.......out of hand. Can anyone recommend a solar power home system, or if someone on the boards is in this line of business. I just started doing the research, so by spring time or sooner have one installed. After doing the price cost/savings analysis, will determine how soon i make the purchase.
Thanks for any input!!
1st thing I would do is get ahold of your power company...( you will at some point anyways) they can tell you if any rebates are out there or are going to be out there. Its not uncommon to see a 30% rebate from power companys. Normally to get that you have to jump thru a couple hoops for them( like finance with this company, or use this panel and etc) but that 30% could very easily be 5k or better.
My neighbor's solar system cost a total of $33,xxx. APS, our electric company in Prescott kicked in $20,xxx. So his out of pocket was $13,xxx or so. Not a bad deal if you ask me.
Plus if you are not using the power generated from your solar system (on vacation or otherwise not there) the power company pays you for the power produced.:sqeyes:
When we build here soon, Solar will be on my list.
1st thing I would do is get ahold of your power company...( you will at some point anyways) they can tell you if any rebates are out there or are going to be out there. Its not uncommon to see a 30% rebate from power companys. Normally to get that you have to jump thru a couple hoops for them( like finance with this company, or use this panel and etc) but that 30% could very easily be 5k or better.
Yes, they will require it to be installed in such and such a way to qualify. Also, the state has requirements as well.
Most utilities are also offering a rebate on installation costs after you have done all the work and the solar array is on line. We offer $4 a watt up to 50% cost of the unit. To qualify for the rebate and net metering (i.e. selling the power back to us) the unit has to be certified and installed by a licensed contractor.
We are telling people to plan on spending $7 a watt for a certified PV installation. How big of a PV unit depends on how much load you have in your house.
http://www.partsonsale.com/
I had Solatron rebuild my inverter, they were very fast on the repair and resonable.
My ranch is currently off grid. I have 2880 watts of power and will be upgrading to 4320 watts this year.
I built many systems in San Felipe, do the math, the R.O.I. is not very good on a whole house system (total solar). The initial cost is very high, and the upkeep can be a bitch.
You might consider a partial system, then you can get warm and fuzzies about helping the cause!!!
Your power company will give you an energy survey and assit you in making your house more energy efficent. I would always start there.
Are all of you applicanes energy star? Does attic have R-45 insulation, all light fixtures compac florescent? Is you A/C on an auto cut off program?
I worked on my 3K square foot house as recomended my SCe. Last months electric bill was $41.
I heard around 10-12 yeras to recoupe you money.What is out of hand, my bil is running around 300 right now and can reach 700 in the summer(****king rip off).2660 sq ft home with a pool in the 951.
thanks for all the responses, i think i have a better idea of what i need to do!! i really appreciated all the input!!
My neighbor's solar system cost a total of $33,xxx. APS, our electric company in Prescott kicked in $20,xxx. So his out of pocket was $13,xxx or so. Not a bad deal if you ask me.
Plus if you are not using the power generated from your solar system (on vacation or otherwise not there) the power company pays you for the power produced.:sqeyes:
When we build here soon, Solar will be on my list.
Not true. They will only credit you the money, and every month, if you don't use the credit, you loose it. I have been doing a ton of research on this subject in the recent months. Best deal is to get a few quotes from certified solar install companies. Then make sure that you only buy a system that produces just enough for you to use each month. You don't want to produce more, because you are only giving the power company free power. Make sure you are able to upgrade it in the future also. Battery technology is not reasonable yet imo unless you are away from power lines. Replacing batteries every 5-7 years will get expensive and the ROI will take forever. Check out Home Power magazine. They seem to have a lot of good info for the beginner. Also, see www.dsireusa.org for rebate info. I think I am going to wait for Nanosolar to start mass producing their product. Check them out if you want to look into the near future. PM me if you want a huge link list for info.
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