Southwestern PV sales

[RogerAS]

Hi All,

Well I just visited a well know supplier of solar stuff (based in the sunny SW USA) web site and I'm a little upset. I've been visiting that site for years and this is the first time I noticed this.

The forum section is so "don't do it yourself or you'll die" oriented it is pathetic. I told them about my homemade solar panel tracker and the administration insists it isn't worth the effort. I know from personal experience that it IS well worth the effort. Those folks over there say just buy more panels to make up for the difference! Well, wouldn't it be great if we all could do just that, but we all know PV's are as expensive as hell, even though the price has dropped a bit in the past year.

I find it disturbing that a well know outfit like those guys have such a "you can't or shouldn't even try attitude". I suppose this forum has spoiled me or changed my mindset so much that now I think WE can do anything WE set our mind to do.

I feel that after this I may not ever buy from them again and I doubt that I visit their forum. I feel very strongly that those of us seeking alternative sources of power should try to understand our renewable systems competely. Of course this hurts the pocketbook and bottom line of companies like that, and the installers they strongly suggest you use.

Pissed off in Arkansas!

RogerAS

[TomW]

Roger;

I think it is probably because the average consumer can have the I.Q. of a turnip.

My experience with customers in the consulting business is that very few people have the ability to follow simple instructions its best to just do it for them in the long run. Take 5 minutes and do it for them or spend half an hour on the phone deciphering why "it doesn't work".

That and the $$ driven society we live in.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Just look at some of the questions we get repeatedly here on this forum is enough to show how confused some otherwise smart folks can get when dealing with this type stuff.

Cheers.

TomW

[Tom in NH]

RogerAS wrote, "those of us seeking alternative sources of power should try to understand our renewable systems competely."

This is important to me as well. I have to dig into something when I get interested in it and want to learn about it. This is the way I am with photovoltaics right now. I don't feel the same way about other things. My car, for instance. Maybe the company is just marketing to a a different type of person, the kind that just wants a finished product and doesn't have to know every little thing about how it works. I hope there will be other companies for the compulsive learner like me. -Tom

[boB]

>>>just buy more panels to make up for the difference!

Yeah, right.   Maybe twice as many panels sometimes...

And DON"T ever use an MPPT !!!  Throw away the panels you've got !

boB