jake14mw
Well-known member
Hi all,
I am a new Leaf owner. I bought a 2014 SL simply for economic reasons. I figured that the car would almost pay for itself by using it as much as we could rather than using our older 20 mpg ICE vehicles.
When I started looking into the cost savings, I only then realized that here in Connecticut, we pay the highest electricity rates in the continental US. I think it's 19 cents/kwh. So then I got to thinking that this was lessening my benefit of an electric car. If my electric rates are that high, wouldn't solar make sense? I don't know the first thing about solar. I looked into it a little, and then realized that solar wouldn't help the car charging, since the charging would be done at night.
So, my questions are basic.
1) Where is the best place to start educating myself about solar?
2) In my very limited research, it seems that for the excess electricity that is generated during the day, there is a choice between storing it in batteries, or "selling" it back to the power company. I guess making this decision is greatly affected by the local power company's rules about how it does this?
3) I don't have cash laying around to spend on it. So, I guess the choices are leasing or taking out a loan? It seems as if it is done right, even paying interest on a loan, the payments might be less than the power savings?
4) In my backyard, I have a hill that slopes up quickly to woods in the back on a rather steep angle that seems to be a good angle and faces south. This would be about an 80' run to my panel. Does this make me a good candidate for a free standing mount rather than roof mount?
Thanks for any help you can provide!
I am a new Leaf owner. I bought a 2014 SL simply for economic reasons. I figured that the car would almost pay for itself by using it as much as we could rather than using our older 20 mpg ICE vehicles.
When I started looking into the cost savings, I only then realized that here in Connecticut, we pay the highest electricity rates in the continental US. I think it's 19 cents/kwh. So then I got to thinking that this was lessening my benefit of an electric car. If my electric rates are that high, wouldn't solar make sense? I don't know the first thing about solar. I looked into it a little, and then realized that solar wouldn't help the car charging, since the charging would be done at night.
So, my questions are basic.
1) Where is the best place to start educating myself about solar?
2) In my very limited research, it seems that for the excess electricity that is generated during the day, there is a choice between storing it in batteries, or "selling" it back to the power company. I guess making this decision is greatly affected by the local power company's rules about how it does this?
3) I don't have cash laying around to spend on it. So, I guess the choices are leasing or taking out a loan? It seems as if it is done right, even paying interest on a loan, the payments might be less than the power savings?
4) In my backyard, I have a hill that slopes up quickly to woods in the back on a rather steep angle that seems to be a good angle and faces south. This would be about an 80' run to my panel. Does this make me a good candidate for a free standing mount rather than roof mount?
Thanks for any help you can provide!