Looking for home solar advice

[DTown3011]

Xcel actually changed that rule this year and now allows you to go to 200% of historical usage. When I put my system on I was right up to the 120% limit.
Also the NEC changed and now vent stacks can be trimmed down so panels can go over them. It drives me crazy when I see solar on a house with a big space just because of a vent pipe!

That's correct, the 120% rule is old news. I wish this would have been the case when we installed - I'm in the process of adding 2 more panels and it's very expensive and not eligible for the tax credit since it's considered a repair. And now my inverter is maxed out. I highly recommend building the biggest system you can afford/have on your roof if possible. This is a good article:

Solar panels and energy production: how the 200% rule provides more flexibility for homeowners going solar (namastesolar.com)

I just can't get over the hump on solar yet. My home was built in 2018 and my electric bill averages $150 a month...now that doesn't yet include charging my Rivian...it's a very energy efficient home.

That's almost a 20 year payback period at a roughly 40k install cost...I'm all in once the payback comes close to 10 years give or take.

I might be thinking of this incorrectly. I apologize for my basic understanding but would love some enlightenment from the group (no pun intended).

Your bills are going to be a lot higher once charging that Rivian! Honestly, we did it for the environment. $40K seems high (much higher than we paid) but you are also going to get a 30% tax credit of the initial install and we figured it was roughly a 10-year payback. I love having a ~$25 energy bill every month which is basically a $5 connection fee and about $20/month in gas.

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[RoadRunner]

I found the Solar Nerd site really helpful - good technical articles as well as helped us find a local installer that was legit, no BS, no high pressure sales, super easy to work with, efficient, and got it up and running in less than 2 months including permitting, inspections, etc.

https://www.thesolarnerd.com/

I second avoiding the large national installers like Sunpower etc. Go with a local company that gets great reviews/recommendations - the price will be similar but the service much better. Get a bunch of quotes, and ask about backlogs to install, as they can vary a lot.

And yes, make sure the roof is in good shape before installing solar. Cost to remove and replace the panels if you need to fix/replace the roof can vary a lot so ask about that too...

 

[manitou202]

Hi Rick,

My brother (in Fort Collins) used Photon Brothers (possibly based in your Broomfield/Westminster area) a couple years ago, who had a good reputation and he was happy with them.

He thinks they might still have a $500 each referral program (for both previous & referred customer). I've seen them installing at another house in my neighborhood in Fort Collins as well.

He uses the "mySolarEdge" app with his ~6-8 kW system, and they also recommended/setup the "Sense" app. He did not have an EV, so I'm not sure about integration with a charger, but their website mentions it.

Another vote for Photon Brothers. They install our 10.6kW system four years ago. I also had them pull the panels off and reinstall this spring when replacing our roof. They have been great to work with.

If you are limited in roof space, you may need to pay a little extra for higher output panels. They will be more energy dense and can add more kW per sqft of roof.

Also as others have mentioned, replace your roof first if it's relatively old. I had someone look at my roof first and they said it had 15+ years left. 4 years later it started leaking and needed to be replaced. It cost me $7000 to have my panels removed and replaced.

 

[emoore]

Another vote for Photon Brothers. They install our 10.6kW system four years ago. I also had them pull the panels off and reinstall this spring when replacing our roof. They have been great to work with.

If you are limited in roof space, you may need to pay a little extra for higher output panels. They will be more energy dense and can add more kW per sqft of roof.

They were my second choice behind Tesla and that's only due to them saying they couldn't get the same amount of power on my roof as Tesla did.

I'll probably be moving in the next 5-10 years and will probably go with Photon Brothers due to the reports of issues with Tesla and their equipment.

 

[JerseyGreens]

We just installed Solar in February 2022 and I think you ARE thinking incorrectly (or really, not taking a couple things into consideration that change the math significantly):

1. 30% Federal tax credit plus possible state/local incentives. For NM there is an extra 10% tax credit so a total of 40% off the total cost.

2. The price of electricity rises something like 5% per year on average. Over the ~30 year lifetime of your panels, this means your total electricity bill will be a LOT higher than just $150/month times 30 years.

If you can afford to install solar now, your payback time should be less than 10 years given these 2 factors. And after that ~10 years you are getting free energy for the next 20 years.

If you don't want to do the math contact a few local providers and they'll do it for you. Also look at the Energysage and SolarNerd websites.

Our Electric bill was about $115/month and we could have zeroed it out with a system that was about 4.5 KW for around $20K which would have paid for itself in 5-7 years. We ended up doing a larger system - 18 440W panels or 7.92 KW, in order to have some extra capacity for charging an EV. We paid just under $30K before the 40% tax credits. After tax credits the cost to us will be about $18K and the payback time will still be less than 10 years (at our old usage rates, not even taking into account using the extra power to charge a Rivian etc).

Total cost of electricity over 25 years (without adding in additional consumption) would have been close to $60K. Add the extra power to charge 1-2 EV's and it would likely be more like $90-120K over 25 years - factoring in annual rate increases of about 5%. So our out of pocket expense of $18K looks like a pretty great investment to me, and I no longer have to care when electricity rates go up every year.

Our system so far has generated just over twice the power we actually use, we've had no issues with it, and are banking the extra power as credits for when we do start using more to charge an EV or 2 etc. Hopefully by this time next year we'll be charging our R1S for free!

With the tax credits and the volatility of energy prices, IMHO solar panels are a no-brainer as long as you don't plan on moving before it pays for itself. And even then it may add value to the house if you sell.

We do live in NM so we get lots of sun, the math may not be as good in NJ but the local installers should be able to run the numbers for you. Obviously check their work and compare quotes etc...

Wow. Thank you for the detailed comment. I absolutely have been thinking about this incorrectly and a bit shortsighted. I truly appreciate you opening up my mind to this ... I through our the 40k figure because I feel like everything is more expensive in NJ but I should do a lot more diligence on this front!

 

[MoreTrout]

Just had my solar installed on my house in June. It was something I had planned to do and researched for a few years. The choice for Enphase over every other option was a no brainer for me. Go to their website, and it isn't hard to find the link to Enphase certified installers in your area. IMO, Enphase puts far more effort into educating and working with their installers, and it shows. I'm sure there are probably at least a few in your area, and once you identify them you can get free quotes and look through some reviews. I found a great installer that offered a veteran's discount too.

As far as panels, relatively speaking they are the least important component in the system. There are plenty of good reasonably priced panels, and no need to pay ridiculous premiums for the self proclaimed "best" panel. QCELLS, RECs and a few others are very good reasonably priced options.

You will most likely overestimate what your panels will produce and underestimate how much your home and vehicle will consume. Most utilities show the last 12 months of consumption on every bill, so start there. The NREL website has a great tool to estimate your system's month by month output based on where you live. https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/pvwatts.php . That will give you a good idea of how big of a system you need to match your needs.

As for battery backup, they are all VERY expensive right now. Probably not worth it unless money is disposable. Enphase is planning to release their next generation battery in 2023. On the last few quarterly conference calls, the CEO has said they will be a "significant step down in cost". If you do choose to go with Enphase, you can opt for their "sunlight backup" now. They are the only system in the world that allows your panels to continue to power your home without a battery backup during a grid outage. That said, unless you have a huge array it will only be able to power a few things that you choose, not the whole home by any stretch. I went with the sunlight backup setup and will wait to see the details and pricing on the next gen Enphase battery vs using the Rivian as a backup if and when they add that. With sunlight backup, it includes all of the components required for a battery backup, so all I need to add in the future is the battery itself.

 

[lefkonj]

Get someone to physically come out and talk to you. Your roof from a satellite image isn't the entire story. However there are all sorts of things they will and won't do with regards to solar panels and things that require build outs. We had ours done and they would of had to re-enforce the roof in a certain section to support the panels, so I told them no skip it we have enough without it.

 

[mpw81]

Get someone to physically come out and talk to you. Your roof from a satellite image isn't the entire story. However there are all sorts of things they will and won't do with regards to solar panels and things that require build outs. We had ours done and they would of had to re-enforce the roof in a certain section to support the panels, so I told them no skip it we have enough without it.

I also agree with this and am only posting again because I meant to put it in my original post above. Adding now since plenty of other locals have mentioned Photon Brothers. When I contacted them for info, one of the owners (it's 2 pairs of brothers) actually ended up coming to my house for the site visit because he lived in my neighborhood and he showed up on his bike. It was COVID times, but I got the biggest kick out of it. Many other posters have mentioned the larger regionals/nationals just subcontract this and I also appreciated that Photon Brothers has their own crews and they were great.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the advice here. I'm still parsing through it and following up. Good stuff IMO.

I did check out Project Sunroof but my address has not yet been reached.

 

[emoore]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the advice here. I'm still parsing through it and following up. Good stuff IMO.

I did check out Project Sunroof but my address has not yet been reached.

Project sunroof isn't available in Colorado yet. Try NREL solar calculator.

 

[ccmun]

As others have noted, get multiple quotes., and if possible go local. Local companies are familiar with the local permitting process, so your install will go a lot smoother.

I went with Tesla about 18 months ago, because they were the cheapest of several quotes I got. Tesla was a nighmare. ’i hope they are better now, but they were not well organized back then.

My house is in South Florida and my support rep was in Las Vegas. It took me about two months to find someone in South Florida who could help me when I had issues. My biggest gripe, I had to keep checking on the Permits and let them know when it was ready or wait a week or two for them to figure it out.

However, my system has worked well ofter the installation. I have a grid tied 8K system with 24 panels facing all directions and get about 35-45 kWh per day during peak months.

Btw. Don’t believe the hype about placing your panels only on the south facing side. The south is most efficient, but get as many panels as you can on your roof. I will most likely another 8 or so when I can, although, I will probably have to go with another company, as Tesla does not add capacity post install.

Good luck. It’s worth it.

 

[mpw81]

Project sunroof isn't available in Colorado yet. Try NREL solar calculator.

Works at my address in NW Denver and as far as I scrolled in all directions (on my phone but felt like 5 miles-ish).

Edit: I just put in my brother's address in Aurora in and scrolled around there on my laptop. I'm sure there are some new build areas not included, but I can't find anywhere in the metro area that doesn't look included.

 

[emoore]

Works at my address in NW Denver and as far as I scrolled in all directions (on my phone but felt like 5 miles-ish).

Edit: I just put in my brother's address in Aurora in and scrolled around there on my laptop. I'm sure there are some new build areas not included, but I can't find anywhere in the metro area that doesn't look included.

Yep you’re right. Although my house isn’t available yet (highlands ranch )

 

[Galluprivian]

I put 16 panels on a structure that I use as a shade for outdoor eating. The taxbreak counts for the structure as well. I used enphase micro-inverters as well. I've had two fail in three years but it doesn't knock out the whole system and they send you a new one right away (when you tell them). I have a grid inter-tie which works great but we have very few power outages. I did most of the work and I use the structure almost every day. The panels are 300w so the whole system is 4.8kw. I'll probably need more but I currently produce an extra megawatt a year or so which I get paid for by our city.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

I put 16 panels on a structure that I use as a shade for outdoor eating. The taxbreak counts for the structure as well. I used enphase micro-inverters as well. I've had two fail in three years but it doesn't knock out the whole system and they send you a new one right away (when you tell them). I have a grid inter-tie which works great but we have very few power outages. I did most of the work and I use the structure almost every day. The panels are 300w so the whole system is 4.8kw. I'll probably need more but I currently produce an extra megawatt a year or so which I get paid for by our city.

This is something that crossed my mind as well. I'm checking with our Metro District to see if there is anything preventing me from doing it.

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