Solar panels, worth it?

[joelbc1]

How old is your home?

Built in ‘79…the electrical panel was “ original” and out-dated.. we knew full well it would someday need to be replaced..took the opportunity to do it now because of federal deductibility of the “total cost” involved in the solar expense…… might as well deduct a goodly portion of the new panel..

 

[Joes Place]

Built in ‘79…the electrical panel was “ original” and out-dated.. we knew full well it would someday need to be replaced

Most ~50 yr old homes would not have enough electrical service (total amps) to supply energy for today's stuff.
So, you're 100% correct here - part of that is simply needed upgrade, and you paid a little more for the solar capability. Generally, most of your install/upgrade cost is labor, not materials, so you paid a fairly modest hike on materials here.

If you do your homework on solar, payoffs these days for positive ROI is <10 yrs.
That does not mean there aren't solar companies out there "overselling" systems that are bad systems for way more money than they are worth, pushing their "$0 out of pocket for you" stuff. The minute I hear "$0 cost for you", I am skeptical, and want to verify all of their numbers, assumptions, and quality of the panel systems against an install that I would pay out of pocket for. There are some installers who might swing you a pretty good deal and loan for $0 out of pocket - I would bet that many (or most of those) are not "good deals", though.

 

[beanerhawk]

We just had 12 panels put on our roof. We paid cash, and it was $12,800. We did some electrical work on the side that took about $1200 or so off the estimate. We will get $4000 back from the Feds, assuming Trump doesn't f**k that up, but I doubt it. He can't remove the credits without Congress, and lots and lots of red voters would be pissed. Solar panels are all over the place these days. The told us about 7 years to recover the costs, but I assume it will be 8. Sucky time of the year to put the panels on, but we should really crank it up in the Spring and Summer. The excess goes back to MidAmerican as credits we can use during the lower producing months.

What electrical work did you have to do and how old is your home that you put them on if you don't mind me asking.

 

[Rifler]

And, in case you didn't read what's been posted several times, panels protect your shingles, so you will get longer lifespan out of them.
Which means "access" is pretty much a moot point.

I don't need to protect my shingles,.. I need to be able to maintain them.

 

[Joes Place]

I don't need to protect my shingles,.. I need to be able to maintain them.

LMAO!!!

What an idiot.

 

[Rifler]

You truly are a phucking clown,.. Develop a personality, find some friends.

 

[Joes Place]

You truly are a phucking clown

I don't waste money on "As Seen On TV Shingle Maintenance" products...

 

[Rifler]

I don't waste money on "As Seen On TV Shingle Maintenance" products...

WTF are you even talking about?

 

[Joes Place]

WTF are you even talking about?

The "shingle maintenance" you claim you need access for.

Do you not remember what you posted, already? Roof shingles are not a "maintenance" item.
You replace your roof when they are "used up". Solar panels actually extend the lifespan of your shingles, and protect them from hail damage. That's been posted for you already, and you can ask any roofer about it, because that is what they will tell you.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Maintain shingles. That's a new one.

 

[Joes Place]

Maintain shingles. That's a new one.

Dude probably saw an As Seen On TV ad for a "shingles vaccine" that eliminates hail damage if you "paint it on them" once every few years... 5 gallon buckets of "shingles vaccine" for hailstorms!!!!

 

[fakenewsking]

Last I looked the only way it worked from a financial standpoint is if you have a farm and/or business nearby and put the solar on them then run the lines to your personal property. But that might be frowned upon.

I have zero idea the cost of this but I probably would pay $200,000 for Solar Roof | Tesla . If it really lasted 25 years and can with stand typhoons. I hate getting generators out all the damn time.

 

[SolarHawk]

@BrunoMars420 I just saw this thread. Lots of disinformation in here. I’ll set the record straight tomorrow.

 

[Hawkman98]

What kind of costs would the city stick me with?

Possible a net metering charge? I think it's a one time fee depending if you have a single phase or a three phase service. My specific town is a charge of up to 25kw of single phase for $825 or over 25kw three phase for $1,100

 

[billanole]

Possible a net metering charge? I think it's a one time fee depending if you have a single phase or a three phase service. My specific town is a charge of up to 25kw of single phase for $825 or over 25kw three phase for $1,100

That’s a new one on me. WTH?

 

[joelbc1]

Possible a net metering charge? I think it's a one time fee depending if you have a single phase or a three phase service. My specific town is a charge of up to 25kw of single phase for $825 or over 25kw three phase for $1,100

Here, that is not a “city” charge though…it’s a charge made by the provider (Mid-America in my case) for a “two-way” meter to be installed..
Now our panel solar provider took care of everything… they agreed to todo the electrical update, install the new meter and “co-ordinate” everything with the local utility provider and we wrote them 3 checks… it took them maybe 3-4 months to get ALL the work done…from signing the contract to start generating our own power.

 

[lucas80]

What electrical work did you have to do and how old is your home that you put them on if you don't mind me asking.

When we signed the contract it had an allowance with Shay Electric here in IC to do the electrical work. As a side project I had them come out to inspect the fuse box, they didn't say replace it..., but it's 50+ years old. so to me it was time to do it while other stuff was going on, versus pay more money a few years down the line. And, less disruption and fewer times I needed to be here at the house and off work. They ended up doing a bunch of the prep work for the solar install when they replaced the fuse box about a month before the panels went on. They also made two fixes to some work a contractor screwed up when we had a kitchen remodel done 10 years ago. Our electrical allowance was lower when we paid for he panels, but we had wound up just paying Shay anyway.

 

[Joes Place]

Last I looked the only way it worked from a financial standpoint is if you have a farm and/or business nearby and put the solar on them then run the lines to your personal property.

If you have zero south facing roof facets.

Were my house oriented 180 degrees from what it is, I'd have a giant facet I could put 40 panels on that would run my house and pay me back several hundred a month from the utility.

No idea when you looked at panel costs, etc, but probably should learn how to run the numbers...

 

[Joes Place]

Possible a net metering charge?

Not a city charge.

A utility charge for the infrastructure cost

 

[SolarHawk]

….sooooo, totally forgot about this thread and I’m now pretty buzzed up lol. @BrunoMars420 let me know what questions you have and I’ll do my best to answer.

 

[Hawkman98]

Here, that is not a “city” charge though…it’s a charge made by the provider (Mid-America in my case) for a “two-way” meter to be installed..
Now our panel solar provider took care of everything… they agreed to todo the electrical update, install the new meter and “co-ordinate” everything with the local utility provider and we wrote them 3 checks… it took them maybe 3-4 months to get ALL the work done…from signing the contract to start generating our own power.

It is a city charge since the city's electrical department that handles that portion of it. It is listed in our city's list of city fees.

 

[BrunoMars420]

….sooooo, totally forgot about this thread and I’m now pretty buzzed up lol. @BrunoMars420 let me know what questions you have and I’ll do my best to answer.

Essentially what I posted in the first OP and if it’s worth it? I’ll probably be paying it off way earlier then the 25 year loan fwiw but the $0 down then paying basically what I’m paying now to the utility company to them after they finance us for “X” amount seems like a no brainer in theory. I still haven’t seen the full breakdown of the numbers and the actual type of panels but on the face of it, it seems dumb not to do it.

Just was wondering your thought on this approach from a solar company and if it makes sense to do it now before the new administration comes in?