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What's the latest on Solar????

HOOTER SLED-

Supercharged MOTORBOAT!!!
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Been considering it for a while now. Still not sure if we are gonna stay in the house or if it will be worth the investment. Anybody been still making the jump lately?
 

badgas

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In the same boat.

A few years back I got estimates from energysage.com sort of a True Car for home solar. They bid all the big companies against each other. The bids were much lower than when I had bids collected directly with the same companies.

For us it would have been a 6 1/2 year payoff if we bought the system outright. Almost took the plunge but keep wondering how long i'm going to stay in my home.

See what others have to say.
 

Javajoe

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All depends what you pay in your area. Riverside Public utilities is cheap so no go for me but some areas I would consider it. Lots of shitty Solar companies out there though. Good luck if you have a roof leak. Nice you are doing your homework. A lot of installers are just independent contractors so any issues you have will be a lot of phone calls
 

Trash

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Why not talk to Andy and Palomar Solar? He is one of our resident experts and installers. It will cost you zero dollars to talk to him and he will guide and educate you with no pressure.
 

HOOTER SLED-

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All depends what you pay in your area. Riverside Public utilities is cheap so no go for me but some areas I would consider it. Lots of shitty Solar companies out there though. Good luck if you have a roof leak. Nice you are doing your homework. A lot of installers are just independent contractors so any issues you have will be a lot of phone calls
SCE over here in Corona....wasn't ever too bad...now the bills are starting to creep.
 

Done-it-again

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Thats the thing.....not even hot enough, so we don't use it yet.....and my bill is still $250

Palomar did ours in Fontana about 4yrs ago..... We averaged $140-150 a month back then and figured I had to pay someone (loan payment or Edison). Now with rates going up its one of the best things we did and now we have paid off the solar, all is good.
 

Echo Lodge

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Palomar did ours in Fontana about 4yrs ago..... We averaged $140-150 a month back then and figured I had to pay someone (loan payment or Edison). Now with rates going up its one of the best things we did and now we have paid off the solar, all is good.

Same here... 4 years ago... Just got my 12 month Net bill. $93 credit towards my next year's bill. I have not paid for electricity since I had my system put in. The $10 a month I pay to be connected to SCE grid is covered by my credit for over producing. SCE and the other utilities in CA are trying to change the NET metering rules which could drastically increase the years it takes to get ROI or make it impossible.


Maybe Andy will chime in. If we loose NET metering benefits we will have to put in batteries to store the extra kwh produced in the day to use at night.
 

Riverbound

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O have been trying to get a hold of @BasilHayden for a while. Lost his cell a d his office Will only take messages but I never get a call or text back. 😢
 

Bear Down

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I really need to get on the horse and start to figure out Solar.... From someone I know personally in the "KNOW" equitable billing is on the horizon and yet another way to tax the middle class more....
 

copterzach

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Is there any benefit to putting panels on the roof? Could a little solar field be set up next to the house? I have the acres to do it


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Ace in the Hole

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Is there any benefit to putting panels on the roof? Could a little solar field be set up next to the house? I have the acres to do it


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Ground mounts are over 50% of what we do... I would do a ground mount every time if we could...you can use cheaper inverters and such..no need for micro inverters or expensive panels.
 

parker guy

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Need to re roof my house and remove the panels, anyone remove and install the panels once the reroof is done...
 

Ace in the Hole

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Need to re roof my house and remove the panels, anyone remove and install the panels once the reroof is done...

You should contact your installer...there are warranty implications...

Not only that but we've been called out more than once to a house that had the system pulled and re-installed by roofers wrong...causing significant damage.. Which is not covered by warranty..
 

parker guy

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You should contact your installer...there are warranty implications...

Not only that but we've been called out more than once to a house that had the system pulled and re-installed by roofers wrong...causing significant damage.. Which is not covered by warranty..
Tesla told us, 6 months out....I need to have the roof done
 

BasilHayden

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SCE has been much more than creeping, and SDGE is flat out of control. Some folks just keep thinking if they wait the time will get better. Newsflash, the best time has passed for years but moving forward today is still much better than not.

You want a fair real answer call us, if you want to be lied to call any of the nationals. I will not be the cheapest you call, if you want a Yugo put together by an incompetent installer then find the cheapest you can. EnergySage will not give you a real price, did they come to your house to see your house real conditions. They will get you the cheapest possible price and then after you sign your contract and your 3 day period expires an inspector will finally come by and write the real world change order. My team does that inspection up front, only uses quality components and is installed by a team that knows their job.

I am called on by my partners Enphase and LG to help orphaned homeowners fix systems that were installed by others, the shit I see is flat scary. I rarely have to repair my installs, though I do get called to fix the monitoring for customers who cant remember their internet password.

Batteries are definately coming. soon
 

Echo Lodge

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From the article I posted a link to...

The group blasted a pair of other items in the utilities' proposal. The first is a proposed Distributed Generation Successor Tariff that would work out to about $24 a month for an SDG&E customer. Plus, a proposed Residential Grid Benefits Charge that would charge an SDG&E customer about $11 per kilowatt on a solar system.

With an average 6-kilowatt system, that would work out to $66 per month, said Brad Heavner, CalSSA's policy director.

"Sixty-six plus 24, that's 90 bucks," Heavner said. "We allow the room for (battery plus storage) to develop without a monthly charge. Ninety bucks a month, just to be a solar customer is going to prevent that from happening."

If the utilities get what they want with their proposed NET 3 it will kill the solar industry in CA and screw existing solar system owners like me.
 

Ace in the Hole

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Tesla told us, 6 months out....I need to have the roof done

Did you lease it, or do you own it. Issue becomes whoever R&R's it "owns" it at that point in terms of issues. If anyone but your installer or if they were to be defunct another warranty servicer touches it your warranty will be gone. If you have a leak issue or something you can usually light a fire under them..

If you leased it DO NOT TOUCH IT. They need to do it and there are provisions in your contract regarding it..its their asset in that case and it's a big issue to do anything with it.
 

parker guy

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Did you lease it, or do you own it. Issue becomes whoever R&R's it "owns" it at that point in terms of issues. If anyone but your installer or if they were to be defunct another warranty servicer touches it your warranty will be gone. If you have a leak issue or something you can usually light a fire under them..

If you leased it DO NOT TOUCH IT. They need to do it and there are provisions in your contract regarding it..its their asset in that case and it's a big issue to do anything with it.
Leased, thanks for the help...
 

BasilHayden

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Please let me know when I need to have you install the batteries!

You are good for quite some time, you installed the right size system for your lifestyle and have another 15+ years on your agreement with SCE. They will find a way to bill you a couple bucks but cant make substancial changes on you. Just watch out for them changing your plan, convincing you that this new plan will be better for you.

Kind of like "I'm from the goverment and Im hear to help" kind of deal

I am anticipating that customers in the next NEM agreement, which you referenced, will need batteries in order to fight the TOU portion of the new agreement.
 

Universal Elements

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Is there any benefit to putting panels on the roof? Could a little solar field be set up next to the house? I have the acres to do it


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If you have the space, do not put them on your roof. Mine are almost 40 feet off the ground. Cleaning them is a bitch. I’ve been looking to buy a boom lift. Renting fior now, everytime I need to do something. Mine are not flat on the roof, have them sitting on alum8num frames. So you have a about a 9 inch gap. When the wind blows, the howling is intense. When it snows or freezes, you are the mercy of the sun. Redoing my roof to metal. Will pull the whole system down off the roof and install somewhere behind the house. Better accessibility for maintenance, repair and will upgrade the panels. I bought the house with the system on it. I believe it was 2011 when they installed it. I saw the paperwork for it. $70k back then.

F04FF6C9-F590-4908-83B1-3665B0FF59EE.jpeg
1AB17378-4199-40E9-99DF-942DCC1F3DCA.jpeg
 

Universal Elements

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SCE has been much more than creeping, and SDGE is flat out of control. Some folks just keep thinking if they wait the time will get better. Newsflash, the best time has passed for years but moving forward today is still much better than not.

You want a fair real answer call us, if you want to be lied to call any of the nationals. I will not be the cheapest you call, if you want a Yugo put together by an incompetent installer then find the cheapest you can. EnergySage will not give you a real price, did they come to your house to see your house real conditions. They will get you the cheapest possible price and then after you sign your contract and your 3 day period expires an inspector will finally come by and write the real world change order. My team does that inspection up front, only uses quality components and is installed by a team that knows their job.

I am called on by my partners Enphase and LG to help orphaned homeowners fix systems that were installed by others, the shit I see is flat scary. I rarely have to repair my installs, though I do get called to fix the monitoring for customers who cant remember their internet password.

Batteries are definately coming. soon

Definitely believe the scary part.
 

skifaster

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We went with Andy at Palomar 5 years ago. Couldn't ask for a better experience and we are in Corona also. We have a funky roof situation and they maximized the usable space and did clean work. I can only imagine what our situation would have looked like had we gone with a sub par company. We knew we would be in the house for the long haul, so solar was a no brainer for us.
 

Ace in the Hole

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If you have the space, do not put them on your roof. Mine are almost 40 feet off the ground. Cleaning them is a bitch. I’ve been looking to buy a boom lift. Renting fior now, everytime I need to do something. Mine are not flat on the roof, have them sitting on alum8num frames. So you have a about a 9 inch gap. When the wind blows, the howling is intense. When it snows or freezes, you are the mercy of the sun. Redoing my roof to metal. Will pull the whole system down off the roof and install somewhere behind the house. Better accessibility for maintenance, repair and will upgrade the panels. I bought the house with the system on it. I believe it was 2011 when they installed it. I saw the paperwork for it. $70k back then.

View attachment 1002343 View attachment 1002344

It's been a long time since I've seen racking done like that... We wind up about 3" off the roof.

You would save a lot of money re-using your rails and just getting the correct clamps for the standing seam roofs.. Going to a ground mount is going to cost thousands more. Just a thought since you already have a system.
 

Ace in the Hole

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Leased, thanks for the help...

You are kind of at there mercy, and timeline.. call them repetitively..squeaky wheel gets the grease. They were slow as snot back in solar city days..I can only imagine now..especially if you were a solar city time frame install. Don't let anyone convince you they can pull it off for you without Tesla's explicit permission. They usually give you a 5 day window to do the roof give or take. Best of luck on it.
 

BHC Vic

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SCE has been much more than creeping, and SDGE is flat out of control. Some folks just keep thinking if they wait the time will get better. Newsflash, the best time has passed for years but moving forward today is still much better than not.

You want a fair real answer call us, if you want to be lied to call any of the nationals. I will not be the cheapest you call, if you want a Yugo put together by an incompetent installer then find the cheapest you can. EnergySage will not give you a real price, did they come to your house to see your house real conditions. They will get you the cheapest possible price and then after you sign your contract and your 3 day period expires an inspector will finally come by and write the real world change order. My team does that inspection up front, only uses quality components and is installed by a team that knows their job.

I am called on by my partners Enphase and LG to help orphaned homeowners fix systems that were installed by others, the shit I see is flat scary. I rarely have to repair my installs, though I do get called to fix the monitoring for customers who cant remember their internet password.

Batteries are definately coming. soon
You guys do roofs too rigjt? That’s the only reason I haven’t had you do the norco house. That and I’m too busy to do anything I need to
 

BasilHayden

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You guys do roofs too rigjt? That’s the only reason I haven’t had you do the norco house. That and I’m too busy to do anything I need to

We do roofs, Maybe some day I will update the ad here. Its Palomar Solar and Roofing. Your solar would have been half paid for my now Vic. Just give Adam a call when ready.

PS-Roofing 2.18.19.jpg
 

mesquito_creek

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Is there any benefit to putting panels on the roof? Could a little solar field be set up next to the house? I have the acres to do it


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Panels in a ground mount are better than roof mounts normally because the air flow around them keeps them cooler and producing more electricity. But either way a ground mount has no negative over roof mount. Easier to do maintenance on a ground mount also. Perfect southern orientation is possible on ground mount also unless your house has perfect 180 orientation
 

Your ad here

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When I was looking at houses 2 years ago in Arizona, some had solar and realtors said they made the sale hard... Pay market value for the house and add solar payment would disqualify buyers. What I learned is the solar panels have a life span and by the time you paid off the panels they are at the end of their life. What you save in electrical covers the solar payment. So years later you have broken even on the panels. They cut holes in the roof to mount the panels... that adds maintenance and potential for damage. If a leak because of the panels cost $2000 to repair the panels just cost $2000 more vs. not having them. You're not saving money.
If you can get panels for free or half price it's worth it. I would never put them on my roof as they are ugly but would put them on top a shed or shade structure. FWIW my average electric bill for a 1400 sq.ft. house in Az. is $95 a month. APS averages the payments after the first year.
 

Racey

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Ground mounts are over 50% of what we do... I would do a ground mount every time if we could...you can use cheaper inverters and such..no need for micro inverters or expensive panels.

Not to mention the nightmare of trying to work around panels if you have a roof leak.
 

BHC Vic

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When I was looking at houses 2 years ago in Arizona, some had solar and realtors said they made the sale hard... Pay market value for the house and add solar payment would disqualify buyers. What I learned is the solar panels have a life span and by the time you paid off the panels they are at the end of their life. What you save in electrical covers the solar payment. So years later you have broken even on the panels. They cut holes in the roof to mount the panels... that adds maintenance and potential for damage. If a leak because of the panels cost $2000 to repair the panels just cost $2000 more vs. not having them. You're not saving money.
If you can get panels for free or half price it's worth it. I would never put them on my roof as they are ugly but would put them on top a shed or shade structure. FWIW my average electric bill for a 1400 sq.ft. house in Az. is $95 a month. APS averages the payments after the first year.
I paid mine off before selling the house. Buyers just got a free solar system
 

TeamGreene

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SCE has been much more than creeping, and SDGE is flat out of control. Some folks just keep thinking if they wait the time will get better. Newsflash, the best time has passed for years but moving forward today is still much better than not.

You want a fair real answer call us, if you want to be lied to call any of the nationals. I will not be the cheapest you call, if you want a Yugo put together by an incompetent installer then find the cheapest you can. EnergySage will not give you a real price, did they come to your house to see your house real conditions. They will get you the cheapest possible price and then after you sign your contract and your 3 day period expires an inspector will finally come by and write the real world change order. My team does that inspection up front, only uses quality components and is installed by a team that knows their job.

I am called on by my partners Enphase and LG to help orphaned homeowners fix systems that were installed by others, the shit I see is flat scary. I rarely have to repair my installs, though I do get called to fix the monitoring for customers who cant remember their internet password.

Batteries are definately coming. soon
Is a ground system less expensive than a roof top? With the way my house faces and my neighbors giant pine tree shading my roof I was thinking that a ground array would be easier. House is in high desert 1/3 of an acre so space isn't an issue.
 
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