Posted: 5/30/2016 10:40:38 AM EDT
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Anyone taken them up on the installation of the panels on their home for no charge and you pay them for your power?
They're going around town and I see LOTS of them going up in my neighborhood. |
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it has been about 5 or 6 years since I spoke with them.
I decided it didn't really save you anything in the long run. They charged you a percentage of what they felt you saved by using their panels over using regular power through your provider. Maybe their model changed since the last time, but their charge to you went up every few years based on the idea power prices would increase. so today you pay 11 cents a kw hr. in 5 years they expected that to be 17 cents. and charged you accordingly. every few years they bumped the price so power would cost more till it hit something like 35 cents per their charge rates. or course you would make it back by selling back power you didn't use. but the catch is, power prices have remained pretty steady. I paid 11 cents a few years back and I think I might pay 7 cents now. but if you looked at their charts I would be paying them 17 cents by now. unless you just like being green I think in the long run it costs you more. |
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I can't speak to anyone else's agreement for solar, I have a much different contract than what is described above.
I still pay for electrical through a retail electric provider like anyone else. I paid a one time fee to cover the installation and 15 year lease of the panels. The panels offset my usual electric usage. If I produce more than I use I get a credit for it on my monthly bill. |
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I looked at Solar City a little bit but in the long run, you are better off having your own system installed. In Dec of 2014, I had Longhorn Solar install a 7.75KW system. My house is almost 3600 square feet and 100% electric (no natural gas or propane in subdivision). There are 4 of us and my wife thinks showers should take 30 minutes! My bill last month was -$1.37 and my highest was $53 in Aug. I work from home so I can't really set the thermostat at 80 degrees during the day or I would be sweating on my keyboard. I had to write a check for $20k but got back $6k from the gov when I filed my taxes. According to Longhorn's estimate, my payback period should have been 10.5 years but I am blowing away their predictions so hopefully more like 8 years. The install is warrantied for 10 years, invertor 15 years, and panels 25 years.
Since someone mentioned hail damage..... 1. Longhorn has been doing this since 2009 and only had to replace 1 panel due to hail. The panels are very, very tough. 2. Since the panels are attached to the house, the panels are covered under your normal homeowner's policy if something would happen (ie tornado). |
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Quoted:
I looked at Solar City a little bit but in the long run, you are better off having your own system installed. In Dec of 2014, I had Longhorn Solar install a 7.75KW system. My house is almost 3600 square feet and 100% electric (no natural gas or propane in subdivision). There are 4 of us and my wife thinks showers should take 30 minutes! My bill last month was -$1.37 and my highest was $53 in Aug. I work from home so I can't really set the thermostat at 80 degrees during the day or I would be sweating on my keyboard. I had to write a check for $20k but got back $6k from the gov when I filed my taxes. According to Longhorn's estimate, my payback period should have been 10.5 years but I am blowing away their predictions so hopefully more like 8 years. The install is warrantied for 10 years, invertor 15 years, and panels 25 years. Since someone mentioned hail damage..... 1. Longhorn has been doing this since 2009 and only had to replace 1 panel due to hail. The panels are very, very tough. 2. Since the panels are attached to the house, the panels are covered under your normal homeowner's policy if something would happen (ie tornado). this is who did ours. Sounds like you talked a lot with Stewert? |
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Best option depends on your rates, your usage, and how the utility treats the power you generate.
Usually, if you have people home all day running A/C have electric appliances etc., the best thing to do is install your own system sized to keep you in a lower/lowest tier or just above it during your peak months. Example: 350kwh 5c 350-700 10c 700-1500 25c Up to 700 is pretty cheap, but 700-1500 is expensive. If you use near 1500 May-Sept the most cost effective system to breaking even would be sized to keep you under 700 May-Sept. More factors go into it as it's so dependent on the utility, but you get the point. |