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  1. #1
    High Power Shooter Doubleajaybrock's Avatar
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    Default Do you have Solar panels on your house?

    What company did you go with? Are you happy with the work they did?

    What’s you average monthly bill?


    Thanks

    Aaron

  2. #2
    My Fancy Title gnihcraes's Avatar
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    Solar cuty now tesla.

    System is good.

    Service sucks if you need them. Hail storm roof repairs was a pain.

    Tried to add more panels recently, some 100$ fee just to talk with them about it. Gave up.



    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Possesses Antidote for "Cool" Gman's Avatar
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    No.
    Liberals never met a slippery slope they didn't grease.
    -Me

    I wish technology solved people issues. It seems to just reveal them.
    -Also Me


  4. #4
    Machine Gunner
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    One thing I will see is if you do it get 2 or 3 quotes and negotiate big time. Youd be surprised what you can get. Also they word things such that you really need to read carefully and make absolutely sure it will cover your energy needs. Sometimes their projections are based on things like switching out all your bulbs for more energy efficient ones, or using a nest thermostat, or whatever. But we had already maximized our savings and told them this so they dropped the price some since we wouldnt budge.

  5. #5
    Machine Gunner
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    We have ion solar. Works well, but we are also energy conscious (cheap skates) so we have always kept our energy low. We dont crank the AC and only have lights on we are actively using. Our power bill is effectively zero and we actually bank quite a bit if power. But they buy it back for pennies on the dollar at the end of the year so doesnt mean much. Theres always a flat power fee just to be hooked up. Ours is like $15. If batteries were more affordable (they're improving a lot) then I would like solar even more since we could store the power for weather and such. As it is now its kind of a bummer that we are predicting power to the system but if the power goes out we are still out.

    It was worth it with the tax breaks. Without them I wouldnt do it. It will pay for itself in about 10 years with average cost increases for power, so anything after that is gravy. If batteries get down to the 3k range or so (currently around 8 to 10k) then I would get one and that would make it more worth it.

  6. #6
    The "Godfather" of COAR Great-Kazoo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tmckay2 View Post
    We have ion solar. Works well, but we are also energy conscious (cheap skates) so we have always kept our energy low. We dont crank the AC and only have lights on we are actively using. Our power bill is effectively zero and we actually bank quite a bit if power. But they buy it back for pennies on the dollar at the end of the year so doesnt mean much. Theres always a flat power fee just to be hooked up. Ours is like $15. If batteries were more affordable (they're improving a lot) then I would like solar even more since we could store the power for weather and such. As it is now its kind of a bummer that we are predicting power to the system but if the power goes out we are still out.

    It was worth it with the tax breaks. Without them I wouldnt do it. It will pay for itself in about 10 years with average cost increases for power, so anything after that is gravy. If batteries get down to the 3k range or so (currently around 8 to 10k) then I would get one and that would make it more worth it.
    Did you buy, or leasing? If leasing (if you don't mind) what's the average monthly payment made to the solar co.

    Even the lowest quote was 3x the cost of utility bill in CO. Here 3x easy.
    The Great Kazoo's Feedback

    "when you're happy you enjoy the melody but, when you're broken you understand the lyrics".

  7. #7
    Ammocurious Rucker61's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo View Post
    Did you buy, or leasing? If leasing (if you don't mind) what's the average monthly payment made to the solar co.

    Even the lowest quote was 3x the cost of utility bill in CO. Here 3x easy.
    I got a quote of $120 a month for 20 years.
    Te occidere possunt sed te edere non possunt nefas est

    Sane person with a better sight picture

  8. #8
    The "Godfather" of COAR Great-Kazoo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rucker61 View Post
    I got a quote of $120 a month for 20 years.
    $120 is still more than my electric bill. Throw in it's approx. $29K not incl interest and once again, not affordable. Or much of an incentive for someone in their mid 60's.
    The Great Kazoo's Feedback

    "when you're happy you enjoy the melody but, when you're broken you understand the lyrics".

  9. #9
    Ammocurious Rucker61's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo View Post
    $120 is still more than my electric bill. Throw in it's approx. $29K not incl interest and once again, not affordable. Or much of an incentive for someone in their mid 60's.
    It's not much more than my current bill, and the sales guy times a time value of money comparison with an annual rate increase of 4-6%. Compared to a fixed rate of $120 per month, it's looks like it makes sense. Of course, his analysis was cherry picked to sell a solar set-up. I've got two kids in high school playing on high wattage gaming systems and wasting other electricity. They'll be gone in a few years, and we can certainly work to reduce our bill now. We'd likely downsize our house to a ranch to get rid of a bunch of stairs for when we get older. The analysis doesn't look as compelling then.
    Te occidere possunt sed te edere non possunt nefas est

    Sane person with a better sight picture

  10. #10
    Zombie Slayer Zundfolge's Avatar
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    I have old school passive solar heating/lighting panels all over my house. They work great. And you can use them in the summer to let air out of the house too.
    Modern liberalism is based on the idea that reality is obligated to conform to one's beliefs because; "I have the right to believe whatever I want".

    "Everything the State says is a lie, and everything it has it has stolen.
    -Friedrich Nietzsche

    "Every time something really bad happens, people cry out for safety, and the government answers by taking rights away from good people."
    -Penn Jillette

    A World Without Guns <- Great Read!

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