brand new to forum seeking advice on quote

[Afrmthabay]

First off I want to thank everyone here I have been reading posts here to help understand the process of buying solar panels and researching if its worth it. this is the quote I have gotten so far and I will get many more thanks to the tips on this forum. I'm in the Bay Area in California in Brentwood, Ca

Was wondering what you all thought about the make and model of the inverters and optimizers and I have no shade on the roof.

7.8KW system
Before 30% incentive $24,900
26 panels Hanwha Q-cell 300 watt
Solaredge 6000 SE inverter
Solaredge P320 optimizers each panel
$24,900 divided by 7.8 KW comes out to $3.19 per watts
With 30% credit should be $17,430 comes out to $2.23
System is supposed to generate 11,000 KWH/yr which is what I use per year
Comes with 25 year warranty on everything every part and labor and if anything goes wrong I just call and the company does everything no cost to me
The company is also a roofing company and reviews are all good
I pay $2300 a year right now in electricity
So return in investment will be about 8 years
I bought my house brand new it was an energy efficient home as far as everything such as appliances and ac/heater is energy efficient so not much I can do there
I like the idea that after 8 years I can actually have a reduced electricity bill or close to nothing.
Any thoughts recommendations would be great. I used PVwatts and a few resources thanks to this forum.

[cebury]

Bay area has always been a more expensive cost/watt market but I was hoping it would get below 3/watt for Hanwa level (decent) and Solaredge. You drfinitely need more quotes.

I am curious did your vendor do the calculation of 8 years payoff for you? Or are you assuming since 11k kwh is your annual and this will produce that much, it should be close to minimal bill annually?

[Afrmthabay]

Hi Cebury,


Thanks for the catch on that (regarding bill annually) I made the miscalculations I forgot about the degradation and I also did not think about the increase pg&e usually has. I think 9 years should cover it. I will definitely get more quotes

[max2k]

Hi Cebury,


Thanks for the catch on that (regarding bill annually) I made the miscalculations I forgot about the degradation and I also did not think about the increase pg&e usually has. I think 9 years should cover it. I will definitely get more quotes

is this a lease? If not and you're paying upfront your bill should be close to 0 from day 1. It will take 8 years to recoup all the money you paid through such reduced bill.

[Afrmthabay]

Hi Max2k,

No lease I'm paying for the solar panels I have all the money saved up. I will get more quotes though. Yeah its looking like 8-9 years at the most to break even. After that it's all return

[J.P.M.]

is this a lease? If not and you're paying upfront your bill should be close to 0 from day 1. It will take 8 years to recoup all the money you paid through such reduced bill.

Max: $10/month min. and NBC will pretty much ensure that the annual bill is >0.

[max2k]

Max: $10/month min. and NBC will pretty much ensure that the annual bill is >0.

I know, it's just OP wrote it in a way he was expecting lower bill only after 8 years while it will be there after utility gives PTO. Whether the whole project makes sense or not is to be seen, I was trying to clarify what he meant.

[Afrmthabay]

Okay three more quotes from a same company they did something interesting instead of offsetting all my electricity they calculated by using all my bills (the usage based on time) and with the new TOU raised solar TOU rates only to offset what I paid


1.6.76 Kwh system -26 soviet 260 watt BVM 6610M with Solaredge SE6600 with optimizers for $21,382 after tax rebate $14967 payback 5.4 years -$3.16 per watts before taxes
2.6.76 Kwh system - 20 lg 335 with solaredge se 600 with optimizers for $22,860 after tax rebate $16,002 pay back 5.9 years $3.38 before taxes
3. 6.76 Kwh system - 20 Panasonic hit 330w solaredge se 600 for $24,510 after tax rebate $17,157 pay back 6.0 years $3.62 before taxes

Interesting as much depends on how many sunny days there are still have several quotes to go but a lot of companies are using solar edge with optimizers

[cebury]

Okay three more quotes from a same company they did something interesting instead of offsetting all my electricity they calculated by using all my bills (the usage based on time) and with the new TOU raised solar TOU rates only to offset what I paid

This is what I was after. Simple payback cannot be easily determined by the average solar PV buyer without downloading their actual hourly usage data from their utility and using or building software utilities to analyze their electrical profile, overlay expected kwh to be generated by the panels, then apply it through one of their utility-specific rate programs (and re-apply through other rate programs to determine the most favorable) to come up with an estimated annual bill. Did you hear them say or did you downloaded your greenbutton data from the utility?

You were probably over building by installing a 7.8kw system, targetting for 100% offset of your kwh, not 100% offset of your bill. There is a difference. But hey, some people overbuild as insurance and call it money well spent and I don't judge. They may be right as upcoming utility changes might necessitate their sized system to near zero out their bill. Im sure thats what the sellers of solar want you to think and want your goal to be, a near zero bill.

My first year TrueUp bill came within 10 dollars of my analysis estimate. Must mean I am pretty good at the analysis, right? No. There are variables out of my control, like weather and rate changes by the utility. Even mis-estimates based on last years usage changed the next year. I got lucky and the variances from my estimates nearly canceled themselves out. Keep that in mind the first day, week, month and year. Sometimes the system produces more, sometimes less from day to day, year to year.

[J.P.M.]

Okay three more quotes from a same company they did something interesting instead of offsetting all my electricity they calculated by using all my bills (the usage based on time) and with the new TOU raised solar TOU rates only to offset what I paid


1.6.76 Kwh system -26 soviet 260 watt BVM 6610M with Solaredge SE6600 with optimizers for $21,382 after tax rebate $14967 payback 5.4 years -$3.16 per watts before taxes
2.6.76 Kwh system - 20 lg 335 with solaredge se 600 with optimizers for $22,860 after tax rebate $16,002 pay back 5.9 years $3.38 before taxes
3. 6.76 Kwh system - 20 Panasonic hit 330w solaredge se 600 for $24,510 after tax rebate $17,157 pay back 6.0 years $3.62 before taxes

Interesting as much depends on how many sunny days there are still have several quotes to go but a lot of companies are using solar edge with optimizers

Find out which tariff they used to estimate what your estimated bill will be. There may be several you can choose from. Then, read and understand how that and that other tariffs work. Trust but verify the vendor's numbers. Besides, the exercise will help make you a more informed consumer.

BTW, if you choose a tariff that's purely T.O.U., and not one with a tier structure laid over it, and you plan <100% offset, since how much revenue a system on a pure T.O.U. tariff will model the same regardless of annual load or bill, it's possible to size a system by taking the estimated revenue it will produce per installed STC KW and then divide that number into your annual bill to get a 100 % offset, or ratio that number for less than a 100% offset.

[dailo]

I have also been getting similar quotes from different companies in the bay area, except for your option 1, I was quoted 26 REC 290W Panels for a 7.54 kW system. Has anyone had any experience with REC panels? Debating if a $5500 difference is worth it to stick with LG panels. After the 30% rebate and using less panels, it will make up some of that cost I suppose.

[Afrmthabay]

Sunpower quote to own

7.5 kwh system 21 Sunpower X22 360 watt panels they come with their own sunpower inverters and energy link monitoring system should produce 11,200 KWH
$28,000 before tax credit so 3.73 before taxes after 30% tax credit comes out to $2.61 per watts at $19,600

[J.P.M.]

Sunpower quote to own

7.5 kwh system 21 Sunpower X22 360 watt panels they come with their own sunpower inverters and energy link monitoring system should produce 11,200 KWH
$28,000 before tax credit so 3.73 before taxes after 30% tax credit comes out to $2.61 per watts at $19,600

Why are you still considering Sunpower ? Same annual output/performance at a higher price. PV is a commodity, not a lifestyle. Buy Sunpower and help them pay for their advertising and twisted claims of superiority. Sunpower is good stuff, but no more fit for purpose than other quality PV equipment. You'll be paying pay for bragging rights. Sort of like paying extra for a garage door opener because the salesperson said it was better.

[Afrmthabay]

Hi J.P.M,

Just one of the companies that wanted to come out to give me a quote. I'm interested in the LG panels for the price right now but still learning and doing research and getting quotes.

[J.P.M.]

Hi J.P.M,

Just one of the companies that wanted to come out to give me a quote. I'm interested in the LG panels for the price right now but still learning and doing research and getting quotes.

Understood.