Solar Planning Question(s) (Yes, I'm new here)

[Tenaya]

Interested in what your decision is. Mine is to integrate the install with the roofing. Reduced cost per watt coming down vs federal tax credit expiration makes April-May 2015 my sweet spot for the array installation.

For a variety of reasons, we've decided not to decide right now (my contractor isn't comfortable with the technology, I haven't found an installer I like, we have no usage history in the new home, we don't want to delay the construction). We plan to live in the house for at least 6 months (to build up usage history) and then decide. In the meantime, aside from the build (I get to be on site all the time, too) I'm going to continue my research, continue working on the ROI calculations, engage our PoCO, etc. and make a more informed decision at that time. That said, making the ROI work will be a real challenge and may doom the project.

We don't have the extreme conditions you do. It's not as hot here, but it gets colder (4-6 modest snow storms per winter) and we're at the extreme west edge of tornado alley (that means the chances of getting hit are high enough to justify having a storm shelter, but low enough that the shelter is more about feeling prepared than need). All in all, the weather here isn't a problem.

Tenaya

[jdomingo]

calculator

thanks for the provided link for calculator.

[J.P.M.]

For a variety of reasons, we've decided not to decide right now (my contractor isn't comfortable with the technology, I haven't found an installer I like, we have no usage history in the new home, we don't want to delay the construction). We plan to live in the house for at least 6 months (to build up usage history) and then decide. In the meantime, aside from the build (I get to be on site all the time, too) I'm going to continue my research, continue working on the ROI calculations, engage our PoCO, etc. and make a more informed decision at that time. That said, making the ROI work will be a real challenge and may doom the project.

We don't have the extreme conditions you do. It's not as hot here, but it gets colder (4-6 modest snow storms per winter) and we're at the extreme west edge of tornado alley (that means the chances of getting hit are high enough to justify having a storm shelter, but low enough that the shelter is more about feeling prepared than need). All in all, the weather here isn't a problem.

Tenaya

Sounds like a wise course of action. take what you've discovered here and elsewhere, and with the additional new knowledge you'll likely come to a better decision for your situation.

Good luck.

[Tenaya]

Sounds like a wise course of action. take what you've discovered here and elsewhere, and with the additional new knowledge you'll likely come to a better decision for your situation.

Good luck.

Yeah, that's true, but I was really dreaming of billing Xcel for a change.

[J.P.M.]

Yeah, that's true, but I was really dreaming of billing Xcel for a change.

I'd respectfully and in the most friendly way possible suggest that one goal at the end of this process is to life as comfortably as possible with as low a power bill as is cost effective and fits your lifestyle rather than feeling your getting even w/the POCO. Do the first and the rest comes free.

[Tenaya]

I'd respectfully and in the most friendly way possible suggest that one goal at the end of this process is to life as comfortably as possible with as low a power bill as is cost effective and fits your lifestyle rather than feeling your getting even w/the POCO. Do the first and the rest comes free.

Of course. When it comes to large corporations and government entities, my normal approach is to stay out of their way as much as possible. The grass suffers even when the elephants aren't actually fighting.