Getting solar at the house

They started Monday. Going to have about 100% of my usage on average.

Day one I left with this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...pseecd2f5e.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...ps0b5d4fff.jpg

And came home to this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...ps6fbf4877.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...ps26bba48c.jpg

Today I came home to this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...psabf91568.jpg


They should be all done by noon tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing the electric meter spin backwards.

I got solar from SolarCity on my house. My last bill from Xcel was $8!

Damn I wish I could tell the HOA to pound sand and go that route.

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Originally Posted by jhirsh5280

I got solar from SolarCity on my house. My last bill from Xcel was $8!

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I am using REC solar and my bill with xcell should only be the monitoring fee they charge.

Out of curiosity, how much do you pay someone like Solar City or REC? Do you buy the panels or are they leased?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by TheWeeze

Out of curiosity, how much do you pay someone like Solar City or REC? Do you buy the panels or are they leased?

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Originally Posted by Rooskibar03

Damn I wish I could tell the HOA to pound sand and go that route.

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Haha but you can tell them to pound sand. Increased energy efficiency such as solar panels supersedes hoa rules and regs. There are laws in place to allow such. I can look them up if you need.

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Originally Posted by TheWeeze

Out of curiosity, how much do you pay someone like Solar City or REC? Do you buy the panels or are they leased?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

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You can do either or. For the system I am getting it would have been over 6K to buy it out right. So I leased it with an option to buy at the end of the contract.

If you have a south facing roof they can do some good deals for you.

lease payment?

Hoas I thought cannot regulate solar... Similar to satellite dishes. I have a coworker that lives in highlands ranch and he has solar. A few homes in my neighborhood has solar.

this is true, HOAs can no longer regulate anything that would be considered and energy saver including evaporative coolers.

I'm in negotiations with Solar City at this time. Still crunching the numbers, the lease to me is my average monthly bill divided by something and something = $67 month for 20 years + 2.9 % each year. Excel energy is raising their rates every year by more than that much.

I think that's how it's all working out. Waiting for the wife to meet with the sales chick and go through all the numbers again.

None of my roofs will be south facing, all east or west. But I'm including a detached garage and house together, and they promised 95% of my normal usage via solar, usually 100% plus some.

Our tax dollars at work. This technology wouldn't survive without government subsidies;PUC extends Xcel's Solar Rewards subsidies

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Originally Posted by Gman

Our tax dollars at work. This technology wouldn't survive without government subsidies.

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You're already paying for it, check the excel pill, there is a $1.67 fee each billing cycle for other energy solutions. You're paying for us to install solar. (or the vendors anyway)

Yep. We're all paying for something that isn't sustainable nor does it become net positive over time. They'd be better off spending the money for conventional power generation that makes sense instead of making the wind turbine and solar pushers wealthy at our expense. The pushers selling the hardware are the winners in this proposition. The taxpayers get left holding the bag.

The Obama voters across the street love their solar.

I was literally just about to post a thread about Solar City! Crazy. My wife and I are looking into them now for our crib. We would probably be looking at the lease option now I suppose. How does it work at the end if you decide to not keep it?

We are also working with our insurance to replace our roof panels because they are discontinued and we can pretty much get it done for free. May be some big changes coming to my house in the near future!

at the end, you can sign up with a new contract, and also get upgrades to new stuff, or buy it outright and keep going. (something like that)

My wife is the smart one, and she wasn't able to attend the sales pitch, so we're meeting again friday.

Neighbor has solar city, loves them and the setup. He bought it all outright up front. (all his energy costs = 9k$ or something) and only pays the monthly tax to excel = $8

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Originally Posted by Gman

Yep. We're all paying for something that isn't sustainable nor does it become net positive over time. They'd be better off spending the money for conventional power generation that makes sense instead of making the wind turbine and solar pushers wealthy at our expense. The pushers selling the hardware are the winners in this proposition. The taxpayers get left holding the bag.

The Obama voters across the street love their solar.

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So by that you align me with Obama voters?

Snort.

Do I agree with the subsidies? Nope. Am I going to make use of them since I am paying for them? Yup.

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Originally Posted by tmleadr03

So by that you align me with Obama voters?

Snort.

Do I agree with the subsidies? Nope. Am I going to make use of them since I am paying for them? Yup.

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Ya know, I am no leftie (not for about 20 years anyway) and I don't like subsidies, handouts and shit. But I sure as hell collected unemployment when I got laid off so I could feed my kids. Not quite the same thing, I know.

Good for you if you can make it work. Please keep us posted on how it works, reliability, maintenance costs, etc.

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Originally Posted by tmleadr03

They started Monday. Going to have about 100% of my usage on average.

Day one I left with this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...pseecd2f5e.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...ps0b5d4fff.jpg

And came home to this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...ps6fbf4877.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...ps26bba48c.jpg

Today I came home to this:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69...psabf91568.jpg


They should be all done by noon tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing the electric meter spin backwards.

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What time of day was the top picture taken?

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Originally Posted by gnihcraes

None of my roofs will be south facing, all east or west. But I'm including a detached garage and house together, and they promised 95% of my normal usage via solar, usually 100% plus some.

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What is you average monthly KW usage? Total watts proposed?

An example of a output from a grid-tied system I installed 6yrs ago. South facing, full sun. 3200 watts/Sanyo panels. Averages 420 KW's monthly production.

That appears to be a very clean install, it looks nice on the roof. Does the lease include changing the panels out for newer, more efficient panels later?

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Originally Posted by tmleadr03

So by that you align me with Obama voters?

Snort.

Do I agree with the subsidies? Nope. Am I going to make use of them since I am paying for them? Yup.

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This is how I see it. Working folks pay an enormous amount of taxes, this is one way to get some of those stolen monies back.

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Originally Posted by offgrid

What time of day was the top picture taken?

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All pics were taken either at 7 in the morning or 7 at night or later. I am at work when the sun actually hits the roof.

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Originally Posted by roberth

That appears to be a very clean install, it looks nice on the roof. Does the lease include changing the panels out for newer, more efficient panels later?



This is how I see it. Working folks pay an enormous amount of taxes, this is one way to get some of those stolen monies back.

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The way the lease works is that it isn't my solar panels till the lease is over. They maintain them and guarantee the lifetime output for the life of the lease. They also check it every few years to make sure it is performing as pro missed and if it isn't they either lower the payment or fix it. Upgrades, not so much.

If you have to replace your roofing, will they come out and remove the panels and reinstall them under the lease without extra expense to you?

ETA: Found the answer; http://www.solarcity.com/learn/solar-faqs.aspx#a15

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What if my roof needs repairs after I've installed solar panels?


Ideally, you should install solar panels on a roof that is in good condition. When a SolarCity site auditor comes out to inspect your building prior to installation, he or she will check to make sure that your roof is suitable for a solar installation. Once the solar panels are installed, they actually help to protect your roof from the elements. If you should ever need to make repairs on the roof, the solar panels will need to be removed and re-installed. SolarCity offers this service for a reasonable fee.

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So...hypothetically speaking, let's say there's a hail storm and 2/3 of your roof not covered by panels is damaged. Sounds like another expense.

After the panels have degraded and they are finally paid for, you're stuck with them? No upgrades and another lease contract?

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Originally Posted by Gman

If you have to replace your roofing, will they come out and remove the panels and reinstall them under the lease without extra expense to you?

ETA: Found the answer; http://www.solarcity.com/learn/solar-faqs.aspx#a15



So...hypothetically speaking, let's say there's a hail storm and 2/3 of your roof not covered by panels is damaged. Sounds like another expense.

After the panels have degraded and they are finally paid for, you're stuck with them? No upgrades and another lease contract?

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If you buy a house do you get stuck with it after you pay it off? How about a car? You don't pay off a car and just get an upgrade. You want something new and upgraded you have to buy one. You want newer panels you have to buy them.

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Originally Posted by Gman

Yep. We're all paying for something that isn't sustainable nor does it become net positive over time. They'd be better off spending the money for conventional power generation that makes sense instead of making the wind turbine and solar pushers wealthy at our expense. The pushers selling the hardware are the winners in this proposition. The taxpayers get left holding the bag.

The Obama voters across the street love their solar.

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I don't understand this. How is it not sustainable or net positive? My buddy in S. Ft Collins had them installed last year and he is at 110-150% usage, so he gets money credited back for the excess electricity he is producing on his roof.

The problem with solar and wind is that it isn't driven by market forces. Solar and wind are driven by the government using command economy forces, solar and wind are false economies. If wind and solar were as efficient and clean as fossil fuels we'd be on them already.

I don't think venture capitalsts see any future in wind or solar, that is why the government is driving the R&D and implementation through massive tax rebates and payouts and such.

the reason they are not feasible is due to the high costs of the system, until recently you had to shell out the thoudsands up front, solar city and companies like them are changing the game at least on that front.

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Originally Posted by rockhound

the reason they are not feasible is due to the high costs of the system, until recently you had to shell out the thoudsands up front, solar city and companies like them are changing the game at least on that front.

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Exactly, and even so I played with the numbers and it would have made as much sense to go with paying up front if I had the funds right now.

I recently noticed all the new base housing on Peterson have shiny new panels on their roofs.
Then I found this:

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/11/13/IRS-and-TREASURY-INVESTIGATE-OBAMAS-SOLARCITY

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Originally Posted by gnihcraes

at the end, you can sign up with a new contract, and also get upgrades to new stuff, or buy it outright and keep going. (something like that)

My wife is the smart one, and she wasn't able to attend the sales pitch, so we're meeting again friday.

Neighbor has solar city, loves them and the setup. He bought it all outright up front. (all his energy costs = 9k$ or something) and only pays the monthly tax to excel = $8

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So you are required to either renew or purchase? What are the fees like if you decide to drop the solar?

You can have the system removed upgraded or continue on with new contract.

Sell the house, the next owner gets the contract, it goes with the house apparently.

HOAs can only regulate things like color of frame and mounting hardware, mounting locations, and other aesthetic items. They cannot totally deny them.

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Originally Posted by Gman

Yep. We're all paying for something that isn't sustainable nor does it become net positive over time. They'd be better off spending the money for conventional power generation that makes sense instead of making the wind turbine and solar pushers wealthy at our expense. The pushers selling the hardware are the winners in this proposition. The taxpayers get left holding the bag.

The Obama voters across the street love their solar.

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So am on the same level as this because I took advantage of the $8000 first time home buyer money, and the $1500 energy credit?

I sure hope you didn't cash your stimulus checks that the bush administration and congress sent out when her was in office.

Pretty much, and yes I did - it was my money being returned to me.

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Originally Posted by davsel

Pretty much, and yes I did - it was my money being returned to me.

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Are you responding to me?

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Originally Posted by hghclsswhitetrsh

Are you responding to me?

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Yes, yes I am.

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Originally Posted by Rooskibar03

Damn I wish I could tell the HOA to pound sand and go that route.

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You can. This supersedes any HOA law.

ClickHere

Section: 38-33.3-106.7
[Coffee]

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Originally Posted by davsel

Yes, yes I am.

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So the stimulus money is 'your' money more so than tax credits that I received? Hmm