diy solar

diy solar

Hey, I'm mad and here to learn

There are many things to consider before taking the plunge into solar. The cost/reward being the biggest factor. Also what I can do to make my home better to conserve energy.

Led Lighting
Energy Efficient Appliances
Insulation
Shade Outside of House From Sun
Change Your Energy Habits

What we did:
Four years ago my wife got an inheritance when her father passed. She was restricted in the use of the money. We decided to go solar on the house.

In Las Vegas NV it cost about $40k. Talked to 6 different companies and chose the middle bid. They came recomended by a friend. The tax credit was about $12k. So net cost about $28k for 28 panels and grid tie system installed, and all permits. After the first year (took about a year for the banked kw to build up) our power bill has been the minimum due to only the taxes and add-on fees. We pay nearly $13 a month. Went from $275 in summer and $250 in winter to $13 year round.

Our house is over 30 years old so insulation isn't/wasn't so good. We recently had to replace the heat-pump, and water heater. Both with high efficency ratings. After getting them installed we had new insulation blown into the attic space. Big difference in cooling the house. Much more even cooling throughout.

We also set up shading for the south and west sides of the house. Some plants and some lattice panels to break up the sun. We may even put up a patio cover on south and west sides. Another big difference. No more hot walls in the bedrooms.

In Las Vegas we have excellent sun for solar. Sun-up @ 6am -- Sun-Down after 6pm. Best sun between 8am and 5pm. Temps in 100's for 3 to 4 months. We don't have power outages (one time in 20 years for about an hour). The cost per kw is about $.13. I believe we are on an 80% sell/buy-back plan with the power company.

The solar panels cover most of the tiled roof on the south and west sides. Even if it was a shingle roof the panels would protect it and extend their life.

Solar was one of the best investments we have made.

I now subscribe to this forum and am working with DIY solar on my motorhome. I am in my 70's and cannot do all the everything I did when I was younger. When we put solar on our house we knew nothing about it and called a professional. Our system is fully insured on our homeowners policy. If I had gone DIY I may not be as insured as with a pro company installation.

Me Too: let's go brandon!

i'm all LED and high efficiency appliances except for the hvac which is the greatest consumer of energy... we have to keep it cool due to medical conditions but the goal is to take some of the burden off into a semi-portable solution so i can take it to the farm relatively easy in a SHTF scenario. Still need help coming up with a components list for the system if anyone is out there who can help guide me.
 
they just raised prices in the netherlands between 0.50 and in some cases 0.70 euro cents/kwh
Here in Sweden I just signed up to a new fixed price 12 month contract at 2.64 Swedish kronor per kWh - that’s 25 cents (USD or Euro, is same right now). I thought I was hard done by, but seeing those numbers you‘re quoting I see others have it worse. Lucky the OP doesn’t have his power hungry house in Europe or he might be feeling even more mad about things.

The only consolation I see in high prices is it shortens the payback time on the investment I’ve made in solar, so that‘s one silver lining!
 
Is this some peak pricing scheme with smart meters? My daytime price in Slovakia is 0.16€/kWh (nighttime 0.12/kWh), but I'm planning my system ROI assuming this is going to double at the start of next year.
here electricity prices are coupled to natural gas prices .
there are some folks here getting filthy rich of the back of others
 
Here in Sweden I just signed up to a new fixed price 12 month contract at 2.64 Swedish kronor per kWh - that’s 25 cents (USD or Euro, is same right now). I thought I was hard done by, but seeing those numbers you‘re quoting I see others have it worse. Lucky the OP doesn’t have his power hungry house in Europe or he might be feeling even more mad about things.

The only consolation I see in high prices is it shortens the payback time on the investment I’ve made in solar, so that‘s one silver lining!
i am "lucky" , my contract at 0,21 is still valid for another year and a half, but i agree it is rediculous
 
Well, that was an interesting read, and it certainly makes me realize how lucky we are here in Quebec, Canada. Considering the low price of electricity here, a home solar system would make no sense. I just went and checked my consumption for the last 12 months, and I paid 7.6 cents (in US dollars) per kWh. Average daily consumption: 87 kWh.
 
I am paying $0.1273 USD per kwh on my current house. The plan goes until January. The new house hopefully will be mostly (or all) solar. The last three months here in Central Texas have been my highest usage in the 16 years I have lived in this house.

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Energy prices continue to soar, and my most recent energy bill was $500. I don't like it, and I'm here to research the feasibility of a solar system installation. I know nothing and will spend some time reading your sticky posts and performing general research. I have a background in technology, an inquisitve nature, and a desire to learn. I reached out to my energy provider, asking for basic info and if they provided any rebates. They responded with this canned email that feels like they're trying to talk me out of solar. I don't know maybe they're just trying to be helpful, but I'm just aggravated in general. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide. Cheers.

"No sir, but if you decide to research solar installations, a few questions you can ask yourself and some research based on your personal situation are important:

1. How much does the solar unit cost (plus installation) that I would like to purchase?
2. What expenses may exist when I replace my shingles on my roof if I have a roof-top solar unit?
3. How many kWhs do I use in any given year? And how many kWhs will this particular system generate if located on my roof (this is tricky, because the representative of the installer may tell you something based on national data and not know the specific production level in south Louisiana). A realistic number is crucial here.
4. How long will this unit last?
5. You can use the answers to the above questions to determine how much this solar unit will cost you per kWh. This number can be compared to your utility bill to see if it will workout mathematically for you.
6. From this resource a basic solar unit (6-kWh) costs $16,000 - $21,000 ( https://www.marketwatch.com/picks/guides/home-improvement/are-solar-panels-worth-it/ )and produces between 400 to 1,000 kWhs per month ( https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/how-much-does-a-6kw-solar-power-system-cost-and-how-much-electricity-does-it-produce ). With the center of these estimates a calculation could be as such:
a. $18,000 to produce 700 kWhs per month.
b. If a utility rate is at *13 cents per kWh then each month of 700 kWhs would be valued at .13 x 700 = $91.00 per month value
c. At $18,000 to install (remember this does not take into account additional charges of maintenance and charges associated with reroofing your home with the panels attached) earning ~$91.00 per month, $18,000/$91.00 = 198 months to recoup your investment. That is 16.5 years. If you feel this unit will last longer than 16.5 years and will generate at optimum levels in South Louisiana, then the investment may be worth it.
*this dollar amount is accurate at this time and at record levels, but was ~1.5 cents less in January and even less in 2021."
I advise adding a hot water solar panel into whatever plan you decide on. They are very efficient and if you use hot water, you'll never regret it.
I put one in about 30 years ago, long before I became interested in PV and it has paid for itself several times over. You only need to reserve about 40 square feet and can still have a PV system.
 
- Anywhere from 1400 to 3600 Kwh per month. My house is 3200 sq/ft and has 2 AC units and a pool. I'm not trying to go off-grid, just offset some of the outrageous energy costs.

Monthly Service Charge $12.00
Energy Charge 3,334 kWh @ 0.056842 $189.51
PCA 3,334 kWh @ 0.07221 $240.75
FF-CR Rider 3,334 kWh @ -0.00017 -$0.57
Formula Rate Plan $27.71
Slr Rider 2 $2.69
RLM Rider 1 Units @ -$5.00 -$5.00
Roundup Amt $0.91
Total Current Charges for this Account $468.00

-They will allow a grid tie, and I will not borrow money. I would like a system tied to the grid with enough battery to run my fridge and a couple of window units in the event of an outage. I'm open to overseeing the installation and using subs within my network where necessary.

-Do I possess the knowledge today? No. But am I capable of obtaining the knowledge and building a safe, robust system? Yes.
well to be honest go pay the butler to figure it out. you want a mcmansion.. pay for a mcmansion.
 
That was both harsh and unhelpful. What about the facts laid out above turn you into a hostile ass?
everything about the post. notice how I did not call him names...rather childish of you huh? what are you 5 years old?
 
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