It's not just the generation; it's also the maintenance. If you own your own rooftop panels and a few go out, it's relatively expensive to bring someone out to replace them...if a mechanically and electrically equivalent replacement exists in 5 years. At utility scale, you're always replacing panels, so you have dedicated staff doing it.

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supertrope 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

Climbing roofs is in the top 10 deadliest jobs in America. It’s cheaper to drive out into a field and work on ground level equipment than to climb a height.

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3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

[deleted]

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adgjlsfhk1 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

solar panels last 25-40 years. mechanically equivalent means "sits on a roof". electrically equivalent just means "connects to a wire".

	▲	dehrmann 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Manufacturing defects happen, trees fall, and panels get dusty. They don't merely "sit on a roof." They're anchored, the anchors have spacing and a form factor, and the anchors pierce the roof's waterproofness. They're not electrically equivalent if they output a different voltage range.