What does it cost to have a solar setup?

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Thanks for the info!!

Sounds like on the low end, DIY would be around $5,000...and a more professional installation would be around $10,000 (both plus/minus 20%).

Seems more expensive then a I thought. But I knew it wasnt cheap. I think the tax credits make it a do-able option.
 
We are currently in the process of having Real Goods Solar install a system (purchased) from a recommendation on here.

Now we are all pro "Made in the USA" so we're going Enphase/Suniva/QuickMountPV system.

Don't trust anyone when they say BenQ panels or anything else. Just SolarWorld, Suniva & Sharp are true USA panels!

Final costs for 8.11kw (DC) 7.21(AC- annual output of 13,619kwh) came out to $18,875.

Currently being installed.
 
JasonA said:
Final costs for 8.11kw (DC) 7.21(AC- annual output of 13,619kwh) came out to $18,875.

Please quote the cost paid to the installer and then if inclined the cost after the various rebates :) I assume a price of $2.33 installed is after federal and state rebates.
 
QueenBee said:
JasonA said:
Final costs for 8.11kw (DC) 7.21(AC- annual output of 13,619kwh) came out to $18,875.

Please quote the cost paid to the installer and then if inclined the cost after the various rebates :) I assume a price of $2.33 installed is after federal and state rebates.
That is final cost after all rebates. Contract price to RGS is $26,554.
 
My 4.56KW setup was $16,617.20 to the installer. After rebates and tax credit $10,961.72 ~$2.4/watt
19 Canadian Solar 240 Watt PV with Enphase 215 Micro inverters.
Powered it up in April 2013.

Installer based in SoCal.
 
I'm putting up a 5.17kW system here in Norway. It will produce enough to drive a Leaf around 13,000 miles per year. Total cost is about $7500, and it's all DIY except connecting the inverter to the grid (which is a 6' cable).

You can get chinese panels now for around $0.52 per watt.
 
JasonA said:
QueenBee said:
JasonA said:
Final costs for 8.11kw (DC) 7.21(AC- annual output of 13,619kwh) came out to $18,875.

Please quote the cost paid to the installer and then if inclined the cost after the various rebates :) I assume a price of $2.33 installed is after federal and state rebates.
That is final cost after all rebates. Contract price to RGS is $26,554.

I think that has to be a new low that I've seen! $3.27 a watt installed, nice job!
 
I started looking at a system just to charge the Leaf, but then added 2 Volts.

I ended up with a 6kW system for just under $10K as a prepaid 20 year lease. The economics of a smaller or even a larger system didn't make sense, we had to find the sweet spot with regard to cost/benefit.

Since November here in Plano it has averaged just over 24kWh/day with about 2.5kWh going back into the grid for a net for 21.5kWh.

I don't know if the prepaid lease deals are still there, but it was very easy (they worry about all the rebate/subsidy paperwork, etc.). I know SolarCity said they weren't able to do those in Texas at the time, but were doing them elsewhere in the country. Ours was coordinated by a local installer but NRG wrote the lease.

My electric rates get real low in the winter (4.2c/kWh anyone?) so the ROI is kind of tough but I basically prepaid 20 years worth of electricity at less than 7c/kWh so it has the potential to pay for itself.
 
Cheezmo said:
My electric rates get real low in the winter (4.2c/kWh anyone?) so the ROI is kind of tough but I basically prepaid 20 years worth of electricity at less than 7c/kWh so it has the potential to pay for itself.
My system is too small to have a worthwhile ROI. My view is that "other people buy less useful toys, do they not?" I consider the cost of the solar array part of the cost of my EV, except that it should last long enough to power the next EV as well.
 
LEAFfan said:
QueenBee said:
I think that has to be a new low that I've seen! $3.27 a watt installed, nice job!

You mean lowest in CA? Mine was $ .91/W installed.

No, I mean lowest cost as in how much was paid to the installer by you, taxpayers, utility customers, etc. Please quote the cost paid to the installer not just the after federal, state, local rebates cost which will vary widely depending on location.
 
QueenBee said:
LEAFfan said:
QueenBee said:
I think that has to be a new low that I've seen! $3.27 a watt installed, nice job!

You mean lowest in CA? Mine was $ .91/W installed.

No, I mean lowest cost as in how much was paid to the installer by you, taxpayers, utility customers, etc. Please quote the cost paid to the installer not just the after federal, state, local rebates cost which will vary widely depending on location.
Remember that it'll be $19k after all is said and done...

$2.34 will be final after federal (have 5 years to deduct).. but the wife wants a Tesla... so.... :shock:

And I'm thinking about a RAV4ev... so those deductions have to start flying!
 
JasonA said:
$2.34 will be final after federal (have 5 years to deduct).. but the wife wants a Tesla... so.... :shock:

And I'm thinking about a RAV4ev... so those deductions have to start flying!
solarmnl


I'm not sure if this has been considered, but solar power-purchase agreements can be pretty attractive. We prepaid ours, and the the net kWh cost is 6 cents. The vendor will guarantee certain power delivery and generation targets. I'm sure that attractive deals can be had. While on the topic, I would love to hear about the feasibility and regulatory requirements for self-installed systems. The highest cost component these days appears to be labor and installation.
 
surfingslovak said:
While on the topic, I would love to hear about the feasibility and regulatory requirements for self-installed systems. The highest cost component these days appears to be labor and installation.

Most jurisdictions allow the home owner to do their own electrical work so there generally is no problem with that. If the jurisdiction doesn't finding a electrician who is willing to do the AC wiring in an Enphase micro inverter setup should be fairly easy and not too expensive. The vast majority of the manufacturers don't require a specific certification to install for the warranty to be valid. Designing a micro inverter system is very straightforward. Iron Ridge provides a good calculator for doing the engineering on roof load, etc. One of the more challenging pieces is finding the trusses and installing the mounts/flashing. I did both phases of my system DIY (with the help of family that are contractors) and am helping a handful of others do the same. The materials are right around $2 per watt. A few are LEAF owners from here and then most recently someone who lives in my city saw my permit and contacted me.

Anyway, it's very doable for someone with AC wiring skills, basic mechanical skills and who is comfortable working with roofing, flashing, finding trusses and has a friend or two to help lugging everything to the roof :)
 
dgpcolorado said:
My system is too small to have a worthwhile ROI. My view is that "other people buy less useful toys, do they not?" I consider the cost of the solar array part of the cost of my EV, except that it should last long enough to power the next EV as well.
Exactly. No one asks what the "payback time" is for leather seats or premium audio, do they? Especially if you enjoy learning about and "monkeying with" your solar setup (aside from the fact that it does at least partially pay for itself), it is worth it.
 
QueenBee said:
surfingslovak said:
While on the topic, I would love to hear about the feasibility and regulatory requirements for self-installed systems. The highest cost component these days appears to be labor and installation.
Most jurisdictions allow the home owner to do their own electrical work so there generally is no problem with that. If the jurisdiction doesn't finding a electrician who is willing to do the AC wiring in an Enphase micro inverter setup should be fairly easy and not too expensive. The vast majority of the manufacturers don't require a specific certification to install for the warranty to be valid. Designing a micro inverter system is very straightforward. Iron Ridge provides a good calculator for doing the engineering on roof load, etc. One of the more challenging pieces is finding the trusses and installing the mounts/flashing. I did both phases of my system DIY (with the help of family that are contractors) and am helping a handful of others do the same. The materials are right around $2 per watt. A few are LEAF owners from here and then most recently someone who lives in my city saw my permit and contacted me.

Anyway, it's very doable for someone with AC wiring skills, basic mechanical skills and who is comfortable working with roofing, flashing, finding trusses and has a friend or two to help lugging everything to the roof :)
That matches our experience exactly. The only real hitch we had was that our inspector would not improve the installation without the addition of an external lockable disconnect. He agreed with me that this is not an NEC requirement, but he said our electricity coop would not allow net metering without it. He described the electricity provider as "his customer" and that his hands were tied. The change ended up costing me about $250 in parts and about $700 in lost electricity production due to difficulties in getting the work done.

Only later did I learn that VA net metering laws forbid the power provider from adding any requirements to the installation beyond what is required by the NEC. Still, I think that in case of a house fire the external disconnect may give some firefiighters enough peace of mind to allow them to go ahead and fight the fire. Hopefully we never get to find out if that is true or not.

At today's prices, a self-installation should pay back in a period much shorter than the equipment warranty, even here where there are no TOU benefits and electricity is fairly inexpensive.
mbender said:
dgpcolorado said:
My system is too small to have a worthwhile ROI. My view is that "other people buy less useful toys, do they not?" I consider the cost of the solar array part of the cost of my EV, except that it should last long enough to power the next EV as well.
Exactly. No one asks what the "payback time" is for leather seats or premium audio, do they? Especially if you enjoy learning about and "monkeying with" your solar setup (aside from the fact that it does at least partially pay for itself), it is worth it.
Perhaps, but I will contend that most people will not be willing to spend many thousands of dollars to install and maintain a system which they may find to be aesthetically unpleasing, will eventually require maintenance and/or repair and provides no tangible benefits over the system which is currently in place. I will further contend that a short payback time is the ONLY reason most people would consider purchasing a PV system. in other words, it is a financial investment for them, pure and simple.

To me, this is a form of investment which has benefits and drawbacks versus making a similar-sized investment in other financial instruments. Both have the promise of returns on the investment as well as long-term risks, but for many the return on a grid-tied PV investment will very hard to beat with any other type financial investment. One problem with a PV investment is that you may not be able to recover tha cost if you sell the home, so you need to plan to stay in the home for long enough to make it pay off.

Like most things, YMMV.
 
I was quoted $3.96/watt for a 7.2Kwh (24x300W) Suntech array install with a single inverter by a local contractor, seems a bit high, no? I'm a bit hesitant to commit to these Chinese panels. What would be a better alternative over Suntech?
 
Valdemar said:
I was quoted $3.96/watt for a 7.2Kwh (24x300W) Suntech array install with a single inverter by a local contractor, seems a bit high, no? I'm a bit hesitant to commit to these Chinese panels. What would be a better alternative over Suntech?

Seems a bit high to me since Mother Nature Solar is at $3.39 a watt for Canandian Solar with Enphase microinverters. I've been very happy with the Canandian Solar panels and definitely am a fan of Enphae and microinverters. Don't know much about Suntech except that they are having financial troubles earlier this year.
 
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