Solar

[Badattitude]

A number of years ago I casually looked into a solar system for my home to supplement my elec needs. At the time I didn't think it was worth the effort $$ wise...just my somewhat uneducated opinion mind you.

Yesterday, my boss mentioned a local company that will do the complete 100%turn key install for $0 out of pocket from me. The only catch is this company keeps any generated overage instead of it going back to my POCO. Which makes me wonder how much $$ am I leaving on the table?

Since my home is located (rural) on a hilltop with full unobstructed sunlight, dawn to dusk, I'm sure I could generate a significant amount. Obviously that's dependent on the number of panels and the weather.

A few of my concerns are:
--Will it be a lifetime contract as far as them getting any overage generated? If I sell the place what happens? I'm sure the contract will spell that out though

--I'm a little concerned about that actual installation. In the past I've had some shoddy/careless work done by contractors and as a result, I do all my own work/repairs now. I'm currently about 1/2 complete with new siding and windows. Hate to even think of what could happen with any errant drilling. I'm sure they have insurance to cover their oops, but my past experiences still leaves me a little gun shy.

--I imagine there will be storage batteries on site? Or has technology advanced to the point that there's no need? I'm curious as to how the overage generated is handled/stored.

--My POCO charges a usage and distribution charge. I'm guessing I'll still be liable for the distribution charges?...since they own the transmission lines. Or would this system be considered off grid, with complete disconnect from the POCO...which I doubt.

Sorry for all the Q's. I have a few more, but will stop here for now. I am seriously interested in this system and would like to learn/understand all I can before making any decision. I'm going to contact this company this week and would like to be prepared. I would greatly appreciate any and all comments regarding solar systems for residential use.

Thanks!!

 

[Mustang51js]

There's a limit to power depending on size of roof. They give you a discounted rate with the no money down. So say you normally pay 15 cents a kW you would pay 12 cents a kW. They keep the rebates and the money that the system gets from the poco. Usually they are for 20 year terms and can be moved if you move or the new owners take over. Warranty should cover your roof and any damage done if there is any. No batteries and your still without power if the grid goes down. It's a set monthly price and for the amount they give you to use, then you pay normal rate if you go over that. So say they give you 4500 kW for 12 cents a kW, you use 5000 kW, the 500 kW is charged what you pay now on top of the set monthly fee you pay to solar co. The best way to do it is to buy the system but it's a lot out of pocket which takes 5-10 years to recoup, then it's all profit after that. But you fix and pay for any damage

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I know things have changed, but a few years back we looked into solar very seriously for the schools. The general takeaway we got was:

1. None of the current panels on the market at the time would live long enough to ever pay for themselves, so there would be very litte or no ROI.

2. The funding for all the Government rebates everyone was talking about was almost completely exhausted.

3. Once the panels are on your roof, it's almost impossible to service the roof & they can actually cause damage because the supports hold debris and the panels don't allow proper drying/sun exposure so stuff grows on the shingles.

4. Most companies wouldn't sell you a rooftop system unless your roof was brand new.

5. A "solar farm" setup where the panels are on a field or hillside or installing them as a canopy over a parking lot was (& still is) the best situation.

In a nutshell, receiving a discount on the power but letting someone else have complete "ownership" responsibilities including maintaining/servicing your roof (if that was the system location) was the only way to do it.

Tommy

 

[Badattitude]

So it sounds like this offer is nothing more than BS? Glad I asked here first! I definitely want to find out more from my boss come Monday. He said a friend of his just had it installed this past summer and gets a $0 elec bill for the month. THAT'S what got my attention!

Tommy...I have the perfect spot for the solar farm, but supposedly this company will only do rooftop installs.

 

[Mustang51js]

You have to see what kW you pay now compared to what they will give you. For example I am going to do it on my house, but I don't plan on staying for a long time. I figured it would bring value of house up. I would only save $200 a year if I use exact same power I used last year. They quoted me for 5800 kW for the year at $50 a month. I used 8787 last year and that's higher than normal. My rate I pay normal is 15.9 cents per kW. The rate they offer for the 5800kw is 12.9 per kW. So it depends on what you plan on doing for future. My friend bought his and saves $4000 a year which will pay for itself in 5 years, but he had to put all the money out

 

[Badattitude]

Mustang

I bought it new from the builder in 1990 with no plans on selling unless something forces me to do otherwise. I used about 7K for the last year at 12.9 per kw. But that didn't include a pool pump...didn't open the pool this year.

I can see why it would be beneficial for me to purchase the system myself, because the last thing I want is to have to monitor usage. I'm curious about this monthly fee though...I was told it was $0 with this Co. Based on what you say, not so sure this is something I want to commit to. I'll likely contact the Co and see what the details are and what it involves.

Even though you burst my bubble...thought it was too good to be true!...thanks so much for the insight. Much appreciated.

 

[James-W]

Even though you burst my bubble...thought it was too good to be true!...thanks so much for the insight. Much appreciated.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't.

 

[Mustang51js]

Mustang

I bought it new from the builder in 1990 with no plans on selling unless something forces me to do otherwise. I used about 7K for the last year at 12.9 per kw. But that didn't include a pool pump...didn't open the pool this year.

I can see why it would be beneficial for me to purchase the system myself, because the last thing I want is to have to monitor usage. I'm curious about this monthly fee though...I was told it was $0 with this Co. Based on what you say, not so sure this is something I want to commit to. I'll likely contact the Co and see what the details are and what it involves.

Even though you burst my bubble...thought it was too good to be true!...thanks so much for the insight. Much appreciated.

They do have other plans where you put some money down. Any money you put down will make it better but like me I don't want to put any money down

 

[69gp]

A number of years ago I casually looked into a solar system for my home to supplement my elec needs. At the time I didn't think it was worth the effort $$ wise...just my somewhat uneducated opinion mind you.

Yesterday, my boss mentioned a local company that will do the complete 100%turn key install for $0 out of pocket from me. The only catch is this company keeps any generated overage instead of it going back to my POCO. Which makes me wonder how much $$ am I leaving on the table?

They will not put panels on your roof unless it is only a few years old. Panels will last 25 years with the output dropping off over time. There is a reason why these companies will put the panels up for free and that is because they make money. They inflate the cost of the system by selling you on paper manufactures suggest retail price. This increases the rebate. The big item is they want is your SREC's. This is the amount of power that you generate. 1 megawatt of power generated is equal to 1 SREC. Here in MA that equals about $200 each. This is only paid out for the first 10 years. I have a 9KW system and in 3 years 4 months I have generated 19.5 Megs. that equals to an additional $3,900.00. My system cost for material was $17,000. I did the install myself its pretty easy. I save about $150.00 a month. Plus NGrid just raised the rate here 37%. I pay roughly $10 to $30 a month for electricity except for March, April and May where I run about $40 a month negative.

My system will be paid for within a year. After that I will be making a profit off the SREC's. Plus getting a good deal on free power.


Since my home is located (rural) on a hilltop with full unobstructed sunlight, dawn to dusk, I'm sure I could generate a significant amount. Obviously that's dependent on the number of panels and the weather.

A few of my concerns are:
--Will it be a lifetime contract as far as them getting any overage generated? If I sell the place what happens? I'm sure the contract will spell that out though

--I'm a little concerned about that actual installation. In the past I've had some shoddy/careless work done by contractors and as a result, I do all my own work/repairs now. I'm currently about 1/2 complete with new siding and windows. Hate to even think of what could happen with any errant drilling. I'm sure they have insurance to cover their oops, but my past experiences still leaves me a little gun shy.

--I imagine there will be storage batteries on site? Or has technology advanced to the point that there's no need? I'm curious as to how the overage generated is handled/stored.

Currently it is to expensive to use batteries.

--My POCO charges a usage and distribution charge. I'm guessing I'll still be liable for the distribution charges?...since they own the transmission lines. Or would this system be considered off grid, with complete disconnect from the POCO...which I doubt.

Utilities want you to be net zero meaning they want to have the bill always around zero. They will always charge the delivery but if you generate enough you can negate that fee. They really do not want to send you a check if you over produce.This would not be considered off grid since you are connected.

Sorry for all the Q's. I have a few more, but will stop here for now. I am seriously interested in this system and would like to learn/understand all I can before making any decision. I'm going to contact this company this week and would like to be prepared. I would greatly appreciate any and all comments regarding solar systems for residential use.

Thanks!!

Look into doing it yourself its a good deal and is a short term cost.

 

[69gp]

Mustang

I bought it new from the builder in 1990 with no plans on selling unless something forces me to do otherwise. I used about 7K for the last year at 12.9 per kw. But that didn't include a pool pump...didn't open the pool this year.

I can see why it would be beneficial for me to purchase the system myself, because the last thing I want is to have to monitor usage. I'm curious about this monthly fee though...I was told it was $0 with this Co. Based on what you say, not so sure this is something I want to commit to. I'll likely contact the Co and see what the details are and what it involves.

Even though you burst my bubble...thought it was too good to be true!...thanks so much for the insight. Much appreciated.

The monitoring and reporting takes less than minutes to do. Take a picture of my meter for my records. Log into the site and enter the info. Plus I monitor directly off the inverter with my computer and can check the status of ever panel.

 

[Badattitude]

Thanks for the specifics 69gp, very useful info!

Did your material cost include any federal/state/local rebates? While I don't know what the current specifics are, been told it's substantial now.

I've been looking into CertainTeed's solar system. A local builder I know installed this system on a couple homes he built and has great things to say about it overall. If you don't mind, who did you purchase yours from?

I kind of misspoke when I said I didn't want to monitor usage. What I meant was in response to Mustangs comment about plan limits, and if I exceed a certain amount of usage, I'd owe at the full rate. I didn't want the hassle of worrying about exceeding the plan limit

 

[Mustang51js]

The issue with my state is that I have to be certified to install it,and having trouble to get certified. Otherwise I would do it myself. Solar city is the company doing a lot around here.

 

[Badattitude]

CT requires a license to qualify for their rebates.

 

[69gp]

Thanks for the specifics 69gp, very useful info!

Did your material cost include any federal/state/local rebates? While I don't know what the current specifics are, been told it's substantial now.

My total cost was $17,000.00. Out of that I was able to deduct $5,100. Currently the rebate is 1/3 of the cost of the system. You get your federal rebate when you do your taxes. The government does not send you a check. if you did the system yourself there are ways you could increase the cost to get a bigger credit without really costing you. Just not going to say that here in the open.

I've been looking into CertainTeed's solar system. A local builder I know installed this system on a couple homes he built and has great things to say about it overall. If you don't mind, who did you purchase yours from?

I shopped around and beat the sellers up where I could. Panels I have are from Sharp. http://www.sharpusa.com/SolarElectricity.aspx Racking from Zillia. http://www.zillarac.com/Home.aspx and the inverter from Solar Edge http://www.solaredge.us/ I am in MA and if I used an inverter from Solectria who manufactures here in the state I could have received additional tax credits from the state. You should see if your state has any additional rebate money. this link might help http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=0&ee=0&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=CT

I kind of misspoke when I said I didn't want to monitor usage. What I meant was in response to Mustangs comment about plan limits, and if I exceed a certain amount of usage, I'd owe at the full rate. I didn't want the hassle of worrying about exceeding the plan limit

You are only going to owe for what you use from the POCO plus the deliver charge. Everything is based off of KW the power that you either use or generate.

I will try and give you a simple explanation. If you do not have solar say that your electric bill goes like this. You use 600 KW of power @ .20 cents per KW =$120.00, the delivery charge is $15.00, taxes and miscellaneous is $4.50. your total bill for the month is $139.50.

If you had solar and used the same amount of electricity the 600 KW and you produced the 600 KW your bill would be $19.50. You will have 2 meters on your house one from the POCO and one that is for the Solar system. This is called net metering.

Now for the good part you generated .6 megawatts @ $200 per SREC that equals out to a check for you in the amount of $120.00. That would net you $100.50.

Right now in MA they are paying $325 per SREC if you have a system that is 6 KW or smaller. So you need to do your homework to see what pays out the best for you.

 

[CNGsaves]

Some states don't allow "Net Metering" which I'm pretty sure is case in KS. There are efforts by over zealous "R" party to eliminate the PoCo requirement in future to meet 10% or 20% from alternative means (ie wind & solar). This has led to approval of KS coal-fired electric plant !!

Strange that CT & NJ has better solar chances than midwest.

'Merica is totally messed up !!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Everytime ive looked into solar, Ive discovered that it isnt worth it unless uuse lots of electricity.

My coworker got a solar system leased from solar city. He pays $200/mon and use to pay $400/mon to Pacific Graft and Extortion who by the way succesfully petitioned the corrupt CPUC to allow only net metering of solar systems with NO payback to the solar generator for excessive generation. Luckily, where i live my PoCo is "locally public owned" and gives rebates and generation credits...

I dont use enough electricity in my home for a solar system to be worth it for me though Id love to have a $0/mon electric bil. My current bill ranges from about $100/mon in the winter to upto $175/mon in the summer...