Home solar panels- who's got them?

[kevintari]

And who did you use?

What did you pay?

What was your rebate?

 

[occ]

And who did you use?

What did you pay?

What was your rebate?

RECSolar (RECSolar.com)
$25K out-of-pocket for 4kw (chose mono-silicon cells - bit more expensive).
$1.90/watt CSI (California rebate) back in 2007
No Fed Tax incentives.

 

[Jimmydreams]

Clean Power Systems, but they've been bought out by Herca Solar.

My system is 2.5 years old, so what I paid and any rebates are no longer current.

I couldn't be happier with my system. I haven't updated it in a while, but check out my site at http://www.jjhamilton.com.solar for a ton of details/pics/info.

 

[kieodadie]

SolarCity 5 kwh. Great Service. You can also lease the system.

 

[sparky]

2.8kW self install; $21k before $8.4k after all rebates; July 2008

900 W added Feb 2009;

After 5 months with LEAF, I can't imagine my next car won't plug-in so, about to add another 1.8kW with portion $5k CVRP....
turn rebate into fuel.

 

[Boomer23]

Ours is 24 Sunpower panels of 215 W each, for a total of 5.16 kW DC installed in January 2007.

We used Genself, which was bought by Sunwize.

Gross system cost $39,300

$25,500 out of pocket

$11,800 in Calif state incentives paid directly to installer

$2,000 federal tax credit

 

[SharonaLA]

EE Solar (bought out by Acro Energy)

2008

$30,000 system, Sunpower panels and inverter

paid about $15,000, rest rebated to installer

$2,000 federal tax credit

We've stayed below zero on the net meter (generating more than we used) until the inverted was recalled in March. Got it fixed in May, now working out way back down to zero.

 

[OilFreedom]

Our home builder offered an upgrade for roof integrated solar panels, and we did that. We later used Silverwood Energy to add more panels in the back yard. I recommend getting several quotes and including Silverwood in that. They were amazing from start to finish and stand behind their installations. Their commercial and residential expertise really show. They offered competitive pricing and carry a variety of products to meet your specific needs - and they really listen to what you want and need. Another thing I liked is that their installers are employees and not contractors, so you know they are very experienced. By the way, they also pay their installers a living wage (unlike some other outfits). It's been a few years, so the pricing won't be the same today (probably less). We got the federal tax breaks and CA rebate, but I am not sure what those are these days.

If you are in the San Diego County area, and are interested in checking out Silverwood, send me a private message for the best contact person, etc., and I would also be glad to answer any questions you may have.

PV power + 100% electric car = my driving nirvana! Can't wait!

 

[TonyWilliams]

Baker Electric, Escondido (San Diego) California, June 20, 2011 planned install

8kw total, 35 SunPower Serengeti 228watt panels, 35 Enphase micro-inverters

$43,000 system cost
$ 3,000 California rebate directly to Baker
$40,000 out of pocket
$12,000 Fed credit on tax return next year
$28,000 net system cost

 

[Electric4Me]

Diablo Solar, Martinez (SF Bay Area) California, Oct 2010 install

6.4kw total, 30 SunPower 215 watt panels, 2 inverters, web monitoring

$46,000 system cost
$ 3,000 California rebate directly to Baker
$43,000 out of pocket (using SunPower's 12 mo. same as cash through Enerbank)
$12,000 Fed credit on tax return this year
$31,000 net system cost

 

[planet4ever]

Our 7 kW system was installed in 2006 by a local Gilroy company, RA Tech Solar.
Total cost about $55,000
Rebates something over $17,000, plus federal tax credit
We have two Fronius inverters. I think the 45 panels were made by Shell.

Ray

 

[kevintari]

So for those of you who spent 25k + on panels, was it an economic decision? Seems like it would take an awful long time to recoup that investment.

 

[Boomer23]

So for those of you who spent 25k + on panels, was it an economic decision? Seems like it would take an awful long time to recoup that investment.

Ours was an environmental decision and a hedge against rising energy prices. It is a bit hard to calculate the ROI without knowing the rate of increase of electricity prices, but our payback time was over 10 years. BUT, that was before California utilities were required to pay for net excess generation. But they and the PUC haven't decided what they'll pay us, probably 4 to 5 cents per kWh, peanuts. BUT ...wait for it... once you start looking into the combo of solar PV and charging an EV at TOU rates and replacing $4 gasoline, the payback time really starts dropping.

Long story short, we sized our array to cover 80% of our usage in 2005. But we started conserving power and by the time we got our LEAF, we were generating 123% of our household usage, a net extra 2,200 kWh per year that was being sent back to the grid. On SCE's time of use rate schedule for EV charging TOU-D-TEV, we get credit for net generation at about 55 cents per kWh during peak summer daytime hours (less in the winter) and we're charged between 10 and 16 cents per kWh after midnight to charge the LEAF. So we can drive more than 12,000 miles per year for no fuel cost at all. That saves us over $1,200 per year in fuel costs, even when we're replacing mostly Prius miles. If you were replacing an average ICE car, the savings gets into the thousands of dollars per year. And that's on top of having no electricity bill for an average four bedroom house with all the toys except that we don't have, or need, air conditioning.

It's magic, I tell you, magic!

 

[TurboFroggy]

6.88KW Total.
22 224 Watt Sharp Poly
32 60 Watt Kaneka a-SI Thin Film

$31K for the Sh arp system, 30% tax credit, $25k solar loan from Snohomish County PUD http://www.snopud.com
$9K for the Kaneka system (Paid $0.98/watt for the panels!!), $950 rebate from the PUD plus 30% tax credit.
I think I had about $2500 out of pocket after the rebates. The payment on the loan (2.9% for 10 years) is about the same as my electric bill.

Installed by Puget Sound Solar of Seattle http://www.pugetsoundsolar.com

You can view pictures as well as telemetry info here:
http://tinyurl.com/y62oyzb

 

[thankyouOB]

how is it possible to provide a relevant answer to these questions without knowing where you live, who your utility is, what their rebate is and what the rates are? do they have TOU meters?

give us some information instead of just being a leaf forum vampire.

and kevintari--stop using that formula. it pencils out for the earth.
and you know what, it pencils out for us too.
rates keep going up and the payback period is shorter and shorter and shorter, and I was smiling on the very first day and it hasnt gone away.
You know the EV smile that folks here talk about?
the solar smile is 10 times as wide.
get with it.

 

[charliet]

5.0 KW System (25 - 200 watt panels)
Gross Cost 39K (2009)
Net Cost 15K
Generates ~ 6400 KWH per year
House uses ~ 4000 KWH per year
Excess going to LEAF when it arrives
Pacific Power retail KWH rate is .09

 

[kevintari]

how is it possible to provide a relevant answer to these questions without knowing where you live, who your utility is, what their rebate is and what the rates are? do they have TOU meters?

give us some information instead of just being a leaf forum vampire.

and kevintari--stop using that formula. it pencils out for the earth.
and you know what, it pencils out for us too.
rates keep going up and the payback period is shorter and shorter and shorter, and I was smiling on the very first day and it hasnt gone away.
You know the EV smile that folks here talk about?
the solar smile is 10 times as wide.
get with it.

?

Oh, I'm with it. That's why I'm here asking questions. It's great that you have thousands to spend on a smile, but for me it has to make economic sense.

I'm in the South Bay, no shade on the roof, SCE utility, not sure what the rebate is but I'm trying to find out.

I may not be in this house past the next 5 years, that's a factor too. It definitely makes more sense if you can ride out the ROI and get the full benefit.

 

[hill]

Not sure what this has to do w/ EVSE's . . . . but what the heck -

And who did you use?

Revco - out of Laguna Hills (would use another if we did it over - 'communication issues' )

What did you pay?

Out of pocket, $29K out the door, on 36 quantity "225 watt" panels, AC rated 7.1kWh system

What was your rebate?

about 50% - counting both California incentives and Fed tax credit for F.Y. 2009

 

[Boomer23]

I may not be in this house past the next 5 years, that's a factor too. It definitely makes more sense if you can ride out the ROI and get the full benefit.

Remember, too, that by adding solar to your home, you are increasing its value, possibly by an amount equal to what you spend on the system. Buyers will be motivated to choose your home over others if yours is the one that generates its own power.

On choosing a contractor, be sure that you choose one that has a strong capability in roofing. The electrical part of the job is very important, of course, but make sure that you are satisfied with the contractor's roof penetration and rack mounting plan. If you have any special roof circumstances, such as tile, make sure that you understand their plan and that it makes sense to you.

 

[planet4ever]

So for those of you who spent 25k + on panels, was it an economic decision? Seems like it would take an awful long time to recoup that investment.

It was definitely not an economic decision in our case, more of a memorial.

Actually, I am, to my amazement, a published author in a very tiny way: I wrote a short essay about this very topic that ended up in a book that can be purchased in hardcover or read free on the internet. If you are interested, you can go here:
Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming
Click to launch the interactive book, Click on "VII For Tomorrow", then go back one page and you'll find me.

Ray