Question for the Solar Guru's... 🌞

[dalola]

Thanks everyone for all the experiences & opinions! I'm going to schedule a consultation with Ohio Power Solutions, a local well-regarded solar contractor, to review my options. I think all options are still on the table at this point. I'll be curious to see what type of system would make the most sense for my use case, which is probably considerably lower than average total household electrical usage for the Midwest.

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[Haydn12]

90kWh out of 14.4 panels is excellent. I'm guessing you have Enphase microinverters and AC coupled Franklins?

Yes, on both! I just had this sytem put in a couple months ago to replace the prior Tesla (Solar City) system which had 15 year lease that ran out. We have smaller 36 REC 400 watt panels which fit better on our roof than the larger wattage size. All of my panels are south facing. We do have an issue with a dirt road about 100 feet from our house that can cause the panels to get quite dirty.

I was able to sell some Nvidia stock at $150 a share that paid for a good majority of the system before the stock market tanked. I had paid about $200 for that stock and sold around $40,000 of it. My electric bills will be quite small until the Phoenix summer heat hits soon. I had changed out 2 of my AC units to high efficiency variable speed units a couple years ago. I had another AC unit I replaced with a mini-split system that is for a room that was originally a garage.

We do most of our charging in the morning after 9:00 and only at 32 amps to not pull from the grid. This helps to not drain the backup batteries. The batteries are usually fully charged when the sun goes down. I do charge once a week at 11:00pm but the rate is just .08 KWh and I need around 30-35 KWh then. Rate in the summer at peak with the EV charging plan we are on is between $.24 and $.26 a KWH between 2 to 8 pm.

Jim

 

[Fremont Kid]

Live in Colorado Springs which provides a high number of days to produce electricity from the 16-panel X 350W system of Myers-Berger PV panels using Enphase inverters. Some bullet points:

• Know how much your local utility allows producing to still receive net metering credit. Ours is 120%. If your system produces more you will only get credit up to the level the utility allows.
• Figure out the electrical routing. Our PV electricity goes to the house first, then if not needed goes out to the grid, for which we receive net metering credit.
• If you want electricity backup, buy a Koehler or Generac generator instead. Costs much less than a battery and a 17kW to 22kW generator can probably power your entire house.
• My total cost, equipment and installation, was $22K last year (2023). Then the 30% tax credit reduced my overall taxes, plus state incentive.
• Get at least three if not four quotes. If you have the capital, buy yourself rather than rent from a company, which will then get the tax incentives.

Last month our electrical bill was $23.00, which included maintaining our Mach-e at 80% state of charge. I expect the electrical bill will increase as we begin to use more air conditioning during the summer.

Enjoy!

 

[dalola]

The first step was OPS wanted to see my electric bill, so I emailed them that, and he will contact me prior to coming out.

I'm on AES power here, and they do net metering, so I have that option. But again, I'm not a big electric user, most of it goes to charging the MME, and central air in the 3 summer months. For back-up during outages, I put in a panel lock, and wired for a portable generator, because I have a Honda EU2000 that works perfect for basics like furnace, fridge, lights, etc... Bottom line, I'm perfectly fine the way it is, at $.15/kWh, 24/7/365. But I'm curious to see if there is any advantage for me to go solar. If I can do it, and keep my current utility cost at ~$250/mo. all-in, I'll probably give it a try. If not, well, now I know!

 

[Space_Pony]

see how good your roof location is for solar https://sunroof.withgoogle.com/

I don't know much about solar but wondered how you get the snow off the panels if they are on your roof. My roof has accumulated snow on it for weeks during some winters. It is a darker colored metal roof so probably similar to solar panels.

 

[markboris]

I don't know much about solar but wondered how you get the snow off the panels if they are on your roof. My roof has accumulated snow on it for weeks during some winters. It is a darker colored metal roof so probably similar to solar panels.

Solar panels create a little heat when they are working. Even on a cloudy day, they will produce enough to melt a light covering of snow, at least for me. We don't get much more than 6"-9" during a snowfall and as soon as it gets light (even when cloudy) they warm up enough to melt the snow which slides off of them. I'm thinking with a heavy snow fall, they might not clean themselves off but I wouldn't know.

 

[RickMachE]

In addition to clearly understanding your true cost of electricity, you need to understand how much, if anything, your utility will pay you for sending them electricity.

In May 2019, net metering ended in our area. Those that already had it could keep it until their 10 year contract ended. Instead of net metering, we would get paid for the power SUPPLY component of our bill. In other words, the cost of power distribution is not included. This basically killed solar's already poor breakeven here (due to electricity costs around 16 cents).

It was setup to only offset 1 for 1, but late last year it changed to offset more components of your bill.

Every time we looked at it, the payoff was basically when the life of equipment runs out, and then you likely are replacing components.

In a normal month, we MIGHT hit 200kWh of usage between the two vehicles. We run the AC only maybe 2.5 months a year, and then only on days needed. Electric bill around $1,800 per year.

 

[Rick65]

I don't know much about solar but wondered how you get the snow off the panels if they are on your roof. My roof has accumulated snow on it for weeks during some winters. It is a darker colored metal roof so probably similar to solar panels.

natural melt, typically within two days the vast majority of the panels are exposed as the snow slides off

 

[Fremont Kid]

I don't know much about solar but wondered how you get the snow off the panels if they are on your roof. My roof has accumulated snow on it for weeks during some winters. It is a darker colored metal roof so probably similar to solar panels.

I agree with @markboris. Used to live in central Illinois so similar climate, snow and temps as Indiana. I suppose you could pull off snow with a tool like a squeeze if the sun does not melt it off. During warm weather, you could rig some type of tarp system to cover the solar panels ahead of a KNOWN snow event, then pull the tarp and snow off after the event. That is my redneck wrench-head solution.
All the best.

 

[LinkRS]

The first step was OPS wanted to see my electric bill, so I emailed them that, and he will contact me prior to coming out.

I'm on AES power here, and they do net metering, so I have that option. But again, I'm not a big electric user, most of it goes to charging the MME, and central air in the 3 summer months. For back-up during outages, I put in a panel lock, and wired for a portable generator, because I have a Honda EU2000 that works perfect for basics like furnace, fridge, lights, etc... Bottom line, I'm perfectly fine the way it is, at $.15/kWh, 24/7/365. But I'm curious to see if there is any advantage for me to go solar. If I can do it, and keep my current utility cost at ~$250/mo. all-in, I'll probably give it a try. If not, well, now I know!

Something to keep in mind, is the overall system design capacity. In other words, they system they offer to sell you will be designed to produce some percentage of your average power use. As mentioned previously, producing large amounts above and beyond your usage is typically not work the additional costs associated, and your best bet is to get as close to 100% of your expected use. A good solar company will show these numbers (typically based on your electric bill ), and break it out for you. My system is smaller than most of the folks have indicated here, and it was specced to produce 101% of my estimated power needs. This was before I got my Mach-E. Even with that, small 8.6 kWp has been working great for us in South Texas. For 3 to 4 months of the year I have a $0 electric bill, and the rest of the year, the highest it got was $100, which would have been over $300 without the solar. Overall I am happy with ours, and the company we have has a 25-year production guarantee.

 

[Side Show Bob]

Something to keep in mind, is the overall system design capacity. In other words, they system they offer to sell you will be designed to produce some percentage of your average power use. As mentioned previously, producing large amounts above and beyond your usage is typically not work the additional costs associated, and your best bet is to get as close to 100% of your expected use. A good solar company will show these numbers (typically based on your electric bill ), and break it out for you. My system is smaller than most of the folks have indicated here, and it was specced to produce 101% of my estimated power needs. This was before I got my Mach-E. Even with that, small 8.6 kWp has been working great for us in South Texas. For 3 to 4 months of the year I have a $0 electric bill, and the rest of the year, the highest it got was $100, which would have been over $300 without the solar. Overall I am happy with ours, and the company we have has a 25-year production guarantee.

Just information for all. I purchased a SunPower system with batteries two years ago. They had a 25 year warranty too. And now SunPower went bankrupt and I have no warranty! So be very careful about these warranties they offer. Only good if the company or manufacturer is still around.

 

[LinkRS]

Just information for all. I purchased a SunPower system with batteries two years ago. They had a 25 year warranty too. And now SunPower went bankrupt and I have no warranty! So be very careful about these warranties they offer. Only good if the company or manufacturer is still around.

Yes agreed, ideally pick a company that has been around for a while. There have been quite of few startups over the past 10 years or so. I am using FreedomForever, who used to partner with Vivint, but all of the monitoring of my system is provided by SolarEdge, nothing outside of the initial install was monitored by FreedomForever directly. I still go to them for warranty work.

 

[dalola]

Something to keep in mind, is the overall system design capacity. In other words, they system they offer to sell you will be designed to produce some percentage of your average power use. As mentioned previously, producing large amounts above and beyond your usage is typically not work the additional costs associated, and your best bet is to get as close to 100% of your expected use. A good solar company will show these numbers (typically based on your electric bill ), and break it out for you. My system is smaller than most of the folks have indicated here, and it was specced to produce 101% of my estimated power needs. This was before I got my Mach-E. Even with that, small 8.6 kWp has been working great for us in South Texas. For 3 to 4 months of the year I have a $0 electric bill, and the rest of the year, the highest it got was $100, which would have been over $300 without the solar. Overall I am happy with ours, and the company we have has a 25-year production guarantee.

OPS is going to send me two proposals; one offering about 65% of our annual capacity, and one close to 100%. Apparently, using only my garage roof, that will get me the 65%, but if I add a bit of the eastern exposure roof of the house, I can get to 100%. The house roof is a 15/12 pitch, so I'm hesitant to put anything on that, vs the garage, which is 6/12. I will share with the group when I get the proposals. So far, they have been very responsive to my questions.

 

[Bakahump]

Couple thoughts about pitch…
With a 6/12 snow will be an issue. (Not sure where your at sorry if I missed it). With a 12/12 it obv will not be. 12/12 would also work well if you had any kind of southern exposure. Eastern…. Wouldnt be terrible but not great.
So if you do get any snow…. A big chunk of your production (65%) could be blocked for 1,2,3-5 days depending on location and amount of snow. Where as the 35ish% on the house would still be producing. I wonder (again based on if snow is a concern) if a 60/40 or 50/50 split (garage/house) might make more sense. Again as I mentioned earlier vendors (even reputable ones) know this is a big cost so they “sell up” what they can do with a $40k system “oh this will take care of like 90% of what you need”. When for $45-48k you could have 100-110%. 5-10k on a 50k dollar project isn’t really worth being “constantly frustrated” because you don’t produce enough. So worse case get their prices then ask “how much more would 10% more cost?” So 3 more panels on a 30 panel system. It’s not gonna cost 10% more because a big part of the project is the engineering/install. That needs to happen for 27 panels or 33 panels. 3-6 panels/hardware will be a few 1000 more.

worse case don’t fret you can always buy from your power company. And if that’s where you find yourself then don’t stress. Saving on 90% is better then saving on none.

and while I have been one of the voices of “don’t get a huge system you won’t use all of”. You can leverage your system if you produce too much. How do you heat your water? Producing too much get an electric hw heater. How do you heat/cool maybe more heat pumps. You can pretty much always use any extra. Even a 2nd EV
?

probably all things you have considered but figured I would chime in anyway.

 

[Tosh]

Something I hadn't thought of before getting my array -

When the time comes to have the roof re-shingled, the array must be uninstalled first, then reinstalled after the roofing job is done. In my region it's rare for a composite roof to last more than 15 years (moss is a big factor here)

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