Going Solar (goodbye SCE)

Ron-P

I've decided to ditch Southern California Edison and go solar! Their rates are getting out of hand and keep climbing every year with no end in sight.

After 6+ months of research, contractors and quotes it was time to lock it down and get the process started.

After my Federal Tax Credit of 30% I'll be paying about $14k, installed. It's a 6.2kW system. All solid black, non-reflective panels made in Oregon. System comes with a 25 year warranty, including monitoring. My basic electrical will drop nearly $100 a month and as soon as I pay off the system (5 year goal), no more electrical costs!

Anyone else have solar?

BlueFox

Been there, still am. Pretty much the same setup as you, but for three years now. I am in Silicon Valley with PG&E. I bought mine because when I bought my amps it was July, and for the two weeks in July I had them my electricity doubled from $200 to $400 a month since I had to run the AC when I used them. I freaked out and had solar operational by September. Don't forget it increases your home value by more than they cost. Be sure to buy, and not lease.

recoveryone

Going into my 3rd year with Solar City 32 panels. When its all setup and running make sure you check pg 4 of your bill. That is wear you will see how much you are generating and see how much you are still using. Your bill will say you owe nothing, but on this pg it will show the monthly amount and that bill will come due on the anniversary date of your system setup.

Oh one more thing, Edison has say so on the size of your system (based on pass use/billing), so for you to get off the grid, it will be up to you and your household to still control the use of your electricity. You will be surprised how much electricity you use when sleeping. All those clocks/units in standby mode/frig and other things we never think much about is still draining electricity.

mhardy6647

We do, but only 2.4 kW in a net metering installation we had put on the house when we had it built.

DSC_1005 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Question for the OP -- based on your post ("goodbye SCE") your installation has batteries, too?

That we didn't do (or, at least, haven't done yet).
We'd add another 2.4 kW (give or take) were we to ever go that route).

DSC_0178 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Strong Bad

I'm about 1 1/2 years into my 11 panel Solar City setup. I'm very efficient with using Gas and Electric anyway, so my savings is fairly limited. With that said, another side benefit with the panels, they block a lot of the hot sun from directly hitting the roof, thus keeping the upstairs slightly cooler in the summer.

Ron-P

For you guys then went Solar City, did you lease or purchase your system? I had Solar City at my house for a quote, they were more than twice the price on a purchase.

Mark, no, it was more of a I'm not gonna be paying them $200+ per month anymore. I know I still have the connection fee of $10 per month.

WagnerRC

You would be disappointed. We paid cash for our 10kw system. The payback is great.

recoveryone

I am on a 20yr lease, its a either or deal with Solar City. If you lease they maintain the system (clean panels/ replace if damaged/ 24/7 monitoring ) If you buy then you take on the full responsibility of the whole system.

Ron-P

Not quite true. My warranty is 10 years on install and 25 on parts and labor on the entire system which includes monitoring. It doesn't include damage by myself, weather...etc., tho. But, here in CA I don't have much to worry about.

madmax

If you lease them I hear you run into some possible issues if selling the house, the buyer might have to assume the lease. But anyway check it out for yourself, I haven't been involved with any of this personally.

BlueFox

The problem with a lease is you are responsible if you sell the house, and the new owner does not want to take over the lease. Why should they, since they get free electricity without having the lease? Where purchasing solar adds value to the home, the lease lowers property values in order to entice the new owner to take over the lease.

lightman1

Hey!!!! Y'all are putting me out of a job!!!!

steveinaz

Solar "may" enhance your homes value (In Cali) and it also may chase buyers off if your house resembles a spaceship. We're in the market for a home now, and have passed on 4 houses that were otherwise very nice---but had obnoxious solar setups that detracted from the homes look too much.

+2 on the "do not lease" suggestion, unless you are 100% sure you won't be moving until after the lease.

tonyb

I see some of you guys spend 14-20k on systems. Man, I get it if your electricity bills are 200 a month. Why is yours so expensive though ? Mine averages out to about 100 bucks a month. That means at least 12-15 years before I even break even on the investment. I won't even be alive in 15 years.

Sometimes I look at some houses with these big panels on the roof and think to myself.....in my day, that would have made a perfect target for a kid with a rock. Then again we are talking today, kids don't go outside anymore let alone know what a rock is, so you guys are probably safe in that regard. However, I'm not below reliving my youth if someone with panels pisses me off.

GlennDog

man-o-man, I don't know what you guys are doing, (or what I'm not doing).
My daily usage is alway less that $1.50 . . . this months electric bill was $35.55

mhardy6647

GlennDog wrote: »

man-o-man, I don't know what you guys are doing, (or what I'm not doing).
My daily usage is alway less that $1.50 . . . this months electric bill was $35.55

DSC_0132 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

(or, for the soiled state guys, Class A soiled state).

;- )

Ron-P

tonyb wrote: »

I see some of you guys spend 14-20k on systems. Man, I get it if your electricity bills are 200 a month. Why is yours so expensive though ? Mine averages out to about 100 bucks a month. That means at least 12-15 years before I even break even on the investment. I won't even be alive in 15 years.

Sometimes I look at some houses with these big panels on the roof and think to myself.....in my day, that would have made a perfect target for a kid with a rock. Then again we are talking today, kids don't go outside anymore let alone know what a rock is, so you guys are probably safe in that regard. However, I'm not below reliving my youth if someone with panels pisses me off.

My electrical bill is just that, last month was $209. You're talking 4 people, a spa, lots of lighting, a HT room, AC and so on. One thing with Edison as well, their rates will never go down and average a 4% increase every year.

The good news, my house is North facing so all the panels will be on the back, not a single one in the front or sides.

As for rocks...watch this...


https://youtu.be/PBC_Ymt5f0s

madmax

steveinaz wrote: »

have passed on 4 houses that were otherwise very nice---but had obnoxious solar setups that detracted from the homes look too much.

There are a lot of solar setups that went up in my area recently. Very nice homes with panels laid out in haphazard orientations to miss vent pipes etc. Had they been there when I bought in the area I would have kept heading down the road. If you are going to buy a $500K home and put $15K to $20K worth of solar panels on it, at least spend the freakin $200 to move a few vent pipes so it doesn't look repulsive.

mhardy had the right idea on his house, not ugly at all.

mhardy6647

We had the advantage of building the house from scratch, though :- )

footwedge

tonyb wrote: »

Sometimes I look at some houses with these big panels on the roof and think to myself.....in my day, that would have made a perfect target for a kid with a rock. Then again we are talking today, kids don't go outside anymore let alone know what a rock is, so you guys are probably safe in that regard.

Or even able to throw a rock, sad but true.

BlueFox

Mine are on the back of a single story house, so you can't see them from the street. You can barely see them from the back.

Ron-P

BlueFox wrote: »

Mine are on the back of a single story house, so you can't see them from the street. You can barely see them from the back.

Same here, I highly doubt I would have gone solar if they had to be on the front of my house.

WagnerRC

same here, out of sight from almost every angle.

Ron-P

Been up and running for several months now. My SCE bill is $10 a month due to the connection fee I have to pay.

My loan on the system was $125 a month, I just paid that off last month so no more electrical bill or loan payments...ever! I even paid off the $6,300 tax credit part of the loan for my taxes next year so that will be going straight into my pocket, but, I may have an AC system installed with that money next year, still debating that one.

All-n-all, I love seeing my meter spin backwards everyday and not seeing a huge SCE bill every month!

WagnerRC

I agree too. This pay back is so damn good. The net metering plus 30% tax credit was a no brainer. Glad you are a happy camper too. GO SOLAR!