I am amped up. Had solar panels put on my roof, and after several weeks the power company finally okayed my turning the panels on! Just in time for the day of longest sunlight. From about 09:30 to 11:30 produced about 10 KwH. No noise, no moving parts, no pollution - I smile every time I look up at the roof. I signed a 20-year lease to buy the power produced by the panels - for less than power company charges - doubtful I'll live to the end of the 20-years, but whatever. No money out of pocket. They even included a web thermostat that I can access via a smart phone and turn house temperature up or down. Cool. My brother-in-law who worked for a solar company for a while claims all the silicon solar cells are made in the USA, then sent (usually) overseas for assembly into panels - my panels were made in Korea (better than China). I honestly don't care if I save any money, I just am convinced it is the right thing to do. My house is oriented so back roof faces due South, no trees close to the house (Zero shading) so I'm ideal for solar.
You get a like just for the opening pun. This is cool though. I always thought this is the best way to do renewables and it's a pity it isn't promoted and supported more.
Estimated annual production - 9,467 kWh. It cost me zero. I signed a contract to buy all the electricity it makes (whether I use it all or not) for 11 cents/kWh (price goes up 2.9%/yr) - current electric co price is 16 cents/kWh. If I overproduce, electric co has to buy the power, but they only have to pay 6 cents/kWh, so if I overproduce too much I lose money - intention was to hit as close to what I use as possible - they designed based on my past electric bills.
What happens if your system fails you? Cost of project and did you collect tax benefits? With no tax benefits, would you still refuse public utility to do it yourself? You speak up as a republican due to you wanting to be independent of others.
In 2015, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,812 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of 901 kWh per month. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3 It sounds like you are right in line with the average and stand to see up to a 30% reduction in your bill. You really can't ask for more. Kudos! PV has come a long way over the last 40 years.
Note that the $ per watt cost in the graph is a measure of the cost vs the power output at high noon on a summer day. For example, you can produce 10000 watts, or 10 KW, at any moment for $3000 worth of hardware purchased. The KWH [Kilowatt-hours] per year is a measure of total energy used over the year, not the power it can produce. I mention it because a lot of people get that confused. I've even seen a commercial for the local power company that got it mixed up.
Normally you run on line power then. Smart systems allow you to run on line power to whatever extent is needed, or feed power back into the grid if you produce too much power.
I may not have understood him. Is he saying he got a free solar system and now has to pay for the electricity it produces?
It's called net metering. Basically you sell back the power you generate. These systems are 'tuned' to your usage. A friend of mine pays just a few dollars a month. The problem I have with it is that the people who really need a break don't have the $$$ to install such a system. Also, where I am (among the tall pines in the mountains) there is not enough available sunlight.
I may have got him wrong. I thought he stated he pays. That the system is not costing him upfront, but he pays somebody. As he uses it, he is paying. So it is not free.
The key is to try to use all of the energy produced by the solar cells when the sun is up. So do laundry, take showers or baths, run the dishwasher, washer and dryer... I believe you maximize your benefits if you use as close to 100% of what it is producing at any time.
He pays 11 cents for every KWH it produces, but get 6 cents back for every one he sells back to the power company. So if he isn't using the power, he is paying 5 cents instead of 11 cents for each KWH - to pay for the equipment. The idea isn't to give away solar panels. The idea is to make the payment for them transparent compared to your existing power bill.
True typically it costs about $10K to pay for one of these systems. Takes a while to recoup. My problem is that the ones that need it can't afford it. So much for 'green' energy.
When did you last check? Pretty soon you will able to spray paint solar cells on your roof. And as the cost of thin films with multiple active frequencies come down, it will take significantly smaller panels to produce the same yield as it does today.
I'm in a new housing development - 2 other guys my age - both also Viet Vets (but Army) also got solar in the past month - one is my next-door neighbor, other a block away. We often "chew the fat" and agree on politics - none of us can believe America has fallen so far that we have a reality show host as a so-called president.
I looked into this a couple years ago and it was going to cost me over 40k for a system to cover my needs. Ga also made it so that the utility companies don't have to pay for excess power generation. Ended up not being cost efficient for me.
I am connected to the utility (no batteries) so I draw at night and cloudy days - I turn the meter backwards on a summer day like today. I do not get any tax benefits - they go to the solar company but then I didn't lay out any money. Your comment is silly about repubs - they are usually anti-solar.
