Getting solar at the house

[gnihcraes]

Can win them all I guess.

[tmleadr03]

Still haven't made a payment yet because it ISNT FUCKING TURNED ON so it isn't like my money contributed to it...

[c5fourj]

Well, here is my take. I was considering solar for my home, live on a few acres and planned on a small solar field detached from the home.
I'm a contractor and do a little work for the solar companies in town so, I asked one of the PM's about the program and he said that he would not do it at his home because the panels will never make it to the end of the lease and that they are to expensive to replace. The only advantage, he said, was to have power in a power outage, in the long run no money saved

[Grant H.]

Just bought 3000 watts of panels at $.33 per watt.

Solar charge controller and inverters are on the way.

Now I just have to figure out which batteries I am going to order for my system.

With thin film monocrystalline panels being as low as ~$.60/watt (lower when you find a smoking deal and buy it all), and more spatially efficient polycrystalline panels being in the ~$.80-.99/watt range, I don't see the advantage to the lease systems anymore. When panels were $5/watt and such, it makes more sense, but that's not the case anymore.

[Gman]

What types of batteries are being used for storage in this application?

I was able to Google this solution that SolarCity has; http://www.solarcity.com/residential...y-storage.aspx

...and this article; http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment...ider-batteries

The technology exists, but it comes at a price. Depending on a house's size, location, and consumption, storage adds about 30 percent to the cost of a solar installation, which averages $26,000. Also, batteries need to be replaced every six to 12 years, depending on whether they're used to provide energy at night or strictly as backup systems.

[gnihcraes]

No batteries or storage of energy with these systems. If power is out so is the solar systems ac input.

[Grant H.]

What types of batteries are being used for storage in this application?

I was able to Google this solution that SolarCity has; http://www.solarcity.com/residential...y-storage.aspx

...and this article; http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment...ider-batteries
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I will either be using Deep Cycle conventional batteries or AGM.

I would love to see their research, because thats a lot of BS.

I will be adding 3000 watts of solar (405kwh per month at the lowest amount of sun per day in this area - So more like 500+kwh per month) with battery backup and 120VAC inverters for less than $10K. The beauty of my system is that I will be able to take it with me when we sell this house and move.

While batteries are the largest portion of my $10k, I see a financial benefit, as well as a preparedness benefit to doing this.

[Grant H.]

Well, here is my take. I was considering solar for my home, live on a few acres and planned on a small solar field detached from the home.
I'm a contractor and do a little work for the solar companies in town so, I asked one of the PM's about the program and he said that he would not do it at his home because the panels will never make it to the end of the lease and that they are to expensive to replace. The only advantage, he said, was to have power in a power outage, in the long run no money saved

If you buy your components, and deal shop for them, then there is certainly money saved over time.

In addition to power when the grid is down.

[Gman]

No batteries or storage of energy with these systems. If power is out so is the solar systems ac input.

SolarCity's new battery system can help you keep the lights on and fridge cold in a power outage or natural disaster while potentially saving you even more on your monthly utility bills.Our battery systems are currently offered in selected California markets. We hope to offer the service nationwide by the end of the year.

Acid/Lead batteries don't live forever. Matter of fact, no battery technology lasts forever. There are mitigation and maintenance costs involved with batteries. If you're doing the math on how much money solar is saving you, don't forget to factor that in.

[Grant H.]

Acid/Lead batteries don't live forever. Matter of fact, no battery technology lasts forever. There are mitigation and maintenance costs involved with batteries. If you're doing the math on how much money solar is saving you, don't forget to factor that in.

I'm not.

Solar is not a "quick ROI" game.

Nor is it a massive ROI game, usually, unless you have overkill on solar panels and a grid tie. The guy I bought my panels from has 32Kw of panels installed on his house, and grid ties back to the power company. He will have his paid off very quickly.

The Tesla battery packs intrigue me. I called one of the guys I have worked for who is good friends with Elon Musk, and asked what he knows about them. He is into tech stuff as well and is apparently supposed to be getting a couple of them for his house. He is going to check and see what can be done to get some more. So who knows...