Right, and that is probably okay for a cabin or retreat, but I don't want to live like that daily.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
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Right, and that is probably okay for a cabin or retreat, but I don't want to live like that daily.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Carbon nanotubes can create health problems similar to asbestos when inhaled.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoneyBadger
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...anotube-danger
hahaha I was just throwing out a sciencey buzzword that seems to get some people really excited.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
Also, inhaling your solar panels may be hazardous to your health. [LOL]
Namaste Solar looks to be a Co-Op.
Sunrunhome Solar, their installer is REC Solar.
REC - I'm waiting on a quick quote from them. So Far they are not as easy access, responsive as Solar City has been. Solar City Saleswoman might be hungry though. :)
REC seems like they do more commercial work. According to their website, they just completed home install number 10,000.
That may have been me...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
I've got until sunday to sign up with Solar City for a $250 discount. I've got REC Solar coming out saturday morning to see what their pitch is.
I have an insurance adjuster coming out Monday morning to get my new roof squared away. Solar City has been calling to confirm an appointment to come out prior to the new roof being done. If you wouldn't mind can you let me know what REC has to say in comparison to Solar City? If you would prefer to PM me with details or whatever that would be great. I can also provide my number if you would prefer that way. Are you looking at the lease option or purchase option?Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
I can post on the forum, a lot of folks looking and discussing it on this thread. Looking at the Lease option with Solar City, similar option I believe with REC.Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Giv
Solar City has made it very easy to work through the whole process I must say. Credit check online took about 1 minute after hitting submit. (all electronic) Contract is in my inbox waiting for E-Signature. I can just HIT the buttons when I'm ready and be on the way to Solar!
Waiting to see if REC functions as smooth. Unfortunately I'm late on getting alternative quotes.
After meeting with the sales guy from REC it was nothing but easy online Docusign for me. The next time I actually talked to one in person was when the set it up on the house.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Still waiting on Xcell to install the new meter so I can run my panels.
We would greatly appreciate this. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Ok, met with REC Solar on Saturday Morning. Received their quote.
Thanks to my wife, the Excel Spreadsheet master:
We compared each solar quote to Xcel, not solar to solar.
Each quote was a Lease type system, with some options to buy it during the term or end of the term. (20 years)
REC items I had issue with compared to Solar City.
1. Inverter inside house. Not required, but they prefer to install inside. Not sure I want the inverter box hanging on the basement wall, cables inside and back out.
2. Upfront down payment - $1500, this isn't recovered until about 14 years into the contract/system.
3. Contract and quote are not easily read/follow compared with the items received from Solar City.
4. REC is not completely one company, Solar City is the finance company, they are the installers, they insure everything, including my house. 20 Years, if the system breaks or causes a leak etc, they will fix it. Not really sure how REC covers, they claim 5 years, but then say 10, but then claim to cover the inverter when it's due for replacement. Not clear on all this.
Solar City starts with a kW rate, and it increases 2.9% each year for 20 years. = 13.6 cents after 20 years.
REC starts with a flat rate of 12.8 and never increases = 12.8 after 20 years.
The two are comparable kW $
Basically after 20 years the costs are:
Here is the spreadsheet if anyone wants to see the numbers and play with them.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...omparison.xlsx
I'll pull the trigger on Solar City here in a few moments and update this thread with progress. (each company is offering $250-500 discounts if signed in June)
Finalized my starting contract with Solar City, 7.63 cents per kW on the contract. (changed slightly lower based on current market I believe)
Solar City called today to setup an appointment for Engineering. They will be on site for Wednesday.
Other vendor was talking like they could start in September?? Woof.
Took about a month total for me from signing to installation. Still waiting on xcell to come out and replace the meter. Slackers.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Took us a little over a month after the finished installation before Xcel came out to put the meters in. It sucks waiting on them when all the sunshine is hitting your panels!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by tmleadr03
It is pissing me off. REC had the system installed in less then three days. Then when they needed to get inspected by xcel for approval Xcel doesn't even give a bracket of when they will show up. Just gives a half hour call ahead to let the REC guy know he is on the way. So the REC guy had to sit doing nothing and wait for the Xcel guy for a little over half the day. Obnoxious.Quote:
Originally Posted by meatman
Update: Site Engineer was here for a couple hours, went over every part of the house. Likes everything he sees, except for some structure additions needed in the attic. 1922 House needs a couple more supports. He claims they will cover this cost and have a couple guys come do the upgrades when the building engineer checks out the photos and such.
Sweet! I just got done with the claims process for my new roof. USAA is sending me a check for $10,700 for a full new roof. Then I'll complete the process with Solar City in September after I have raised my usage over the summer.
I thought you guys might find this interesting;
Solar panel installer SolarCity criticizing Xcel solar program
Quote:
SolarCity identified four areas where the Xcel program is burdensome:
• Forms cannot be filed electronically, so all documents must be mailed;
• Xcel requires three different forms — each signed at different stage of the process;
• Every system, even very small ones, need a detailed engineering review;
• and when all is done, there is a 90-day waiting period.
SolarCity leases solar arrays, requiring little or no upfront charge to its customers, who number about 4,000 in Colorado, the company said.
"When it is finally turned on, Xcel doesn't tell the homeowner or the installer," Nutting said. "We have to ask the customer to go out and check the meter."
The site survey guy warned me of all the xcel delays. Otherwise they would have it installed and running in no time. O'well, the way it is I guess. It will give me time to evaluate my options with the system. ;)
Update: My system design is complete. They appear to have refused to do any structure upgrades in the older section of my house. Thus the system has been designed to only go on the new portion with the new rafters.
System has been changed from 7.4kw, to 2.9kw.
Not happy right now, they tell me one thing, we'll fix it up, then don't call or discuss before making the changes.
Good thing, this is more than 10% change as I was told by sales staff, I can opt out of everything at this point. Calling them first thing in the morning to discuss.
Already sent an unhappy email to the sales gal, she might want her commission. Doubt she gets anything unless it's installed and operational.
#^*#@%^@^*%*#
· The usable area on the mounting plane is smaller than previously estimated due to structural concerns, therefore we have removed 3.92kW from your system.
- Because of this change we have decreased the size of your payment appropriately.
You will receive a separate email from me via EchoSign with an amendment to your contract that reflects these changes and can be approved via electronic signature. Please click on the highlighted link in the email then review the document and follow the instructions to approve the contract.
Before we can begin your installation we need you to:
· Please trim the trees adjacent to the South facing mounting plane.
Yeah, I wouldn't need to trim any trees if the system was on the other half of the house. (kinda figured I would trim it up a bit anyways)
Wow. That's a substantial change. You'll also be fighting those trees for as long as you need them out of the way of the panels.
Correct. I need to trim this tree and another anyway, so I'll get a quote for that before continuing with any of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
I can opt out of the contract right now because of such a substantial change, I won't approve the engineering drawings, I've already printed out the cancellation form. Just trying to figure out exactly where to email it. Everything is Electronic except for the cancellation process, which indicates "mail to:" a physical address. The contracts mention a 3 day period after signing and a 14 day period to cancel. ??
Solar City will have to send a new contract anyway, since the kW and payment structure has changed.
totally bummed. Might still continue with this, just have to think about it and run the numbers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
That's a bummer. They had to change our original design because they said that the roof on our house was only going to last 8 more years. I was ready to opt out, but since the engineers were already at our house, they decided to check out my new garage and found a way to put it on there. It all worked out at the end. That seems like a huge drop in the system output though to go from 7.4kw to 2.9. Did they say what the percentage of your average usage the 2.9kw system is compared to the 7.4?
Wouldn't that be a 3.5kW system, not 2.9?Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Sorry to hear about the headache. My system got downgraded as well, but due to the chimney shadow from my next door neighbors house.
Well it is listed as 3.4 in one spot and 2.9 in another. One is system size and one is promised output I think.
Frustrated right now because nobody will call me back! I have questions if the house can be fixed up a bit to allow for large array.
I'm sure it can be, but for what cost, to who and if engineering will balk no matter what is done. I'm not going to fix things up to find out they still won't approve it. House has bee here since 1922. Still standing. :)
Bait and Switch travelers.
Update:
Not much changed, I finally got ahold of someone, including the sales gal.
Sales Gal is looking into things, but probably can't do anything obviously.
Engineering folks confirmed, they will not do any updates to my rafters and will not install panels on that 1/3 of the house. (original house)
There is no pressure from Solar City to do anything further, I can opt out of the contract because of 10% difference in the quote. No time frame, although the sooner the better I'd figure.
I'm waiting for a quote to trim up the tree, it needs that done anyway.
I can go with the new quote and system, and if the structure is fixed up in the future, they can approve and install the full system.
I can fix things up without too much hassle and meet their requirement most likely. I'll probably have to get an engineering plan drawn up and then a permit to make it all legal.
52 2x4's, couple boxes of strong ties and nails, I can match it exactly like the new rafters are.
Did they account for the old growth lumber which should support more than new construction? I know my structural engineer said there was equations for taking that into account on my 1909 building.
It's unknown, they won't give me much for details, just that the span is too long for the support provided. There are only like 4 boards holding up everything. :) I need to add more structure anyway. Just a pain I didn't really want to fiddle with yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Firehaus
I'll get a photo of it and post it up tomorrow maybe. It's held some pretty large snowfall for what little is up there.
Tree in way of Solar: Looks like 245 to trim the tree back and 145 for a treatment to keep the tree from growing too much. This needs done anyway, so I won't necessarily figure this into the solar costs.
+ 535 to trim another tree not related to the solar.
Probably bite the bullet and get all this done.
Ouch.
We looked at solar a year ago but put off doing anything because of some other commitments. I'm thinking about jumping back in now. Is there a referral bonus for Solar City out there? If so, someone shoot me a PM.
I'm also very interested in the possibility of using the panels when the power is out. I know this doesn't work by default - but if I put in a transfer switch, is there anything preventing it? I was looking to put in a transfer switch anyway at some point, so I'd have a place to safely hook up a generator.
Yes, I can refer and get a discount/kickback.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian
Power failure, the invertor monitors the Xcel side of the power, and will shutdown the output from the solar panels. You can still use the transfer switch. I'll know more information once I get back on the install of my system. Hopefully in a week or two.
There is one with REC as well. Let me know too. [Beer]Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian
When I signed up for REC I also got an iPad mini. I am meh over that so far since I haven't really found a use for it at the shop. I got the iPad after they installed the system. And I still haven't gotten the meter from Xcell. So still no solar.
Ah yes.. the solar haters..
Solar can go either way.. If you put solar on a regular house it will be a wash at best. If you put solar on a house that is built for it it will pay for itself in a matter of a few years.
I wish I had solar at my place. I rent a townhouse/condo. Everything in my place is electric, the baseboard heat, oven, refridgerator, dish washer, washer/dryer and so on.. My electric bills can reach up to $300 a month in the winter and hover around $60-70 in the summer. If I had solar I'd be saving a ton of money.
Definitely interested in this. Read a few sites that indicate that the grid-tied solar panels are wired in such a way that even a installing a manual transfer switch will not allow you to get power when the grid is down. Apparently the elec. code prevents this due to the risk to the techs and there's no way to get it set up in a way that makes it useful when the grid is down. Wish I had more first-hand answers.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Are any of you going to add mirrors to your set up for extra power? Also, my wife purchased a bunch of stock in a company that made some kind of amplifier for panels that supposedly tripled the output of them...
Along with solar, are any of you doing wind? It's super easy to make a turbine, well, if you have an old treadmill......
Just waiting on the tree company to come trim things up and then I'll pull the trigger on the smaller system for my house.
I'll get the rest of the roof trusted up and should be able to go for the full system before the end of the year. (i hope) Might be that long before the 3.4kw system is up and running on my site.
At this rate it will be next year before I can turn mine on. Still no Xcel meter.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes