New Solar options - Upstate NY, suggestions?

[hurnik]

Yeah, everyone has an opinion, but I'm just curious about a few things.

I've had 3 (well, 2.5 if I count Astrum) over.

My AVERAGE for the last 12 months is 14,447 kwh of electricity.
Nat'l Grid charges like $17.77/month even if you use no electricity.
Average I believe is $0.16/kw
So my average bill is like $200 or thereabouts (electricity). I'm a hog, I know. Lots of computer/electronics, etc.

SolarCity:
Spec'd out a 7.5 kw system, and if I did the PPA it was $12,200 (not sure if that's including the $3,000 NYS Tax Credit because the actual LEASE paperwork says they keep all tax credits, but the other sheet indicated I could get that). They would guarantee 61% of my monthly usage. I think if I did the price/kw it's like $1.62 or something?

Astrum Solar
Would not even come out until I cut a big tree down. They did a satellite view and guesstimated that they could do like 30 or 40 panels and get me 9.5 kw, at between $15,000-$18,000 after taxes.
So let's ASSUME 9.5 kw and $18,000 (owning, obviously, not leasing) - $1.89/kw??

SunPower
So they come over and give me two options (tree will have to come down).
SunPower panels to give me 13.08 kwh system, but after tax rebates, etc. it's like $37,836 (ack!)
$2.89/kw

or
LG panels, but that'll only get me 11 kwh, but it'll drop price down to $25,295
$2.29/kw


I know electricity rates will continue to rise over time, but not sure if I'm looking at things correctly or not.

I'm a little leery of the Solarcity because the guy won't answer my emails (only calls back) so to not leave a paper trail and I don't like where one document says one thing and another one says something else.

[ajpslp]

FYI i had sun power panels thru zero down lLease and LOVE it . Cousin in long island just put in solar city PPA and was ripped off . PSEG there charges about the same as his PPA maybe 1 cent less. Look into lease only option. My opinion why dish out all that money right out of ur account. Sunpower guaranteed power production over 20 years is greater then all companies.. If u have tons of roof space then sun power maybe not best option cause of price but i would rather have the rolls royce of panels . BE very careful of solar city spoke to his sales guy and tried telling me yea its about the same price but ur doing a good thing for the earth, but no savings....???!!!

[bonaire]

What can you do to cut usage? You can cut 1000 kWh a year, put funds into investments properly and do far more in terms of monetary savings than going with a PPA. Or get a low cost 4KW system and buy it outright from a lower cost installer. .16 per kWh is not that high and electricity rates will not go up as fast as the rate which some PPA annual uplift prices may. Buy outright for cash is best over financing. You keep all incentives. If you are just trying to lower your bill, conserve energy.

[Ian S]

What can you do to cut usage? You can cut 1000 kWh a year, put funds into investments properly and do far more in terms of monetary savings than going with a PPA. Or get a low cost 4KW system and buy it outright from a lower cost installer. .16 per kWh is not that high and electricity rates will not go up as fast as the rate which some PPA annual uplift prices may. Buy outright for cash is best over financing. You keep all incentives. If you are just trying to lower your bill, conserve energy.

It sounds more like a prepaid PPA so there shouldn't be an escalator and no real financing.

[hurnik]

What can you do to cut usage? You can cut 1000 kWh a year, put funds into investments properly and do far more in terms of monetary savings than going with a PPA. Or get a low cost 4KW system and buy it outright from a lower cost installer. .16 per kWh is not that high and electricity rates will not go up as fast as the rate which some PPA annual uplift prices may. Buy outright for cash is best over financing. You keep all incentives. If you are just trying to lower your bill, conserve energy.

I can cut usage a little bit, short of getting rid of all my electronic/computer gear (I'm in the IT field so I do a lot of stuff from home). The Astrum Solar and SunPower were outright purchase pricing.

I just wasn't sure if that price/kw was "reasonable" for NY or not.
The rates here in NY have gone up 50% in the last 5 years (I dug out my old bills). And they'll continue to rise (I know this because I work for an agency that is implementing the cap-n-tax policy in NY, and those costs will just get passed along to us consumers).

I think the Solarcity figured like 2.4%/year increase for electricity, but I have to double-check.

I'm leaning towards the buying/purchase option vs. pre-paid lease PPA.

[hurnik]

It sounds more like a prepaid PPA so there shouldn't be an escalator and no real financing.

Yes, the solarcity is a pre-paid lease PPA option.
Astrum and SunPower are outright purchase/own, although I can get NYS special financing at 3.49% (fixed) for 15 years (unsecured) with a 12-month 0% bridge loan until the tax credits come back.

[russ]

Your point about the salesman and different stories is correct - get one you feel confident with that uses paper - or at least leaves a record.