Anyone here gone solar?

[jhalkias]

This Saturday I have a "virtual" sales pitch on going solar for electricity with roof panels. Just wondering if anyone here has gone solar to produce electricity and your experience. With a true BEV on the way, I am wondering if it will be more worth it. I am especially interested in hearing from others here in the Northern part of the US like Ohio, where the winters are too long, the days get short, and we get snow on the roof.

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[Mopey]

This Saturday I have a "virtual" sales pitch on going solar for electricity with roof panels. Just wondering if anyone here has gone solar to produce electricity and your experience. With a true BEV on the way, I am wondering if it will be more worth it. I am especially interested in hearing from others here in the Northern part of the US like Ohio, where the winters are too long, the days get short, and we get snow on the roof.

Recently installed a 7kw grid-tied system with battery backup here in central Alaska. I went with a pole mount system to avoid snow buildup issues. I studied the economics closely, given our 8 month solar season, and discovered the real determining factor is the cost you pay for electricity. We pay .26 per kWh but with the very long summer days you can build credits with the power company that offset some of the short winter days. It’s a little early to know for sure the true long term economics, but I’ve been most surprised at how much power the system produces even on cloudy and rainy days. After taking into account the 26% tax credit, applying the $7500 Mach E credit, and figuring in the resale value solar historically adds to a houses value, most of the entire cost of the system is covered even without considering power company and gasoline purchase offsets. It definitely wasn’t cheap, but in the end I figured it didn’t make much sense to take the money saved from buying gasoline and just turn it over to the electric company. With solar you are free from both - mostly.

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

This Saturday I have a "virtual" sales pitch on going solar for electricity with roof panels. Just wondering if anyone here has gone solar to produce electricity and your experience. With a true BEV on the way, I am wondering if it will be more worth it. I am especially interested in hearing from others here in the Northern part of the US like Ohio, where the winters are too long, the days get short, and we get snow on the roof.

Check this video by Matt Ferrell I think it will answer many of your questions.

 

[MattG]

I have solar on my house. My rural electric utility adds a surcharge based on peak usage, so my bill is never zero....and will get worse once I add an EV! But I do enjoy knowing I’m doing my part to reduce my CO2 emissions...my house is a net producer. Even with all the snow we get here in CO.

 

[abr]

This Saturday I have a "virtual" sales pitch on going solar for electricity with roof panels. Just wondering if anyone here has gone solar to produce electricity and your experience. With a true BEV on the way, I am wondering if it will be more worth it. I am especially interested in hearing from others here in the Northern part of the US like Ohio, where the winters are too long, the days get short, and we get snow on the roof.

John - I'm in SoCal so I can't speak to the northern winters, but I installed a 6.8kWp system with Solar Edge inverter at the beginning of 2019. Payback is 6-7 years. I made sure to get my utility bill to a TOU billing structure. I still have a "bill" to cover connection fees, etc since I am still on the grid. I didn't opt for any battery storage (YET) because the technology is not yet cost effective, but it will be soon. I produce more than enough electricity year-round to cover usage including charging my wife's PHEV. I have net negative electricity usage. When I add the MME to the mix, because of TOU billing, I still expect to have no cost even if I am using more electricity than I use (because of charging overnight when rates are much lower). My utility, SCE, would only authorize installation of enough capacity to roughly cover usage. Once I add the MME, because my usage would be higher, I could go back and add more capacity if I choose. Not sure it would make financial sense though. Will have to review after adding MME.

 

[zhackwyatt]

I put solar on my house in Arizona in 2009. One of the smarter things I did, paid for itself already. Of course that was with massive rebates, etc. There are less rebates now (at least in my state) but the prices have come down too. Not sure on the economics.

Right now I have an Alfred Hitchcock Bird situation with them that's going to cost me $800 to fix

 

[jhalkias]

I put solar on my house in Arizona in 2009. One of the smarter things I did, paid for itself already. Of course that was with massive rebates, etc. There are less rebates now (at least in my state) but the prices have come down too. Not sure on the economics.

Right now I have an Alfred Hitchcock Bird situation with them that's going to cost me $800 to fix

Never thought of that one . . . Birds!

 

[zhackwyatt]

Never thought of that one . . . Birds!

It's weird, hasn't been a problem except the past two years. Pigeons! So they have to put screen around the edge so they can't get underneath.

 

[jhalkias]

Damn. Canadian Geese are a real problem here, but they like the flat roofs, not the pitched roof on my house.

 

[hybrid2bev]

Damn. Canadian Geese are a real problem here, but they like the flat roofs, not the pitched roof on my house.

Goose poop problems are real!!

 

[abr]

It's weird, hasn't been a problem except the past two years. Pigeons! So they have to put screen around the edge so they can't get underneath.

Flying Rats . . . do you like squab?

 

[Maric]

I've had solar for about 7 years. Just sold my house with Tesla solar and moving to new house that is 90% solar (local government will not let me 100% off the grid, which is B.S. but I'll leave that argument for another forum).

That said, I'll never own a home that is not solar. Has saved me thousands and has been 100% reliable.

 

[Ron Bonifas]

Never thought of that one . . . Birds!

6000w ground-mounted solar array live in northwest Ohio live in northwest Ohio so fair amount of cloudy days on track to produced estimated 9000 kilowatts annual. Every month have produced more electricity then I've used but will likely not the case when I get my California Route 1 hopefully near the first of the year. We live in northwest Ohio and I have a fair amount of cloudy days

 

[jhalkias]

6000w ground-mounted solar array live in northwest Ohio live in northwest Ohio so fair amount of cloudy days on track to produced estimated 9000 kilowatts annual. Every month have produced more electricity then I've used but will likely not the case when I get my California Route 1 hopefully near the first of the year. We live in northwest Ohio and I have a fair amount of cloudy days

So how large is your array?

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