For Those Wondering About Solar Panels

Submitted by SweatyCockroach8212 t3_11dqc17 in RhodeIsland

I've been keeping track of how much solar energy my panels generate. They were installed about halfway through February 2019. My tracker had a little bit of an outage in Sept & Oct 2019. But here's what I've got so far. I have 20 panels and a tree that fills in halfway through April and shades about 2 panels worth in the mid-afternoon. The number of panels was chosen to match my usage and the estimates given by the installer have been pretty close to exact.

I chose to pay for the panels myself which means I don't pay RI Energy for electricity anymore. Based on what I used to pay for monthly electricity vs. what I paid to install the panels, my break even point is around 6.5 to 7 years. The panels have a 20 year warranty for the amount of energy that the installers estimated.

Numbers are in kWh

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Comments

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jt_tesla t1_jaagtuf wrote

7-10 year return on investment is the average. That’s why it pays to shop around and get the initial cost down.

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maybebullshitmaybe t1_jaaefqw wrote

Agree with the other commenter. Thanks for sharing. So I obviously see the numbers but no regrets?

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nathanaz t1_jab1nud wrote

Do you have a battery backup for power outages? If so, how big and how much?

Thanks for sharing this info!

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jacn67l wrote

I do not. At the time I looked (a few years ago), I think it was going to cost about $35,000 which I just couldn't justify for the very few outages that I have. My electricity usage is already net-zero, so the only extra benefit of batteries to me is to stay up when the grid isn't working. For me, the outages are too infrequent and not for very long, so I didn't see the value in a battery backup system.

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nathanaz t1_jacobha wrote

Makes sense…. That’s a lot of cash for something you wouldn’t use often.

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jacomwm wrote

However, I do believe battery storage is just one big engineering discovery away from breaking through and the costs dropping dramatically. Once that happens, I'd definitely consider battery backup.

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adebium t1_jaasemg wrote

Who installed the panels for you?

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jaashhs wrote

Newport Solar.

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Nacman t1_jaazxwo wrote

How did you like them? I'm thinking about getting panels but I'm a little apprehensive about picking a vendor. It's tough to know who is trustworthy and such.

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jacmq4f wrote

LOVED the team at Newport Solar. The owner, Doug, is an expert in the field and is someone who regularly represents the industry at the Statehouse, testifying about the science and benefits. He's no fly by night or just out to make a quick buck. Highly recommended.

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Even-Vegetable-1700 t1_jab45i2 wrote

Do yourself a favor and be sure to talk to Dexter at Rooftop Power. Compare them to everyone else. You’ll be glad you did.

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flyingWeez t1_jacg9u7 wrote

In my experience they were extremely overpriced and tried to upsell me on a system nearly twice the size I needed under the guise of “more profit’” from the renewable energy growth plan

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gud_morning_dave t1_jadkexg wrote

We're getting solar and the power company made our installer downsize the system twice before approving it. My understanding is they won't approve a system that produces more than your historical electricity usage.

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flyingWeez t1_jadmq7h wrote

We had a little bit of leeway because we just moved into the home and had an EV and used more electricity than the prior owners and I think the sales guy just smelled blood in the water and went for it lol

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plaverty9 t1_jaels8m wrote

125% of your historic use is/was the rule.

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overthehillhat t1_jadiq1m wrote

There is a better solar deal

with the regrowth plan

at any of the installers in RI

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plaverty9 t1_jacf3y2 wrote

This is one reason to go with a local vendor and get recommendations.

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SaltyNewEnglandCop t1_jab3kpe wrote

If I was a mortgage originator, I’d package a solar panel deal into the mortgage to get them out there more.

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jacnceg wrote

Or even as a HELOC/second mortgage. That could be a smart partnership for a local bank and a solar company to send out as marketing. Offer a low interest rate loan to people to get solar panels.

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gud_morning_dave t1_jadk1cm wrote

There are already low interest loans for solar, I think as a result of the green energy law passed last summer. We're getting solar soon and the loan is under 3% interest.

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plaverty9 t1_jaa620p wrote

Pretty cool. Thank you.

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ydai t1_jaafsao wrote

Do you need to do anything when it snows?

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BrendanBSharp t1_jaak7dj wrote

Just get out of the way. When snow slides off the panels, you’ll either hear it or feel it. Hopefully you’ll only hear it.

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jaakqva wrote

Nope. They're angled and dark, so the sun will melt the snow enough to where it slides off. When there's a lot of snow and slides off all at the same time, it's a pretty big rumble.

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jt_tesla t1_jaagps6 wrote

Just let the snow come and melt away. Properly installed, these can handle the weight of snow.

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ydai t1_jaagwv7 wrote

That's better than I thought. Thanks.

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The2ndNoel t1_jabwork wrote

Occasionally a big storm or a lot of ice causes buildup. We have a specialized rubber squeegee on a very long pole to remove or loosen any stuck ice. Otherwise it melts right off.

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elwoodblues54 t1_jab7lin wrote

Does anyone have reviews on boundless energy? Im being courted by them.

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fatkidwitskillz t1_jact6sq wrote

What is your typical power utilization each month?

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jactide wrote

It really varies, largely due to summer air conditioning, but 500-550 is a pretty good number to use for a monthly average.

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HairyEyeballz t1_jadn0bw wrote

What's your square footage and how many tech-addicted humans are living with you, if you don't mind me asking?

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jadq44a wrote

1000 and 1.5, including myself. So yeah, my electricity usage is kept pretty minimal.

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topher352 t1_jaczspc wrote

Great information and stats. Thank you for sharing!

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dasuberdog11 t1_jaet8z9 wrote

We put panels on our home a little over 3 years ago. The 12 year loan monthly price was about the same as our average monthly electric payment at the time. So basically broke even to start and saving more as electricity prices go up.

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leonpinneaple t1_jab9019 wrote

That is very cool. I hear with baseboard electric so I’d need about three times that output to make it work for me. Bummer.

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KemperTemper1 t1_jadlu36 wrote

I wouldn’t buy a house with solar panels. Many people will not. Keep that in mind.

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jadpyde wrote

Keep it in mind and do what with that information? I mean, many people won't buy a raised ranch. Many people won't buy a 1 bathroom house.

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edthesmokebeard t1_jaay8f8 wrote

Yep, you're prepaying your electric bill for the next 7 years, then the rest is gravy.

Who lives in the same place for 7+ years?

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MommaGuy t1_jab7j2f wrote

I’ve been in my house for 30 yrs.

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SweatyCockroach8212 OP t1_jacmix5 wrote

Sure, that can be taken into consideration. But the same can be said for any home renovation. If you redo your kitchen and that costs $20k, will you be there long enough to pay that off? Maybe, maybe not, but it also helps with resale value, just like solar panels. If/when I sell my house, part of the selling points is "free electricity!", which should add to the value, and theoretically, add to what I can charge for it.

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