ᐅ Is it practical to install a photovoltaic system on the west or east side of a building?

Created on: 5 Jan 2020 18:42
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kaho674
Hello,
we are wondering whether we should install a photovoltaic system on the roof in the near future. The empty conduits for it are already in place. However, we have a hipped roof. On the south side, there is just over 20m² (215 sq ft) available for the system. Would it make sense to also use the west (or east) side to increase the area, even if the sun doesn’t hit it at the optimal angle?
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Bookstar
14 Jan 2020 10:47
matte1987 schrieb:

You do realize you're comparing high-risk stocks with a relatively secure photovoltaic system, right? Stocks that can be sold in an emergency versus a photovoltaic system, an investment that can't simply be converted back into cash? Apples and oranges...
I don’t see any risk there. Over the time frame considered, it’s negligible, and if you want, you can diversify further with a global ETF. But the average German prefers to put money into a savings account, I know.

The fact that stocks can be sold is actually an argument against photovoltaics being a concentrated risk.

An advantage of photovoltaics is the financing options.
opalau14 Jan 2020 10:49
Bookstar schrieb:


The fact that you can sell carbon certificates argues further against photovoltaics as a concentration risk.
Well, how large is the investment in photovoltaics? It’s more of a small concentration.
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halmi
14 Jan 2020 10:52
andre77, have it included directly in your home financing or discuss it with your bank. But in the end, it doesn’t really matter if you finance the system at 0.5% or 1.5%.

Bookstar, I would suggest doing both. That way, during a stock market crash, you’re protected by solar energy—a great diversification, I’d say. You can argue all you want, but there is no rational or logical reason to skip a photovoltaic system when building a house nowadays.
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boxandroof
14 Jan 2020 10:53
And with external financing, it’s just a lump of money lying around waiting to be picked up. The money could alternatively be invested in the DAX.
I cannot understand Bookstar’s aversion to photovoltaic systems as an investment.
kaho67414 Jan 2020 11:05
Bookstar schrieb:

The advantage of photovoltaic systems is the financing options.
If I, as the original poster, may briefly add to the expert discussion, the motivation is not solely financial; above all, there is the hope to contribute to environmental protection.
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halmi
14 Jan 2020 11:13
The advantage of this approach is that you can basically have both.