Solar Roof in New Jersey

[gianni]

Hi All,

Curious to see what types of power generation fellow NJ folks have seen. I’m considering a solar roof (just put down a deposit) but am unsure if the math really works here in the North East. A few additional considerations;

1. I am about 5 years away from needing a new roof
2. I would really like backup power as we typically loose power for at least 3 - 5 days every 2 years in my part of NJ
3. I have a Model S and would love to be using solar power for my commute
4. I can really use the tax credit

Any advice and guidance are appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[sk00]

Hi All,

Curious to see what types of power generation fellow NJ folks have seen. I’m considering a solar roof (just put down a deposit) but am unsure if the math really works here in the North East. A few additional considerations;

1. I am about 5 years away from needing a new roof
2. I would really like backup power as we typically loose power for at least 3 - 5 days every 2 years in my part of NJ
3. I have a Model S and would love to be using solar power for my commute
4. I can really use the tax credit

Any advice and guidance are appreciated.
Thanks.

I'm in the Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of NYC. Not sure where you are in NJ, but I can't imagine conditions being much different. We spend about half our time here. We just renovated our garage which also needed a new roof, so decided to go with the solar roof. 7.1 kw solar + 2x Powerwall installation was completed in mid July. Since then peak daily production has been about 40 kwh and it's been averaging 30-35 kwh daily. We use 15-20 kwh daily in the summer without EV charging (we also drive a Model Y), so with somewhat careful EV charging timing, we've been completely off grid since installation. I'm sure solar production will deteriorate significantly in the winter, but we'll also probably be here less during the winter. Given our annual energy usage forecast, I think the system will be able to meet that need 100 pct (or more). My calculated investment payback is <10 years, and even better if I subtract the cost of a new roof I would've had to get regardless.

Once you've priced out a system that can meet your daily/monthly energy needs, you can easily calculate your payback period. While there are a lot of variables, from my experience, I think it's definitely possible to make the math work in the northeast.

 

[trautmane2]

so decided to go with the solar roof. 7.1 kw solar

How many PV tiles do you have facing in what directions?

 

[sk00]

How many PV tiles do you have facing in what directions?

Forgot total # of tiles but it's exactly half south, half north. Original design was for 6.55 kw but increased during installation.

 

[wjgjr]

Tesla should provide you with a design and an estimate for the annual production (noting that by year 25, the production could be down to 85% of the original.) In general, this should be a reliable (and likely conservative) estimate that you can use to determine whether the math works for you. Our solar roof did outperform the Tesla estimate for the first year. The other piece of information you would want would be the cost to replace your roof with a similar, non-solar option so you can factor that appropriately.

 

[pschall]

Hi All,

Curious to see what types of power generation fellow NJ folks have seen. I’m considering a solar roof (just put down a deposit) but am unsure if the math really works here in the North East. A few additional considerations;

1. I am about 5 years away from needing a new roof
2. I would really like backup power as we typically loose power for at least 3 - 5 days every 2 years in my part of NJ
3. I have a Model S and would love to be using solar power for my commute
4. I can really use the tax credit

Any advice and guidance are appreciated.
Thanks.

Cool