Thoughts on Proposal at $3.47/watt.

[remnokc]

PROPOSAL:
19.6kwSolar Photovoltaic System Installed………….………………………………………………………………...$68,000.0 0
(70) 280watt Solar World Solar Modules
Uni-Rac roof secured mounting system
(2)Fronius IG-Plus 10.0 Inverter system
(1) DC AC Disconnects
All Additional Materials
TOTAL……..….……….. $68,000.00
Installation includes permits.

[prhamilton]

That's a monster system. Do you have a Deloran with flux capacitor?

[radelow]

That's a monster system. Do you have a Deloran with flux capacitor?

He needs to buy himself a "Mr. Fusion".

On the question of price I got a price of $3.65 per watt for a 4.5 sized system here in San Diego. It would stand to reason your sized system should have some economies of scale so the price doesn't sound great...

[J.P.M.]

PROPOSAL:
19.6kwSolar Photovoltaic System Installed………….………………………………………………………………...$68,000.0 0
(70) 280watt Solar World Solar Modules
Uni-Rac roof secured mounting system
(2)Fronius IG-Plus 10.0 Inverter system
(1) DC AC Disconnects
All Additional Materials
TOTAL……..….……….. $68,000.00
Installation includes permits.

Either you're proposed system is grossly oversized, the proposed array is WAY off south, or you need a serious energy conservation intervention, or all of that and more. What's your annual usage ?

[remnokc]

He needs to buy himself a "Mr. Fusion".

On the question of price I got a price of $3.65 per watt for a 4.5 sized system here in San Diego. It would stand to reason your sized system should have some economies of scale so the price doesn't sound great...

this was my second offer and this installer is about 90 miles from my location -- not sure if logistics is considered part of this price parameters, but I suspect.

the first offer was similarly sized @ $5.07 per watt -- makes me wonder if I am being *high-balled* --

--as for the size of the system - BOTH site analyses contend that I have some shade issues and only predominantly east/west exposures.

You BOTH gave me a smile and I DO appreciate your input!!!

[remnokc]

my average usage is 1345 kwh per month
solar radiation coefficient is about 3.75 kwh/m²/day

$5.07/watt offer is claiming 107% of Present Usage and
the 3.47/watt offer is saying 158% of usage

[remnokc]

That's a monster system. Do you have a Deloran with flux capacitor?

and YES, the flux capacitor IS hard to charge with only a 500 gallon fuel oil tank, LOL

[J.P.M.]

my average usage is 1345 kwh per month
solar radiation coefficient is about 3.75 kwh/m²/day

$5.07/watt offer is claiming 107% of Present Usage and
the 3.47/watt offer is saying 158% of usage

Why so much overproduction ? On top of that, vendor production est. are usually low. Last I heard, WI had no SREC market. How much do you pay for electricity ? Maybe $5.07/Watt quote was for Sunpower. If you're being highballed, I suspect it may be as much for size as for price, if not more so.

[bcroe]

PROPOSAL:
19.6kwSolar Photovoltaic System Installed………….………………………………………………………………...$68,000.0 0
(70) 280watt Solar World Solar Modules
Uni-Rac roof secured mounting system
(2)Fronius IG-Plus 10.0 Inverter system
(1) DC AC Disconnects
All Additional Materials TOTAL……..….……….. $68,000.00 Installation includes permits.

I am just a dozen or so miles south of you, and bought a ground mount system of similar
scale for $3.15 a watt. My supplier is 4 miles away. Permits here in NW IL came to $100.

That may seem oversized to some. But we have quite a loss because of constant clouds
+ overcast, and in the winter there is the snow. I can deal with snow (unwillingly) with my
ground mount; that scale on a roof could be another thing. If you can produce enough
energy in the other 3 seasons, you just might be able to write off the short days of the
snow months altogether.

If you face largely E & W, you may not need quite so much inverter. I have 38% of panels
facing E & W, and there is minimal clipping with substantially less Inverter than DC rating.
This can be graphed out. With the right panel alignment, you can stretch your SUN HOURS
considerably. Find out just how the strings are to be connected.

The other benefit of the stretched sun hour design, is an appreciable increase of energy
collected on the more cloudy days. Visit my system & I'll detail it some.

Connecting 20KW of inverter isn't usually simple; did the supplier explain how that would
be done? If you should have a surplus, it will be easy to burn off for heat. Having dual
inverters, etc will make it easy to spot a fault. My supplier wanted to use a single DC
disconnect switch to disconnect only the hot side of each array. But I found good reasons to
use dual switches, to disconnect both sides. Bruce Roe, 61084

[remnokc]

Why so much overproduction ? On top of that, vendor production est. are usually low. Last I heard, WI had no SREC market. How much do you pay for electricity ? Maybe $5.07/Watt quote was for Sunpower. If you're being highballed, I suspect it may be as much for size as for price, if not more so.

my cost for electricity from Alliant Energy (Wisconsin Power and Light) was 13.428¢/kwh last month
I am now certain that the $5.07/watt offer was a highball as I spoke with my consultant/contact there today and got the "let me run that price up the ladder" run-a-round when I mentioned the 3.47/w quote.

[J.P.M.]

my cost for electricity from Alliant Energy (Wisconsin Power and Light) was 13.428¢/kwh last month
I am now certain that the $5.07/watt offer was a highball as I spoke with my consultant/contact there today and got the "let me run that price up the ladder" run-a-round when I mentioned the 3.47/w quote.

Sorry for seeming stupid, but I'm still trying to get to first base with the idea of buying a system that someone claims will offset 158% of your annual usage without some SREC or other such thing involved.

[wrlsguy]

this was my second offer and this installer is about 90 miles from my location -- not sure if logistics is considered part of this price parameters, but I suspect.

the first offer was similarly sized @ $5.07 per watt -- makes me wonder if I am being *high-balled* --

--as for the size of the system - BOTH site analyses contend that I have some shade issues and only predominantly east/west exposures.

You BOTH gave me a smile and I DO appreciate your input!!!

If you have shade issues, you should consider optimizers or microinverters.

[bcroe]

optimizers or microinverters

If you have shade issues, you should consider optimizers or microinverters.

They should be considered, and the array designed in considerable detail. Optimizers or
microinverters may not be very advantageous for every shading issue. In my case there are
10 strings, each in a small group. When extreme sun day shadows occur, they will first hit
some panels of a string, drastically reducing string output. But at this time of day, the shadow
very rapidly covers the rest of the string. The amount of time from partial to most of a string
being shaded is short enough, and the energy potential of the remaining panels so reduced,
additional hardware isn't justified. This applies to all my strings.

Bruce Roe

[remnokc]

I am just a dozen or so miles south of you, and bought a ground mount system of similar
scale for $3.15 a watt. My supplier is 4 miles away. Permits here in NW IL came to $100.

That may seem oversized to some. But we have quite a loss because of constant clouds
+ overcast, and in the winter there is the snow. I can deal with snow (unwillingly) with my
ground mount; that scale on a roof could be another thing. If you can produce enough
energy in the other 3 seasons, you just might be able to write off the short days of the
snow months altogether.

If you face largely E & W, you may not need quite so much inverter. I have 38% of panels
facing E & W, and there is minimal clipping with substantially less Inverter than DC rating.
This can be graphed out. With the right panel alignment, you can stretch your SUN HOURS
considerably. Find out just how the strings are to be connected.

The other benefit of the stretched sun hour design, is an appreciable increase of energy
collected on the more cloudy days. Visit my system & I'll detail it some.

Connecting 20KW of inverter isn't usually simple; did the supplier explain how that would
be done? If you should have a surplus, it will be easy to burn off for heat. Having dual
inverters, etc will make it easy to spot a fault. My supplier wanted to use a single DC
disconnect switch to disconnect only the hot side of each array. But I found good reasons to
use dual switches, to disconnect both sides. Bruce Roe, 61084

Thank you Mr Roe for your VERY informative and understanding comments - I am right on the Rock River in Beloit just on the east
side of US 51(Riverside Dr) but one can hardly see the house b/c of its thicket of trees.

[bcroe]

PM

Thank you Mr Roe for your VERY informative and understanding comments - I am right on the Rock River in Beloit just on the east
side of US 51(Riverside Dr) but one can hardly see the house b/c of its thicket of trees.

I sent you a private message. Bruce