Getting solar just to feel like your car is powered on sunshine

[tliving]

Electricity is crazy expensive in MA. I put a 17.5kW @SolarCity system on early this year and it generates about 3x what my Tesla uses daily (and I drive about 100 miles a day). Its helped with the electricity expenses and as the OP said, its great to know I'm driving on generated electricity.

 

[hingisfan]

I'm doing a "free solar", where I get about 4k cash upfront and then $100/yr for 20 years. No cash down whatsoever. I could use the cash now, and it will feel great to be driving on sunshine.

 

[brucet999]

The economics in California work out amazingly well in PG&E territory, especially with the current net-metering rates with an EV-A plan. As far as doing it even though it'll cost me more money?

Yea, I'd probably still do it. We bought Teslas because we feel strongly about killing ourselves with atmospheric-induced climate change. Solar is a natural extension of solving the human-existential problem. If not you, then who? I have a 3.3kW system from SunPower and it's been amazing to drive on stored sunlight.

- K

Not for long. PG&E, SDG&E and SoCalEdison are putting forth plans to the PUC to change net metering such that they buy back solar at something like 8 cents per kWh while billing users at full retail (between 12 and 31 cents for SoCal Edison users), plus they want $10 per month for the privilege of being connected to The Grid. They may not get all they ask for, but the new rules will severely hamper new rooftop solar installations.

Likely you will be grandfathered somehow - maybe with addition of a monthly Grid connection minimum - but not so new solar installations.

 

[ohmman]

I have a ~10kW system now in NorCal and had about the same at my last home in Texas. In Texas, with a utility rebate and federal, I was still looking at a 14 year ROI. In PG&E territory, it's 6 years without the utility rebate. That's how different the energy prices are. I should also mention that panel prices dropped between the installs, but the point is that in coastal California, it's a pretty solid proposition financially.

That said, I installed in Texas and will install in any house I ever own again. There is something about not capturing the constant energy delivered on your roof, your yard, or wherever. Once you get used to collecting that energy, the idea of just letting it heat up a surface and dissipate back into space seems ridiculously wasteful.

On top of that, one of the reasons I buy PV is the same I bought my MS - my small investment aids in furthering an industry in which I believe.

 

[Shaggy]

6+ months in and still running a ~$150 surplus on my Austin Energy bill. May switch to electric heaters vs. the natural gas for the winter.

I got a 100% replacement system. My ROI on my setup at about 9.5 years. I got the SunPower e20 327wt panels that should last 40 years with a .5% degradation per year. So after I die, the home may need new panels... if the owner doesn't want only 80% output. The only stickler is to get the AE rebate, you have to pass an energy audit and get any recommended (required?) repairs. So to get $7k I had to spend $1.5k... and benefit from the increased insulation & duct sealing.

 

[Jason]

The prices for panels keep dropping - I have 20kw system that has been built in sections over last 3yrs. Last section (5kw, over a year ago) cost less than $1.50 watt, I did the install. It is even cheaper now. There are may good web sites out there to buy panels well under $1. watt, like sunelec, renvu, etc...