Solar City rep signing in.

[keydiver]

Do you have any experience with east/west facing rooves? What loss of efficiency is to be expected from an east facing slope vs. a south-facing roof in the same sunlight (just rough ballpark)? (Panels would be mounted flat).

This is a great site to play around with different roof pitches and direction. An East or West facing array isn't as bad as I previously thought:
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/calculators/PVWATTS/version1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[gregersonke]

Do you have any experience with east/west facing rooves? What loss of efficiency is to be expected from an east facing slope vs. a south-facing roof in the same sunlight (just rough ballpark)? (Panels would be mounted flat).

This is a great site to play around with different roof pitches and direction. An East or West facing array isn't as bad as I previously thought:
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/calculators/PVWATTS/version1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Try this instead,

http://solarlease.solarcity.com/SolarBidLite/InsideSales.aspx?UserType=InsideSales" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

After the first page, adjust settings

-Kevin

 

[csriram45]

Thank you for the info. The advantage of purchase is the carbon credits you accumulate. In CA we can not yet sell much but eventually when things change these carbon credits would be useful. I was looking to get max system I could for my limited roof space (14 panels of Sanyo) for about 3.6kW system. Was given the string inverter though would prefer to go with micro inverter. I was almost ready to pull the plug but decided against it..... Solarcity wanted me to pay about $14K after credit but if I went with a private contractor the system was under $10K after credit.

Microinverters on 14 panels will actually cost more than a single inverter as much as some manufactures would like to propose differently. Plus the advantage of a single inverter is that it can be easily serviced on the wall, or, replaced for a more efficient one in the future. The number 1 thing that kills inverters is heat and the hottest place to be is on the roof under the panels.

Solar City does provide best Value Garruantee, so if you find a better price for a similar product just bring it to your sales guy and he will get a match on it. We are also the only company in the industry to offer a 14 day cancellation period. Especially if there is as much of a price difference as you say it might make sense to let the number 1 residential installer in California lower your energy bills.

how does the guarantee work? Is this based on the price of panel and inverter cost? Are there other costs? whats the price/watt before rebates?

 

[gregersonke]

Thank you for the info. The advantage of purchase is the carbon credits you accumulate. In CA we can not yet sell much but eventually when things change these carbon credits would be useful. I was looking to get max system I could for my limited roof space (14 panels of Sanyo) for about 3.6kW system. Was given the string inverter though would prefer to go with micro inverter. I was almost ready to pull the plug but decided against it..... Solarcity wanted me to pay about $14K after credit but if I went with a private contractor the system was under $10K after credit.

Microinverters on 14 panels will actually cost more than a single inverter as much as some manufactures would like to propose differently. Plus the advantage of a single inverter is that it can be easily serviced on the wall, or, replaced for a more efficient one in the future. The number 1 thing that kills inverters is heat and the hottest place to be is on the roof under the panels.

Solar City does provide best Value Garruantee, so if you find a better price for a similar product just bring it to your sales guy and he will get a match on it. We are also the only company in the industry to offer a 14 day cancellation period. Especially if there is as much of a price difference as you say it might make sense to let the number 1 residential installer in California lower your energy bills.

how does the guarantee work? Is this based on the price of panel and inverter cost? Are there other costs? whats the price/watt before rebates?

Great question, its typically based on cost per khwr (production) after rebates.

 

[gregersonke]

Hey guys, just a few things to add. Solarcity will honor the existing warranty on your roof and warranty your system for the entire lease period. If you decide to remove after 20 years, we will restore the roof as close to original condition as possible even if we have to buy matching tiles. We will continue to honor existing roof warranty or 1 year on roof whichever is longer.

Even if not financially viable, we will still continue to warranty system.

Also, take a look at our Energy Efficiency programs. We do Home Energy Evaluations that simulate your home in ten minute cycles for an entire year based on average Nrel data. From that we can install a number of High efficiency devices to lower your bill without you having to change the way you live your life.

 

[ghabel]

Kevin, your last post intrigued me. I have a 12 year old roof with a 30 yr guarantee. What are my options? Hoping not to have to replace the roof. What if it needs replacing? Who pays for the removal of the solar panels and putting them back?

 

[gregersonke]

Kevin, your last post intrigued me. I have a 12 year old roof with a 30 yr guarantee. What are my options? Hoping not to have to replace the roof. What if it needs replacing? Who pays for the removal of the solar panels and putting them back?

Hi Ghabel, there are a number of different cases in this particular regards, under standard contracts we won't install on roofs with less than 20 years left on them. But, I reccomend getting a free consultation with one of our consultants to see contract details to this question as the answers can vary based on multiple factors and it may still make long-term financial sense for you to lock in your lower power bill with Solar this year.

 

[ghabel]

Thanks Kevin - I signed up for a free consultation.

 

[pii100]

Just found the details on what Solar City does. Cant wait for you guys to move into the Asstin market!