9gs4sI am going the mini split route here in Florida. I don't ever want to be without ac for the whole house again at 96* inside after a day. If one breaks, we still have air. And off grid. No scammer solar company
I installed solar on the ground rather than on the roof. There were numerous companies that offered to install on the roof, but only one pointed out that the roof tiles I had, while being top quality, were not suited for solar panels. I went with this one company and opted for a ground installation. To fix a faulty roof installion would have ruined me. This is in Poland, so it looks like a common problem
Thank you for pointing this out !!! I AGREE !!!
I think having them follow the Sun would be more efficient and of course easier to get to, plus not interfering with the roof.
@@keekeemyfirstcat8410 trackers are expensive. Much cheaper and easier to buy a couple additional panels. Ground mounting is better in areas with snow.
@@danstrayer111 So mounting them at different directions instead of following the Sun is more cost effective. Ok. I get that.
@@keekeemyfirstcat8410 When panels were 500 or 600 bucks apiece, a tracker for a thousand could make sense.
I have been buying used ones in Phoenix and on Craigslist for 35-75 bucks each. They will last 20-30 years and are so ridiculously cheap a tracker just isn't worth the cost. to get a thousand watts for 120 bucks is crazy cheap.
Not sure how you came on my feed but cant wait to see you install everything back on especially how you do the flashing correctly and run the wiring. Just got a roof leak and wil be removing my panels. This video came in clutch 😂
TH-cam is listening lol
You will find it much easier than the solar people tell you. Go for it and save major dollars from the scammers.
We have a leased system. After 6 years we had roof leaks under the roof panels. The leasing company dropped it in our lap for repairs. After 3 months I located a company that would remove and replace the 28 panels. Cost $8,000. My roofer had to have the tiles made, house is 35 years old. 8 sheets of plywood, under layment and labor $37,000. I will never recover the costs. My brother in law has a ground mounted system with battery system. Much better.
ground mounted is always best, but a properly mounted roof system can also have the benefit of keeping your house cooler in summer. problem is these contract companies don't hire professionals, use professional anchors or care because in 3-5 years they will be gone anyways.
Have you checked to see if your house got mold contaminated?
A while back i read an article that s.p.release radiation , thus, cancer?
@@joeys675 No mold.
@@bux49 impossible. After 48 hours, there's always mold.
I can't imagine trying to carry even one of those panels down that ladder, let alone eighteen! Walking around up on that roof like it's nothing. My knees would be stiff as a rusty hinge from fear. God bless you as a hard-working man.
I was thinking the same thing. I could have done that in my gym rat days but not today, not a chance. If I even go up and down a 9' step ladder a few times I cant walk for days. My first full knee replacement is happening in about a month.
the SS does not dare to go on a roof with an even smaller pitch - you should be commended for your bravery that is so severely lacking in govt agencies
@@independenttntn3276
Start doing tension exercises Now!
NOT after!
See 'Todd Dunn' channel he had a knee done and a while ago and shows exercises that make recovery much quicker.
It's putting tension on all the muscles, using different positions and holding it there until you can't.. ie.. sit in sofa chair and lift foot off ground a few inches and hold it there (while watching TV) .. and keep holding it there.. till you can't.. then quick rest and do same again but increase by a few inches and others all the way to straight leg.
Do same laying in bed on front.
also standing up just hold foot off ground by bending knee and hip and increasing height.
Also do stretching and very clean diet ie Keto and no seeds etc.. only use sea salt and have cod liver oil.
And he needs a safety harness with fall arrester.. Minimum! with big danger of rotten wood causing him to go off balance, only needs to happen once.
Ladders need securing and should have someone with him..
@@mike60521x Yeah this guy could revolutionize the SS if he ever stopped wanting to do solar!
I'm 72 and just removed my solar system with some friends. Rent some scaffolding and it's easy even on a 10/12 pitch roof.
Bro, please get a ladder stabilizer bar. You’ll save the gutter and probably your life
He is protecting the gutter and the ladder is tied so that it will not slip.
When I got my siding done, my contractor saw my ladder in my garage and told me they called those widow makers. Told me to get rid of it and that it’s worth the money to get peace of mind when buying a ladder.
@@vixinya lol yall would hate my ladder, I built it myself outta 2x4's & 1x2s been using it for 10+ yrs
More like bro get a elevator ladder lift that your business can pay for it in less than one job.
Invest in a Bucket truck or boom lift; you wouldn't use a shovel to dig a swimming pool would you?
That’s why I built a solar panel canopy on my back yard instead. No need to worry about leaks, broken panels etc .
Never put holes in your roof unless it’s absolutely necessary. Even the smallest hole can leak unbelievably. In other words, don’t put solar panels on your roof.
Except that isn’t true. Shingles have nails securing them to the roof. If the bolts had been under the shingles there wouldn’t have been leaks.
@@waywardgeologist2520
How does one put the bolts "under the shingles" when the solar panels and support frame is on top of the shingles??
@@waywardgeologist2520More holes = more leak potential. Especially drilling holes for bolts.
@@waywardgeologist2520If they had been under the roof you couldn't attach the solar panels. This is why solar on the roof is terrible.
Ditto for RV's. Most get ruined in
Nice to see a contractor who knows what they’re doing and takes the time to do the job properly.
I would suggest making a harness so you can lower the panels down by rope if wind permits.
Or lower them down by rope by letting them slide down the ladder. Have a second ladder to use to lower yourself if needed.
Hiring a helper wouldn't hurt
A scissor lift makes sense to me.
I used a 23' extension ladder as a ramp.
I think they make a lift system that uses a laddar as the frame, seems totally worth it to me
@@jimlocodo6601 A scissor lift would definitely make it a lot easier but renting or buying will eat into his profits. I'm assuming that he chooses to be a one-man operation to keep costs down, either that or it's difficult to find reliable part-time help.
Same thing going on with satellite dish installs, getting a pro installer with roofing knowledge is like trying to find a unicorn where I live.
Dish won’t install on a roof anymore. Gutter install with crappy cable runs looping over the roof hanging loose down the wall with a non weatherproof hole in your siding
I think it would be much easier to have a roofer that's not an illegal to the solar and satellite, as it's just flipping the switch and using an impact driver.
That's why my solar company was also a roofing company.
Satellite dish? People still do that or cable in 2024? Amazing!
@@kennixox262 rural areas still have no choice. Best high speed you can find is either starlink or smoke signals.
Thanks for the information at 8:45 - I'll be checking our panels when we go to install (over torquing).
so basically the bottom line of having solar panels
is that they will DESTROY your roof
Because the contractors who install the panels don't care a shyt about your home or roof
they are only focused on installing the panels on the roof and to move on to the next poor sucker.
And since 98% of these solar companies disappear after just 2 years, expect little to NO support from them
This is why I went with a long time and we’ll known roofing company that expanded into solar. New roof THEN solar installed!
My roof took a hail beating so I had to take my panels down (50) before the roofers came to replace my roof. (I rolled the dice on putting my array on an older roof and lost) There was only one lag bolt that there was any sort of water penetration out of all of them. Pride of ownership (and knowing if you half-ass your own stuff it's going to be on you) had the roofer comment he didn't expect to find what he did knowing I put them up by myself. But you're right, solar companies generally suck and then disappear, but that seems to be the norm now with any trade. I've fired 2 different contract painting/drywall companies in the past 3 months and am doing it myself. I think the real bottom line is if you want something done correctly, you have to do it yourself. I LOVED my array. It supplemented my crypto mining, when that stopped, I was running 8 tons worth of AC in the Texas summer and still watching my power meter turn backwards.
One of the reasons I don't recommend roof installs, particularly by companies that haven't been around 'forever'.
Add to that the risk to firefighters...
BTW, IF you decide to do a roof install anyway, get it done with a new roof at the same time. Panels are good for 20-25 years. If your roof is already 10-15 years old, you'll likely be replacing it before the panels are done.
That's why I didn't install solar in our house. BTW, we get some strong winds in our area, and everyone in our neighborhood had to get our roofs repaired.
Yep. That's one reason I'm doing my own. The other reason is I do ALL of my own work from the cars to the solar, to the house and down to repairing my own appliances. The "professionals" (Solar Goat - Brandan) EXCLUDED as he's clearly GOOD and does honorable work) can all stick it.
A friend of mine died on a ladder like that. His legs got tangled up in the rungs, the ladder slipped sideways, and it drove him into the concert like a hammer. Please get some fall arresting equipment.
Is he up there without a harness?
Yeah, it is scary to watch.
Just as scary as walking on the side of the road next to fast moving vehicles. Less scary actually because you're in charge of your fate instead of trusting the cars whizzing by
I used ladders up to 30 footers we spent all day on ladders of one size or another the point is skilled workers don't take risks they know how to put up a ladder and how to climb and climb down them often carrying loads . The average DIY 'has no clue and should be supervised.
@@PaulKinley-xo7xo out of love, I'd vote for you guys using harnesses regardless to be extra safe.. get back to your families whole.
Solar panels and satellite dishes are no no’s to install on top of shingles on my house. Thanks for this video to provide more than just a “shoot from the hip” assumption.
I have no idea why this showed up on my feed. I have no clue what you were talking about most the time but I found it absolutely fascinating and finish the entire video lol.😆
Same experience.
He must be a strong lad. Solo-carrying panels down a ladder is bloody hard work.
Yeah, I know I did it. That’s because the kids that I was working with were too stupid to use the Lyft. But once I showed them, the lift will carry up five panels at a time they stopped carrying them up the ladder on their back.
A solar tree or solar tree orchard has always been the way to go. Putting all those holes in a roof never passed the BS meter with me.
My neighbor has a tilting flat wall of plywood covered in panels that he rolls onto his sunny. Vacant driveway, charging up batteries for house converter...and lats it flat rolling it into garage for storms or whenever he wants. Small house with 50 tin roof guarantee, soooo.
@@CynthiaWord-iq7in That's a really good option. One of my first solar panel projects, I built a large chalkboard style easel with pneumatic tires. It held (5) 200 watt panels and had a 20ft lead that plugged into an outlet on the outside of the battery shed. I got this idea from building an easel for a fresnel lens used for cooking. If you have the time throughout the day to move the panels just a couple times you will still get better solar than static mounted on a roof.
I would do a bifacial, vertically oriented solar panel fence. Get more value out of it that way, including less degradation from heat.
I installed panels to form a carport roof on my side driveway. Shingled them to shed water into the house gutter. Totally transformed that side w/ no more rain and evil sun. Nice to park a classic car and stuff there. Easy to get at the panel wiring and no vermin nesting underneath, nor risk of roof leaks into the house. I series wired as 2 strings to a new hybrid all-in-one off-grid 6kW inverter. Cost $5K parts w/ by-me labor.
My husband inspects these…. Man the stuff he’s seen ….Be safe ! At least Your in BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY doing that work ! I drove thru Utah last year. I’d never been thru the middle of the states, been almost all the way around the edges of the US …but UNBELIEVABLE BEAUTY out there! I think cried thru most Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and into Colorado…Now I understand the song America the Beautiful after 60 yrs in Jersey ! My heart exploded with the sight of those mountains!
So many details to get right when installing solar, and when the panels are on the roof there is no forgiveness for any mistake.
I have always been suspect of these roof mounted solar installations. Like most other industries I assume these solar companies subcontract the work to the lowest bidder regardless of their qualifications. Also it does not make any sense. The purpose of a roof is to protect the home not to generate power. Attempting to use this space for more than one purpose adds maintenance cost while more than likely degrading the effectiveness of the roof. Another consideration. If new shingles are installed I believe a roofing company can cite the solar installation as a reason to deny any warranty claims.
The problem isn’t solar mounted on the roof but the anchor bolts not being under the shingles.
watching this 6 months later, it's over 90 degrees here, but i can feel the frosty chill of the video...
It's so cool that you share your work, bro. I live in California, and I do the exact same things you do, bad inverters, bad ac systems, R&Rs, communication problems, water leaks, etc. I love doing service. We always have lots of work. Hope you have fun in the next one.
Where do you work in California. I am in Hayward lookin for someone to do install.
Ha ha, 36 years in Hayward, dope capital of the bay area. Grew up in Fairway Park. Left in 97 and never no regrets. I do miss the beautiful weather and roads. But the idiots in State government are why I got out.
Personally, I have been following this tech for over 40 years now and I was about to have solar panels but I had a serious pause in my spirit about it
Now public opinion has radically shifted about it, and anyone coming into my neighborhood to sell it, runs a very high risk of being shot or stoned
@@mike423439 I'm still in Hayward across the street from a drug rehab; they're busy!
Thanks you! Let’s good these solar panels going!!!
might want fall protection
it is easy than you think and cost less than an accident.
LOL considering you ripped almost an entire shingle off, I hope the roofers were starting soon! What you found regarding the roof looks and the solar install is why I do ALL of my own work on my home including electrical, remodels, HAVC installs, EVERYTHING! I just don't trust people. Kudos to you are you obviously do good work!
Where do you live where it's legal to do it yourself?
@@independenttntn3276 you must be new to youtube solar videos. Most of the country you have to have a licensed electrician do all of it. And you cannot get homeowners insurance without licensed installers, and that is virtually everywhere.
@@5400bowen No offense intended bud but I have no idea what you mean by, "you must be new to youtube solar videos."
Secondly, I don't know where you get your information from but it's wrong. You do NOT need to have a licensed electrician to install solar in "most of the country, virtually everywhere." In fact the opposite is most likely true. I can install anything I want in my state (and the one I moved from) and can (and do) do ALL of the work myself. I can build a house without any permits if I want to and can do the wiring, including the electrical panel, the pluming, septic, roof, HVAC, you name it, I can (and do) do it all.
The only thing I need is to have my electrical panel and septic inspected by a state inspector (and pass inspection) before the utility company will turn my power on, but again, I can do the work it just has to pass inspection. I've also owned 6 homes and never had an insurance company ask if I had solar.
Now for those who choose to live in cities, townships, subdivisions controlled by a homeowners association or other incorporated areas with codes, and it sounds like you do, then you will need all kinds of permits and licensed contractors to do the work. But that is NOT the case in many rural areas as they usually don't have codes because they don't have building inspectors, nor code enforcement and everything that comes with it. I would NEVER live in a place like that. EVER. It's my property and I'll do as I choose with it.
That's the spirit! We need more people like you. Same for me, build several houses in different countries in my time off. Also, of a much higher quality.
Yep I know that feeling. Had a DIRECTV install they ungrounded my antenna. Then later got Comcast Internet they ungrounded the satellite and the antenna. And the whole time I'm having to explain what a drip loop is.
My neighbor was one of the 1st to install solar panels on their roof. Sold the home and new home owner removed the solar panels immediately after moving in. New roof. Home looks much better.😊
Dumb
Awesome demo. It looks like you really work hard but enjoy what you do. I'm retired now but the last job I did was a PV system on a flat roof of a commercial building. The customer bought a used system from the owner of the building next door. 240 panels. Almost every MC4 connector was fried and about 10 optimizers were bad. After completing the job I said never again. The roof was slippery in the morning and the temperatures during the day were too much for me. I was 63 years old then and thought why not retire. Be safe buddy.
Thank you for showing this. Anyone thinking about solar should see this.
There is so much to be learned by the work you're doing. Thanks for sharing it.
Awesome video! I’m a GC contractor in Texas and it seems that the solar folks have lots of issues with water intrusion after solar installation.
That is EXACTLY what I was worried about. They whined, but I made them do a ground install and run a trench to the house. A tiny bit of extra work for them, but peace of mind for me.
Great video dude. So many good things about it. Keep making this type of service content. Super strong - JC
🙏
So proud to see such a hard working and diligent American!
Rare indeed.
He's a dedicated young man, I enjoyed listening to him, a first time hearing on this topic.
Yep. It's refreshing to see someone who appears to enjoy their work. I'm so tired of hearing people protesting against being required to return to work at the office after being allowed to work remotely. Spoiled brats!
Excuse? American's are hard workers. You must have Americans confused with another country, like Europe, Italy, Spain, name another, but not America
I had the same damage to my roof from solarbear here in Florida. I had to hire a lawer cause they wouldn't cover my roof. Even with providing photos of the hardware missing almost every truss, water dripping from their hardware and even a 3rd part inspector documentation. Still it's been like several months working with an attorney and haven't gotten anywhere with solarbear! 50k for a new roof! After 40k worth of solar had been installed just over a year before we noticed wet spots and leaks!
this is the exact reason im doing a small ground mount option on my backyard instead of damaging the structural integrity of my roof.
I'm sorry to hear that. It feels like an echo chamber in here, reading about other peoples' frustration with trades in general. I'm a homeowner who is willing to do some work but lack the knowledge. I don't want to experiment on my house, esp when it comes to structural things. But finding trustworthy trades can be tough.
ryant1090 many installation companies have new hires with no knowledge and they do the work on your house. They could have some workers that just won't learn or care.
Sadly, you'll likely lose in the end, because this happens to almost everyone who installs solar. It's basically a situation where if everyone is screwed, it's like no one is screwed. These companies couldn't even pay to cover a fraction of all the damage caused, and the government has a green agenda, so they also have to sweep these things under the rug to keep pushing it, which means the average person suffers and loses. The fact is, even with a good install, solar is just bad for roofs. Roofs aren't meant to have anything on them but shingles, and roof shingles operate on a simplistic concept of overlapping layers to keep the water out as long as it can run down the slope. Sealant doesn't last very long in the extreme conditions like a roof where it's going to be 120f+ all the time. That's why roofing is soo simplistic in the first place. The moment you go drilling into things, you're undermining the integrity of those simplistic concepts, even with sealants, because no sealant lasts for long, they always crack and split after a few years.
I've always been hesitant to drill holes in my roof. Holes leak, they all eventually do (water finds a way), no matter what kind of amazing sealant you use. There has to be a better way (Perhaps gluing the rails to the roof?).
I've had panels before, up on a flat carport, mounted flat. I found that cleaning them is important to their function. So, I probably wouldn't use them again unless I had the room to put them on the ground, low, where they are easy to inspect and repair, and where a hose can reach. And never flat. Installed like that, in the sun belt, and solar is awesome.
Tesla was marketing some solar roof shingles. But that seems very complex, with limited longevity. There are even windows that collect solar energy. And paint. We're still figuring this out. But we are still figuring out the internal combustion engine too. Improvement is standard behavior, in everything.
Agree. Putting holes through shingles will just lead to trouble. I had the same thought, using PL or similar adhesive, and maybe clamps off of the eve. There must be a better way, but contractors want fast and easy. I wonder if any installers have solar on their own roof.
@@joeshmoe7967 What about subpar installaion of the equipment and fires. Lithium ion fires are not easy to put out and you don't want to be near it. I smell something now and then from my neighbors townhouse. Chemical or something. He is not the brightest person.
I love your videos, we just had panels taken off our roof due to leaks, but we reroofed with a metal roof and chose not to re-install the solar because we were already having inverter failures and didn't see solar as a benefit to us anymore. Personally I would never put solar on my house again, maybe over a carport but not on my house.
Really appreciate you taking the time to show the roof leak damage and tearing enough off to show it in the sunlight so you can clearly see the spread on the roof decking. Love the "Just because it's not dripping doesn't mean it's not leaking" you said. I'm new to this and likely will be doing a ground based install at my place because we have a lot of land, but this is good to see and know.
Curious what the correct way to install the mounting hardware is without causing leaks.
@@bert1450 Your opinion. Not all land is equal and we have plenty to spare.
This video illustrates exactly why I would never put solar panels on my roof. Plus I don't think there is any real cost savings over time. It's just another complicated system that is prone to fail. How does it hold up under hail? When I need a new roof, there is the added cost of removal and replacement. Why would you want to degrade the integrity of your roof by putting screws through it? Sounds great at first, but I believe there are hidden costs down the road. I cannot see any benefits from doing this.
There are definitely cost savings you just 1. Have to diy (these companies hella overcharge for what you could do for a fraction of the cost)
2. Use an offgrid system not one of these gridtied ones. Power Companies will screw you. Also if it's an offgrid system you can still have power in an emergency I've had power go out a few times in the last couple months and I was able to stay online because of solar. I promise there is cost savings but you have to DIY
When I was 66, my wife and I bought a new house. We had people come out and take a look at solar for us and they ended up giving us a proposal which would have eliminated most but not all of our $175 average monthly power bill. Just running the math quickly I calculated that in order to break even I would have to live to age 115. Hard to imagine they'd even present something like that to a prospect.
@@pleskbruce The solar industry is mostly a scam taking advantage of people who don't understand the technology or finances involved. Like the first reply said. DIY or don't bother.
Wow, you are seriously uneducated sir. I have installed hundreds of solar systems in Southern California and I have many systems that are nearly 20 years old and I have never had a single single leak on a customers roof and all of my customers have a payback or break even point of less than seven years.
Thank you for this video. I learned so much but I wouldn’t want your job. You’re awesome. 😊
Thanks for the information. It helps me understand what to do for a new solar setup... and one big feature will be to place the solar panels no where near my new roof.
Youre a brave man lugging those panels down that ladder by yourself. Be safe my friend.
You sir have elephant balls. If you can come up with the money you should invest in systems to improve your safety. Buy the elevator tracks that will bring your panels up and down for you. It's much more dangerous on the ladder when you are also carrying a panel.
Just get shingle lift I would be so much more productive
The panels aren’t heavy, leave the guy alone 😂.
@@BearSesameLLCAllentown Seems like it costs about $4000 for a ladder setup with a solar panel carrier. RCG Classic 200 with solar panel attachment.
No, they are heavy, very, very heavy. @@MM12684
@@MM12684 if the wind changed, that sail would toss him to the ground. Light or heavy is besides the point. They’re awkward
Thanks this was an excellent video. I have never seen the other part of the solar mounting problem explained like this. This seals the deal for me, no holes in my roof.
So interested to see and hear from the coal face grafter. I engineering 44 years and installed and commissioned / serviced my own kit, what you learn fast is how its done right, this is no BS and the moment you said "these guys ave gone out of business like they always do" I just thought yes Im subscribed here.
Its a pity your not told why the pannels need to come off with your experience you could provide gold dust to the owners / installers.
I just didnt know the GO SOLAR!...go out of business model was same in the US as here in UK but then why not we all know any company offering 10 year guarantees on domestic work will obviously disappear after 9 but then again I was lucky the company that installed mine put the solar in for knock down price and when the inverter packed in after 8 years it was a simple plug and play with a little used Ebay swap out. At the end of the day those who can look after themselves will win out, your channel is a massive help, if my solar goes wrong again it will be me fixing it but here in the UK we use tiles so the solar is installed using clips that reach under the ends of the tiles so mechanically no drilling through the membrane so hopefully no reason the solar should give rise to any leaks........if done right........thats an if!
Holes in my roof, no-no!
England, UK. The house behind ours had solar panels installed, perhaps 5 years ago, on a Marley (concrete) tiled roof. They were all removed a few weeks ago, the tiles and felt removed, the roof re-felted then the tiles replaced. Then the solar panels reinstalled. All due to leaks on a clay tiled roof.
Dunno why I found this video so fascinating but thanks for creating it! Will watch more soon. I've been apprehensive about adding solar to my newly roofed home. Wondering if I would rather create a giant solar carport.
That's exactly what I did. I put Bifacial panels on a 2x2 metal frame. Bifacials let some light through and give extra power. Win win win.
So easy to clean and keep operating at peak, plus not being on the roof the panels stay cooler and are therefore more efficient. More winning!
In my rural area, pole mounts are the way to go, better cooling/performance is one reason. My 3.2 KW array is also tilt adjustable, as it's framework is a 6" sch. 40 pipe that saddles in a 24" long piece of channel iron, clamped in place with 5/8" U bolts. I made over 50 of these 10' by 20 racks for others, and would deliver them to my customers with the panels mounted and pre-wired, and they were built so I could lift them with my boom truck and set them on the 8" vertical pipe. BUT the last one I did I was told by the inspector that they needed to be engineered (none failed, ever) and they were not "approved."
Engineering certificates are important. The fact that one never failed may mean you’d pass the certification process with flying colours. Might even save you getting sued one day.
@@en2oh Agreed, and that's why I quit building them! My crane biz ended up leaving me little time to mess with solar installs, paid better, and is less hassle! Too bad though, it was a very cost effective install for both me and my customers, based on what they told me (I was cheapest, quickest, and best bang for the watt buck.)
Good point you show at 8:50 relieving tension on the mount. Every material needs room to expand and contract, (some more, some less) ESPECIALLY if it is exposed to hot and cold! Our aluminum siding does a ton of movement when the sun gets on it and then shrinks in the evening. I would think a good mount would allow the panel 'movement'.
Here in Germany hardly any roof has asphalt shingles; instead, clay shingles are the most common type. Mounting a solar system is pretty simple: metal hooks are mounted onto the rafters. The hooks have two 90 degree bends: the upper end - upward of the bends - is mounted flat onto the rafter, the lower end protudes between 2 shingles and holds the mounting bar the solar panels are tied to. The mounting process is quite simple and often done by solar companies, not even roofers, and numerous people do it themselves.
BTW clay shingles roos last pretty long. 50 years is a nominal lifetime. Our house's roof has clay shingles, too and is in a pretty good statement. The house is 40 years old now.
We had a big initiative by our federal government in 2022, completely waiving VAT tax on solar equipment (from regular 19% down to zero!)
A ridicilous tax on energy produced and consumed on premise has been waived as well (was probably introduced by our "conservative" Government in the 2010s to discourage people from installing solar on behalf of the "big four" of the energy industry).
That the USA have practically banned the import of solar panels from China helped Europe quite a bit as panels are now very cheap: I paid 80 € (under 90 $) per panel for my small solar system in April, now the price is even lower, at about 50-60 €. China has overproduction and subsidizes panel production. We even gave up on our own production - not competitive.
As we have much higher energy prices in Germany (from 26 €-cents per kWh and upward, with a peak of over 40 €-cents in the energy crisis of 2022) solar plants amortize in a reasonable time, despite the fact that a typical single-family home uses much less energy than an american home (4000 kWh/yr vs 11000 kWh/yr) - with air conditioning being rarely used here. A 10 kW plant including installation costs about 15000 €, with a battery 20000 € if you call a contractor to do all the work. Amortisation time is typically 15-20 years.
Currently, home owners get 8 cents/kWh for each kWh fed into the grid, but new systems will get less or get throttled down remotely as we now have quite an overproduction around noon in the summer months. Neverless, the price difference between grid and you own solar will make it pay.
Quite a number of homeowners now also use heat pumps or split HVAC systems to heat their houses and at least partially use their solar plants for this purpose.
But if you really want to play it cheap, you buy a smaller solar plant (from 350€ and up), possibly add a battery, use a certified inverter limited to 800W and just connect it to your house's grid via a normal socket. You do the mounting yourself and do not have to call a registered electrician and don't need a permit from your supplier either. The only obligation is to fill our an online form to register your plant.
I have such a system. It had cost 1000€ and has produced 1000 kWh this year. I already saved over 300€.
Wow, that was crazy to have a tax on home energy producers. It's interesting how different things are everywhere. We've been looking for a couple of years but have been waiting due to falling costs. We finally jumped this year.
Our state(we live in the US) currently matches the price produced to normal usage charges. But it goes away next year and drops to a flat 10¢ per kwh. That would've significantly increased our time to break even.
Fortunately we're lucky enough to have a house that allows a ground mount setup due to our property. Our roof is constructed in nearly the exact opposite way(nearly all facing north) to benefit from solar there. The only downside is we aren't allowed to increase our arrow in the future, beyond 10% if we want to get the matched rate, so we did oversize it s bit more than need.
It's great to finally see solar really taking off here in the US. Even in our rural area it is growing fast. Most of the farmers and other more rural have finally realized it can help make you independent. So now they've partly changed their views. Good for them! Do what's right for you.
This video validated so many of my concerns about roof mounted solar panels.
I do residential service but thinking about trying to get into solar service and removals because like you said most of the companies go out of business. I’m super curious how you price this job or the total for removal and reinstall.
I do removals and reinstalls. I reinstall with new roof mounts that have tar on the bottom and uses 4 deck screws. They never leak
This is why I like a carport solar panel system. I don't really care if it leaks. It is just for shade. Although, I have 10 acres and don't have the same restrictions as others.
Wow, Man, you are a great asset to your trade. Thanks for sharing this video.
I like it.. failure mode analysis.. more pls.
🙏
I gave you a thumbs up directly after the intro, that's how you do it homie.
Glad I did my research before even entertaining the idea of solar panels. Opted out of it fervently...
That's why I prefer ground mount, easy to maintain, easy to clean easy to self inspect. Roofing is expensive and installers, ..well let's say it like it is;
"It's hard to find good help these days."
Koo-does to solar Goat, great video but really Dude get some help! lol
Any good places in Utah to get used panels at a fair price?
Thank you. I'm so impressed with you. True American worker.
Thanks for the video! Interesting: As a mechanical design engineer, I've always wondered how the roofing systems stay intact under all those solar panels I see screwed down to rooftops.
Got the scares when you backed up while filming.... 😮
That is what the camera person is for.
2 man job site.
Man you were so smooth on that ladder. I’m petrified of heights!
Rule number one with roofs is never put a hole or opening through the shingles. Hence, solar panels are a no no !
I waited until I got a standing seam metal roof before adding solar. Zero rooftop penetrations. Works great, no worries about water leaks.
This is why when I build a solar system it will be a ground mount system.
Ok, so now the owner needs a new roof too. Great deal.
Excellent video.
Secret Service job there.. LOL but hey... Great Video! You just covered everything I wanted to know about solar.
Thank You Very Nice!
Stay Safe Up There 👍
Thanks for the no bs vid. I'm in NZ and had the salesman at my door two or three years ago offering a free solar rooftop installation, subsidised by our then loopy green govt in conjunction I think with Blak Rok. The company has recently gone under btw. Despite the zero cost, one of the reasons I argued against it with him was that I didn't want a whole lot of extra roof penetrations for reasons you have proved and I too have seen over the years. As well as that, as a taxpayer I was going to be paying for something I didn't want, as the payback period calculations I had previously done made no sense; by the time the savings had paid for the install, if it hadn't already failed by then (which a number of people I know have had theirs do) it would be time to replace it. He couldn't understand my lack of excitement for 'something for nothing' as he mistakenly saw it. Keep it simple. He was young and wide eyed, as we all have been at some stage.
i don’t know anything about solar but i just feel like it’s a huge part of the problem with people that bought in to the whole solar thing. Like it’s not a terrible idea, it can be a great way to add power to the rest of the power base. But then people automatically think ohhhhh green green green i am helping the environment and neglect to cross all their t’s and dot all their i’s and then hire bad installers who do not guarantee their work or something or other like that. And then the warranty if there even is one is not honored. Or the company goes out of business. All of those things completely and utterly cancel out anyone’s idea of “helping” the environment by “going green” with solar panels on their house. jee whiz.
"Green Initiatives" will love this vid 😉. I said this fact a few years ago. Solar is one of the reason contributed to States' budget deficits
"Missing the studs" is why I haven't had solar installed. I wouldn't know if they did to job correctly. 😢😢😢
Could just learn how to diy. I learned how from TH-cam not a big system yet (just 200 watts atm) but it's plenty enough to power my lights thermostat and CO2 detector (Living in Camper so all that's 12v) it's really not that hard if you take a little time to learn how
I DIY'd my second array. When drilling you know if it's in the stud or not and I only missed one and used a small piece of hanger with a 90 degree bend with 2" end to find which way to go to drill right into that rafter, 1" over. 16 holes, all directly in the rafter and properly sealed and water proof.
I checked up on my installers by going up into the attic to and looking for any screws that have may missed a rafter. There were none.
@@FantomMisfit C'mon. Your camper system is a far cry from a home installation. There's no comparison.
@@theotheleo6830 Being a camper actually makes things harder than a home installation in some cases I have less space for panels and less space to for the inverter/Charge controller/batteries. The overall basics are the same. Main difference is that everything will be powered by Inverter and not 12v because all your stuff will be 120v. You also will have alot more roof space to work with than I do.
That was my main concern to install solar panels, roof damage and wonder if the company will respond to fix it
I saw so much misery from these confounded things as an insurance adjuster in Phoenix. These holes still come around knocking on doors, and the radio waves always carry advertisements. If I was made of money I’d never buy these or an EV.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. It validates my fear of what could happen to my perfectly good roof if the panel installation was not perfect. Perfectly hitting a stud in the center of sheetrock is hard enough. My genuine question: Would it be safer to install panels perfectly if a new roof is installed as Step 1 with solar as Step 2? Oh! I see below where people indicate metal roof sometimes has the capability for solar to attach to it.
Is it legal to go on roofs without any fall protection?
If you're self-employed, pretty much yes. As an employee, probably not. As a business owner not wanting a big insurance claim and/or lawsuit? YMMV.
Great info and shows once again why experience matters
I'm a skeptical potential customer of solar panels, and a hands-on landlord who's known how to use tools for 60 years. It baffled me, watching this video, how the original installation of the solar panel mounting brackets "missed the rafters," according to Solar Goat. Makes me wonder how often this happens, all over the country, with OSB soaking up rainwater... OSB isn't structural to relying on OSB as the "fastened-to" partner of a lag screw (?) seems wrong. Yet the screws removed weren't long enough to hit the rafters, where they?
Roofers call a spike that misses a fascia board or rafter a "shiner." I made the roofer fix those, in a timely manner during roof change. Not LATER, when the shiner might only be cut flush to the underside of the sub-roof, with flush-cutting bolt cutters.
I would think that a stud-finding tool would be ubiquitous, for roof-mount solar panel installers.
every time you penetrate an asphalt shingle it's a potential leak.
I still wonder why in the USA you use those things. Does it not need replacing every so many years?
@@annekekramer3835 Quality asphalt shingles that are properly installed typically last 20 to 30 years.
Tin/ metal roofs have thousands of penetrations.
@tsl7881 the most common steel roofing system used today is a Standing Seam style where the fasteners are protected from the elements. Those penetrations never see rainwater, unlike the holes put in the roof to mount panels.
@@annekekramer3835 quality shingles last 20 to 30 years.
Really the only way to install solar is to install mounts at the time of the shingle install, this way one can install the attachment and flash over it w ice and water shield and then install underlayment and shingles over that.
And removing and reinstalling the solar IS a significant cost and effort many home owners just don’t consider.
This is why I recommend home owners install their own systems.
NO WAY! The average homeowner can't change a light bulb these days.
Honestly this is the truth about many things - if you want something done right, do it yourself. It's the only way to be 100% you can trust it - but the caveat is that the homeowner has the knowledge of what the right way is AND the time to make sure they do it correctly. This is why many people hire things out though - they put their trust in the knowledge of "professionals." Unfortunately professionals hire labor that may or may not treat the job like it's a personal thing to be proud of. The labor may not be as careful, or skilled. Mistakes are made. Also to professionals you are a "job" and they have many jobs they need to get to in order to be profitable. If they rush too fast from job to job under pressure, the quality of work goes down - it's just basic physics. Probably why you're more likely to get better quality with a higher cost contractor - though that's not always the case either. You could just pay more for the same garbage work others would do.
Such conundrum on what to do. Personally I'd prefer the DIY way, even it it takes me longer to do. It's going to save me money, AND I'm going to know I was meticulous as could be in the installation.
@@RichardTurlingtononly if you have the proper knowledge and tools. Head gaskets should be left to the professionals if you need your vehicle
@RichardTurlington i agree. Every time I hire a professional, I get a crap job done at a high price. Leaking toilets, over torqued nuts on my cars, failed disconnects on my septic pump x2, roof shingles installed wrong, gouged out trees from landscape work...
Its too bad manufacturers hide behind "hire a professional" and dont include the good to know details in their manuals. Or that states dont put out guides for DIY of easy tasks like installing an EV charger to code in that state.
@@MtnXfreeride same, im so sick of hiring a "professional" only to get sh1t work and then if you call them out to honor their "warranty" they give you the run around.
We had our roof done with a removal and reinstall. Quotes from $250 per panel to 125. End up with paying 3200$ for 24 panels remove, reinstall. and one guy did it all!
Ground mount is way to happiness
Requires more space around the installation though.
@@jamesphillips2285Then don't get solar. simple
Build an elevated rack to mount them on.
Both of my roof installations have been flawless :). I installed the second one myself and know how it's sealed. Quickbolt 2s, proper sealant, love it!
@@whattheschmidt You voided your roof warranty. lol
I don't think you gave the customer complaint - what was the issue that you were called to look into?
Shingles are such a scam. Limited lifespan and an incredible number of possible leak points. The further south you go, the less the life from the sun UV. With this roof, they used OSB panels and that is the worst possible panel for roof material. The OSB rots very quickly when moisture is allowed to contact.
It’s what my HOA wants 🥲
What are the incredible number of possible leak points?
Every nail hole in every shingle
I am a Licensed General Contractor in AZ:
1. Shingles installed correctly can last 40-50 years or more, depending on the manufacturer's design. The thicker layered shingles usually have a minimum warranty of 40 years.
2. Shingles USED to not last 10 years here in AZ. But roofing manufacturers improved their products radically.
3. Today's asphalt shingle roofs do last the length of their warranties.
4. Several roofing manufacturers now offer lifetime warranties.
5. OSB is far superior to plywood
6. There are code requirements for nailing shingles
7. Shingles are one of the most cost-effective roofs to install
8. Architectural shingles produce beautiful roofs and often are installed on high-end homes
9. Tile roofs do last longer and are more durable provided they are installed with a thick underlayment material in hot climates. Typically, I install a torch-down modified roof as the underlayment for tile roofs. This produces a lifetime roof. A cheaper method is to install a minimum of 40 lb underlayment under the tiles. This will provide a roof life of 40-50 years
@@franklong6269 roofs in other countries last longer and maybe a lifetime.
Great coverage of the individual steps you took and views of each, pic is worth a 1K words
I'm re-roofing a property and adding solar. I figure a guy like you would be an excellent consultant on such a thing as you see what actually holds up over time and what does not. Too bad the property is not near Utah.
I can totally feel your frustration, dude I mean I'm mad just watching this with you. I see what you see. It hurts, doesn't it? and it's not even yours I love you. Thank you for sharing so much thank you
Are these panels recyclable? No
My Back Yard is a good place for a Rack of Solar. My roof is for gathering free heat 6 months out of every year from my new 45 year roof... Solar and Satellite free zones. The ridge Vent is free AC with the new exhaust fan dumping passive solar heat as needed. Gotta Love my old TV tower Antena at 45ft or so in the air. This Video showed me one smart Roofer who knows Solar ... Get Rich Buddy, you earn it. Then get yourself a Class 3 or Better ladder, given all that combined weight and big fall line... My 24 footer falls short on old two story roofs. I have a zig zaggy death ladder, for gutter clean outs, that scares me...