OT: solar panels...

[zeroinverse]

So a guy stops by my house asking about solar panels... So it got me thinking since I saw treads on WCR...

Here goes...
My 432 watt 8-bulb T5 will eventually be replaced with LED t5HO hybrid light but I am setting a prop tank also. So I am guessing I will need more electricity. Not to mention summer AC bills and winter "electric heaters" for garage fish tanks.

So anyone know if it is cost effective to install them? I think we pay $200-300 per month for electricity and $400+ in winter (I think because of my tank heaters in house). 300-500 watt heaters for main (in home) tank.

 

[sail33]

google solar calculator. Study it. THEN talk to salesman ..er...scuse me...sales person

 

[northbay-reefer]

Talk to Bob about the solar leasing program.

 

[woodnaquanut]

We installed solar 5.5 years ago. Haven't paid any PG&E since.

The rebates and tax credits have changed so you'll have to explore the costs with today's info. We spent, IIRC, about $20K and got about $8K rebates/tax credits.

Before the solar we were spending about $2,500/yr on electricity. Now it's just the 'billing fee' of $8/month. I have no idea if the cost of electricity has gone up. Using the old prices we are just about at the break even point.

Shop around. There is a vast difference in costs. It also matters what roof orientations you have and if there are trees to shade the panels.

Too bad you didn't ask when you were here. I'd have given you a 'solar tour'!

 

[zeroinverse]

Tom, how is Bob involved? He had solar panels and is leading? I heard leasing is not great since they can jack up prices on you over the years.

John, yeah, too bad I didn't get a chance to check it out. But sound like a 20-30-40k investment. I am interested because someone stopped by my house and pitched it. And I have a huge slat of roof that is south facing already.

Plus, I think with solar panels that are "raised above my roof surface", it will help keep the vault ceiling roof cooler (minimal insulation so roof get swarm is my guess)...

And it'll help cover cost of running AC... Etc, etc.

 

[Grant W]

Ron, If my house had the proper facing I would have spent the approx. 30k long ago.

 

[thysrof]

Ron,
and i have a solar leased system for 3 years now and it saves me $180 a month in electricity. 44 panel system would have cost 45k and didn't make sense. The lease is the way to go. Where it reallly makes sense is when you burn a lot of electricity like i do. I used Sungivity out of the east bay and they are great. You're usage sounds a little skewwed. What you need to do is go on PG&E.com and find out what you're electric usage is. When you said you're bill goes up in the winter that's the nat gas not the elctricity. You use more electricity in Summer and pay higher rates.So you probalby use $80-$90 worth of gas in the winter and almost nothing in the summer.

The lease is 10 years 0 down and at the end of 10 years you can but the system renew the lease for 3 or 5 years or buy it at a negotiated price then or they pull it for free. The lease payment is fixed and goes up 2 % a year for ten years. I think it's a screaming deal.Take a look at it and tell them I reccomended you i think I get a few bucks for reccomending it to you. You need to get your're 2 year usage from PG &E and call sungivity and they will give you an email quote for buying or leasing in an email without even coming out. They use Google maps and can estimate what you'll need. It's worth the phone call. Maybe you can find a better deal from another company. I think the 10 year term makes sense the converters last about 10-12 years and I'm sure the technology or panels will improve the amount of electricity they convert. I trhink the best panels now convert maybe 25%. That's gotta go up

 

[thysrof]

I was using like almost $600 woth of electricity a month in the summer. I remembe my balanced payment plan was over $600 a month.I burn an average of $100 a month in gas. $25 in the summer and $175 n the cold winter months.

Better yet solar tube lit tank supplemented with lights

 

[woodnaquanut]

Bob,

We use much more electricity durning the winter. We don't have AC. The big hit in winter is running the heater fan and extra lighting because of shorter days. If we had AC I'm sure our electricity consumption for summer would be MUCH higher.

I'm trying to convince everyone here to just read by the light of a reef tank. So far I'm not having much luck!

 

[zeroinverse]

Bob,

So how much is the lease and for what kilowatt-hour system do you have?

And you have grid-tied system, I assume.

 

[thysrof]

7.7 kw system payment started at $128 mo and goes up 2%.

Yes I believe you must be tied to the grid.