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1   RWSGFY   2019 Aug 20, 8:38am  

$1500 exit fee is a nice touch...
2   Shaman   2019 Aug 20, 9:04am  

They’re bleeding market share because their cost point is too high. Solar panels aren’t that expensive anymore, and if there’s no battery backup, the materials are likely less than $3000 for a full install. Add $2000 for labor costs and you’re at $5000. Which they’ll charge 20k for of course.
I’ve been seriously thinking about installing my own system. Maybe just start with like six panels and a battery backup system just for running the pool pump, and add panels later once it’s proven. The goal is to get off the grid entirely at some point. But have the ability to throw a breaker and reconnect should we not get much sun.
3   socal2   2019 Aug 20, 10:09am  

Quigley says
The goal is to get off the grid entirely at some point. But have the ability to throw a breaker and reconnect should we not get much sun.


Yep - I am not interested until the battery storage allows us to be completely off grid for a few days at a time.

Right now the economics don't make much sense for me. Even though I have an electric car that I charge at the house, my electric bill went down because I am getting super cheap rates for off-peak when I charge the car and run my ceiling fans all night.

If/when I get up to 2-3 electric cars, I will reconsider going with solar hoping that storage tech is better/cheaper.
4   EBGuy   2019 Aug 20, 12:18pm  

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostikovitch says
Is there any regulation that the install has to be done by a licensed electrician in California?

Yes, to get rebates from the Feds. Read some Donne.
5   FortWayneAsNancyPelosiHaircut   2019 Aug 20, 4:19pm  

Quigley says
They’re bleeding market share because their cost point is too high. Solar panels aren’t that expensive anymore, and if there’s no battery backup, the materials are likely less than $3000 for a full install. Add $2000 for labor costs and you’re at $5000. Which they’ll charge 20k for of course.
I’ve been seriously thinking about installing my own system. Maybe just start with like six panels and a battery backup system just for running the pool pump, and add panels later once it’s proven. The goal is to get off the grid entirely at some point. But have the ability to throw a breaker and reconnect should we not get much sun.


Been thinking about doing that too. But my costs are pretty low, seems like I'd never make money back.

- Panels
- Inverter
- Plans (w/ approval from Van Nuys office)
- framing
- battery

is there a cheap place to get all that?
6   RWSGFY   2019 Aug 20, 4:30pm  

FortWayneIndiana says
Quigley says
They’re bleeding market share because their cost point is too high. Solar panels aren’t that expensive anymore, and if there’s no battery backup, the materials are likely less than $3000 for a full install. Add $2000 for labor costs and you’re at $5000. Which they’ll charge 20k for of course.
I’ve been seriously thinking about installing my own system. Maybe just start with like six panels and a battery backup system just for running the pool pump, and add panels later once it’s proven. The goal is to get off the grid entirely at some point. But have the ability to throw a breaker and reconnect should we not get much sun.


Been thinking about doing that too. But my costs are pretty low, seems like I'd never make money back.

- Panels
- Inverter
- Plans (w/ approval from Van Nuys office)
- framing
- battery

is there a cheap place to get all that?


Google it. I found these guys right away:

https://www.gogreensolar.com/collections/solar-panel-kits
7   Hircus   2019 Aug 20, 5:16pm  

Ya, every few years I recrunch the numbers on the investment return of going solar. A few years ago I considered doing most of the install myself. I'm a typical/low electricity user, so I mostly stay out of higher electric pricing tiers, and a good chunk of households are like me. Not being a high electricity user makes the solar payoff math much more difficult to justify, and I couldn't do it if I had to pay someone the exorbitant installation + various rape charges they typically do.

So, I figured I could mount the panels and do most of the grunt work myself, and just hire an electrician to do the few things I didn't feel comfortable doing, and then I realized how resistant the industry is to this. They love their govt sweetheart deal where you need them to get the rebate, and they don't want to let that go cheaply. So, I abandoned the idea of going solar. Not worth all the trouble for such a minor investment return in my case. Maybe in the future if my electric usage goes up a lot.

Another point of investment return volatility is net metering w/ pg&e. I haven't kept up on the details recently, but I know when I first looked into it maybe 6 yrs or so ago, the terms were great. I've heard they keep revising the net metering terms every yr or so, and so it keeps becoming less and less favorable, which screws your math up, and reducing your returns. i.e., I think they added a minimum monthly electric bill charge, and changes to how they pay you for power put into the grid, and other such stuff that whittles away at the solar savings.
8   EBGuy   2019 Aug 20, 6:22pm  

Hircus says
I'm a typical/low electricity user, so I mostly stay out of higher electric pricing tiers

Yet that is the low hanging fruit. Any electricity at $0.28159 per kWhr (over baseline usage) it too much. Yeah, it doesn't make any sense, but neither does putting a couple thousand dollars in a savings account that pays (almost) no interest. Make that money (and free photons) work for you...

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