Solar goes positive.

[orezok]

My solar went positive for the first day this year. That’s normal for where I live as January and February are cloudy months. It will only get better as May is my peak output month. Peak output was 6.9 kW. Not bad for a 7.5 kW system.

 

[John0829]

Yep cloudy/rainy days have sure put a dent in our solar output for the last two months as well but every now and then we get a nice SUNNY day making plenty of power. Our output for today was 32.3 kwh and today was partly cloudy. On those full sun days I look at the Enlighten app and go "Oh, yeah".

 

[MossRoad]

One of the reasons we aren't doing solar at our house...

Glad you are making juice.

 

[Roric]

My solar went positive for the first day this year. That’s normal for where I live as January and February are cloudy months. It will only get better as May is my peak output month. Peak output was 6.9 kW. Not bad for a 7.5 kW system.View attachment 854869

My 7.5kw is going positive too. (A little harder in central Minnesota.)

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

From my Googling, a 7.5kwh system is between $20k and $30k?

 

[Carl_NH]

Yes roughly its about $3.50 per watt. We installed 7.2 KW for $26K in Dec 2014 and broke even just under 8 years.

Today it still produces 8-9000 KWH per year depending on the sun, It's been a good year so far 1070 KWH in two of the lowest production months (Jan and Feb) due to snow cover typically, but this year no snow.

 

[Skeletor]

I just got the sign off from the town inspector on my system s a couple days ago. I have a 12.1kw system. Now I’m waiting for the electric company to come down and install the new meter. After that I can turn it on. I was told 2-8 weeks………

 

[John0829]

We must have a really good power company, they had to inspect the installation 3 times (no idea why) and each time it was time for them to lay eyes on it all it took was a call and within an hour, usually, they were here. And we are closer to nowhere than to anywhere.

Overcast and rainy today but we still managed to make 9.7 kwh for the day, it surprises me how much it can make even on less than ideal days.

 

[Carl_NH]

I just got the sign off from the town inspector on my system s a couple days ago. I have a 12.1kw system. Now I’m waiting for the electric company to come down and install the new meter. After that I can turn it on. I was told 2-8 weeks………

If the town has signed off and the electrical is all good, here should be no reason you can't turn it on with your old meter, it just won't record the produced vs consumed usage.

 

[Skeletor]

If the town has signed off and the electrical is all good, here should be no reason you can't turn it on with your old meter, it just won't record the produced vs consumed usage.

I’m not sure they said I can’t turn it on till then. They said they’re changing my meter and adding another one.

 

[orezok]

As a general contractor, I installed my 7.5 kw system for under $14K. I bought wholesale and that of course did not include my labor or equipment costs. Markup is huge if you’re paying someone else. Being in the desert, my system produces 15.5 Mw per year.

 

[Carl_NH]

Yes - 14K was the cost of materials for my 7.2KW system - the rest was wiring, installation, permits 5 year warranty and profit. Three guys did it in two days on the garage roof. So 42 hours install labor plus maybe 8 hours of permit/paperwork or 50 hours for $12K = 240/hour, a handsome profit.

When I looked at the bigger picture, though, the $9K tax credit, and $4K state rebate, effectively this paid for the installation - it we bought the system had an electrician and roofer to mount the panels we could have saved $7K.

 

[John0829]

I’m not sure they said I can’t turn it on till then. They said they’re changing my meter and adding another one.

Before our final inspection by the electric company, which was scheduled for the following day after completion, our system had been turned on briefly in the morning to test it and inadvertently was left on by the installer. The electric company called that afternoon and had me turn it off, they could see it sending power back to em'. Spooky they could pick out my little solar system out of ALL the power in their lines.

Anyway from what the power company inspector told me all of their meters were already compliant for adding solar, a decision they made hoping more people would add it. Which I think was a bit of b/s since when they upgraded the meters they also stopped sending meter readers around.

 

[Roric]

The current output of our 7.5 array. Produces about 9 mega-watt-hours per year.

Net out-of-pocket cost was $9,400 in 2019.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

My chicken coups have solar setups.

Combined they do 80watts peaks.

 

[orezok]

Yes - 14K was the cost of materials for my 7.2KW system - the rest was wiring, installation, permits 5 year warranty and profit. Three guys did it in two days on the garage roof. So 42 hours install labor plus maybe 8 hours of permit/paperwork or 50 hours for $12K = 240/hour, a handsome profit.

When I looked at the bigger picture, though, the $9K tax credit, and $4K state rebate, effectively this paid for the installation - it we bought the system had an electrician and roofer to mount the panels we could have saved $7K.

My system is a ground mount in a 120 MPH wind zone (desert). Footings would hold up a small building and rail system is heavy. It adds about 25% more cost than roof mount.

My cost was all in for everything, design permits etc.