Solar Panel questions

P

pied2

100+ Posts
Interested in info from HF network. The cost w/the federal and now Oncor rebates appear to make it much more affordable. I am in the Dallas area and have a great southern facing roof on my A frame home. Seems as if I have seen some people that are in the know post on here and would like t hear what you have to say.


Thanks
 
Most folks who have gotten serious about solar panels in Texas have been discouraged due to the frequency of hail storms. I would be interested to hear thoughts/facts re: this factor.
 
My wife and I go on the annual Austin Energy "Cool House" tour, which features star-rated green construction homes. There are always a couple of homes with solar panels and the conversion meters which feed excess energy back into the grid.
I think this tour is in the spring, and if you are in Austin, it is a good way to get information. The contractors and home owners are always there to provide answers to your questions.
Oops, I see you are in Dallas, but maybe the power company there has some similar programs, or at least can give you information.
The newer panels are built to a certain standard for hail up to a some size, so they are hail resistant.
The cost was out of our league, but is coming down with the number of rebates available. I would like to hear about someone who installs a system with all the current rebates-maybe it is getting affordable enough.
Of course, you have to feel you are going to stay in your house for a number of years to even think about justifying an expense like that.
 
For most homeowners there are much better ROI opportunities than solar panels to save on energy costs: solar screens, radiant barrier, insulation, caulking, shade trees, window coverings, etc.
 
more info-my house is built into a hill, and sits on top of the three car garage/media room. The supporting walls(inside the ground) are ICF w/12 in concrete. Inside at the back corner of the ground sits one AC unit for the down stairs area. The upper walls all have the spray foam insulation, radiant barrier, and a vent leading to the top of the A-frame and ridge vent. The windows,( and they are big) are all very efficient and have black out blinds which are down in the heat of the day.

All that said, I think I am ok with some of the itmes you mentioned, now looking to get a bit more while incentves are good.
 
I'm no expert, but I looked into it for my house a while back.

What is your goal, to save money on utilities? Solar won't work. The upfront capital cost won't justify the electricity cost savings?

The only solar that makes any economic sense is using solar to heat water.

If your goal in to be green, just buy your power from Green Mountain or some other sustainable power provider. You can choose in Dallas, right?

Bernard
 
It's a mixture I suppose. I would like to save on electric and be more green. I do not have the option of choosing my electric provider at my location.

W/all the rebates, it appears I can get into it for around $10k.
 
Haven't seen data recently, but at one time the energy expended to manufacture solar cells exceeded the energy they would produce over their lifetime. They have a place, but helping with energy efficiency isn't one of them. That's why you see wind farms and not solar farms. Actually, there are wind generators available for homeowners, but it's probably an option for most unless you're in the country.
 
really?

solar-panels.jpg
solar-farm-mallorca.jpg
 
Really. Especially for homeowners. Commercial installations are usually designed to track the sun for optimal efficiency, but that's not practical for most homeowners where they would typically be installed in a fixed orientation. While there are some commercial solar panel installations they aren't very cost effective compared to wind. Just because some were built doesn't mean it was smart. Now, if you're in a remote location with no electrical service, solar and other technologies make sense. Water heating, as was pointed out above, is a good way for many homeowners to utilize solar energy, though.
 
One big difference in the rebate dept, is the federal rebate has removed the cap so the 30% rebate is for the whole job, not capped at 2k. That alone is a huge difference for those outside of Austin but in Austin it is huge too.

The biggest question to ask, in my opinion, is are you going to live in your house for the next 15-25 years. If not then it becomes harder to justify at current energy costs.

If energy costs had continued to rise from where they were about 12-15 months ago then it was going to start making a lot of sense. Fortunately or unfortunately the natural gas prices have dropped a lot so E prices have too.
 
I installed a 3 kilowat system in late summer 2007. The total cost (including some changes to bring my house up to code) was $21,000. Austin Energy kicked in $12,500 and I claimed the maximum federal tax credit $2500. My total out-of-pocket was $6,000. The system is generating about 400 kWh per month, often keeping my total usage under 500 kWh per month, so I pay less per kWh under Austin's tiered pricing. My average electric bill was $40.88 last year for a 45 year old two story 1800 square foot house. I've done the other conservation measures: insulation, solar screens, cfl lighting, and a high efficiency AC. Austin Energy offered substantial rebates for these items as well.

Austin Energy now allows YEARLY rebates on solar PV systems. I could add another 3 kilowatt system this year and receive another rebate. I'm not sure about "double dipping" with the federal tax credit. A 6 kilowatt system would cover my average monthly usage resulting in a $0 electric bill.

The payback may be long, but there are other positives to installing PV panels. The panels add resale value to the house. In addition, there's an aesthetic and self-satisfaction value that's harder to quantify.
 
What do you think your bill would have been had you not done the other stuff? IOW, if you had just done the solar panels, would your bill go from say $200 to $100
 
Good information, Homebrew. That is getting into the realm of the possible-I just like the idea of being my own power plant at home, and having a meter that runs backwards at times.
I will ask more questions about this at a meeting I am having with an Austin Green Building employee on Tuesday, about my home upgrades.
 
I wasn't aware the rebates have increased that much. I presume Austin Energy bases it on their cost of adding capacity. Assuming a savings of $500 a year, that's a discounted payback period of about 17 years for you assuming no maintenance costs. Since their rebate is about twice your sunk cost that means they're factoring in a generating facility lifetime of about 35 years which sounds about right. Not sure what they do to assure you're using the system to justify their investment, but that's another topic. Agreed that the rebate makes it worth considering if you have a good location for it. However, as you can see, without the rebate it's really a non-starter financially.

There are some other interesting technologies emerging including the use of nuclear technology (yes, really) for a neighborhood-sized 24/7 generator (Hyperion).
 
I'm not looking at hard numbers, but the PV system cuts my average consumption by about $40 a month. I'll snap a couple of photos later and post them. If I remember correctly, I've got 18 PV panels on the roof. An inverter and two additional meters are on the side of the house at the supply panel. There is a certain joy to be had watching your electric meter run backwards....
 
I'm thinking that Hyperion may be a bit pricey for the average homeowner, as it produces enough for 20,000 homes. And I suspect Austin Energy doesn't offer a rebate on one just yet.
It is possible the neighbors might have a few objections, as well. Interesting possibilities on the horizon.
I wonder what one of those actually does cost, and can a small community actually buy one?
 
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