About ready to implement PV power for my house - Advice solicited

[slackmaster]

I have decided to seriously pursue implementation of photovoltaic power for my home. I think the planets are properly aligned for me to make this commitment this year.

San Diego Gas & Electric has a Net Metering program.

The State of California offers a cash rebate of $2,800 per kilowatt, plus a 7.5% tax credit. I believe there is some kind of property tax break as well.

The federal government has a $2,000 tax credit.

I have a good job, a reasonable mortgage payment, a ton of equity in my house, and am submitting an application today to bump my equity line of credit up to $150,000, so financing is no sweat.

I believe I need between 3 and 4 kilowatts to fully power my house with a little to spare for future expansion, things like electric street vehicles and central air conditioning.

My house has unobstructable southwestern exposure, with several hundred square feet of 16% pitch roof facing that direction. The roof is in good shape, I expect it to last another 20 years or so.

I'm expecting electrical power costs to go up by about 5-6% annually over the long term.

I'm about to start shopping for vendors and contractors, and would appreciate any advice or anecdotes anyone can offer, particularly in the Southern California area.

Thanks in advance.

[TAPat]

1. Sorry, no advice but

I'm going to be in the market to do the same thing (hopefully!) in a couple of years.
Best of luck to you and I, for one, would really appreciate updates as you go along! :)

[slackmaster]

2. Thanks, let's keep this kicked every day or two

I just sent in my HELOC line increase application to Wells Fargo Bank moments ago.

I'm getting excited. Time to walk the dog.

:kick:

[seemunkee]

3. Starting looking at this myself.

Just recently looking at it here is a collection of links that I have in case they are any use to you.
Off the grid setup
http://www.otherpower.com/wardsolar.html

collection of articles and products
http://www.builditsolar.com /

DIY panels
http://www.siliconsolar.com/diy-solar-panel-kits.php

$600 dollar 32W set up. This is fine for off the grid. If you want to tie it into your house system you could eliminate the batteries.
http://www.off-grid.net/index.php?p=487
Another look at the same system
http://www.siliconsolar.com/diy-solar-panel-kits.php

20W system for 295
http://store.sundancesolar.com/20wadosoenst.html

Check this thread for some more info
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1037773#1037865

I have two heating/AC units in my house plus a pool heater. I seriously need to do something since electrical rates are going up 38% here next month and who knows what oil will be next winter.
I would appreciate it if you could keep me up to date on your install via PM.

[bananas]

4. Costco has someone selling them in their stores

They have a booth and a representative.
I think it's BP Solar.
I'm not sure how long they'll be there.

[bananas]

11. Here's the info from costco

The guy was on break when I was there, but I picked up a flyer.
The company is Solar Systems International LLC
www.solarsystemsintl.com
To find out when they'll be at a costco near you, call 1-866-663-6570
They use BP Solar panels.

[skids]

5. two useful links...

http://findsolar.com
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_panels.htm

[ucmike]

6. Good idea.

I sent you a message through DU.

I install these systems, I included a link to our company website, as a starting point.

Most medium sized homes can produce more than they use during the day, with a few strings of PV panels. Many of our customers aren't home during the day, so they are running their meters backwards and selling power while they are at work. The pay-off time for a medium sized system runs between 5-12 years depending on rebates, usage, installation details, etc. Of course, you can optimize your return by being conscious of your usage and doing things like doing your laundry off-peak or moderating your Air conditioning usage.

One of our recent customers was a financial type who told me that between the rebates and a little bit of habit changing his investment in his PV system was a better investment than any bonds, or other short term investments. He said he wished he had more houses to install PV on.

Funny thing about our customers, they tend to be Dems or just plain lefties. I have seen plenty of Kerry/Edwards signs and stickers in my travels. I have yet to meet an obvious repub or bush supporter.

Good luck.

[slackmaster]

7. Thanks, that's the level of systems I'm looking at

I'm expecting to pay out somewhere around $25 - no more than $30K out of pocket, about $15 - $18K after rebates and tax breaks, with about a 10-12 year payoff horizon.That's assuming energy price trends remain in the ballpark of what they have been doing the last 10 years. If we have a spike in electric rates, it becomes a big win. If I can do it for less, that would be great but I will not go with unreliable hardware. I don't want something that will get trashed by the weather or wear out in less than 20 years.

My calculations are VERY crude now and need a lot of work. Being a relatively early adopter of this kind of technology has risks. I may find myself feeling stupid several years down the road, OTOH if prices of solar hardware come down I can always upgrade to more power for cheap.

Funny thing about our customers, they tend to be Dems or just plain lefties. I have seen plenty of Kerry/Edwards signs and stickers in my travels. I have yet to meet an obvious repub or bush supporter.

I'd characterize myself as an extreme civil libertarian who is fiscally conservative and generally a curmudgeon but likes animals and has a warm heart. ;-) My mom is skeptical of me going solar, OTOH she is a recovering Republican (quit the GOP about 11 years ago), and is at a stage of her life where she can't tolerate the level of financial risk that I can.

Good luck.

Thanks!

[bananas]

12. What area are you in? nt

[jpak]

8. A little investment in conservation could save you big on PV costs

Energy Star rated appliances and AC could significantly reduce the size of the PV system you need.

Also, ever think about a solar hot water system???

Lower cost, big energy-$ savings and quicker payback time....

[slackmaster]

9. I've already done away with all incandescent lights

I did that in 2000 during the summer brownouts. The compact fluorescents have made a measurable reduction in my bill.

My refrigerator is about 4 years old now, it's larger than and uses half the energy of the one it replaced.

Also, ever think about a solar hot water system???

Yes, I plan to do that as well but want to get going on the electrical power before the next round of summer rolling blackout threats arrives. I don't trust the power companies, and I don't trust the state government to respond appropriately to their shenanigans.

[hunter]

13. Then you'll need a battery system too.

That will make the system more expensive.

(I'm posting this for people who don't know how these things work...)

But if the batteries are only working when the power goes out, they will last much longer than if you disconnect yourself from the utility entirely.

I have enough solar and non-utility electric capacity that I can keep my computer and network running, along with a few small lights, but I'm thinking very seriously of buying a few more solar modules and batteries to install permanently on our house.

Personally I don't worry about keeping the stuff in my freezer cold during power failures. If utility power becomes that unreliable, there will probably be worse things to worry about, like looters. I'll be really pissed if I have to sit out in my front yard all night with a gun just to keep the gas in my cars. Political solutions that keep the power on are a much better option.

[slackmaster]

14. I'm not worried about rolling blackouts, brownouts for that reason

Those are most likely to occur during a hot summer day, when the PV power will be on. I'm more concerned about PV hardware supply and demand - Prices could shoot up this summer if we have power problems.

I'm willing to forego battery backup for now and risk being down for a while at night, in the unlikely event that occurs.

Personally I don't worry about keeping the stuff in my freezer cold during power failures. If utility power becomes that unreliable, there will probably be worse things to worry about, like looters.

Yes, plus once again the time you need electricity most (for your perishables) is during the day.

[hunter]

15. Get a charge controller and inverter too for a few hundred bucks.

Even if you don't hook them up right away, they could come in handy in an emergency. Then if things start to look iffy you could grab some deep cycle batteries from Sears and get your power back up.

Of course a house with its lights on, when everyone else is in the dark, is quite conspicuous... You can be like actor Ed Begeley Jr.

http://www.edbegley.com/environment

[slackmaster]

16. One of my goals is to have a National Lampoon's Christmas light display

The most conspicuous display on the block, and not have to pay to run it.

:toast:

[JohnWxy]

10. enregy conversion devices -

http://www.ovonic.com/sol_srv/3_1_solar_sol/solar_solutions.htm