Ironbutt
Loves the anecdotal
I haven't paid a power bill in 4 year since buying my solar system.. But I bought it outright..
-
There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.
Who's gone Solar
- Thread starter scratchpad
- Start date
I'm a bit confused about the value of this device. Is the notion that this is part of an end solution to completely decouple from the grid? This doesn't seem super helpful if you have net-energy metering.
Also the time when you need hot water usually pretty closely coincides with periods of time when the array is making minimal power.
rodr
Active member
The water heater stores energy, so we can heat it only when the sun shines and pay nothing. Furthermore the device uses only excess solar power.
Of course if you are paid for export to the grid at the same rate per kWh that you pay for import then it doesn't matter. For us it's about a 1:3 ratio.
tgrrdr
Не мои об
My system has averaged around 55 kWh/day this month with a peak of 62. It's pretty amazing how much impact there is on production when it's overcast.
Attachments
ThinkFast
Live Long
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2007
- Location
- San RiffRaph
- Moto(s)
- n. (pl), a two-wheeled device used for transportation as well as racing and other fun stuff.
- Name
- Tom
I think the real question is how much money will you end up paying for electric at the end of year 1? Or maybe even better - what did you pay for your system, and how much did you save in electricity bills?
Our system went live last year on July 14, sized to 108% of our average usage for previous two years. With less than a month to go we’re at about 113% of annual usage during the last 12 months, which includes a cool summer last year (no a/c) and a cloudy spring this year (lower production).
We’re on track to have zero electricity cost for last 12 months, not including the $10/mo interconnect fee.
who here is thinking about putting your power bill in your kid's name to circumvent a future fixed fee based on income? My step-son is 18 and in college, so he's the perfect candidate for our designated PG&E ratepayer 
Retired parents would be another good option.
Retired parents would be another good option.
who here is thinking about putting your power bill in your kid's name to circumvent a future fixed fee based on income? My step-son is 18 and in college, so he's the perfect candidate for our designated PG&E ratepayer
Retired parents would be another good option.
Just spent some time with my bro-in-law who deals with all the regulatory stuff. He seems to think this rate deal will not go through. I hope he's right, I don't like it... But we do have a 19 year old son living us!!!
tgrrdr
Не мои об
JBut we do have a 19 year old son living us!!!
my kid is 15, I wonder if that's too young?
my kid is 15, I wonder if that's too young?
I've got one of those too for when the other guys move out
Oh, he the 19 Y/O is actually 20, oops!
TwistedGRAY
Can't access Classified
Contractors out of Dallas finished installing the Tesla panels today. Now the real wait begins.
Last edited:
ctwo
Merely Rhetorical
I think it would be based on household income.
Interesting, so we'd have to add in our two working kids salaries to the household total? What a load.
TwistedGRAY
Can't access Classified
Sorry, I meant figuratively.
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2008
- Location
- Bay Area
- Moto(s)
- Kawasaki Versys 1000LT,
Work: BMW R1250RT-P
Prior: Honda 600RR Graffiti, Kawi 650R
- Name
- D
Still waiting...it will be 5 weeks tomorrow since it passed city inspection. Probably about 3 weeks since they sent PG&E the paperwork to approve. Tesla took a good week after the passed inspection to even open up the payment method and then took about another week or so to confirm they received the payment.
Things just move slowly when you work on solar time I guess.
Things just move slowly when you work on solar time I guess.
TwistedGRAY
Can't access Classified
Tesla's drag ass mentality
I should have my city inspection done tomorrow. A bit of surprise when Elon called me just a few minutes ago to ask if I would be available.
HappyHighwayman
It's all in the reflexes
Just got a letter from Water Power Sewer saying I can cash out my $168 in credit or use it for billing credit. Never knew you could actually get money back I thought the best you could do is break even.
I've generated 17,500 ish kwH since getting the system, how do I calculate the actual "cost" to me value if I hadn't had solar?
I've generated 17,500 ish kwH since getting the system, how do I calculate the actual "cost" to me value if I hadn't had solar?
ThinkFast
Live Long
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2007
- Location
- San RiffRaph
- Moto(s)
- n. (pl), a two-wheeled device used for transportation as well as racing and other fun stuff.
- Name
- Tom
Use the cost of electricity per year you paid before you got solar?
Bowling4Bikes
Steee-riiike!
pge.com / solar and energy details
tgrrdr
Не мои об
I'm still trying to figure out the monthly bills I get from PG&E. I had them install a system that was a bit bigger than I thought I'd need so I'd have excess capacity for an EV and/or electric heat. So far I've generated about 10MWh according to the enphase monitoring app.
My cost for electricity varies by time of day and time of year but it seems to be in the $0.40 - 0.50 / kWh range. So for you, on the low end, that would be around $7,000 of power you've produced. To determine your "cost" look at one of your bills from before you had solar and see what rate you were paying.
Attachments
TwistedGRAY
Can't access Classified
PG&E approved and now we can do laundry, dishes, and live lives during normal business hours
