Howvlong is break even at $2.89, 2.99 $3.09 etc
Excess Solar Production - Considering an EV
- Thread starter 99Saturn
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What? $18 a month(I have to same tax bill in my state for an EV) is a drop in the bucket to drive 20k miles a year when a GTI cost 3x as much in fuel as charging at home and I'd pay about that much in fuel taxes buying gas anyway. Realistically for someone that drive as much as me it is a somewhat fair tax assessment. Its pretty high for most though. There's no version of the math that makes not make sense for me buying a new car with a warranty.
Fuel is still around $3 here. It has been for a long time. It has its swings, but I don't think I've seen less than $2.95 in a while. I don't pay much attention since I buy about 5 gallons of fuel a year between a mower and snow blower as it stands now. I haven't put gas in a car since November 2024.
Hot tub!
What do you want to know? That holes in a roof are a bad idea? Find a custom home builder that would actually put panels on there own house. Unless it had a metal roof where they clamp the panel to the metal ridges.
Back story is I had my roof replaced for hail damage in 2018. Those roofing crews don't give a @#% and just tore those rails off. I had wood chips all over my garage floor and could see light poking through. Then when they were reinstalled the contractor couldn't get them operating properly, so I had to hire a competent installer to show the other installer how to do it. When my roof was getting replaced for hail again(!) last year I decided to not reinstall them. I had the contractor fill any holes that were left in the roof sheathing by the boneheads in 2018. Oh, and in 2019 one string went down. These systems are easy to troubleshoot and repair, but there was no way I'm going on my roof so I only checked the things I could from the ground. Called a contractor and they did the same thing I did plus looked at the wiring on the panels, charged me $600 and didn't resolve anything. Said it would be another $600 to come back check each panel with their meter.
So, exposed fasteners going through your roof are a bad idea. And solar is great if you are able and willing to repair them yourself instead of depending on incompetent and expensive contractors. Which is why I said I may have them again in my retirement house when I have land to place them so I can install and service them myself.
Wow, sorry for your troubles! I've had zero trouble with my solar project. What company did you deal with? Did you get a warranty?
My roof was good; perhaps 50% maybe? I did the roof at the same time and got a package deal. Now I'm set.
I've read insurance companies are getting a little tired of insuring homes with solar. The detach/reattach in 2018 was $10k. I can't imagine what they want now. I think just the detach last year was over $7k. I can see how insurance companies don't like to cover a cost like that when it has nothing to do with the structure of the home. And doesn't add value.
They aren't going to cover solar as a standard home policy. You would need to add it and pay extra. It is like having a brush guard on a truck. Without paying extra, your insurance won't cover damage to the guard nor even the cost to remove it so the rest of the truck can be repaired.
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- Dec 20, 2024
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The only reason I installed solar was because I could wrap the cost of replacing the roof in the main solar loan, which was at at 0.7% apr or something like that.
Both crews were partners with the local company who sold me the solar, and both did a stellar job.
The roof guys wrapped the whole house in tarps and later all I found in the garden was a single bolt.
The roof guy also pulled me aside and informed me that they have the six skylights ready to install, but that the old ones are pristine, good brand and in no need of replacement - saving me $6k in the process.
The solar installers worked after the roof guys, then both came to inspect.
I guess experiences vary. Won't put shameless plugs here but I'll share that the roof guys are in CT and have Renaissance and Restoration in the name
Both crews were partners with the local company who sold me the solar, and both did a stellar job.
The roof guys wrapped the whole house in tarps and later all I found in the garden was a single bolt.
The roof guy also pulled me aside and informed me that they have the six skylights ready to install, but that the old ones are pristine, good brand and in no need of replacement - saving me $6k in the process.
The solar installers worked after the roof guys, then both came to inspect.
I guess experiences vary. Won't put shameless plugs here but I'll share that the roof guys are in CT and have Renaissance and Restoration in the name
The roofers and solar installers did a stellar job on our solar project as well. I couldn't be more pleased.The only reason I installed solar was because I could wrap the cost of replacing the roof in the main solar loan, which was at at 0.7% apr or something like that.
Both crews were partners with the local company who sold me the solar, and both did a stellar job.
The roof guys wrapped the whole house in tarps and later all I found in the garden was a single bolt.
The roof guy also pulled me aside and informed me that they have the six skylights ready to install, but that the old ones are pristine, good brand and in no need of replacement - saving me $6k in the process.
The solar installers worked after the roof guys, then both came to inspect.
I guess experiences vary. Won't put shameless plugs here but I'll share that the roof guys are in CT and have Renaissance and Restoration in the name
I don’t see how they can force anyone into accepting a lease like this. If you’re buying the house, and you don’t voluntarily sign the agreement with the solar company to continue, it would have to terminate the agreement with the prior owner/lessee, and THEY would be on the hook for the fair market value, not you. Otherwise, I’d find another house. No way am I paying anybody $800/mo for terms that bad, for generation that’s not guaranteed. Satan would be serving snow cones before I’d ever agree to anything like that!Have to buy out the system to get it removed, based on the fair market value as determined by an “independent appraiser”. The fair market value today is basically equal to the kWh rate multiplied by what the system will produce over the rest of the term of the lease. Basically there is no reason to buyout the lease and even if I did I would need to leave it up so I could reap the benefit of “free” energy, really the energy I prepaid for.
So I’m locked in but at least I signed up eyes wide open.
This depends entirely on your solar contract with your power provider.
If your contract lets you " bank" surplus power you create, you can then use that power at another time like credit /debit system.
This is typically subject to peak hour pricing, so most Ev drivers with solar use their credits charging during off peak hours.
In effect - the contract is a/the battery.
Some contracts do not allow this such as californias new NEM 3.0 (net metering version 3)
Under NEM 3.0 the only power you can " bank" is whatever you store in your own battery, and if you want to charge " for free" then you have to charge when you are actually producing surplus power or discharging from surplus you have saved into your own battery.
I'm not sure I would use the word "force".
Its a business transaction, the lease obligated the previous owner for a total of 20 years, they either had to discharge the lease (buy it out), transfer the lease (with the new owner's agreement) or transfer the system to a new residence. But something had to be done with the lease for someone to be able to purchase the home with a clean title.
$800 is an annual number (approximate). Figuring purchasing power at $.17 a kwh, selling it back at $.04 a kWh, running about +500 kWh/month is what I had said at the time (500kWh X 12 months) *($0.17-$0.04) = $780. Also those numbers are all contingent on the the sun shining and the panels producing, not if nothing is generated.
Someone brought up why not heat a spa with excess production - what a good idea!
In case anyone was wondering what that looks like from load perspective here's a cycle to heat up then run an 800 gallon 5 person spa.
Hope you guys all have a great holiday!
In case anyone was wondering what that looks like from load perspective here's a cycle to heat up then run an 800 gallon 5 person spa.
Hope you guys all have a great holiday!
May + 1000 kWh
June + 700 kWh
Around +3700 kWh for the first 6 months of the year.
July and August will be interesting. June was not really all that hot and we consumed just under 1000 kWh in June. Being pretty liberal with how low the central air is set to.
Im looking into expansion about 3 years after initial install.
I was negative a bit in June as the new pool and spa came online along with irrigation 18 hours a day.
No AC was used at all in June - the house has incredible thermal properties, and the whole house fan kept the place cool. Sustained 100 degree days and hot nights in July will change that.
Take a look at what my power bill would have been if I didnt have solar.
I was negative a bit in June as the new pool and spa came online along with irrigation 18 hours a day.
No AC was used at all in June - the house has incredible thermal properties, and the whole house fan kept the place cool. Sustained 100 degree days and hot nights in July will change that.
Take a look at what my power bill would have been if I didnt have solar.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Did you see the conversation between myself and Jeff about the expansion limits if you want to keep your NEM contract? If not, I can link you to it. But basically, you are limited as to how much you can expand your system while keeping the contract intact, and if you expand beyond that limit you risk losing the contract.
I discussed this with Jeff a few months ago as well so Jeff is probably talking to you about what I told him.
There are two expansion opportunities, and you are quite correct in that at least one way is limited, in that if you violate it you lose your NEM status.
Method 1.
Under and within my NEM 2 contract I can add up to 10% or 1K watts whichever is greater.
This is measured by the CEC AC rating of the inverter vs the panels themselves.
Method 2. Allows unlimited expansion in whats referred to as " non export" mode.
In this mode I can only use what I make in real time - OR store in a battery for later use
My thought is I expand to max contract under my nem contract and fill the rest of my ideal space with non export.
