according to the chatter on the web, you can, if you are somewhat tech-abled, to buy the photovoltaic cells in bulk very cheap, and cobble together what would be a 10-20k panel for about $200. The other of the big threesome expenses is batteries, and the inverter. The weakest link is probably the batteries. For the really adventurous, there is/ was a large market for 12 or 24 volt appliances and lighting, for the RV and marine crowd. Some dual wiring would be needed, and you could do without the inverter. Other solar options are water heating and its variants. In the US, it is easier to get the cutting edge evacuated tube collectors, than it is in sunny EY. These are way more efficient that the flat black panels, and in the northern climes, that efficiency may just what makes it work, and variable angle mounts for winter and summer would be icing on the cake. Note that you must run the numbers on any system to rate its payout, liftime against cost/saving.
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