Turned Our Solar System On Friday!

[John Rogers]

It took several minutes to come on line and started making electricity immediately. The peak of our main roof runs North to South so one side comes on line by 7:00 AM at the latest and the west side stays on line until the sun goes below the horizon. The company was SunRun who is contracted through Costco and the electrical was done by Smith Electrical of San Diego, both great folks to work with!

I added up the total time and it took 80 days from the time the young lady came over and I signed the paperwork to start to when I flipped the switch. The electrical company had really great electricians and they left the work area cleaner than it was before the work started. The new power panel has more breakers so the total load in the house is divided better I.E. instead of a 50 amp breaker with 3 loads, there are 3 breakers each with 20 amps and one wire attached. I feel that is a bit safer than the old 1960 setup!

I'll wait a couple months to see what happens to my bill and post some info.

[red-beard]

John,

How about a few data-points:

System Size
Install cost
Price of electricity

[HardDrive]

I've always wanted my own solar system, but I simply don't have the 7,440,000,000 miles of garage space to keep it.

[John Rogers]

Geeez James, I knew you'd ask for stuff like that.....well since I was a nuclear MACHINIST and all that electricity stuff is magic, here is what I can tell you.
- Total cost is roughly #27,000 with the panels costing $5300, inverters $2200 and labor $19300 (all figures rounded off).
- 26 Canadian made panels, 3 part US made inverter and new breaker panel.
- 7KW DC output to inverter according to the paper work?
- $740 Costco rebate card equal to 10% of cost of the hardware. Will cover the groceries cost for a while!

When I looked at this 4 or 5 years ago, the cost was about double what I paid now in 2015. As for electricity cost, right now it varies in the San Diego area since SDG&E is really screwing around with rates. Since we both use CPAP we do get a 10% reduction in electricity cost but due to the way they charge it.........?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I've always wanted my own solar system, but I simply don't have the 7,440,000,000 miles of garage space to keep it.

Lol beat me to it!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I've always wanted my own solar system, but I simply don't have the 7,440,000,000 miles of garage space to keep it.

Same way I read the thread title. Talk about alternate energy sources.

Or does he mean he got it all hot and bothered?

[tcar]

So, what's the estimated 'break-even' time?

Years? Decades?

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by john rogers

Geeez James, I knew you'd ask for stuff like that.....well since I was a nuclear MACHINIST and all that electricity stuff is magic, here is what I can tell you.
- Total cost is roughly #27,000 with the panels costing $5300, inverters $2200 and labor $19300 (all figures rounded off).
- 26 Canadian made panels, 3 part US made inverter and new breaker panel.
- 7KW DC output to inverter according to the paper work?
- $740 Costco rebate card equal to 10% of cost of the hardware. Will cover the groceries cost for a while!

When I looked at this 4 or 5 years ago, the cost was about double what I paid now in 2015. As for electricity cost, right now it varies in the San Diego area since SDG&E is really screwing around with rates. Since we both use CPAP we do get a 10% reduction in electricity cost but due to the way they charge it.........?

These Canadian Solar (brand) makes a 260-265-270, 60 cell, Poly Panel. So, 7kW sounds about right.

System should produce an average of 1275 kWh per month.

Here are the SDG&E rates. $0.19134/kWh up to 130% of baseline and $0.39458/kWh above 130% of baseline.

Do not ask me how you get the "baseline", because that is basically voo-doo.

I plugged in 1275kWh monthly usage, coastal, gas heat and hot water, and it gave me a tier 1 of 374 kWh and 901 on Tier 2.

$71.56116 (Tier 1)
$355.51658 (Tier 2)
427.07774 (Total)
The Solar system would zero this out. Without time value of money or tax credits, 63 months, just over 5 years. With ITC, 44 months, or just under 4 years.

The medical rates are a little lower, so maybe a little longer.

Those are STUPID high rates. I pay a fixed $0.071 per kWh.

When I lived in San Diego, I did not have Air Conditioning. I had gas heat and gas hot water heater and a gas range. Electric was lights, refrigerator, fans, TV and computer. I probably used 350 kWh per month. These days, with LED lights, and LCD/LED TV, I bet my usage would be under 200 kWh per month.

[John Rogers]

Yeah, what he said!!!! I have no idea of when I might "break even" and don't really care since I bought it to keep from paying the electric company which keeps screwing with all the consumers and the CA regulators let them do it since most all of them worked for the utilities. My electrical costs were a little high since we have 4 computers and one is a dual CPU AMD-X6 machine and when it gets over 80 outside I install the A/C unit in the bedroom. Since I have a full machine shop in the garage now making black powder muzzle loading rifles, the combo machine and drill press use a bit of electricity. I might buy another A/C for the living room once I see what happens to my bill?

[rusnak]

I wish you'd turn the Solar System back off.

You made it go all screwy.



Astronomer Warns: "Buckle Your Seatbelts" - "New Development Foreshadowed Within Our Solar System"

[tcar]

Originally Posted by john rogers

Yeah, what he said!!!! I have no idea of when I might "break even" and don't really care since I bought it to keep from paying the electric company which keeps screwing with all the consumers and the CA regulators let them do it since most all of them worked for the utilities. My electrical costs were a little high since we have 4 computers and one is a dual CPU AMD-X6 machine and when it gets over 80 outside I install the A/C unit in the bedroom. Since I have a full machine shop in the garage now making black powder muzzle loading rifles, the combo machine and drill press use a bit of electricity. I might buy another A/C for the living room once I see what happens to my bill?

Seems like a pretty expensive (for you) way to 'get even with the man'...

Did you get federal assistance (incentives)?

Friend is leasing his solar system; the payoff was longer than the projected life of the panels... 20 years +/-.

[John Rogers]

I didn't lease as it screws the buyer. I paid cash and got a 10% discount and I did get assistance since I am retired and considered "poor" now days. If I paid $27,000 and the electricity is $120 a month it will take less than 20 years but since I am over 71, I'll be dead by then probably.

[Evans, Marv]

So John did you make it into the net metering program? My system, which is about the size of yours (7.7 KW) went online June 15th. Just before that I checked on the net metering program & it was up to 4.72%. My "solar system" is producing 50 to 55KWH/day so far. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out when I get to my "reckoning" date with S.D.G.&E. next June. I'm wondering how much they'll ratchet up the rates in the coming years.

[Rick Lee]

It's a false economy and will get worse before it gets better. Though I'm sure it will eventually get better. My folks paid $30k cash for theirs and it more than covers all their usage. But their usage was modest before that. My mom always gushes that they get no electric bill now, no mention of the $30k they also don't have now.

I lease mine, as my electric bill pre-solar ran about $1350/yr. With the lease payments minus what I sell back to the grid plus the overage I buy from the elec. co. in the summer months, I save about $300/yr. My new A/C unit dropped my electric bill by more money than solar panels did. But since it's one of the only gov't. handouts I qualify for, I'll take it. Thanks Hugh!

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by john rogers

- 26 Canadian made panels...

What brand? Are they Canadian Solar?

[red-beard]

$27000 seems very high to me. But the labor costs and state regulations are very different.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

It's a false economy and will get worse before it gets better. Though I'm sure it will eventually get better. My folks paid $30k cash for theirs and it more than covers all their usage. But their usage was modest before that. My mom always gushes that they get no electric bill now, no mention of the $30k they also don't have now.

I lease mine, as my electric bill pre-solar ran about $1350/yr. With the lease payments minus what I sell back to the grid plus the overage I buy from the elec. co. in the summer months, I save about $300/yr. My new A/C unit dropped my electric bill by more money than solar panels did. But since it's one of the only gov't. handouts I qualify for, I'll take it. Thanks Hugh!

A leased system should make sense, since the owning business gets the deprecation as well as tax credit. The problem is most seem greedy.

[John Rogers]

The hardware costs were approx. $7500 (rounded) and labor was $19,300 which includes all permits, inspections, etc. All the people working on the system were journeymen and also union so their costs were high. The panels are Canadian Solar brand and the company said they have been using them with no failed ones so far. My main concern was to make sure the roof was sealed well and it was. Also the vinyl siding and such were replaced very well after the new and double size panel was installed.