🏡 Better Homes Home Solar systems

[svtcobra725]

Has anyone here gone Solar? I’ve been really thinking about going solar when my last electric bill came in at $212 ( it’s been a hot month), plus it doesn’t help the amount of fridges and deep freezers I have going. My monthly average is at about $130 over the year.

Tesla has some good deals it seems right now. I’ve also researched and found that Sunpower panels are the best and will be getting a quote from them soon. Interested to see if anyone else taken the plunge

Key points-
I plan on living at this home for the next 20+ years
I just had a new roof put on

This is the Tesla quote

Click to read more...

 

[Shawn1112]

Curious as well as they have been knocking on doors on my area trying to sell it. I have noticed about a 1/2 dozen homes in my neighborhood who have dont it in the last 6 months. I did see 2 people bitching on the neighborhood app that they felt scammed as they still had an electric bill on top of the solar bill.

 

[RedBeard]

The electric bill is handled by the wife, I still have no idea what we are paying. But every other week we get solar panel salesman come knocking on the door. I’ve sat through one pitch but it’s pretty pricey.

 

[Kensington]

Stink Star Productions

 

[Stink Star]

I have a long write up somewhere on this site. Thing about tesla panels are that they realistically aren’t anything special. And I’m a tesla nutswinger. Best recommendation I can give is to get several quotes and don’t agree to anything until you do.
If you’re just asking in general if they work well or are worth it, I will tell you that yes, a properly sized and designed system will give you a zero net usage energy bill. For example I have a 500kwh surplus right now and that will continue to go up until about October. In November and December where I don’t make as much energy because of the loss of daylight hours I will start borrowing against that and end up at near zero extra for the year.
It’s been great this year seeing people complain about $250+ energy bills on Facebook and meanwhile I’m keeping the house at 68* and have a $7 bill for the meter.

 

[Nccstud]

I have panels. I will elaborate when I get home after work...or if I have more time later on. Cliffs: All electric house, budget electric bill was $235/mo, current panels are $260/mo, plus delivery(~$15/mo) for 16 months. Then refinance incentives(~40k for me) and the bill should save me ~$70/mo for the next 18.5 years

 

[svtcobra725]

I have a long write up somewhere on this site. Thing about tesla panels are that they realistically aren’t anything special. And I’m a tesla nutswinger. Best recommendation I can give is to get several quotes and don’t agree to anything until you do.
If you’re just asking in general if they work well or are worth it, I will tell you that yes, a properly sized and designed system will give you a zero net usage energy bill. For example I have a 500kwh surplus right now and that will continue to go up until about October. In November and December where I don’t make as much energy because of the loss of daylight hours I will start borrowing against that and end up at near zero extra for the year.
It’s been great this year seeing people complain about $250+ energy bills on Facebook and meanwhile I’m keeping the house at 68* and have a $7 bill for the meter.

From what I’ve been reading that’s true, “Tesla” solar really has nothing to do with the Tesla company we all know. I will update when I have a quote from a Sunpower company (best panels).

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

I'm surprised you guys are getting net zero for the year given how many cloudy days we have and the lack of daylight from Oct-Mar. That's awesome. I always figured you'd be making payments on the panels then still get shafted with an electric bill 4+ months per year.

My sis in CA has a solar roof, it's pretty cool to never have to even consider wasting energy. I stayed in their camper, turned the AC up to 75 when we left for the day, and my BIL is like "what'd you do that for". Habit....that's why

 

[Stink Star]

From what I’ve been reading that’s true, “Tesla” solar really has nothing to do with the Tesla company we all know. I will update when I have a quote from a Sunpower company (best panels).

Sunpower is what I have. I have the 360 watt panels but they have a new 400watt panel if you need the density. They and LG are regarded as the best panels you can buy.

my guy is supposed to be contacting me soon about a whole house battery system add on soon. I’ll get quotes between them and tesla for a powerwall as the powerwall may do better since it communicates with my Tesla

 

[J-LO]

Sunpower is what I have. I have the 360 watt panels but they have a new 400watt panel if you need the density. They and LG are regarded as the best panels you can buy.

my guy is supposed to be contacting me soon about a whole house battery system add on soon. I’ll get quotes between them and tesla for a powerwall as the powerwall may do better since it communicates with my Tesla

if you want the battery ( note its not the whole house, its selected breakers) go with the generac system as you will be able to add a generator to the system very soon. please note batteries wont operate once emptied , without electrical system being operational . thats what will be nice about the generac system being able to use the generator.

 

[Stink Star]

if you want the battery ( note its not the whole house, its selected breakers) go with the generac system as you will be able to add a generator to the system very soon. please note batteries wont operate once emptied , without electrical system being operational . thats what will be nice about the generac system being able to use the generator.

But then I’d be using natural gas. Plus the battery system would be sized as to have enough charge to operate for days while being recharged by my solar panels. I doubt I’d have an outage longer than a day or two. And the typical day my solar panels cover that usage anyway, but they just Fred it back into the grid as opposed to storing it in my own personal batteries

 

[J-LO]

But then I’d be using natural gas. Plus the battery system would be sized as to have enough charge to operate for days while being recharged by my solar panels. I doubt I’d have an outage longer than a day or two. And the typical day my solar panels cover that usage anyway, but they just Fred it back into the grid as opposed to storing it in my own personal batteries

My point is you will not get power from your panels if the grid power is removed from the system. the ats will switch to battery power and once those are used up you are like everyone else without power. at least with the generac system, you have the ability to run from a generator. a lot of people think their solar will work when the power goes out, thats not true. that only applies to true off grid systems. if you have a sump pump, ac and fridge hooked up to the batteries, it wont last long.

your batteries will NOT recharge during a power outage.

 

[Nccstud]

So in follow up, my winter bills are the worst for me, so batteries weren't really an option as I would need to try and store like 5 months worth of energy. I opted to go the 20 year finance route. Interest only for 16 months...which allows you time to get all the incentives back...then refinance the loan with the incentives in. Personally I took the cash and paid off all of my debt that was higher than the 5% that my solar financing is.

But really it was a no brainer as I stated before because other than the first 16 months when my bill goes up $40/mo (235 -> 260+15). If I refinance everything in it would get my financing down to ~22k for the remainder, which ends up being 155+15...so that would save me 65 bucks a month for the balance of the 224 months of the loan. They is also assuming electric price never goes up.

This is also assuming that I make 100% offset of my power for the year and I haven't gotten through a full year the right way. Install was finally live Oct 4th and my credits reset May 1st...so I will let you know next May. My July bill comes tomorrow, but as of my June bill I have ~2,400kwh banked as credits.

 

[Stink Star]

My point is you will not get power from your panels if the grid power is removed from the system. the ats will switch to battery power and once those are used up you are like everyone else without power. at least with the generac system, you have the ability to run from a generator. a lot of people think their solar will work when the power goes out, thats not true. that only applies to true off grid systems. if you have a sump pump, ac and fridge hooked up to the batteries, it wont last long.

your batteries will NOT recharge during a power outage.

That’s not how the system would work. If the power goes out there is an automatic transfer switch that switches the grid off and goes to battery power. The solar is still on the battery side of the transfer switch so I could still charge the batteries during the day.
currently without a battery you are correct, my panels turn off. But thats Just because I don’t have that system isolation switch

 

[J-LO]

That’s not how the system would work. If the power goes out there is an automatic transfer switch that switches the grid off and goes to battery power. The solar is still on the battery side of the transfer switch so I could still charge the batteries during the day.
currently without a battery you are correct, my panels turn off. But thats Just because I don’t have that system isolation switch

I would make sure you get that in writing, its been a while since ive talked to any of our battery suppliers because i really hate selling solar. that being said, a year ago it wasnt possible for the panels to supply the batteries during an outage. Im going to reach out to them tomorrow to confirm one way or the other.

 

[Stink Star]

I am 100% sure that is how tesla powerwall works. I’m not sure about sunpower, but it was implied to me

 

[svtcobra725]

Just got a quote for the Sunpower setup after incentives $15,000

 

[lefty]

How large of a setup and what did it include

 

[svtcobra725]

How large of a setup and what did it include

This included 21 A-Series 410w panels. 12.4 KWH system.

 

[Stink Star]

Damn that’s a great price

 

[Stink Star]

I would make sure you get that in writing, its been a while since ive talked to any of our battery suppliers because i really hate selling solar. that being said, a year ago it wasnt possible for the panels to supply the batteries during an outage. Im going to reach out to them tomorrow to confirm one way or the other.

Turns out I’m having a consultation tomorrow for a couple of tesla powerwalls

 

[svtcobra725]

Damn that’s a great price

Same size Tesla system is about $9,000. Is the extra $6k worth getting sunpower is the question

 

[J-LO]

i got conflicting information and did a bit of my own research as well. it looks like it may be possible, but id still demand it in writting. either way, get one thats intelligent and that allows you to use it when you want (like when you sleep) will help lower costs if you can go off grid daily

 

[svtcobra725]

Just got quoted for a 12.4kw system all sunpower series a 410w panels with sunpower micro inverters for $10.8k my portion

 

[Stink Star]

i got conflicting information and did a bit of my own research as well. it looks like it may be possible, but id still demand it in writting. either way, get one thats intelligent and that allows you to use it when you want (like when you sleep) will help lower costs if you can go off grid daily

So I got a quote for batteries on my solar setup. Can confirm the system will operate 100% off grid. 2 tesla powerwalls was theoretically enough to be off grid indefinitely, minus my car charger. Now of course that’s in average conditions so in winter it may not be enough, and in summer I’d still be selling back to the grid, but as an average I’d be able to store enough in the day to get through the night.

not going to do it right now though because even after the federal tax credit, it’ll cost me $22,xxx for 2 powerwalls plus related equipment plus install. Too rich for my blood right now. Going to wait for that shit to come down in price