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Has anybody bought solar panels

CLAX1911

CLAX1911

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I keep hearing about solar panels and how they reduce energy costs, I remember my folks had them on their house and they took them off because they really didn't do anything. But that was many years ago, technology does it dance so I'm curious is there anybody here that use it to them and what has your experience been? How much did it cost?
 
CLAX1911 said:
I keep hearing about solar panels and how they reduce energy costs, I remember my folks had them on their house and they took them off because they really didn't do anything. But that was many years ago, technology does it dance so I'm curious is there anybody here that use it to them and what has your experience been? How much did it cost?
Click to expand...

I'm happy with the cost of my utility bills and I'm not ready to covert

I get $12 Gas bills in summer and even in summer, my electricity bills is barley over a $100
 
CLAX1911 said:
I keep hearing about solar panels and how they reduce energy costs, I remember my folks had them on their house and they took them off because they really didn't do anything. But that was many years ago, technology does it dance so I'm curious is there anybody here that use it to them and what has your experience been? How much did it cost?
Click to expand...

Tesla Powerwalls could run $20,000 themselves and it makes me concerned about the massive energy being stored in a house that could, I don't know, explode?

Geothermal energy means sticking pipes about 500 feet down into the earth instead. I saw on tv a $20,000 geothermal system (after rebates) that both heats and cools your house. No furnace, no A/C system, and you won't even need a humidifier.
 
CLAX1911 said:
I keep hearing about solar panels and how they reduce energy costs, I remember my folks had them on their house and they took them off because they really didn't do anything. But that was many years ago, technology does it dance so I'm curious is there anybody here that use it to them and what has your experience been? How much did it cost?
Click to expand...
I have given it a serious look, and even gotten some bids, The savings without net metering In Houston, look like they would amount to about $60 to $80 a month,
from about April to October. There would also be minor savings ($30-$40 per month)in the winter months.
Two things stopped me, My wife did not want panels on the front (South) side of the house, and the idea of net metering, I find repulsive.
Solar will be the energy source in future, most likely, but it cannot get there with the current net metering laws.
A system like this one, would do for most homes in Houston.
8.28 kW Grid Tied Solar System with SolarEdge and 24 Astronergy Solar 345 watt Panels | Wholesale Solar
1242 Kwh per month, with a few power walls, it would cover the night hours.
It might also be possible to get one of the electricity packages that provide free electricity at night, but those will change in time.
The bottom line, is that solar must be grid assisted to work like most people are used to electricity working.
People tend to look at how solar pays back, wrong in my book, they look at payback times, I think savings are more important.
If a panel system had a turn key price of $16 K, and resulted in actual savings of $60 a month on average ($720/year),
then that is the same as a savings account paying 4.5% interest, Something I would like to be getting!
 
longview said:
I have given it a serious look, and even gotten some bids, The savings without net metering In Houston, look like they would amount to about $60 to $80 a month,
from about April to October. There would also be minor savings ($30-$40 per month)in the winter months.
Two things stopped me, My wife did not want panels on the front (South) side of the house, and the idea of net metering, I find repulsive.
Solar will be the energy source in future, most likely, but it cannot get there with the current net metering laws.
A system like this one, would do for most homes in Houston.
8.28 kW Grid Tied Solar System with SolarEdge and 24 Astronergy Solar 345 watt Panels | Wholesale Solar
1242 Kwh per month, with a few power walls, it would cover the night hours.
It might also be possible to get one of the electricity packages that provide free electricity at night, but those will change in time.
The bottom line, is that solar must be grid assisted to work like most people are used to electricity working.
People tend to look at how solar pays back, wrong in my book, they look at payback times, I think savings are more important.
If a panel system had a turn key price of $16 K, and resulted in actual savings of $60 a month on average ($720/year),
then that is the same as a savings account paying 4.5% interest, Something I would like to be getting!
Click to expand...

That would take you 22 years to recover your investment in a system that probably has 20 year life expectancy, so no you really are not getting 4.5% interest. It would be more comparable to an annuity with a negative interest rate.
 
Drawdown said:
That would take you 22 years to recover your investment in a system that probably has 20 year life expectancy, so no you really are not getting 4.5% interest. It would be more comparable to an annuity with a negative interest rate.
Click to expand...
The difference is that the savings, show up every month, from the first month of operation.
Saving money works differently than increasing income, there is no tax on money not needed to be earned, or on electricity not purchased.
Also I gave an example, without the federal tax credit.
 
CLAX1911 said:
I keep hearing about solar panels and how they reduce energy costs, I remember my folks had them on their house and they took them off because they really didn't do anything. But that was many years ago, technology does it dance so I'm curious is there anybody here that use it to them and what has your experience been? How much did it cost?
Click to expand...

My Wife and I were disqualified from their programs because we didn't use enough power. [1500 sq. ft. home]

From what I hear, you can get them installed for near nothing but, info varies widely.

Texas solar panels | guide to solar incentives, costs and savings in TX!
 
longview said:
The difference is that the savings, show up every month, from the first month of operation.
Saving money works differently than increasing income, there is no tax on money not needed to be earned, or on electricity not purchased.
Also I gave an example, without the federal tax credit.
Click to expand...

Well it is good you did since I think those tax credits have expired. You are not saving money, however. You are getting a built-in negative return on your investment at the start line. The only way you would save money would be if electric rate increase drastically over those next 20 years which may or may not happen.
 
Drawdown said:
Well it is good you did since I think those tax credits have expired. You are not saving money, however. You are getting a built-in negative return on your investment at the start line. The only way you would save money would be if electric rate increase drastically over those next 20 years which may or may not happen.
Click to expand...
Expired, really?
Why the Solar Tax Credit Extension is a Big Deal in 2020 | EnergySage
The federal ITC steps down to 22% at the end of 2020
Click to expand...
You are correct, that we do not know what electricity rates will be in the future, but we do know they will likely be higher.
If someone purchased the above mentioned $16 K system in 2020, and got the 26% tax credit, the net cost would be $11,840,
so the payback would be 16.4 years, but the effective rate of return would be 6%.
The right system can also provide limited electricity in long term power outage events, like after Hurricanes.
At the end of the day, Solar is on the end of a long list of things that can reduce the amount of electricity needed to be purchased,
other savings options like insulation and windows, have a bigger return on investment, but solar is viable.
 
Luther said:
I'm happy with the cost of my utility bills and I'm not ready to covert

I get $12 Gas bills in summer and even in summer, my electricity bills is barley over a $100
Click to expand...

lucky you...mine have never been under $160 even in spring...and in summer and the few months of winter they are over 300...however, I cannot have solar on my home...I could probably attach it to an exterior building...it is one of the downfalls of owning a home built in 1890.
 
We have Tesla solar and every year for the last five years we've live in this house, the annual trueup fee keeps climbing and not in a way that it benefits us.
The problem isn't solar, the problem is that the electric company keeps raising their rates in CA. to recover their losses from liability lawsuits stemming from the state's wildfires.
 
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