What did you pay per watt DC for solar?

[RegGuheert]

I just signed on the dotted line to have a 9.2kW system installed (28 SunPower 327s with an SPR-8000m inverter). I've been wanting to do this for a while. It would be $3.50/W to purchase outright, or $2/W for a 20 year prepaid lease. I'm pretty stoked, I'll finally be electric bill free!

Congratulations! Very cool!

[gergg]

I just signed on the dotted line to have a 9.2kW system installed (28 SunPower 327s with an SPR-8000m inverter). I've been wanting to do this for a while. It would be $3.50/W to purchase outright, or $2/W for a 20 year prepaid lease. I'm pretty stoked, I'll finally be electric bill free!

If you don't mind, can you give some details about how this works, out of pocket costs, etc...

[davewill]

If you don't mind, can you give some details about how this works, out of pocket costs, etc...

With the SunPower lease, there's no out-of-pocket at all. You can prepay the lease, or make fixed monthly payments for 20 years. In our case, the prepaid lease would be paid back after 4.5 years. The monthly payment is maybe 3/5ths of our current electric bill putting us ahead from day 1. We're still deciding which way to go, but either way it's good. So, for twenty years, I get the benefits, and since they own it, they take care of all the maintenance and repairs. At the end of 20 years, you have the option of buying the system, or having them take it down...but the residual is so high that no one in their right mind would buy the 20 year old HW, so the plan is to tell them to take it back at the end of the lease. According to the contractor, not even SunPower is likely to want the HW back so they are likely to simply offer the system to us gratis rather have to pay to remove it from our roof. But I'm OK if they do take it down.

[RegGuheert]

So, for twenty years, I get the benefits, and since they own it, they take care of all the maintenance and repairs.

That's probably good, as I expect that inverter will need to be replaced at least one time in twenty years.

I wonder if they will return your roof to pre-PV condition or if you will have a roof full of holes filled with black roofing goo. I drilled 88 1/4-inch holes in my roof to mount the rails for my system...

[davewill]

That's probably good, as I expect that inverter will need to be replaced at least one time in twenty years.

I wonder if they will return your roof to pre-PV condition or if you will have a roof full of holes filled with black roofing goo. I drilled 88 1/4-inch holes in my roof to mount the rails for my system...

Well, it would be a bit much to expect that they would resheet and retile my roof. They do warranty the removal work the greater of a year or the existing roof warrantry...yes, that's not a lot, but it will be a pretty old roof by then. That said, I'm honestly not expecting they will take it down.

[hd172]

Sunpower says they will remove the system within 10days of the end of the lease or they will give it to you. I think it would cost them more to take it down than it would be to leave it. I'm going to tell them to take it down at the end of my lease just to see what happens.

[gergg]

With the SunPower lease, there's no out-of-pocket at all. You can prepay the lease, or make fixed monthly payments for 20 years. In our case, the prepaid lease would be paid back after 4.5 years. The monthly payment is maybe 3/5ths of our current electric bill putting us ahead from day 1. We're still deciding which way to go, but either way it's good. So, for twenty years, I get the benefits, and since they own it, they take care of all the maintenance and repairs. At the end of 20 years, you have the option of buying the system, or having them take it down...but the residual is so high that no one in their right mind would buy the 20 year old HW, so the plan is to tell them to take it back at the end of the lease. According to the contractor, not even SunPower is likely to want the HW back so they are likely to simply offer the system to us gratis rather have to pay to remove it from our roof. But I'm OK if they do take it down.

Cool....so on a system your size what would one expect to pay a month on a 20 year lease? I'm very interested in looking at this.

[davewill]

Cool....so on a system your size what would one expect to pay a month on a 20 year lease? I'm very interested in looking at this.

Remember that it's dependent on what incentives exist in your area. For this 9.2kW system, they quoted $177 per month including taxes.

[gergg]

I found out that it is illegal to lease solar panels in Georgia.

I did get a quote for $4/watt installed on Suniva panels which seems pretty reasonable, especially considering rebates....30% fed, 35% state, 12% local utility....dang, that means 77% paid for......So a 5.2 Kw system at $20,818 would end up costing me $4,789.00 or less than a dollar/watt(.92 cent actually). That's hard to pass up.

[Cheezmo]

I've only seen prepaid leases offered in TX.

I have been quoted just under $14k for a 7kW system which is pretty much break even for me after 20 years. Still getting quotes and talking to people hopeful something can be worked out with a decent ROI, because I'd really like to do it.

Biggest problem for me is that my electricity is already 7.3 cents/kwH (yes that is monthly total bill / meter reading), so where the ROI may be much better for people who haven't shopped around in this area and are paying over 11 cents., for me it is tight.