Hi from Northern California SF Bay Area

[Mike90250]

If your current site is acceptable (good sun 10am - 4pm) and not shaded, it's likley to break even in your time frame. And then leave it, sell it attached to the house.

Tahoe may be a problem, with all the pesky trees casting shade all over. But if you again have clear view of sky and maybe install a ground mount so you can clear snow off in winter ( and have a place for the snow to be put) that could work too.

[Ampster]

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My situation is that I would need to install a solar panel system around 8 to 9k to take care of my house and for the amount of miles I have been averaging for a new EV. If I installed a system now, I am going to be moving and retiring in about 6 years to Tahoe. Would it be worth it to purchase a system now and then uninstall it when I move to the retirement home? Or would it be better to just pay for the electricity for the new EV (still cheaper than my gas car) for 6 years and then install a system in the retirement home when I get there? I'm very confused on what is the most sensible thing to do. No sure if there is a topic on transferring/ moving solar panel systems? The EV will be a sure thing though!
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Depending on several factors you may come close to paying back the cost of a solar system using an EV for the next six years. Some of those factors are investment tax credit, Time of Use rates, your location and roof inclination with respect to the south facing direction. There is some debate whether your house will see some enhancement in value from the installation of solar but it is possible. One factor to consider is that NEM 2.0 is going to expire and there is some talk that NEM 3.0 may not be as favorable to solar installations. That could enhance the value of a home which has NEM 2.0 solar grandfathered for 20 years. A long shot but with very little downside.
Personally I would take that gamble. Full disclosure, I drive EVs and have solar on 3 buildings I own.

[J.P.M.]

What NochiLife writes + get/read a copy of "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies" and start your education process. Biggest mistake most people make is assuming they know what they're doing with respect to supplying power with alternate energy. The book is a good $20 primer. Don't get screwed by your own ignorance.

As for installing/uninstalling, IMO, probably not worth it.

BTW: Rough SWAG on EV mileage is ~ 3 miles/kWh, maybe a bit more. So, for example, driving an EV 12,000 miles/yr. will require ~ 4,000 kWh of electricity. Where you are and where you're going, plan on 1,500 to maybe 1,800 kWh/yr. of electricity production per installed STC kW of PV at an installed cost of ~ $3,000/ STC kW., +/- some less any tax credits in effect when installed.

Buy the book.

More BTW: The energy from PV or other alternate energy generation is mostly free. As you may find out, the cost of the equipment to get the free energy is not.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

[NochiLife]

Aha, yes, the thrill of free energy! There's nothing quite like it, but the paradigm is that it's rather costly to actually get that free energy...!
I would assume that you're considering a grid-tied system? An EV uses a LOT of power, and solar output is (obviously) dependent on the weather. An EV is not ideal for off-grid solar systems, unless you keep your gas powered car for those long cloudy days.

If you can safely uninstall your system, transport it, and then reinstall it in Tahoe (please not ON a Tahoe ), I'd say go ahead now. That is, if you're able to install/uninstall it yourself--otherwise, the cost to install, uninstall, then reinstall...might come close to the cost of a new system.
Otherwise...if you're looking to recoup a solar investment, the more time you have, the better. Some people install solar to try to make money...and others (like me) installed it just because I wanted to, without any concern for recouping an investment.
Might want to check ahead and see if the/a retirement home will let you install a solar system; if it's a private retirement home/community like I'm thinking, they might not exactly be thrilled with the idea. Of course, if they won't let you install a solar system, then that may make the decision a lot easier.

[oneand0]

I played around with an emergency portable solar unit that plugs into a transfer that's connected to my electrical panel, and boy I got hooked on watching free energy work. It's like a light bulb went on inside me.My electrical bill is so small that I decided it wasn't worth it for me to get solar panels, until I looked into electric vehicles. Now I am sure I will be buying an EV late next year.


My situation is that I would need to install a solar panel system around 8 to 9k to take care of my house and for the amount of miles I have been averaging for a new EV. If I installed a system now, I am going to be moving and retiring in about 6 years to Tahoe. Would it be worth it to purchase a system now and then uninstall it when I move to the retirement home? Or would it be better to just pay for the electricity for the new EV (still cheaper than my gas car) for 6 years and then install a system in the retirement home when I get there? I'm very confused on what is the most sensible thing to do. No sure if there is a topic on transferring/ moving solar panel systems? The EV will be a sure thing though!


Thanks for any thoughts and ideas.