Please critique/ feedback wanted on system

[youan]

Hello all, I had a 6.86 kw system installed and up and running in Feb 2013. I wish I knew about this forum back then. Oh well.

So I live in Connecticut, and the system includes 28 panels of Canadian Solar CS6P245M (if that matters), and Enphase M215 inverters. The total cost was $26,300, and CT paid $11,289. With a federal credit of $4503, and a cash back incentive at the time of $1000, I paid out of pocket $9508.

Could I have done something different? Did I do okay, or am I screwed for 20 years?

[inetdog]

Hello all, I had a 6.86 kw system installed and up and running in Feb 2013. I wish I knew about this forum back then. Oh well.

So I live in Connecticut, and the system includes 28 panels of Canadian Solar CS6P245M (if that matters), and Enphase M215 inverters. The total cost was $26,300, and CT paid $11,289. With a federal credit of $4503, and a cash back incentive at the time of $1000, I paid out of pocket $9508.

Could I have done something different? Did I do okay, or am I screwed for 20 years?

A little over $4 per kW before incentives is not out of line with the prices last year or now. It sounds like you got a good mix of incentives and have a very reasonable system.
Enjoy for 20 years.

[Ian S]

Hello all, I had a 6.86 kw system installed and up and running in Feb 2013. I wish I knew about this forum back then. Oh well.

So I live in Connecticut, and the system includes 28 panels of Canadian Solar CS6P245M (if that matters), and Enphase M215 inverters. The total cost was $26,300, and CT paid $11,289. With a federal credit of $4503, and a cash back incentive at the time of $1000, I paid out of pocket $9508.

Could I have done something different? Did I do okay, or am I screwed for 20 years?

About a buck and a half per watt after incentives? Yeah, you really got screwed.... NOT! You're sitting pretty I'd say. The question is how long will it take before you have your out of pocket paid back in utility savings. BTW, you purchased the system so it's almost surely going to be there a lot more than 20 years.

[youan]

A little over $4 per kW before incentives is not out of line with the prices last year or now. It sounds like you got a good mix of incentives and have a very reasonable system.
Enjoy for 20 years.

Thanks! I had other quotes, but this seemed the most reasonable. One place wanted to give me a 7.(I can't remember)kw system with more panels, but for some reason they were quoting me a substantially less CT rebate. They were astonished that the place that I ultimately went with could possibly get me the CT rebate that I was entitled to. Another place just seemed totally new to the whole thing, and first quoted me a smaller system, then a larger system, and their financial "wizard" had the wrong numbers that I discovered and called him out on. He was basically like, "Oh. Yeah" and then didn't tell the guy quoting me the system that the numbers had changed. Ding Ding Ding - red flag.

I had one more estimate as well. They were professional and kind of big in this area, but were several thousand above what I went with.

[youan]

About a buck and a half per watt after incentives? Yeah, you really got screwed.... NOT! You're sitting pretty I'd say. The question is how long will it take before you have your out of pocket paid back in utility savings. BTW, you purchased the system so it's almost surely going to be there a lot more than 20 years.

I really have no idea. I bought the house two+ years ago, and didn't really have a good history on usage. Projected was 6 year payback. I have electric heat/hot water, thus the reason why I got solar. My electric bill is nothing (except for the $25 dollar charge for being hooked up to the grid) during most of the year, then goes up to over $250 come Jan/Feb after my credits are used. I have a smallish 1100 sq/ft ranch and live alone.

I just bought a coal stove, so I expect my electric heating to be close to nothing this winter. Now this puts me in a bind, as I don't want to have excessive credits at the end of the cycle and get screwed. I don't have central air, but hope to get a split system for my bedroom and living room maybe next year. Hopefully this will take up my extra energy credits!

[youan]

The actual original point of this thread was less about the money, and more about the equipment.
Are Canadian Solar panels okay?
Are Enphase M215 inverters okay? I've read somewhere that a guy that works with solar equipment has seen a larger than normal amount of malfunctions with Enphase inverters. I'm praying that this isn't the case.

[inetdog]

The actual original point of this thread was less about the money, and more about the equipment.
Are Canadian Solar panels okay?
Are Enphase M215 inverters okay? I've read somewhere that a guy that works with solar equipment has seen a larger than normal amount of malfunctions with Enphase inverters. I'm praying that this isn't the case.

The first generation of Enphase micros had a known problem with failure of electrolytic capacitors. Hopefully yours are the later design that does not have this weak point. If not, then they should at least be covered by warranty (except maybe for labor).
CanadianSolar panels are not in the same league with SunPower, but no other panels are either, and from what I have heard CS delivers reasonable quality for the price.

[Sunking]

Let's see me and your neighbors paid for 75% of the cost of your luxury. We pay for it in higher taxes and electric rates. So who got the gold mine and who got the shaft?

[J.P.M.]

Let's see me and your neighbors paid for 75% of the cost of your luxury. We pay for it in higher taxes and electric rates. So who got the gold mine and who got the shaft?

If markgm: ($4.06-$2.37)/$4.06 = .416 = ~ 42%

Or, if youan is correct: 1- (9508/26300) = .638 = 64%.

[markgm]

If markgm: ($4.06-$2.37)/$4.06 = .416 = ~ 42%

Or, if youan is correct: 1- (9508/26300) = .638 = 64%.

I wasn't including the federal tax credit in my calculation .

[Sunking]

If markgm: ($4.06-$2.37)/$4.06 = .416 = ~ 42%

Or, if youan is correct: 1- (9508/26300) = .638 = 64%.

Makes no difference, someone else who cannot afford the luxury has to pay for it.

[youan]

Let's see me and your neighbors paid for 75% of the cost of your luxury. We pay for it in higher taxes and electric rates. So who got the gold mine and who got the shaft?

So you have 12000 posts on a solar forum, but yet you seem to be disgruntled over my having solar?

and your title is "solar fanatic"?

[youan]

I'm also in Connecticut and had my system go live in February 2013. I went with C-tec Solar and was happy with them and the price I got. In case you didn't know, you can see what everyone paid for solar in Connecticut pretty easily to 'rank' your deal.

http://www.energizect.com/residents/...stment-program

http://www.energizect.com/sites/defa...r%20Web_14.xls

I add two columns to that spreadsheet to see the price per watt before and after rebates. The spreadsheet made me overpriced the solar leases are in the state (I'm surprised they allow this to continue, as it wastes taxpayer money). Sort by price and you'll see SolarCity consistently the most expensive.

My cost before incentives was $29.5k for a 7.28 kW system ($4.06 a watt). After the state rebate it was $2.37 a watt. Out of 18 installs in my town the top 9 most expensive are all SolarCity, anywhere from $3.01 to $3.90 a watt. Mine was #4 for price. The rub is you don't know details. I have micro inverters, which might have raised the cost. My price puts me at 665 out of 5032 installs (per watt).

I don't see the numbers or date you provided as a system installed in Connecticut, but there were 32 systems installed at 6.86 kW STC, with an average price after the state rebate of $3.10 a watt.

Awesome link! Didn't know they posted such things. I filtered mine after CT incentives, and it was in the top 200 or so cheapest per kwh. I see CT incentives are half or less than they were just a year ago? A new installation with a system like mine got less than half CT rebate.

Solar City definitely seemed to be the priciest of all.

[J.P.M.]

I wasn't including the federal tax credit in my calculation .

So what was the cost you paid to the vendor, and what was the final cost to you after all tax credits/rebates/kickbacks ?

[inetdog]

So you have 12000 posts on a solar forum, but yet you seem to be disgruntled over my having solar?

and your title is "solar fanatic"?

The forum members range from simple solar fans to solar fanatics, all the way up to solar lunatics.

Dereck (Sunking) knows a lot about solar PV and can help you design and install a system given realistic expectations. It is just frustrating when each new person comes along thinking that battery based PV makes sense for an on-grid site or that grid tied PV makes financial sense without some form of incentives.
Those incentives can be, among other things:
1. Really high utility prices (>$.50/kWh in Hawaii, for example)
2. Direct taxpayer subsidy in the form of tax credits.
3. Direct ratepayer or taxpayer subsidy in the form of purchase rebates.
4. Indirect subsidy by other ratepayers in the from of higher rates for all to finance net metering for those who have PV.

This is not to say that it is wrong or evil to take advantage of those incentives if you qualify, it is just irritating to be smug about it and ignore or deny that the incentives you get are coming out of somebody else's pocket.

I hope this clarifies some of what is behind the simple "nuts" categorization.