I'm considering installing solar panels for my home, and I have a local company offering solar tracker installations for about $32,000 per unit, which houses 16 panels of 400 watts each. They claim these trackers could boost energy collection by 40% compared to fixed panels. However, I'm a bit hesitant about the high cost, as I would need around 1.5 units or over $60,000 total. Even with a 30% tax credit covering $20,000, $40,000 still feels steep to me, especially since I have DIY experience. Am I being irrational in thinking about a DIY approach?
1 Answer
Trackers tend to be really pricey to maintain; you might be better off just adding around 40% more fixed panels instead. They often require maintenance because of all the moving parts. Most folks aren't opting for trackers these days because panels are way cheaper than they used to be. If you're not using micro-inverters, adding more fixed panels usually just means the cost of the panel plus some mounting hardware and simple wiring, assuming your inverter can handle it. I personally ended up paying about $1.50 per watt for mine, and even less without batteries.
A buddy of mine has some trackers from that company, but he got them a while ago for around $20k for two. When I received the recent quote, I was pretty shocked by the price and figured it would be smarter to just install a solid system and expand as I go.