Solar System for Home

[sillywillynilly]

I posted this in another forum, but decided maybe I would generate more responses if I posted it here:

We are considering installing a solar energy system on our house. There are different financial ways to do this. You can buy it or it can be leased. There are benefits and drawbacks of each, of course. Just wondering if anyone out there has already gone through this process and, if they have, was it worth it as far as the savings on the electric bill. I know there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not the system is worth it, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge and is willing to share their experience. Thank you in advance.

 

[itsbob]

I posted this in another forum, but decided maybe I would generate more responses if I posted it here:

We are considering installing a solar energy system on our house. There are different financial ways to do this. You can buy it or it can be leased. There are benefits and drawbacks of each, of course. Just wondering if anyone out there has already gone through this process and, if they have, was it worth it as far as the savings on the electric bill. I know there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not the system is worth it, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge and is willing to share their experience. Thank you in advance.

We talked to a company about a lease.. i think it was 5 year payments, and with the payment we saved between 20 - 50 a month in expenses.. a lot of the "sale" was on the "expected savings" 5 or ten years from now.

What I had an issue with, since it was leased, is the company took all the incentives for having the solar on the the house. Not only did we pay the company MORE than it was originally being sold for (after adding up all the payment) but they made an additional $3 - 5000 a year on the incentives, credits and buy backs. i was paying them to make money off a system attached to our house.

Another minus in our eyes: If your electric went out the solar automatically shuts off (required by regulation) so even though you had a solar system more than capable of running your home in the day, if you had no electricity it wasn't allowed to. You'd still need a generator for emergencies.

 

[Gummie]

From your title, my first thought was that the Milky Way might be too large to fit in your house unless you were just buying the candy bar.

 

[sillywillynilly]

I thought about that, Gummie, but I decided to go with it anyway because I was hoping it might attract more attention.

 

[sillywillynilly]

We talked to a company about a lease.. i think it was 5 year payments, and with the payment we saved between 20 - 50 a month in expenses.. a lot of the "sale" was on the "expected savings" 5 or ten years from now.

What I had an issue with, since it was leased, is the company took all the incentives for having the solar on the the house. Not only did we pay the company MORE than it was originally being sold for (after adding up all the payment) but they made an additional $3 - 5000 a year on the incentives, credits and buy backs. i was paying them to make money off a system attached to our house.

Another minus in our eyes: If your electric went out the solar automatically shuts off (required by regulation) so even though you had a solar system more than capable of running your home in the day, if you had no electricity it wasn't allowed to. You'd still need a generator for emergencies.

The good news is, we already have a generator that comes on automatically when the power goes out and it powers almost the whole house.

I appreciate your feedback on the drawbacks of leasing. It sounds like a win-win on the surface, but I knew there was more to it. We really need to look into exactly what the incentives and buy backs would amount to. I'm not sure we have enough roof space to produce enough energy that we would be able to participate in a buy back program. There is just sooooo much to think about!

Another thing I was wondering is how does snow affect the system?

 

[mamatutu]

I posted this in another forum, but decided maybe I would generate more responses if I posted it here:

We are considering installing a solar energy system on our house. There are different financial ways to do this. You can buy it or it can be leased. There are benefits and drawbacks of each, of course. Just wondering if anyone out there has already gone through this process and, if they have, was it worth it as far as the savings on the electric bill. I know there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not the system is worth it, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has firsthand knowledge and is willing to share their experience. Thank you in advance.

Someone is building a solar powered panel system near us. I had never seen one around here before at all, not even much in the way of panels in the roofs, either. It's huge and in their yard. They have been building it for the last few weeks. I don't know where you live, but the house is on Williams Wharf on the corner of Williams Wharf Plantation One (St. Leonard/Broomes Island side/Calvert). I will see if there is a company construction info sign the next time I drive by it, and post if the info, if available.

 

[sillywillynilly]

Someone is building a solar powered panel system near us. I had never seen one around here before at all, not even much in the way of panels in the roofs, either. It's huge and in their yard. They have been building it for the last few weeks. I don't know where you live, but the house is on Williams Wharf on the corner of Williams Wharf Plantation One (St. Leonard/Broomes Island side/Calvert). I will see if there is a company construction info sign the next time I drive by it, and post if the info, if available.

Thank you. I'll be on the lookout for your post if you are able to get the information.

 

[czygvtwkr]

Might want to check with your home owners insurance about if it is covered in case of a storm or hurricane does something to it or if there is in increase to cover it.

 

[GWguy]

Also with your roof warranty. Put a single fastener thru the roof and your warranty could be voided.

 

[Foxhound]

Also with your roof warranty. Put a single fastener thru the roof and your warranty could be voided.

I like the new avatar!

 

[GURPS]

Another minus in our eyes: If your electric went out the solar automatically shuts off (required by regulation) so even though you had a solar system more than capable of running your home in the day, if you had no electricity it wasn't allowed to.

wouldn't something a little more advanced disconnect the mains and leave the house powered .... I thought this was the whole point

 

[ArkRescue]

I am also interested in this and NOW would be a good time to investigate this before considering a new roof, just in case it makes a difference in the ideal roofing ?

I am feeling a tad less enthusiastic about going solar after reading itsbob's post. It was my hope that one day I'd have power all the time, and not have to pay much (yeah fat chance).

Another consideration is the batteries. Just like any other battery we use in life, none of the rechargeable lasts forever. What is the battery life? AND what is the replacement cost currently? I bet that battery replacement can add a big chunk of change to the cost for a purchased system.

I get really annoyed when I pay $35 for a rechargeable flashlight and the battery dies in less than a year - makes me wonder if I would have been better off just buying standard batteries for a regular vs. a rechargeable flashlight.

 

[itsbob]

wouldn't something a little more advanced disconnect the mains and leave the house powered .... I thought this was the whole point

I asked that question, and they said it's possible to do, but not allowed by law/regulation.

Was told the law is pretty cut and dry. Power is out, Solar is shut off..

 

[sillywillynilly]

I am also interested in this and NOW would be a good time to investigate this before considering a new roof, just in case it makes a difference in the ideal roofing ?

I am feeling a tad less enthusiastic about going solar after reading itsbob's post. It was my hope that one day I'd have power all the time, and not have to pay much (yeah fat chance).

Another consideration is the batteries. Just like any other battery we use in life, none of the rechargeable lasts forever. What is the battery life? AND what is the replacement cost currently? I bet that battery replacement can add a big chunk of change to the cost for a purchased system.

I get really annoyed when I pay $35 for a rechargeable flashlight and the battery dies in less than a year - makes me wonder if I would have been better off just buying standard batteries for a regular vs. a rechargeable flashlight.

Supposedly, and I say, supposedly, if you lease, all maintenance, repairs, etc., are handled by the leasing company for 20 years.

 

[ArkRescue]

Supposedly, and I say, supposedly, if you lease, all maintenance, repairs, etc., are handled by the leasing company for 20 years.

When someone else decides if/when you get new batteries, it could be a problem.

 

[itsbob]

Supposedly, and I say, supposedly, if you lease, all maintenance, repairs, etc., are handled by the leasing company for 20 years.

The system we looked at didn't come with batteries as batteries are a HUGE initial cost.

This is why the buy back to the electric company for any "extra" power you generate during the day. The hope is you can produce enough energy in the day to offset the cost of being back on the grid at night.

Batteries are intended more for systems that are entirely disconnected from the grid. A normal home that is supported by infrastructure there really isn't a need for the expense.

 

[SquirrelBait]

I have solar. Long story short, no money out of my pocket. They install the solar on my house, they warrantee EVERYTHING for 20 year (all solar Eq and my roof if damage or leak caused by them) they then sell me solar power back at a cheaper rate then SMECO. Also it is at a fixed price or a fixed rate of increase. Today I am paying 9.9 cents a kw compared to 13.7 with SMECO.

Also same as said about, if the power goes out, your solar is shut down for the SMECO employees protection.

PM me with your email address if you want to know more info

 

[GURPS]

I asked that question, and they said it's possible to do, but not allowed by law/regulation.

Was told the law is pretty cut and dry. Power is out, Solar is shut off..

Interesting .... is this Md, just residential - because of clueless home owners

vs a Business with a Standby Genset

 

[GURPS]

Another consideration is the batteries. Just like any other battery we use in life, none of the rechargeable lasts forever. What is the battery life? AND what is the replacement cost currently? I bet that battery replacement can add a big chunk of change to the cost for a purchased system.

Pulse Charges extend the Lead Acid Batteries, by breaking up sulfation before it gets bad enough to kill the battery cell


Amazon.com: CTEK: Automotive

 

[pgchustla]

The shutting off issue is because of the danger of backfeeding the lines and shocking a worker. This is the same problem with running generators during a storm and is easily fixed with a transfer switch like:

Honda Generators - Connecting a generator to your home

Or just pull the meter