If you were on the fence about solar now is the time to pull the trigger

[GasKilla]

US notifies world of possible ‘safeguard’ tariffs on imported solar cells, effective last week

 

[kort677]

even at today's pricing levels solar does not seem to work out financially for many.

 

[GasKilla]

even at today's pricing levels solar does not seem to work out financially for many.

Everyone's situation is different...

 

[TheTalkingMule]

even at today's pricing levels solar does not seem to work out financially for many.

There's no such thing as "today's pricing levels". Hardware and labor is about $1.50/W(which is absurdly cheap), the extra costs & profit can total anywhere from $.50/W to $5/W more.

 

[kort677]

There's no such thing as "today's pricing levels". Hardware and labor is about $1.50/W(which is absurdly cheap), the extra costs & profit can total anywhere from $.50/W to $5/W more.

if you do the math for the installation and then compute the payout versus current costs installing the system make little financial sense for many.
I live in one of the sunniest places in the US and have over 2k sq feet of roofing and even that large of an installation would not meet the criteria of generating enough power to run my home on a consistent basis, I would still need to purchase power.
the costs would take almost 20 years to see any monetary savings.
the installation would not add any value to my home.
until the cost situation changes solar will not be a viable choice for many.

 

[SageBrush]

I'm not prone to conspiracy theories but this tariff scheme strikes me as an underhanded way to protect the fossil fuel industries in the US.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

if you do the math for the installation and then compute the payout versus current costs installing the system make little financial sense for many.
I live in one of the sunniest places in the US and have over 2k sq feet of roofing and even that large of an installation would not meet the criteria of generating enough power to run my home on a consistent basis, I would still need to purchase power.
the costs would take almost 20 years to see any monetary savings.
the installation would not add any value to my home.
until the cost situation changes solar will not be a viable choice for many.

A quality install for $2.50/W would save you money from the start, even if fully financed. That of course depends on your payback rate set by the corrupt FL utility commission, but it should be enough to save you money. If not, get yourself a Powerwall and bring your purchasing from the grid to nearly nothing.

But I think you guys might even have net metering. If so you should save a boatload, you just haven't seen a good estimate yet.

 

[kort677]

A quality install for $2.50/W would save you money from the start, even if fully financed. That of course depends on your payback rate set by the corrupt FL utility commission, but it should be enough to save you money. If not, get yourself a Powerwall and bring your purchasing from the grid to nearly nothing.

But I think you guys might even have net metering. If so you should save a boatload, you just haven't seen a good estimate yet.

what a load of crap, I pay .11 per kwh which is a below average rate.

 

[Owner]

I installed my panels over 10 years ago, and it is all paid off. Driving for free and powering the house for free!
Solar panels are a lot cheaper now too.

 

[miimura]

I'm not prone to conspiracy theories but this tariff scheme strikes me as an underhanded way to protect the fossil fuel industries in the US.

The organization funding this effort is a financial company that is owed money by a solar manufacturer for equipment that they financed. There have been news stories about it that should be easy to find.

 

[SageBrush]

The organization funding this effort is a financial company that is owed money by a solar manufacturer for equipment that they financed. There have been news stories about it that should be easy to find.

That is what is called in the movies "a front."

Rest assured, trump could not care less about the domestic solar industry, let alone some solar company owed money by another solar company.

 

[Saghost]

I suspect the most likely outcome of this is Tesla building a solar cell gigafactory somewhere in the US next year, and more installs this month as folks rush to avoid the tariff.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

what a load of crap, I pay .11 per kwh which is a below average rate.

I pay .11 as well(or less) with zero state solar subsidy. If you don't want to get solar you don't have to, but you can't alter reality.

At these prices solar is competitive pretty much everywhere. With the 30% ITC credit, Floridians can save tons. It is the sunshine state for God's sake, you could probably save money with zero subsidy.

 

[kort677]

I pay .11 as well(or less) with zero state solar subsidy. If you don't want to get solar you don't have to, but you can't alter reality.

At these prices solar is competitive pretty much everywhere. With the 30% ITC credit, Floridians can save tons. It is the sunshine state for God's sake, you could probably save money with zero subsidy.

I did the math, 25+year payout, and it does little to increase the value of the home, in fact many consider the panels to be unsightly.
it was a no go for me.

 

[Gwgan]

There have been proposals to double the going rate for electricity here; it's just a matter of time before rates rise so while it may be incremental the rates will go up. Buying solar now is a way of fixing costs for the next couple of decades even if there is not much savings at current prices.

 

[kort677]

There have been proposals to double the going rate for electricity here; it's just a matter of time before rates rise so while it may be incremental the rates will go up. Buying solar now is a way of fixing costs for the next couple of decades even if there is not much savings at current prices.

considering the fact that Trump has backed away from that insipid agreement, energy cost should remain stable for many years to come

 

[Snerruc]

I pay .11 as well(or less) with zero state solar subsidy. If you don't want to get solar you don't have to, but you can't alter reality.

At these prices solar is competitive pretty much everywhere. With the 30% ITC credit, Floridians can save tons. It is the sunshine state for God's sake, you could probably save money with zero subsidy.

Solar City gave me a quote that worked out to .27 per kilowatt hr. That's a long way from .11

 

[ecarfan]

I'm not prone to conspiracy theories but this tariff scheme strikes me as an underhanded way to protect the fossil fuel industries in the US.

Agreed. Of course that is exactly what it is.

I did the math, 25+year payout, and it does little to increase the value of the home, in fact many consider the panels to be unsightly.
it was a no go for me.

You are welcome to your calculations. Many people disagree and know that for them a properly designed solar system can pay for itself in 15 years or less. Mine will.

considering the fact that Trump has backed away from that insipid agreement, energy cost should remain stable for many years to come

Nothing Trump has done or will do will change the reality that the cost of sustainable energy production is falling rapidly and that no one is going to re-open coal mines or start new mines because there are cheaper ways to produce electricity in the US.

A year or two from now the headlines will be "Ex-coal miners unhappy because they still aren't working digging up coal, feel that Trump has conned them".

You can only get away with lying for so long before it comes around and bites you in the butt.

 

[kort677]

wrong again!
maybe where you reside you are correct with your calculations however where I live my calculations are correct.
why do some people in CA think what is applicable in their little patch of the world is applicable everywhere else?

 

[ecarfan]

I never said that your particular calculations were "wrong", only that others disagree with them and that from a payoff point of viewsolar works for many people in many places.

Try to look at the big picture. I am.