Solar Panel System

[NIU_Huskies]

I have been researching and considering having solar panels installed on my roof. There seem to be some pretty good benefits/incentives for doing it -- 30% federal tax credit, $1,000 from Maryland, increase in home value, decrease in electric bill, and ability to sell SRECs and make money in the long run.

Are there any members on here who can tell me how they like their system and who they used? Did you buy or lease? Would you do it again?

Has anyone here sold a house with solar panels? Did you make more? Did leasing hurt the sale for potential buyers?

Thank you!

 

[barsook8]

I assume your post primarily refers to one of the "subsidized" programs (such as Solar City and others; where they pay for the system in return for a long-term lease)...(if not, disregard what follows).

Please check out the model and see if it works for you. It didn't for us when we checked it out. The problem was lack of a "storage" option (i.e., batteries). As the solar panels generated power during the day, but there was no storage the company would essentially be using my roof to sell power back to the local electric utility with no benefit going my way (the vast majority of power usage was at night when the panels provided zero benefit and we had to use and pay for utility-provided electricity).

In the end, our house orientation did not allow for a max usage of the roof and the lack of a storage option meant we were going to save less than $25 over our current utility bill while at the same time continue to pay our current utility bill and incur a conditions-laden long-term lease (very interesting come house-selling time where the new owners have to sign on to the lease or you (the seller) have to pay a pretty steep cost to have the panels removed, but assume risk regarding roof damage post-removal). Wasn't worth it. However, I do believe Solar City (maybe others) has begun to offer (will soon offer) a storage solution. First figures were encouraging, but not cheap: basic storage (and I mean basic) was going to run somewhere in the $5k range. (I confess, though, that my data is a bit moldy - more than a year out-of-date - so I would be curious to read what others are seeing. Hope this helps....)

 

[NIU_Huskies]

I was looking at purchasing the system outright. Was wondering what company others used. How they like their system. Would they purchase it again. Trying to get the perspective from those who have experience owning solar panels.

The benefit to leasing seems to be minimal since as you said will have difficulty selling a house that has a 20-year commitment to the solar company. Not to mention you don't benefit from any of the tax credits, can't sell the SRECs you generate, and you don't get the value of the system added when you go to sell the house. I've read owning the system could add around $15,000 to the purchase price of the home.

 

[General Lee]

I don't see how those ugly ass panels add value to a home. F that, none of it is worth the ugliness, holes in my roof and whatever else is to come from compromising the roof.

 

[itsbob]

I was looking at purchasing the system outright. Was wondering what company others used. How they like their system. Would they purchase it again. Trying to get the perspective from those who have experience owning solar panels.

The benefit to leasing seems to be minimal since as you said will have difficulty selling a house that has a 20-year commitment to the solar company. Not to mention you don't benefit from any of the tax credits, can't sell the SRECs you generate, and you don't get the value of the system added when you go to sell the house. I've read owning the system could add around $15,000 to the purchase price of the home.

If you're buying outright ask about having them installed on the ground and not on your house. The solar companies like them ON your house as it them becomes PART of your house.. and they can then place a lien on your property if the need arises..

 

[littlelady]

If you're buying outright ask about having them installed on the ground and not on your house. The solar companies like them ON your house as it them becomes PART of your house.. and they can then place a lien on your property if the need arises..

There is a house on Williams Wharf in St. Leonard that had the panels put in the yard. It is long and right in view on the road, but it is not an eyesore, just not the norm. A sign of the times to try to be more efficient. It is weird that right after they put the panels in, the house came up for sale, and is still for sale after like 6 months. It is a really nice looking house.

 

[NIU_Huskies]

The biggest reason I'm considering solar is because my electric bill is averaging $140 per month, which is rather ridiculous to me. If I could save $90 a month on that ($1,080 per year) while also making money for every energy credit I generate (5 credits at $150 each per year) then that adds up to $1,830 per year. At that rate the system pays itself off after 8 years and then begins making me money.

Unfortunately half of my backyard is filled with many tall trees so putting them on the ground isn't an option.

 

[General Lee]

The biggest reason I'm considering solar is because my electric bill is averaging $140 per month, which is rather ridiculous to me. If I could save $90 a month on that ($1,080 per year) while also making money for every energy credit I generate (5 credits at $150 each per year) then that adds up to $1,830 per year. At that rate the system pays itself off after 8 years and then begins making me money.

Unfortunately half of my backyard is filled with many tall trees so putting them on the ground isn't an option.

$140 is not bad at all. You could cut it by changing light bulbs to LED, evaluating your current appliances like replacing them with updated more efficient units.

 

[NIU_Huskies]

$140 is not bad at all. You could cut it by changing light bulbs to LED, evaluating your current appliances like replacing them with updated more efficient units.

I've installed a bunch of Phillips LED and CFL lights around the house and all the appliances (fridge, microwave, dishwasher, and stove) are only 4-5 years old. The heat pump (Goodman indoor coil unit and outdoor compressor) was replaced last year under the home warranty (it went out 3 months after i bought the house). Of course, the house is all electric since the gas main does not come into our subdivision.

I also left my thermostat at 68 degrees over winter to try to keep heating costs (electric and oil) down. I estimate my oil usage over the winter to be about $100 per month in addition to the $140 per month electric bill.

The oldest items left are the water heater (which i believe is from mid-90s) and the furnace (from 1998).

I figure the cost of energy (electric) is only going to go up over time too.

 

[SamSpade]

The biggest reason I'm considering solar is because my electric bill is averaging $140 per month,

How big is your house? If mine were TWICE that, I'd be more than happy to pay it.

 

[GWguy]

How big is your house? If mine were TWICE that, I'd be more than happy to pay it.

There's a couple of threads in here somewhere, people talking about their monthly bills. What they pay for one month would cover Huskie for nearly a year.

 

[SamSpade]

There's a couple of threads in here somewhere, people talking about their monthly bills. What they pay for one month would cover Huskie for nearly a year.

I'd be one of them, and honestly, I can't figure out where most of the money goes. We have all new appliances, tend to keep the place warm in the summer and cold in the winter. Nearly every light is an LED or CFL, and my wife is meticulous about keeping them off when they're not being used.

I've searched for vampire power where it is likely - and I've checked the power usage of almost any commonly used electrical device.

For a 3300 sq ft house - on a *REALLY* good month - we're in the high 200's. I swear sometimes that house uses electric when the power is out. I don't know how, but it sure seems that way.

I've just gotten used to high bills.

 

[GWguy]

I'd be one of them, and honestly, I can't figure out where most of the money goes. We have all new appliances, tend to keep the place warm in the summer and cold in the winter. Nearly every light is an LED or CFL, and my wife is meticulous about keeping them off when they're not being used.

I've searched for vampire power where it is likely - and I've checked the power usage of almost any commonly used electrical device.

For a 3300 sq ft house - on a *REALLY* good month - we're in the high 200's. I swear sometimes that house uses electric when the power is out. I don't know how, but it sure seems that way.

I've just gotten used to high bills.

My last bill was $80. But when the a/c comes on for the summer, I'll do $250-300. Very little insulation and an undersized a/c unit. I had 2 fridges and a freezer, but the new fridge is very efficient and large enough that I could turn off the freezer and 2nd fridge. TV is on all the time, and sometimes I fall asleep with the bedroom tv on all night long. Worst power user is the dryer, 5-6 loads a week. I use a toaster oven instead of the big oven for almost everything, or grill outside. Dishwasher 1-2 times a week. Lots of vampire stuff, but they don't seem to make any difference in the bill long term.

 

[BadGirl]

I'd be one of them, and honestly, I can't figure out where most of the money goes. We have all new appliances, tend to keep the place warm in the summer and cold in the winter. Nearly every light is an LED or CFL, and my wife is meticulous about keeping them off when they're not being used.

I've searched for vampire power where it is likely - and I've checked the power usage of almost any commonly used electrical device.

For a 3300 sq ft house - on a *REALLY* good month - we're in the high 200's. I swear sometimes that house uses electric when the power is out. I don't know how, but it sure seems that way.

I've just gotten used to high bills.

And I wish that ours was in the High 200's.

We also have new(ish) appliances, gas cooktop, gas fireplace to supplement out electric heat pump in the winter, a gas tankless water heater, motion-sensor outdoor lights, LED lights almost exclusively in the house, and we STILL have atrocious electric bills. It's not uncommon to have $350 and up bills. Of course, I live with two guys who never realize that a light switch has an "off" option, and who also routinely have two TV's running simultaneously as they go from room to room. Grrrrrr.

Our highest electric bill was the first winter we lived in the house (4,000+ sq ft) - our January bill was just shy of $650. The next day I went and bought the gas fireplace.

 

[SamSpade]

And I wish that ours was in the High 200's.

We also have new(ish) appliances, gas cooktop, gas fireplace to supplement out electric heat pump in the winter, a gas tankless water heater, motion-sensor outdoor lights, LED lights almost exclusively in the house, and we STILL have atrocious electric bills. It's not uncommon to have $350 and up bills.

Well I said a GOOD month - like, in the spring or fall, when the heating/ac isn't running. The rest of the year, it's a lot like yours.

And I try in vain to explain WHAT is consuming our electric. I leave an LED light on, and get "turn that out!" - knowing it consumes like a few bucks a YEAR.
But we also have TVs on all day and night - long hot showers - dryers run daily - and heating ac often run at awful levels, but with windows open somewhere in the house.

I don't know how to explain while leaving a light on wastes energy, it's a fraction of what is wasted routinely on everything else.

But - I still don't know how it can be that bad unless it's because the house just leaks heat/cold.

 

[NIU_Huskies]

How big is your house? If mine were TWICE that, I'd be more than happy to pay it.

Just over 2,000 sq ft. I've begun looking at finding the culprits for all the electricity use. I left my HVAC system off for the entire month of April and my electric bill only went down to $121 for the month.

I found an "energy saver" option on my Xbox since it was pulling a good amount of electricity even in standby mode. I've unplugged some other things that I wasn't really using. Whenever I'm not using my laptops or cell phone chargers I always unplug those.

I think the next best thing is to replace my 19-year old water heater with one of these heat pump versions.

 

[Blister]

If your water is anything like mine from metcom in St. Mary's just changing to a new plain old electric water heater will save you money. When I replaced our 20 year old water heater because it started to leak, I found out during the move just how lime sediment was in there. The lower element at least must have completely encased in lime, making it like a heater inside an insulated cooler. It ran much longer to heat the water because of all that sediment. Replaced it with a new standard type heater and the electric bill probably dropped $20 a month. I now blow down the heater annually, hopefully I will avoid a repeat of the sediment build up. Put up a clothes line and unplug the dryer and you will be in the money.