The other item nobody is thinking about.... you better put a brand new shingle roof on before you get involved in solar. If your roof is several years old.. you'll have to remove the solar panels, install a new roof, and put the panels back on. This ain't cheap. The panel system is good for about 20 years, then you'll need to do the system all over. My elect bill is about $60.00 a month...belong to a elect co-op...
The components for that $50k installed system can be bought for around $25k. There will be additional costs for permits and electrical work. Here are a couple of sites with package prices: https://www.wholesalesolar.com/grid-tie-packages http://www.solarpanelstore.com/solar-power-packages/cse-medium-grid-tie.html https://www.acosolar.com/ And even a $50k installed system is only $35k after the 30% federal rebate. If you want to do a detailed cost analysis, PVWatts has been highly recommended: http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ As I mentioned earlier, read the 'Solar Power for Dummies' book. Here's the download for an older copy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9bX852JMJ__SDM0YzlMX3FoZ0U/view
we were told it was a about a 30 yr ROI. given the rate technology is moving these days, a better solar panel will be designed making the current ones obsolete before the return is reached. it's bound to happen. I would wager on this strongly. human innovation will spark something that is a third of the size and three times as efficient.
Briz, I have a system on my workshop (62 panels) which cost about what you're looking at. If your use and supplier cost of electricity warrants it then solar absolutely pays for itself. Any qualified pro will be able to tell you what your usage vs production will be along with the cost breakdown and federal and state rebates. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you want an owners opinion. Chris in PA skwerly55@gmail.com
Find an installer in your area here: http://www.solarreviews.com/ I've been doing some research the past few months. This thread inspired me to sort thru all my bookmarks!
Tesla says; Solar shingles cost less than conventional shingles https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...olar-shingles-will-cost-less-than-a-dumb-roof https://www.tesla.com/solar Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Been working on this all summer and weighing options, pros and cons. Its nearly impossible to get a company to show up for an appt. and if they do show the guy dont seem to know his products. Anyway, Found a company out of Melborn. They did everything they said they would, answered all my calls and stupid questions. They re calculated based on the last 12 months usages. Put together a package of 50 2.97kv panels made by LG to make close to a 15Kw system for 35000.00 installed with 2 inverters. an optimizer for each panel. all permits, installation and a 20 yr warranty. out the door 207 a month for 15 years. no prepayment penalty's I pay more than 200 a month on our cheapest bill so this was a no brainier. Signed all the contracts today.60- 90 days to complete the project.
Steve if you look to Colorado (I am pretty sure it was Colorado) for an example you will see the solar investors are furious. Governor and state reps all voted to pull the incentives and tax breaks from solar powered buildings. They decided the rest of society should not have to subsidize solar. Florida could change laws at any time and you are screwed. $50K invested properly could earn as much or more if you do your homework dude... Sorry but I am not sold on solar yet as the life expectancy of the equipment has yet to be proven. Mikey
Are you buying or leasing the system? Do you get the tax rebate or is that already in the final quote? Sounds like a solid system!
I think that was on the ballot in the last election here and it didnt pass. I doubt I'll be living here in 20 years and let the next owner deal with it. Right now the payments are fixed @ 207.00 a month. My regular bill is seldom under 250.00. I know there is still a small fee for keeping the meter connected. My mom has had a system less than 1/2 the size on her double wide for 10 yrs and has never seen a bill over 25.00 + gets a check back from the coop each year. I turned the 30% credit over to them for the lower interest rate so its all figured in. Its a purchase. I figure WTH, I've , we all, have been paying the power company most of our adult lives and have nothing to show for it after we turn out the lights each day. This way I get something tangible in return for my 200.00 payment. Wish there was a way to figure up exactly how much I've paid to power company's over the last 40 years. 40 yrs @ 200 a month is 96000.00. I know for a fact some months my bill is close to 400 a month.
For those who don't think that solar is, as yet, cost effective, I think it depends on where you live. Different states and cities offer different incentives, making solar more affordable in some places than others. Here in San Antonio incentives come at different levels and the excess electricity is sold back to the electric company with refund checks being issued twice a year. This is apparently unusual and I've heard our county is only one of two that do this. A few years ago there was a house in the far north part of the county that was featured in the paper as being completely self reliant. It had a large array of panels on the southern exposure supplying electricity to the house with a smaller group of panels for the electric plug-in in the garage for the electric car. The metal roof and gutters caught rain water and sent it to a 40,000 gallon tank. This was during a years long drought and they said it never went below half full. They said that the amount of water you get from foggy days alone would surprise you. The water was pumped into the house through 4 filters and an ultraviolet light and tasted as fresh as bottled water. The house basically produced its own electricity and water. The next door neighbor was so impressed with the house that he completely duplicated it. After several months he contacted the power company, irate that he had not received his refund check for his excess electricity. They told him that they did not refund for what you produce. It turned out that the county line ran between the two houses and he was in a different county and with a different power company! It pays to research these things very thoroughly. Finally, I'd say cost and affordability are relative. Again, what is unreasonable in one place might be very reasonable in another. I went to Hawaii 2-3 years ago after not having been in about 8 years. I was surprised to see that almost all new and a large number of older houses were covered with solar panels. I don't know if they are now required by code, if the homeowners have some kind of incentive to purchase them, or if they are owned by the utility company. I guess the bottom line is that, in the islands, they are considerably cheaper that shipping in oil to fuel the power plants.
OK, I figured that was the 'after rebate' price. Works out to about $3.30/watt before rebate. That's a little under the average price. You did well. Sounds like your purchase arrangement will work well for you, as you see savings every month! But that arrangement won't work for everybody...Biggest downside to not buying the system upfront is if you sell the house before the panels are paid off.... then you or the new owner are liable for the balance due. That can be a very sticky situation. Second downside is you don't own the excess power generated, which the utility company 'usually' buys back from you. Your system is likely slightly oversized so the Solar co will own the excess energy produced and will see some profit from that.... is there a clause in your contract limiting your usage? Every power company and every state has different policies concerning incentives and excess power. What makes great financial sense in Massachusetts (rated #1)may not be worth a damn in Arkansas (rated #51). In most cases you are getting a return on your investment that is comparable to investing the $$ in the stock market. For a detailed look at what your state offers for you, see https://solarpowerrocks.com/ I had researched the feasibility of a solar system for myself, but with a monthly elec bill of $65, it's a much different situation than yours.
I addressed this exact thing with the contractor and was told that I would have to add that in at closing then pay off the remainder of the loan and the new owners would own the system outright. However I have no plans to move anytime soon. We did check with the local power coop that supplies our home and they cut a check at the end of each year for the excess power.I have no idea how much that will be but whatever it is will get rolled into the payment. Started thinking about alternative payment method. Dont really like the terms that come along with this package so will look into a LOC against the house. will have a better rate and be tax deductible where this loan is not.
My roof on the house and garage has a 12x12 pitch. Also have the 36 x 40 flat roof addition that i constructed over last winters slow season. Im sort of hoping they can put it all on the flat roof facing SW. My home faces due north. Plenty of roof area.Also lots of trees.
If you optimize the orientation, they are unlikely to lay flat on your roof. If they do not lay flat, they are more likely to sustain damage from wind. I like the deal you negotiated. I would like to see a house with solar shingles in person.
Briz, Glad you saw the long term investment of buying vs leasing and took the plunge. I’m almost 3 yrs in and never looked back. Nothing preventing you from paying off sooner if you can and enjoying no bill! Here’s most of my setup. Also don’t forget the increased value on your home if you do ever resell.
Couple of weeks ago the install manager came out and did the site survey and plans. They told me there would be an additional 1500.00 charge to trench a conduit around the house to the meter area. Guy was making a wide path all the way around the garage and house which would have been an easy 300'-400' of pipe and wire. Told em I wasnt paying a dime over the quoted price. Next day I hatched a plan and did it my self in under 90' for a cost of 100.00 for the pipe. told the manager they could foot the bill for any extra wire if needed. I went along the side of the garage. hard 90* under the ground level deck through the poured stem wall foundation on the house 60' under the house through another solid fill block wall and up to the meter area. 5 hours. No problem. Yesterday we cleared the last hurdle. The building dept was dragging its feet on approving the permit. Being a local contractor I got a in with the building dept. Thursday I went in and asked where we were at with the process. Patrick, our building official, had not yet reviewed the plans that had been sitting there for weeks in a stack. The clerk handed me the plan. I then took it along with the NOC which I personally walked over to the clerk and filed and set it all n his office chair so he had to move it to set down along with a nice note asking to please review and sign off.Went in yesterday morning to check and it was done. Now were on the install schedule. hopefully in the next 2 weeks.
