A reasonable Solar Retail Plan in Texas?

[BioTech]

No question the Oncor rebate made a good thing better. But the starting price for a 10kw system is usually in the $45k to $50k range not $31k. I don't know what equipment you got but you got it for a very low price.

I will admit the panels are cheap Chinese Eoplly, but I figured i can replace them very easy if they fail. Then I have 215w enphase with enlighten. Also in two arrays, one at 30 degrees and other flat. They did use a different type of racking (cheaper and faster to install) which I liked better due to each panel is laid and locked to each other. Also my second array is above my porch and is used as shade and the roof.





BioTech

[SunEagle]

I guess the biggest driver was the Oncor rebate (http://www.takealoadofftexas.com/ind...solar-pv-homes) mixed with the federal credits. When we first started we only wanted to do a 6.5 KW system but pushed it up when we found the Oncor rebate.

BioTech

No question the Oncor rebate made a good thing better. But the starting price for a 10kw system is usually in the $45k to $50k range not $31k. I don't know what equipment you got but you got it for a very low price.

[t5800512]

Ok, I'm learning a lot here... But I originally started this thread to find out about Texas REP's and there surplus energy buy back rate plans. Has anyone found a plan that will meet or beat what Green Mountain has? It is 11.2 cents per kWh at 500 and they buy back at full rate up to 500 kWh, and then half price after that.

TXU will pay 7.5 cents per kWh, but you have to find your own retail plan, and I can't find one that is reasonable. TXU is one of the highest energy retailers (in my opinion).

Reliant has a buy back plan, but their rates were so high that I did not even consider it, and now I can't remember what it was.

Are there any other Texas/Oncor REP's that offer SPPA's that I have missed? I keep hoping that someone will jump in with one that I have not heard of that is not intent of taking advantage of us.

[BioTech]

I just did the numbers again and it came out to 1.28 per watt. I was a little off on the total after federal. Total after all credits and rebates was $13,159.20. and reducing our 200$ electric bill we break even in 6 years or we prepaid for the first 6 years. Either way you want to look at it. I like to say we prepaid for 6 years of electricity at todays rates and then get it for free after.

[megalo]

I wish I had room for 10 kW here in Missouri - they pay $2/watt up to 10 kW, and $5 (used to be $50 ) for 10 years' worth of SRECs up front.

[BioTech]

The price seemed pretty low to me which is why I brought it up. But hey who knows maybe the Contractor wasn't looking to make any money off of the system.

Like I said if I could get the same price here in Florida I would sign up now.

I guess the biggest driver was the Oncor rebate (http://www.takealoadofftexas.com/ind...solar-pv-homes) mixed with the federal credits. When we first started we only wanted to do a 6.5 KW system but pushed it up when we found the Oncor rebate.

BioTech

[SunEagle]

I do not believe a word of that especially in TX.

The price seemed pretty low to me which is why I brought it up. But hey who knows maybe the Contractor wasn't looking to make any money off of the system.

Like I said if I could get the same price here in Florida I would sign up now.

[BioTech]

I do not believe a word of that especially in TX.

Believe what you want I have the receipts to prove it all.

BioTech

[BioTech]

As for ziggbee i bought the rainforest eagle http://www.rainforestautomation.com/eagle. You can see you meter readying at any give time by hitting its web site or use wattvision. Then have that push my reading to wattvision http://www.wattvision.com. Then on top of that i link enphase enlighten and wattvision to pvoutput.org to see a good picture of all the energy in-flow and out-flow. I have an issue still with my ziggbee device as it does not show the out-flow. They are working on getting a firmware from Oncor for my meter to correct that issue.

One thing if your on Oncor make sure you get the rebate registered before you buy your system.

BioTech

[Sunking]

So you purchased a 10.2kw system with micro inverters for the list price of $3.04/watt and parlayed that down to $1.24/watt after rebates and tax incentives.

I do not believe a word of that especially in TX.

[t5800512]

BioTech,

My bad, I was actually thinking of the smartmetertexas web site, not Ercot. I had set up a login on smartmetertexas, but it broke when I activated my system. I checked it every day for about a week, and there were no readings. I just looked at it again, and it seems to be recording again. Interesting that it shows 0 (zero) for readings what should/will show power to the grid. Keep in mind that my meter has not been replaced or reprogrammed yet. I need to look at it more closely now that it is working again.

I found the zigbee website one time when I was looking for monitors for my smart meter. To be honest, the website is confusing because they have so many products. I just looked at it again, and I still don't know what product monitors the smart meter. Will you explain what it is and now it works. I'm sure already that I will have to get one. I think the comparisons are very interesting.

Hey, I really appreciate you sharing so much with me. There are some really great guys on this forum. I really find it useful that you have a similar system as mine (only three time my size), and that we are both on Oncor.

[SunEagle]

Thats correct give or take a few hundred hear and their.

BioTech

Cool. Send him to Florida. I will give him another project.

[BioTech]

So you purchased a 10.2kw system with micro inverters for the list price of $3.04/watt and parlayed that down to $1.24/watt after rebates and tax incentives.

I'm impressed since that is the cheapest system I have ever heard about. Most people get theirs for about $3/watt after all the rebates.

You must have found one desperate contractor to let it go for so cheap a price.

Thats correct give or take a few hundred hear and their.

BioTech

[SunEagle]

Dont know who you are but from what you just stated I dont think you have a solar system or maybe you do (Bought one of the kits from harber freight )


Most of what you just said is wrong or misleading. Oncor is not a REP(retail electric provider) they can not bill customers. Oncor maintains the power lines and reads the meters, By law they can not bill a custoemer thats where the REP's come in TXU, Green Mountain, Gexa and others. Yes Oncor was a spinn off of TXU but they are not the same company in any way.

http://www.bounceenergy.com/articles/texas-electricity/texas-retail-electricity-provider

or

http://www.ercot.com/services/rq/tdsp/

As for the rates and net metering. Yes its true Texas does not have a true net metering, but you can still have a 0$ bill like have had. For the home value you are just reading and talking about myths. Yes you solar array will increase you home value but by law will not increase your value as to taxes. Thats where that myth comes from.

Please show me where you can get 7.9 cents per kw? That was around about 3 years ago and since then it has be a steady increase in rates. If they do advertise a low rate look closer at the terms of service most give the lowest rate when you use more then 2000KW a month or will change the next month you are on that contract.

The value into solar is their in Texas you just need to make sure you know what you are buying and talking about. My system Cost 31,000 to install but I did not pay that price for the 10.2 kw system. Oncor rebated 12,900 of that fee and then I Got a 30% tax credit ontop of the balnce which was another credit of 5,430. This placed my out of pocket expense to be $12,670 for a 10.2kw system with Enphase Micro-inverters. So for that it will take me about 6 years to break even but I broker even at the start. I basicly prepaid my electric for the first 6 years, due to me no longer paying the $180-$220 a month electric bills. After the 6 years its all free. You can look at it as a prepaid electirc or an investment, but thats if the rates stay where they are at now. I have seen the rates-go up and not down in the past 5 years and the future they are just going to go up.

http://www.takealoadofftexas.com/index.aspx?id=solar-pv-homes

BioTech

So you purchased a 10.2kw system with micro inverters for the list price of $3.04/watt and parlayed that down to $1.24/watt after rebates and tax incentives.

I'm impressed since that is the cheapest system I have ever heard about. Most people get theirs for about $3/watt after all the rebates.

You must have found one desperate contractor to let it go for so cheap a price.

[BioTech]

The M215 Enphase inverters will actually produce up to 225 watts before they start clipping. Mine barely hit that limit on the best days. Some tell me that I will be clipping on cool spring days; I hope they are right.

I can't believe that you are getting 55 to 60 kWh per day. That is huge. No wonder you are sending enough to the grid to get such a good credit. I would not mind the 11.2 cents per kWh if I had a credit like yours.

Have you setup an Ercot account? I have, but it shows me nothing yet. I'm curious if you have a way to see your grid in and out readings, with out going out to look at your meter.

Never set one up, Where is that done and what are you suppose to see? I use a ziggbee device to see my meter and use https://www.smartmetertexas.com. Only place i see my credits are on my meter and my statement.

BioTech