Home Solar Panels

[RobbieO]

That time of year where my bill is going up and I re-think getting solar panels.

Any one with good experiences? My gut still tells me its a scam.

In CA, you’ll be luck to break even. At the end of the year you have to true up. If you made more power than you used, they buy it back at about a tenth of what they charge you for it. Problem here is PGE burned down half the state and are passing the costs on to the consumer. I had it on my house and had it taken off. I do like the backup battery. I may purchase another solar system once the technology gets better.

 

[Bruce]

I had it on my house and had it taken off.

Did you save money by removing the installed solar panels?

 

[RobbieO]

Did you save money by removing the installed solar panels?

I did because the previous owner was leasing the panels for $148 a month my highest Electric bill was less than $60. In the summertime I average about $90 a month in electric and the rest is gas.. so for me It didn’t make much sense

 

[Ronnie]

My experience and that of two friends so far.
Me: moved into a house with solar installed by previous owner in mid June. 13 panels. Had to assume the lease to buy the house. Paid the loan off instead, $25k. I’ve only Seen two pg&e (pacific gas and electric bills so far and I pump the ac all day long and lately well into the night. The bills are averaging less than $30 per month. I thought life was good until I spoke to my neighbor and an old friend.

my neighbor is an electrical contractor. He has 56 panels. Said the monthly bill is great but the year end true up is always results in a payment to them never one to you.

my old friend had solar installed last year. She pays $300 a month on a 30 year loan. Her average monthly bill is $200 and last year the true-up payment was $2,000.

I don’t understand the annual true up thing since I pay what i consider to be an overage fee every month already but I am concerned about it.

 

[RobbieO]

My experience and that of two friends so far.
Me: moved into a house with solar installed by previous owner in mid June. 13 panels. Had to assume the lease to buy the house. Paid the loan off instead, $25k. I’ve only Seen two pg&e (pacific gas and electric bills so far and I pump the ac all day long and lately well into the night. The bills are averaging less than $30 per month. I thought life was good until I spoke to my neighbor and an old friend.

my neighbor is an electrical contractor. He has 56 panels. Said the monthly bill is great but the year end true up is always results in a payment to them never one to you.

my old friend had solar installed last year. She pays $300 a month on a 30 year loan. Her average monthly bill is $200 and last year the true-up payment was $2,000.

I don’t understand the annual true up thing since I pay what i consider to be an overage fee every month already but I am concerned about it.

If your neighbor has 56 panels they’ve been up there for a long time. PG&E will not let you put more panels then you need on your roof. Which means they take your average electric bill and calculate how many panels you need. I live in Trilogy Rio Vista and almost homes have solar on them and everybody ends up owing at the end of the year. If you generate more power than you use PGE buys it back at a 10th of what they charge you for when you use theirs. Based on what family and friends have told me unless you have a swimming pool or hot tub six kids a two story house in the wash machines going all day it’s not worth it

 

[Ronnie]

@RobbieO , my neighbor just moved in 4 years ago and as a successful business owner, electrical contracting, I don’t think he went used on the panels. I also don’t think he got permission from pg&e, he just installed what he wanted.

what I don’t get is how the annual true up works.if o pay them for any power they provide at the end of each month what is there to trueup at the end of the year.

may son just went back to college so it’s just the wife and I in the two story house, we don’t watch a lot of tv but are usually together when we do, also run the above ground pool pump 6 to 12 Hours a day. Plus laundry and lights for the two us. It’s the first time we have had central AC and we just experienced a week long heat wave so I run it whenever I can:

we paid off the lease to get out of the monthly for the next 18 years (previous owner installed the system two years prior) and to take advantage of the tax break which may not be available next year.

 

[RobbieO]

@RobbieO , my neighbor just moved in 4 years ago and as a successful business owner, electrical contracting, I don’t think he went used on the panels. I also don’t think he got permission from pg&e, he just installed what he wanted.

what I don’t get is how the annual true up works.if o pay them for any power they provide at the end of each month what is there to trueup at the end of the year.

may son just went back to college so it’s just the wife and I in the two story house, we don’t watch a lot of tv but are usually together when we do, also run the above ground pool pump 6 to 12 Hours a day. Plus laundry and lights for the two us. It’s the first time we have had central AC and we just experienced a week long heat wave so I run it whenever I can:

we paid off the lease to get out of the monthly for the next 18 years (previous owner installed the system two years prior) and to take advantage of the tax break which may not be available next year.

I hope it works out for you Ronnie. At least it increases the value of your home, and hopefully you break even. I was going to go back to solar but they would only put up 6-8 panels, I wanted 10. They wouldn’t do it because PGE wouldn’t approve it. I just retired, my wife is still working, our house is on 1400 sq ft so we don’t use much. I would like the backup battery because they won’t allow us to have emergency generators. I don’t understand that. Half the people here, including me, can’t hear very well. Lol

 

[BlkGS]

I am still torn on this. We put in new windows a few months ago and just got up plantation shutters. I need to re-evaluate my usage then. I would really like to cover all my energy usage with battery back-up for 30k. I would bite at that price.

I would be VERY leery of it in FL. With as much issues we have with roofs and homeowners insurance, I wouldn't do anything that could draw their ire.

The only way I'd maybe consider it is of it was a new build house designed to have solar on the roof from day 1. A few years ago I'd say its an easy choice to do it, but not nowadays. My insurance agent told us not to even submit that we got hurricane rated garage doors for fear of the insurance company noticing the age of our roof now. (15 ish years).

 

[the MfM]

I am sure you would need a licensed electrician to complete the grid tie portion if you want to do so.

My local utility and AHJ will allow a homeowner to do any of the install themselves. YMMV

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Just read our energy companies want to increase prices 11% next year. We run averaged billing and I expect that increase to jump to over $400 a month. We just got new Miami-Dade windows and plantation shutters installed, going to see what our energy usage looks then. Really leaning towards the panels just to save $150-$200 a month and have battery back-up. Storm season has been mild, but not uncommon for people to lose power for a few days. My roof is almost due east/west with no shade... we get brutalized with sun lol

The problem is finding a reputable solar panel company.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

I have explored solar as back-up power and concluded it is just too expensive for our use. I can't find an adequate system (panels and batteries) for under $15,000. We have decided to go the propane generator route. We have a buried 500 gallon tank that is only used for our stove-top and our fireplace. I'm going to have a propane line run to the patio I'm building next Spring for the grill. Figure the patio would be a perfect place for a portable propane generator, when needed. A portable generator would provide enough power for the fridge, fans, lights, and well pump. Total cost for the propane line, electrical work and generator should be under $4,500.

Jim

 

[jocolo21]

I have 51 panels Duke charges $30 for service fee monthly my bill with the loan is $250 i use to pay $400

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I have 51 panels Duke charges $30 for service fee monthly my bill with the loan is $250 i use to pay $400

Who did your install?

 

[jocolo21]

Who did your install?

Momentum solar, I ask for 16.1k system they wanted a 13k I said no and also used a quote from Tesla and they matched it

 

[Dean P]

Momentum solar, I ask for 16.1k system they wanted a 13k I said no and also used a quote from Tesla and they matched it

Did you get any battery packs (similar to Tesla)?

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I am still torn on this. We put in new windows a few months ago and just got up plantation shutters. I need to re-evaluate my usage then. I would really like to cover all my energy usage with battery back-up for 30k. I would bite at that price.

Got the energy efficiency bug today. Did some homework, ordered new seals for the garage entry doors, ordered a cover for my whole house fan (didn’t even think about this but it’s basically a giant leak to the attic. And then remembered I have holes in my walls from old intercoms that we just pictures over. Going to repair those up. Ordered a duct test, pretty sure there are some leaks up there.

Hopefully I can drive down our bill a little bit.

 

[jocolo21]

Did you get any battery packs (similar to Tesla)?

I didnt but my bud in Puerto Rico made is own with model C tesla batteries, bought on ebay for $1 k per pack

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Got the energy efficiency bug today. Did some homework, ordered new seals for the garage entry doors, ordered a cover for my whole house fan (didn’t even think about this but it’s basically a giant leak to the attic. And then remembered I have holes in my walls from old intercoms that we just pictures over. Going to repair those up. Ordered a duct test, pretty sure there are some leaks up there.

Hopefully I can drive down our bill a little bit.

Undoubtedly the best course of action to be taken.

Sealing up all the air gaps you can is vital in achieving the best efficiency you can get. Next is plugging up those gaps in the insulation like your whole house fan and the intercom holes. if you have recessed lighting those cans need to be air tight as well.

Other things would include drapes / shades to keep the sun from heating objects in the house during the summer, I know Capt obvious there. Also when cooking use the exhaust fan in the range hood to remove the hot air from the stove, otherwise the AC system has to pump out that heat.

Most attic fans sold at the diy stores are too powerful and result in pulling hot air into your house, unless your top plate is sealed perfectly. I doubted this when I was told this until one day when it was really hot, the attic fan was running and I came in from outside and flung the door shut behind me but it didn’t shut, when I walked over to shut the door I could feel the hot air being pulled inside. I popped up into the attic and turned off the attic fan and that flow stopped.

Keeping your AC condenser clean also helps. From a friend of mine who has worked on HVAC systems his whole career, do not use the high efficiency air filters in your house, use the normal ones and change them each month. The high efficiency filters produce too much restriction / reduce air flow and hamper the efficiency of your heating and AC system. I had a high efficiency air filter at my last house, it was in the attic and was a very large air filter (probably 10 times the surface area of the typical drop in style, 2’ high and 3’ wide) that got changed annually, where the drop in style would have normally been installed in the return air grate was left open.

If you can, check the cleanliness of the squirrel cage and the evaporator, I had mine cleaned after 10 years of service and even with that massive high efficiency air filter both the squirrel cage and evaporator were pretty dirty. After I had those things cleaned there was a noticeable increase in air flow, and the cycle times of the AC and heater were dramatically reduced. Hot moves to cold, I think that’s the first law of thermodynamics, since your AC is not cooling the air, rather it is removing the heat, having the evap coils as clean as possible will result in the best heat transfer.

Be sure and clean your refrigerator coils as well as the fan. If they’re dirty you will notice that the refrigerator runs a lot less.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Undoubtedly the best course of action to be taken.

Sealing up all the air gaps you can is vital in achieving the best efficiency you can get. Next is plugging up those gaps in the insulation like your whole house fan and the intercom holes. if you have recessed lighting those cans need to be air tight as well.

Other things would include drapes / shades to keep the sun from heating objects in the house during the summer, I know Capt obvious there. Also when cooking use the exhaust fan in the range hood to remove the hot air from the stove, otherwise the AC system has to pump out that heat.

Most attic fans sold at the diy stores are too powerful and result in pulling hot air into your house, unless your top plate is sealed perfectly. I doubted this when I was told this until one day when it was really hot, the attic fan was running and I came in from outside and flung the door shut behind me but it didn’t shut, when I walked over to shut the door I could feel the hot air being pulled inside. I popped up into the attic and turned off the attic fan and that flow stopped.

Keeping your AC condenser clean also helps. From a friend of mine who has worked on HVAC systems his whole career, do not use the high efficiency air filters in your house, use the normal ones and change them each month. The high efficiency filters produce too much restriction / reduce air flow and hamper the efficiency of your heating and AC system. I had a high efficiency air filter at my last house, it was in the attic and was a very large air filter (probably 10 times the surface area of the typical drop in style, 2’ high and 3’ wide) that got changed annually, where the drop in style would have normally been installed in the return air grate was left open.

If you can, check the cleanliness of the squirrel cage and the evaporator, I had mine cleaned after 10 years of service and even with that massive high efficiency air filter both the squirrel cage and evaporator were pretty dirty. After I had those things cleaned there was a noticeable increase in air flow, and the cycle times of the AC and heater were dramatically reduced. Hot moves to cold, I think that’s the first law of thermodynamics, since your AC is not cooling the air, rather it is removing the heat, having the evap coils as clean as possible will result in the best heat transfer.

Be sure and clean your refrigerator coils as well as the fan. If they’re dirty you will notice that the refrigerator runs a lot less.

We just got the plantation shutters installed and it is making a notable difference in the temp of the house. Part of our high energy bill is my wife wants the house at 68 when we sleep. On the flipside the air doesn't turn on in the morning for several hours as it warms back up to 76.

Great call on the can lights, I will check those out... I know two are a little loose and it's been on my wifes list for years to fix.

We NEVER use the house fan, pretty sure it is original from the house and then the owner retro fitted AC later. As as filters, I use the cheapest ones I can find. We added a few return vents a few years ago to help draw out heat. I have 5 return vents to change so I keep it cheap lol.

 

[MIDLIFECRISIS]

I had solar panels put on my roof last year. 37 of those things up there. Originally had a loan for it but my good wife has payed that off way early. It usually makes more than we use and the COOP gives us a credit that we use at night. have not had a electric bill all summer, right now we have mor credit in the COOP than we are using. Will use that this winter since here in the panhandle of Texas we see a lot of cloudes then. Contemplating 2 Tesle walls in the future.