Solar Panels

[shopgirl]

Has anyone had experience with installing solar panels on their home? How much do they cost, including installation and hooking it up to your electric system?

My house is in an ideal spot for solar panels-- TONS of sun all day. I can't help but think it would be a great money saver in the long term but I have no idea how much needs to be invested into such a project.

[CRFSaver]

I have never done the payback but my friend was looking at it to heat his pool. They pay back was about 15 years and he figured he wouldnt be in that house that long so went for more of a hybrid system that ran water through black piping on the roof that was heated by the sun. Probably not what you were wondering about but seems to work and was a heck of a lot less expensive to solar panels.

On the other hand, I think they just got up to 46% efficiency. Anyone heard anything about the use of fuel cells instead of solar?

[Fern]

Why not do some online reearch using a search of "solar planels?" I know you'll come up with a ton of stuff and more likely it will be more up to date than any feedback we could give here.

[zetta]

I heard about a new company that is now or will soon be renting solar panels. It sounds like a great alternative:

Rent Solar Panels with NO INVESTMENT

Citizenrē REnU program packages solar power for you in a simple and smart way. Plainly put, the Citizenrē Corporation pays for, installs, owns and operates the solar installation. You don’t have to worry about maintaining the equipment or any of the other concerns that come with making an investment into solar power. All you are required to do is pay for the electricity generated from these panels, at a fixed rate that is at or below your current electricity price, for up to twenty-five years. Just take a look at some of the benefits that our customers will receive:
*No upfront investment, no need to become a financial expert to justify your investment.*No waiting for rebates.*No headaches with the city and the utility; let us handle the engineering, procurement, and construction.Performance-based contract means you only pay for what is delivered. And since the solar power you generate will reduce the need for electricity from your power company, your net payment should always be equal to, or less than, what you’re paying now.*Hassle-free operating and maintenance; it’s handled by the experts.*Actual hedge against future utility price increases: you can “lock in” your rates for the electricity generated from the solar system at your home for a period of up to twenty-five years, far longer than the guaranteed rates offered by other electricity providers.

Our electric bills aren't very high because we have natural gas for heat and water, and hardly ever use the A/C., but I would go this route if I were to do solar.

[jasonfuller]

definantely something to look into, as any extra energy you create will go back into the electrical grid and you can even get a paycheck back from the electric company.

[msnln]

I had solar panels installed on our rooftop last year (September). My system is 4.8 KW system and total price was $38,000 plus $1200 for the pemit and architech. The local power utility refunded $18,000 cost and NYS gave me $5,000 tax credit and I got $2,000 federal tax credit. My system ended up costing me $14,200. Previous year's annual electric bill was about $1,600 for the year and when I started the project, I anticipated it would take me about 8 years to recover the investment. I had not counted on building permit being so high at $900 and contractor had initially said architect would not likely be required but my town wanted architect drawing of the panels so those expenses added almost 1 year to my payback.

Now that I had the system for almost a year, I have noticed that my electric usage is down some 15-20% from the previous year as I have become much more conscious of it. As result, I should be getting a small refund from the netmetering on anniversary date. Netmetering is when electric company buys any surplus electricity produced from the panels. My system was designed to produce 90% of my normal usage but so far has produced 110% since installation due to conservation.

I will probably live in this house for next 7 years until I recoup all my investment and then some, until some drastic change happens in my life. If you plan to live in your house more than 8 years (this may depend on subsidies you get from utility, state, etc), this would definitely make sense.

My panels are covered by warranty for 25 years but since there is no moving parts, installers say realistic lifespan is more like 40 years. My calculation is based on simple benefit/cost and did not figure in things like rate of return if I had invested elsewhere, or internal rate of return.

Another benefit is knowing I am not burning polluting resource that is irreplaceable and relying solely on renewable energy. Feel free to post any questions, or other concerns you might have on this issue and I would be happy to answer to best of my knowledge.

[Plassky]

how do you even go about getting solar panels?

[msnln]

Although you can buy panels, inverter, and frame for self installation, best bet is to go with a solar contractor. Starting point should be local utility site and NABCEP (http://www.nabcep.org/). NABCEP certifies contractors that meet minimum requirements.

[shopgirl]

I had solar panels installed on our rooftop last year (September). My system is 4.8 KW system and total price was $38,000 plus $1200 for the pemit and architech. The local power utility refunded $18,000 cost and NYS gave me $5,000 tax credit and I got $2,000 federal tax credit. My system ended up costing me $14,200. Previous year's annual electric bill was about $1,600 for the year and when I started the project, I anticipated it would take me about 8 years to recover the investment. I had not counted on building permit being so high at $900 and contractor had initially said architect would not likely be required but my town wanted architect drawing of the panels so those expenses added almost 1 year to my payback.

Now that I had the system for almost a year, I have noticed that my electric usage is down some 15-20% from the previous year as I have become much more conscious of it. As result, I should be getting a small refund from the netmetering on anniversary date. Netmetering is when electric company buys any surplus electricity produced from the panels. My system was designed to produce 90% of my normal usage but so far has produced 110% since installation due to conservation.

I will probably live in this house for next 7 years until I recoup all my investment and then some, until some drastic change happens in my life. If you plan to live in your house more than 8 years (this may depend on subsidies you get from utility, state, etc), this would definitely make sense.

My panels are covered by warranty for 25 years but since there is no moving parts, installers say realistic lifespan is more like 40 years. My calculation is based on simple benefit/cost and did not figure in things like rate of return if I had invested elsewhere, or internal rate of return.

Another benefit is knowing I am not burning polluting resource that is irreplaceable and relying solely on renewable energy. Feel free to post any questions, or other concerns you might have on this issue and I would be happy to answer to best of my knowledge.

Sorry for the very delayed response...I had forgotten that I posted this question! This is very helpful to hear someone's experience with the full cost after a year. I've been looking into it in my area but haven't found much yet...it doesn't seem like the trend has picked up much in my area and I have a feeling that the historic society might not want those additions on the old houses (I live in an historic district that has to approve all major renovations). Thanks for your feedback!

[JBinKC]

That is good to know at least you are going to have a payback. Subsidies help. I really want to go off grid but determined where I live there is not enough wind or sun alone and probably would never get a payback because the interest earned on the net investment would always be much greater than the utility cost.

I did install a high end EPA wood stove and my payback period was very fast (2 1/2 years).

[Scanner]

My father did solar hot water heat back during the Carter administration and it has been problem-free for some time.

I looked into solar water heat for my house and it appears you can get in for $6000. However, the savings aren't as dramatic as solar electric.