New to Grid Tied Home Solar...

[vern748]

Based on the photos you provided earlier, it is a user installed system. I.E. ( i did mention the wild wild west didn't I) making it difficult ($$) for it to come into compliance. I find it interesting if it DID have a net metering unit installed by PGE.
I have a user installed system also :thumbsup:

 

[ultrarunner]

Thanks Vern... I'm trying to find when it was permitted...

There is a note at the meter that reads new Smart Meter in 2014... but the system has to be older if the panel manufacturer got out of solar in 2012... it seems my panels were vary popular 10 to 12 years ago which sounds about right...

The home has lots of gas appliances... if I really produce excess power I would like to swap out some gas for electric... gas heat and hot water and gas range.

Previous owner had a full shop so that could account for kW used...

 

[vern748]

Based on the photos, it likely wasn't.

 

[ultrarunner]

Per City Records Permit Final 2009 making the system 10 years old... nothing about system size or specifics.

Looked up the new system in my neighborhood with 2018 Permit Final and the permit also states the Wattage of the system and number of panels... mine does not.

This would not be the first time PGE records were in error...

In 2005 I bought a small home with the original single Edison 30 amp screw in fuse for the main... home built in 1927.

I went to the city and pulled permit for 100amp service upgrade and did the work myself... inspector signed off and I called PGE to set the new 240v meter... meanwhile the meter base was jumped... which is allowed as PGE will estimate usage...

Kept expecting PGE to show up and set Meter and new line drop... called several times and went into the PGE office with my signed off permit... months went by with several meter reads to my non-existent meter.

For whatever reason PGE had no record... finally wrote a letter to the California PUC asking how long does it take to set a meter... my permit has been finaled over 120 days with numerous contact from me...

Three days later the crew was out to hook me up... a PGE supervisor contacted me and apologized... saying the company was upgrading data base at this time and I fell through the cracks... AND PGE would not send me an estimated bill.

I did everything right and it was only my persistence and reaching out to the PUC to bring closure...

Electric was about $30 a month back then and the last thing I wanted was to be accused of stealing electricity...

I have other PGE stories with gas meters for another time in multifamily units.

 

[ultrarunner]

PGE announced pending Bankruptcy so it looks like the utility is curtailing programs left and right.

My brother installed a list of energy upgrades to his home under one of the PGE programs years ago... he had completed all the work and submitted the paper work and a few weeks later the utility was on the ropes... the $2200 rebate/credits never materialized... this was back during the Enron scandal.

I'm most interested to see what my first bill shows...

One thing I learned is the neighbor well stopped working... turns out is was powered from my meter under a agreement to share water from the well... my home provided the electricity for the pump and in exchange got a share of the water for irrigation...

The neighbor came to see me on Sunday... said he had pump trouble and found the circuit breaker off at my power pole and he wanted to let me know he turned it on...

 

[NorTracNY]

I believe there was a 30% Federal tax credit that expired Dec 31 2018.

I would never install a leased system-- if you investigate it you learn most leased systems are sold at 100% retail cost/no discount. And the provider/lessor has right of approval over a future buyer of your property-- and they can grenade your escrow if they don't like the buyer. I would only install a system I owned and paid in full for.

Don't want to hijack this thread, but this generalization is just that. My leased system came at a HUGE discount. The provider has no right or approval over a future buyer. On top of that they GUARANTEE production. The lease in my case was the easiest investment I've ever made. There have been years that my electricity was more than 100% paid, the electric company paid me for over production, and the solar company paid me because the system fell short of the guaranteed output. I didn't run across any place to buy a system from that guaranteed production.

 

[plowhog]

my home provided the electricity for the pump and in exchange got a share of the water for irrigation...

Interesting that this only surfaced after close of escrow.

Many people do well with such shared arrangements but I try to avoid them. Hopefully yours will be mutually beneficial for a long time. I try to avoid them because you never know what might happen-- your power get shut off and their plants or crops die, or the neighbor dies and a vindictive relative takes over. Anyway, enough of the dark side. I hope it works out well-- water is a precious commodity and getting some of it is better than not having it!!

 

[plowhog]

Don't want to hijack this thread, but this generalization is just that. My leased system came at a HUGE discount. The provider has no right or approval over a future buyer. On top of that they GUARANTEE production. The lease in my case was the easiest investment I've ever made. There have been years that my electricity was more than 100% paid, the electric company paid me for over production, and the solar company paid me because the system fell short of the guaranteed output. I didn't run across any place to buy a system from that guaranteed production.

Sounds like you got a great system! From your description it looks beneficial all around!

 

[ultrarunner]

Their really was not anyone on the seller's side that would of or should have known...

Because the purchase was as-is I was able to negotiate a fair deal in my opinion... time will tell.

If water is forthcoming that would be sweet... if not... I can always turn the sub panel off inside the home... this is a pole mounted panel at the far end of the 2 acres... looking at the general boundaries I would say the well is just inside my neighbors property...

Water gets up to $7 for one unit of 748 gallons...

One of the rentals just had a $420 bill for 60 days... single family with 3 people living there... gardener hired by tenant turned on the irrigation that had been off for the winter.

I agree 100% as to keeping things simple when ever possible.

Neighbor has 10,000 gallons of holding tanks... well only puts out like a fire house for several minutes each 8 hours... low output with too big a pump is my understanding...

 

[ultrarunner]

Don't want to hijack this thread, but this generalization is just that. My leased system came at a HUGE discount. The provider has no right or approval over a future buyer. On top of that they GUARANTEE production. The lease in my case was the easiest investment I've ever made. There have been years that my electricity was more than 100% paid, the electric company paid me for over production, and the solar company paid me because the system fell short of the guaranteed output. I didn't run across any place to buy a system from that guaranteed production.

My panels come with a 25 year transferable output warranty... only thing is the company went out of business in 2012...

I am all for warranties but have found things happen to the best of plans.