Solar Panels for my home

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$14.5k after tax break means price is over $20k for 4.5KW installed, it is $4.6/w. What I read is currently price should be around or even lower than $3/w before federal tax rebate. Maybe that is for California only.

 

We got quotes from Solar City (Tesla), Sun Power and a local outfit my inlaws used (Greiner out of Dixon) and they were all around $1k per panel after the 30% rebate.

We did 3 comparisons and came up with that, so I feel good about our path forward and choice.

Could I find a better deal and get more input: sure but there is a time component and not sure I would get much more benefit .

 

How many watts per panel? 265W? If so it is $3.7 after rebate, that's like 3 years ago price.

 

We put in a 7 KW system in 2010 and have gotten a payback from local utility for over-production every year. Not much, but enough to cover the $16/month line fee. Before incentives cost of that system was $50,000. Now that we've added a Bolt to the family we are in the process of adding another 7 KW. It will basically be an independent system from the first one. Going with the same local installer. Pre-tax credit cost of this one is $15,000. Our house includes an in-law quarters which is occupied by a family of four.

 

You are kidding me, that price is so good. After tax credit it would be $10500 for 7KW system? Where is the location? I guess not California.

 

Southeast PA.

 

How well does solar work in the NE? I noticed last month in the Bay Area was very cloudy and my solar production was way down. I think on cloudy days I only get about 25 percent power compared to a sunny day. It must be a pain to keep snow off the panels in the winter.

 

We've averaged 9.3 MWH per year over the 8 years we have had this 7.1 KW system. As far as snow, it certainly doesn't pay me to get up and push the snow off the panels, but I simply can't resist, especially if it is a bright sunny day. I was up again yesterday. As I tell my wife, "Lorelei is calling...."

 

Got a quote for 6.3KW LG panel for $21-23k installed before tax credit in Sacramento area.

 

My panels are on a ground rack, so even though they sit at 45 degrees it is pretty easy to remove snow.

pvwatts.org will provide a remarkably accurate estimate of electricity production each month by location. Of course, it does not know about shading ...

 

Decent.

How much does a kWh cost you from the utility ?
Annual kWh production from a watt in your location ?

 

My locale is very fortunate to have a fellow who has organized the community to help one another put up PV. I volunteer almost every weekend outside of the winter. I find it gratifying to lend a hand and watch a system go up in a Saturday morning. The owners end up paying about $1 a watt after federal tax credit and find another way to enjoy the Colorado sunshine.

 

Be frankly, I am expecting price to be around $3/w, it is more than $3.5/w. This is the 1st quote.

I am with PG&E, price is ridiculous high. Tier 1 with 400kwh is 20c, Tier 2 with another 400kwh is 27c. And every year price would increase by 1-2c. During past 12 month I used 8000kwh and paid $1700. I am expecting to use around 10000kwh this year and bill would be $2000. So I am looking to install a 6-7kw system.

I am in Sacramento area and 7kw system should generate 10000kwh per year. But it is really depends, my neighbor have a 4.4kw system and it generated 7300kwh last year.

 

Have you used PVwatts to estimate production ? Standard roof siting at 15 degrees in your area returns 1.6 kWh/watt
Do you have shading issues ?

10 MWh is half at 20 cents a kWh and half at 27 cents a kWh (and another 400 kWh at tier 3), so I calculate a utility bill of ~ $2,475 a year for the electricity, not including connection fees that you presumably pay regardless.

You are going to make out like a bandit no matter who you go with.

 

I also looked into / got estimates from 3 solar installation contractors... ended up going with the one located the closest to the house (40-ish miles to Kokomo from here... EDIT: which ALSO was the one that has been in business the longest... 8 years)... 7.2 kW set-up (8 panels facing east... 13 facing south) and ALSO went with THEIR suggestion regarding Solar Edge. Not much sun at all lately, but forecast for Saturday through Tuesday is looking good....

 

Are prices / quotes in California that high? Our 7.2 kW system came in at less than $18k (before credits applied)....

 

GASP... 9.3 mWh average per year? You must get WAY more direct sunlight than we do. So far, the best DAY we've had with our 7.2 KW system was a bit over 24 kWh. Took us 3-1/2 months to get up to 1 MWh, and just TODAY reached 1.25 MWH... but we only have 13 of 21 panels facing south, so the 8 panels facing east will tend to "lag" for probably at least another 2 to 3 weeks, and 5 of the 13 panels facing south are partially shaded by a neighbor's tree, and WILL be partially shaded until probably mid-April....

 

SolarEdge has quietly taken over the residential market, and for many good reasons. I know I have been delighted so far. It is also *really* easy and practically free to add internet monitoring since the inverter already has a LAN board with Ethernet port and SolarEdge provides the Server side for free. I pulled ethernet cable through the garage and terminated at a convenient place inside the house where I attached a $20 wi-fi bridge to my home router.

 

Yes it generates 1.6Kwh/watt.

That's superb price.

Yes installers know our utility price is high and saving is big. So they jacked up the price...