Newbie looking at solar install in Fremont, CA

[gheewala114]

Referrals cause the price to the new potential customer to go up. It's just business. Think like the vendor.

yes, but if that vendor has a competitive price / or better than the competition for a very similar system/final product then who cares. Better to go with "Screw your buddy plan solar inc" than "Im charging you even more - now bend over - solar inc"

[J.P.M.]

You guys love the "screw your buddy" kickbacks don't you!

Referrals cause the price to the new potential customer to go up. It's just business. Think like the vendor.

[russ]

Advan24r, I don't have enough posts to send you a PM, can you please send me a PM with the installed info/referral? and system size/price specifics? Located in the Bay Area also. Thanks

You guys love the "screw your buddy" kickbacks don't you!

[gheewala114]

I am in Fremont as well and researched 4-5 installers. Initially was going to go with Sunpower but ended up going with LG. I just PMed you with a referral. My system was just completed/installed last week. It's getting turned on tomorrow!

Advan24r, I don't have enough posts to send you a PM, can you please send me a PM with the installed info/referral? and system size/price specifics? Located in the Bay Area also. Thanks

[Ward L]

That's better than I did, so good job! Mine was $3.80 something....

[JCP]

How much did your system cost and how much to install it per kW? Good luck!

$3.79 per Watt. It's an all in price. Enphase inverters plus Solarworld 255 panels.

[Ward L]

How Much?

How much did your system cost and how much to install it per kW? Good luck!

[JCP]

Rack is up on the roof. Panels are going up tomorrow.

[J.P.M.]

For all of you requesting a PM about an installer - maybe the name you get will only be because of a 500$ kickback - the screw your buddy plan.

Good point. Unless you want to risk raising your quoted price by the amount of a referral fee by tempting a vendor to do just that, keep your mouth shut about where you got the recommend. Referral fees are not free. Someone will pay for them, one way or the other. The vendor will do their utmost to recoup that cost. That leaves the new customer who either pays a higher price or gets poorer quality. It's just business. Think cynically, you won't be disappointed - just pleasantly surprised when/if you're occasionally wrong.

[russ]

For all of you requesting a PM about an installer - maybe the name you get will only be because of a 500$ kickback - the screw your buddy plan.

[ashayh]

I am in Fremont as well and researched 4-5 installers. Initially was going to go with Sunpower but ended up going with LG. I just PMed you with a referral. My system was just completed/installed last week. It's getting turned on tomorrow!

With whom did you go with? Please PM.

[JCP]

I cannot reply to the PMs (not enough posts), but thanks for the info! The newest twist is that I now need to figure out how many Amps I can pull from PG&E. I have an underground cable, so I'm not sure how it's sized and what's the biggest panel I can get. I know for a fact that I'll need to change my main panel though since it's most likely an 100A.

[advan24r]

I am in Fremont as well and researched 4-5 installers. Initially was going to go with Sunpower but ended up going with LG. I just PMed you with a referral. My system was just completed/installed last week. It's getting turned on tomorrow!

[inetdog]

Thanks, that's what I gathered but I was not sure. If I had to upgrade the panel, how much should I expect the cost to be? I was given a number on the phone that seemed a bit crazy to me.

That depends too.
Upgrading the panel will usually require fitting a larger panel and at least moving and may extending your existing wires. From there it may also trigger your POCO asking you to install a larger service (even though you will not need it) and maybe even paying their costs to put in a larger transformer.

On the low end with everything going right and cheap labor, you could be under $1000. But on the high end it could go above $2000.

[JCP]

Not necessarily. Your 4kW system corresponds to ~17A at 240V. That means that you will have to feed the AC side of your inverter through a minimum 25A breaker. (It just misses 20A.)

If your main panel is rated for 200A and just has a 125A main breaker in it, you can add up to 115A of backfeed into it without any need to upgrade the panel or your service.

If the main panel is only rated for 125A and has the maximum allowed 125A main breaker installed, then you can still feed 25A back into it, but that will be the upper limit.

Thanks, that's what I gathered but I was not sure. If I had to upgrade the panel, how much should I expect the cost to be? I was given a number on the phone that seemed a bit crazy to me.