Any members into solar enegery

[techman]

Subtract all the tax credits/subsidies for the mandates...would it still make sense?

It would be 20+ years to break even

paul

 

[TnAndy]

Subtract all the tax credits/subsidies for the mandates...would it still make sense?

Question often asked but only matters if they don't exist. If they do, that needs to be factored into the decision.

For example, many people are in the home rental business just because they aren't taxed 15.3% for Social Security tax on 'unearned' income. Credits/subsidies/tax differences exist, so it must factor into business decisions.

My utility offered a 10 year buy back of 10 cents OVER retail for solar power to encourage small installations (cap on size). They have scaled it back now, so new installs only get a fraction of that. My 50 panel system produces about all our power needs + about $1,000/yr income due to that initial contract. The next 10 years, there is no incentive pay, just a credit of excess production against use.

 

[Groo]

It would be 20+ years to break even

paul

and remember, pannels don't last forever. I believe most are only suposed to last 30 years before performance drops off too much.

 

[Old Guy in Tenn]

Federal tax credit for solar energy installation is 30% for 2018 and 2019, tapering off after that. Credit is for all expenses, including panels, electronics, wiring, excavation, fixtures, etc. If leasing, seller probably takes the credit. Make sure they call it out.

Panels are now easily under $1/watt. Most are guaranteed to produce at least 80% at 30 years after install. The electronics are expensive. Most systems are grid-tie, some are off-grid. If off-grid, or for backup if on-grid, you will need batteries. Batteries are expensive, and have finite lives.

We will be installing solar within a year, as it would cost over $50,000 to run power through the forest to our new place (PLUS buying the easements).

 

[farmeratheart]

What size battery reserve do you have in place to store the juice?

Thanks!

We have net metering at the meter we are on the grid. No batteries for storage. Excess production beyond the demand of our home is "banked" with the utility company.

Frank

 

[jmc]

I was advised that I could get a 30 percent tax credit on the entire solar installation expense. They went on to explain that the credit would also apply to any mounting structure required for the panels. So if you built a stand-alone South oriented roof, elevated with posts, that would also qualify as an allowed expense. If you later enclosed that structure at your own additional expense, it would look a lot like a pole shed.

 

[RalphVa]

Around 5 years or so ago, we had about a 3 kw array of 12 panels installed on our carriage house roof, as it's about the only reasonably south facing one we have that isn't shaded by trees. In the group deal (several of us went in together with 3 contractors; run by an organization in town) and with the (think it's) 30% federal writeoff, we got the payout down to about 7 years. The direct savings average out to about $50/month. This is for our central Va location just west of Charlottesville. Where you are and where you can place your panels, potential shading, etc. all come to bear, and the contractors have software that'll do those calcs but you can come close using some of the online estimators.

The beauty of solar panels is they just sit there and work. In the current issue of Mother Earth, there's an article by some excellent writers who installed both solar panels and a wind generator. They've had A LOT of maintenance issues with the wind generators. We've had NONE with the solar panels.

Still, at only $50/month, my wife insists that the panels aren't saving us money when she sees our bills every month. Going back and doing historical, etc., the $50/month is there and is what the contractor told us. To really make a dent in your bills, you'd have to spend about triple what we did. We don't have the roof space unless we take down our big River Birch tree that mostly shades the main part of the house. Then we'd lose the savings of that shade in the summer. Not sure it would pay out. If that River Birch ever had to be taken out, may go with another dozen or so panels (whatever will fit) on that roof.

Ralph

 

[dmccarty]

Go to Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency(R) - DSIRE and see what subsidies are available for your area.

If you want to have power from your solar panels when the grid fails, you have to have batteries. Batteries are expensive and a consumable. They last longer if you don't use them but they have to be charged correctly and should not use more than 50% of the batteries capacity to maintain a sorta decent lifetime.

To get the tax subsidies you will have to have the money in cash or via a loan to pay for the system and then wait for your money. The Feds return the money quickly. The state may not. The last time I read the NC law on this, they would 30 or 35% of the system cost. BUT, the state would rebate you no more than 50% of your state taxes. You could write it off over many years until you got your total refund. Lets say your system cost $10,000 so you would get a total of $3,500 back. But to get that $3,500 you would have to pay the state $7,000 in taxes to get your money back in one tax year. If you only paid $1,000 in state taxes, then NC would only refund you $500 a year and it would take seven years to get your money back.

Check to see how much your local power company pays you for power if you are grid connected. I took a class taught by a developer who built quite a few houses with solar panels. He no longer recommended selling your power back to the power companies in NC. Not worth the paper work hassle and cost. His advice was to figure out how much power you use on a daily basis, build the system to deliver that power, and not one watt more. Any watt over produced, and given back to the power compan,y was lost money on your part.

You will not get 100% of the power produced by the panels at your power outlets. I think the rule of thumb was only 65-75% of the power produced. You loose power in the wiring and transforming from DC to AC. Panels produce DC power but it has to be changed over to AC. Some panels have AC inverters other wise one uses one big centralized inverter.

I would not worry about the panel lifetime from a good company. The warranty is that the panel will produce it's rated power for N number of years. After N years it may not be producing what it was when new but it should still produce power. The cruising boat community use solar power to provide energy for their boats and I have not heard anyone complaining about good quality panels failing. Failures occur frequently in flexible and walk on panels but not good quality panels mounted like you would on a house. The boats are in a salt water environment and most/many of the panels are NOT rated for that environment but they do just fine.

Later,
Dan

 

[RobertN]

Yes, they have a life span. But they dont blow up at 20 years. Most are guaranteed at 80% at 20 years. Degradation rate is typical ~0.4%

My 7kw system is 8 years old. I don't expect 7kw at 20 years or 30 years. But, I expect they will still be operating fine.

Also remember panels have a life span. So the lease to own BS is basically them saying they own them until they cost more to remove or replace. I also would put them on my roof if I had any land at all. Make a carport or woodshed or something- as long as it wasn稚 on my roof!

 

[houstonscott]

Big questions...

How much energy do you use... kWh per day.
Does you power company have Net metering.
Read everything you can about SolarEdge.
How long will you live in this house
How much do you want to inpack you bill.
Are you concerned about LI battery fires.
Do you want to use array as emergency power
Whatç—´ not electric in you home.... water heater, heat, dryer, etc. do you have NG.

I have a 6.4 system, 21. 305 panels. 6000kw inverter.