My solar is working for me

[orezok]

My son and I installed solar on our house in SoCal in 2013. My annual electricity cost was ~$5,000. $500 and $600 a month in the summer months (air conditioning) and then 200's to 300's for the other months. I too was skeptical about solar and my mindset was to bring down the usage into the lower, less $/Kw tier brackets. We installed 30 panels - facing South (ideal) and within 2-3 degrees of optimum slope (got lucky with roof pitch.) Total cost of the system was about $15,000. 30% ($4,500) credit on federal taxes making incurred cost at about $10,500. Our annual electricity cost went from $5000 to about $300. Payback was just over 2-years.

When installing the system, I used new-at-the-time microinverters. You purchase a microinverter for each panel and it converts DC to AC right at the panel. Two big benefits - they're more efficient and second, the performance of EACH panel is monitored 24/7. I was VERY impressed with this microinverters made by a company called Enphase (ENPH). Right after the install, I purchased $1,000 of their stock... at about $4 share. Today that stock (which I still own) is trading at ~300. My initial $1000 investment plus some more I purchased along the way is now worth over $200,000. I am now a big believer in solar..... and a REALLY a fan of Enphase!

My system is also Enphase with Microinverters. I get as high as 93% efficient on my 21 panel 7530 watt system. My cost for a ground mount system was $14 to $15K before 26% rebate.

 

[ultrarunner]

Had I bought it would have been enphase with the added bonus being reduced negative effect of shading on array efficiency.

As it worked out the property I bought came with a system purchase in 2008 but never completed and commissioned.

No complaints so far but modern panels easily double output in same physical space plus higher efficiency…

 

[bnold]

Was paying 9-10c until March when rates jumped to 14-15c due to fuel prices.

Coop in Tx

 

[ultrarunner]

Just this morning I had said peak rate around 50 cents and was immediately corrected saying 15 cents...

The proposed changes to grid tied would be a game changer...

You see it is because the installs are too successful with more coming and utilities say they are losing out and have already shifted cost from the production side to distribution...

So under the new plan the value of a kW might be only a penny or two but distributing it might be 30 to 40 times the cost to make it... killing the buyback side plus new proposed minimum charges of $40-$60 a month to support the cost of maintaining the grid...

Combined with the ban on nee natural gas hookups doesn't look good for consumers.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

our base meter fee is $25 monthly.

 

[ultrarunner]

We do have a minimum charge billed no matter if electricity purchased or not.

I have a parking lot lighting meter and always asked why I have not converted to LED...

Simple answer is I would not be saving as reduced kW usage would not reduce the minimum bill amount...

 

[ponytug]

We do have a minimum charge billed no matter if electricity purchased or not.

I have a parking lot lighting meter and always asked why I have not converted to LED...

Simple answer is I would not be saving as reduced kW usage would not reduce the minimum bill amount...

Our well meter is in the same bin; the demand charge is ten times the cost of the electricity.

 

[TheMan419]

I have hot water circulating pump and put it on a smart switch. I turn it on and off with my phone or put it on a permanent program.

KASA

Love my Kasa products. We use a lot of Kasa outlets around the farm. They make a good reliable outdoor rated one, although all of ours are under cover so no direct rain, but they get cold/hot. So convenient to be able to turn thing on/off easily or set up a timer.

We have an out door wifi antenna so we have decent internet around most of the 18 acres.

 

[Carl_NH]

We installed 7.2KW 24 LG Mono 300 W panels with solar edge optimizers (due to shading) in NH Dec 2014 and after credits and rebates net cost was $13,000.

At the time rates were about .18/KWH, then .20/KWH in 2018, then .22 in 2020, they just increased to .26/KWH - of which $.14 is cost of power, and $.12 is distribution. We have generated 57MWH or at an average of .20/KWH is $11,400.

I had figured the ROI was 9+ years, but with recent increases it will be 8.5 years.

With the removal of trees, we are on track to generate 8,000KWH this year vs 7200 KWH which is about 80% of our total usage. I wish now I installed the 10KW array back then to cover 100%! Live and learn.

Our DHW and primary heat is oil (500 gal/yr) for a 3200 SF house, and two mini splits now heat and cool the house, then one mini split for the separate garage/office. I'll be leaning on them more to heat the house this year as oil is $4/gal now.

 

[orezok]

We installed 7.2KW 24 LG Mono 300 W panels with solar edge optimizers (due to shading) in NH Dec 2014 and after credits and rebates net cost was $13,000.

At the time rates were about .18/KWH, then .20/KWH in 2018, then .22 in 2020, they just increased to .26/KWH - of which $.14 is cost of power, and $.12 is distribution. We have generated 57MWH or at an average of .20/KWH is $11,400.

I had figured the ROI was 9+ years, but with recent increases it will be 8.5 years.

With the removal of trees, we are on track to generate 8,000KWH this year vs 7200 KWH which is about 80% of our total usage. I wish now I installed the 10KW array back then to cover 100%! Live and learn.

Our DHW and primary heat is oil (500 gal/yr) for a 3200 SF house, and two mini splits now heat and cool the house, then one mini split for the separate garage/office. I'll be leaning on them more to heat the house this year as oil is $4/gal now.

My 7530 system generated 14.6 MWH in the last year. Love that desert sunshine.