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Tesla now RENTS solar panels

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Invertor is warranty for 12 years.
Panels are warranty for 30 years with a guarantee of no lost of power generation something like no more than 2% per year.
That's all part of the package not a separate payment.
But who's to say the company will be around for that long to honor that warranty.
I've done my homework and generally once the panels are up it's pretty much next to no maintenance.
They will monitor power generation and ensure it don't fall below 2% per year.
The panels should continue to work probably two or three time longer than the invertor.
First 8 to 10 years is needed for ROI. The next 20 to 30 years is free and clear.
It's $912 per month for the next two years no interest but that not factoring in the 30% incentives before 2019. In reality it's ~$630 per months for the next 2 years.

There's talks about the incentives going away completely by year end. Currently it's 26% after 2019 and slowly tapper off.

All in all - solar was terrible investment 10 years ago because the panels only last 10 years. But currently, it make sense.
I hope I am making the right choice here. Who knows... Maybe someone will come up with a better and cheaper electricity generation method. But right now, its seems like a good time to jump on. I just don't see our utility company will ever lower our rates. It just kept going up. The more Solar is going up, utility company will have less customers. Guess who is paying for the cost. The one without solar. However, one can also argue more EV owners are coming onboard hence more juice pulled from the grid.

I figured I might retire in 10 years. That's one bill I don't have to worry about.

It's a good time for solar and you are right the utilities are not going to lower their prices and everyone without solar is going to shoulder the burden. It sounds like you got a good deal now that I see the tax savings in there. Those will be gone soon as well as the credits the utilties pay for the extra power put back in their grid. I think at some point that will be zero.
 
Got confirmation and explanation behind the upgrade. It's a City of Phoenix/APS combination thing I guess. Here's the fault current rate table they use for Phoenix, and since I'm 200 amp single phase power, my standard fault current is 14kA. My panel must be equal to or greater. I'll probably end up cancelling, was not planning on a $2700 upgrade right now.

View attachment 464522 View attachment 464523

Well that sucks but I am glad it is a Phoenix/APS requirement and doesn't affect me (I hope). You can get the medium system and you should be fine without upgrading the panel.
 
I had investigated solar 15 years ago (when I bought my house), and everything I saw then was a 25 year warranty on the panels, 10 year for the inverters. So it doesn't seem things have changed much in my research.

Curious... How's the panels power generation holding up? How much lost on power generation after 15 years?
What was the watt hr per panel 15 years ago? 200 watt/hours?
 
oh I agree overall efficiency has increased since then but warranties should be the same no? Degradation rate hasn't changed much as far as I know.

According to Woferry, sounds like the sale pitch are the same 15 years ago is no different to what I am quoted on today.
ie.... 12 years on invertor and 30 years on panels. Panels degradation is something like under 2% for the life of the panels on power generation. I am curious what Woferry response are. How much power generation on average per day 15 years ago and what is the average today.

I am assuming watt hr per panel 15 years ago is probably 200 to 250 watt hr panels?
 
According to Woferry, sounds like the sale pitch are the same 15 years ago is no different to what I am quoted on today.
ie.... 12 years on invertor and 30 years on panels. Panels degradation is something like under 2% for the life of the panels on power generation. I am curious what Woferry response are. How much power generation on average per day 15 years ago and what is the average today.

I am assuming watt hr per panel 15 years ago is probably 200 to 250 watt hr panels?

I have a 13 year old 12kW system that is a mix of 130W, 144W and 200W panels, which were good back in 2006. Over the past 13 years, output has declined by 14%, so just about 1% per year, with no panel failures.
 
I have a 13 year old 12kW system that is a mix of 130W, 144W and 200W panels, which were good back in 2006. Over the past 13 years, output has declined by 14%, so just about 1% per year, with no panel failures.

Good to know about degradation is about 1% per year. I think I was quoted something like .00 something per year for degradation but guaranteed no lost more than 2% per year.

Holy smoke. Your average panel (130+144+200/3=158) 158 watt hr panel x 75 to 80 panels = ~12 kW system.
That's a lot of panels. How many years for ROI?

I elected to go with the 300 watt hr panel as oppose to high rated panel because the 300 watt hr panel has the 30 year warranty over the higher rated panel at 25 years.
 
Here you go.

There are actually 90 panels. 7 of the previously noted 36 144W panels are two 72W triangular panels.

83 panels.jpg
 
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