I have done a couple of solar projects, and by and large in the south they aren't worth the investment. As for no maintenance he is full of crap, the batteries are shot after 10 years, the panels rarely make it 20. With utility rates in the south as low as they are you barely break even at 20 years.

Here is a link to my capstone engineering project at Auburn in engineering. I was the construction and transportation foreman for the project.
http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/solar_decathlon/main.html


Life is difficult
Science prevails over bulldoodoo and superstition every time