Pricing in Bay Area - Compared to DIY

[w00dy]

Your $3.375/w is about the best I've heard of, give or take a dime. When I added two panels to my deal, there was no extra stanchions required plus the cost of the additional optimizers is about $100 less each than the M250's. My final was $3.45 and I also did my own conduit.

Regarding additional capacity, you've heard about SB350 to cut gas use by 50%? It's been put to rest for the time being, but that is how it starts. There are two other bills to increase gas taxes. Point is if you don't get a Leaf this year, more likely it will be in your near future. To add panels later may require additional permits, NEM contract, etc, unless you just "sneak" them up there (which I've wondered about doing myself).

Yes sneaking additional panels up on the roof has been mentioned. I would just have to wire to the existing junction box - and if that junction box was situated right where the new panels would go it would be pretty easy.

I am not sure about doing that - and the price is pretty competitive.

[melbogia]

Hi,

I have been in the planning stage for several months to possibly do a DIY grid tied installation next spring. However, I also want to keep up with what some of the Solar companies might charge me as a comparison, carrot, and/or to change my mind about DIY.

I have a recent quote that seems reasonable.

3.36K system
12 280W Solarworld Panels
12 250W Enphase Microinverters

$3.50 per Watt before FTC

I have trepidation about this sizing mostly due to PG&E looking to switch to new tiers (2 standard). We currently use about 500-600KW per month and I would like to keep us at the lower cost tier. We would like to offset our power production by about 60% at a minimum.We are as energy efficient as I expect we will ever be at the moment.

Based on PV Watts this system at our location could generate 5,433 kWh per Year - which if I understand the numbers provided by PV Watts - is more than the 60% goal and is more like 80% of last years electrical use. I am OK with that based on the costs.

I do wonder what replacing one of our gas cars with an EV (e.g. low priced used Nissan Leaf) would add to our energy use. We could use the EV as our primary errands/around town car. We only spent $1200 total on gasoline last year for our 2 family cars - so we don't drive a ton, and have little to no commute. I would use the EV to replace an aging 11 year old gasoline car that gets poor sub 20mpg. The EV would account for probably 70% of our future driving needs. And the cost of the car would be offset by the amount we can sell our low mileage 2004 car.

I thought I would post my numbers to see if anyone has any comments on where we are right now - and how my numbers look.

Do you mind telling me where you got the quote from? I am in the Bay Area and I haven't seen anything below $4.5/Watt AFTER FTC

[sjsun]

Do you mind telling me where you got the quote from? I am in the Bay Area and I haven't seen anything below $4.5/Watt AFTER FTC

Same here. Would love to know who's the installer. Can't get anyone below $4.2/W. Maybe if I pull out the cheque book, ready to sign one, they come down to $3.5?

[w00dy]

I don't have the price under contract yet. When I do I would be happy to share my installer with anyone who is interested.

[sjsun]

I don't have the price under contract yet. When I do I would be happy to share my installer with anyone who is interested.

Can you please post the name here or PM me? Thanks!

[w00dy]

Well I just signed our contract for our Solar System.

We decided on the larger system as mentioned in the thread above...

4.48kW
16 Solarworld SW280
16 Enphase M250
$15,120 - $3.375 per watt

The warranty for labor is 10 years, and the warranty on the parts is 25 years from the 2 companies.

One nice thing about the company we went with is the owner lives just a few blocks from me!

[sjsun]

Well I just signed our contract for our Solar System.

Congratulations on your new Solar System, hope you stay in the same galaxy

We decided on the larger system as mentioned in the thread above...

4.48kW
16 Solarworld SW280
16 Enphase M250
$15,120 - $3.375 per watt

The warranty for labor is 10 years, and the warranty on the parts is 25 years from the 2 companies.

One nice thing about the company we went with is the owner lives just a few blocks from me!

Can you please PM me the installer name? Thanks!

[w00dy]

Congratulations on your new Solar System, hope you stay in the same galaxy

Yes we now own the entire solar system - MUAHAHAHA!

[tandrup]

I am interested in the installer's contact info as well when you have a minute. PM would be perfect.

Thanks,
lars

[Willaby]

Well I just signed our contract for our Solar System. We decided on the larger system as mentioned in the thread above...

4.48kW
16 Solarworld SW280
16 Enphase M250
$15,120 - $3.375 per watt

The warranty for labor is 10 years, and the warranty on the parts is 25 years from the 2 companies. One nice thing about the company we went with is the owner lives just a few blocks from me!

Congrats! Great job on the deal. I just took a glance at your PGE EV rates - your 42c summer peak is almost the same as our SDGE 48c, but your night rate is only 10c for 8 hours vs our 17c rate for only 5 hours (more proof SDGE is the worst of them all). Your peak is a little later at 2pm which favors the extra panels you added. You should be able to drive a Leaf well over 10k miles a year and still no bill.

[w00dy]

Congrats! Great job on the deal. I just took a glance at your PGE EV rates - your 42c summer peak is almost the same as our SDGE 48c, but your night rate is only 10c for 8 hours vs our 17c rate for only 5 hours (more proof SDGE is the worst of them all). Your peak is a little later at 2pm which favors the extra panels you added. You should be able to drive a Leaf well over 10k miles a year and still no bill.

Thanks - it looks like a good plan for us at this point. I am only worried we might over produce!

Better get shopping for our LEAF.

[rocketfast]

Well I just signed our contract for our Solar System.

We decided on the larger system as mentioned in the thread above...

4.48kW
16 Solarworld SW280
16 Enphase M250
$15,120 - $3.375 per watt

The warranty for labor is 10 years, and the warranty on the parts is 25 years from the 2 companies.

One nice thing about the company we went with is the owner lives just a few blocks from me!

w00dy,
Would you be kind enough to PM me your installer details too.

[justthinking]

My system was just activated today, mainly consist of

16 x Solar World 280 panel

16 x Solar Edge P300 Optimizer

1 x Solar Edge SE5000A Inverter with Solar Edge Home Gateway Kit

Final price was about $3.4 per kW before FTC

[solar_newbie]

My system was just activated today, mainly consist of

16 x Solar World 280 panel

16 x Solar Edge P300 Optimizer

1 x Solar Edge SE5000A Inverter with Solar Edge Home Gateway Kit

Final price was about $3.4 per kW before FTC

Congrats. I guess I am a bit behind ... My system is with Enphase M250.

[enadroj]

I don't have the price under contract yet. When I do I would be happy to share my installer with anyone who is interested.

w00dy - I would appreciate the name of your installer. I've struggled to find anything under $4.50 in the bay area. If you could PM me, I'd appreciate it.