Signing contract tonight for a 13.32 Kw system

[acamato]

- 13.23 Kw DC System
- 42 LG 3151C-G4 315W panels
- SolarEdge 11400A-US Inverter (25 year warranty)
- 42 SolarEdge P400-2NM4ARM-MC4 Optimizers
- installer uses SnapNRack mounting (not detailed in contract)
- $3.37/W (before incentives)
- $1.88/W (after incentives)

Annual Production - 13,846 Kw (after shade analysis)

The installer has a 4.89 rating on solarreviews.com

I will have a 18M Enerbank loan for the incentives and the balance will be NYSERDA On-Bill financing (through Energy Finance Solutions)

I had a site evaluation where they performed shade analysis, measured the roof, look at elect panel location. The inverter will be installed in my basement near the panel.

I feel like I am missing something.

[solarix]

We just R&R'd three roofs using the snapnrack system from an un-named leasing company that needed to be reroofed due to hail damage (none of the panels were affected). We hated the mounting system. For a bunch of practical reasons - the mountings were evidently designed by some guy on CAD with a "good idea" but never spent much time actually working with all their frustrating little snap together pieces. The leasing company was quoting the customer's insurance company $4000 to remove and replace the array so they called us. Now I now why.

[SolarJake]

What do you mean 18M (month?) Enerbank loan for incentives? Are you referring to the tax credit? Does Enerbank get the 30% fed credit?

[acamato]

What do you mean 18M (month?) Enerbank loan for incentives? Are you referring to the tax credit? Does Enerbank get the 30% fed credit?

Enerbank loan is 18 months, no interest no payments.

Incentives
PSEG Rebate (utility) goes directly to the installer
Fed Tax credit- 30% Tax Credit (based on system cost after the utility rebate)
NY Tax Credit - 25% ($5000 max)

The Enerbank loan amount is for the amount of my tax credits. After I receive my refund form the IRS and NYS, I will pay off the Enerbank loan.

The loan is similar to no interest, no payment credit card offer. Interest accrues form day 1. I will not have to pay interest if I pay the balance by prior to the 18 month period. If I pay after the 18 month, then I have to pay the accrued interest.

[emartin00]

We just R&R'd three roofs using the snapnrack system from an un-named leasing company that needed to be reroofed due to hail damage (none of the panels were affected). We hated the mounting system. For a bunch of practical reasons - the mountings were evidently designed by some guy on CAD with a "good idea" but never spent much time actually working with all their frustrating little snap together pieces. The leasing company was quoting the customer's insurance company $4000 to remove and replace the array so they called us. Now I now why.

Can you provide a little more detail about what you didn't like? I've never installed the SnapNRack system, but I am very familiar with it.

[acamato]

Contract is signed.

Installation will be scheduled after town permitting and NYSERDA approvals.

[solarix]

"Can you provide a little more detail about what you didn't like? I've never installed the SnapNRack system, but I am very familiar with it. "

To add integrated grounding to the Snap-n-rack system, they inserted little "teeth" into the regular aluminum clamp fittings. As a result, the clamps bite into the rails as well as the panels to ground them. The unintended result is that now the clamps don't slide in the extruded rails anymore and you are up on a pitched roof, in the wind, fighting the damned things, trying to get them into the exact right spots. Plus the U-shaped rails are nice to use for carrying the PV wiring, but there is no good way to positively hold the wire down in the rail and it tends to flop out. They have a track device that snaps in to retain the wiring, but good luck installing that after the panel is down. So you have to hassle with doing the wiring at the same time you are struggling to get the panel mounted. In my system, you just lay the panel down, simply put on the clamps, then come back and do the wiring along the whole row where it stays accessible if needed. The Snap-n-rack system is not so snappy if you ask me.
Does anybody know if the snap-n-rack clamps are "single use only" as grounding devices?

[emartin00]

Does anybody know if the snap-n-rack clamps are "single use only" as grounding devices?

I've never seen anything specified one way or another.

Just on that note, if you ask Wiley, they no longer state that WEEBs are single use only.

[JRqwertyui]

My installer stated they will use Snap&Rack for my roof install 30 LG 3151C-G4 315W... should I be concerned ? has the product been improved since 2015?
P.S. haven't sign the contract yet... I also didn't realize these panels have been available since 2015...
acamato: have you been happy with your LG/SE system.. I'm installing exactly the same system, except 30LG panels with P320s. and SE7600 inverter = 9450 KW (DC).

[JSchnee21]

@acamato do you have a lot of shading, a poor orientation / inclination, or expect a lot of snow cover? 13,846 kWh per year seems a little low for a system that large. Just curious, how are they feeding you panel? Line side or load side? Do they have to de-rate you main breaker? Output from the the 11.4kW is ~47.5amps per phase -- I have the same inverter in NJ -- for which they did a line-side tap laving my main panel AS IS.

I'm at 175 degrees S, 20 degree inclination with limited shading and am hoping (fingers crossed) for ~15-17 MWh from my 12.2 kW system in Central NJ. Have you tried running PVWatts (http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/) or using the SolarEdge site designer tool?

The SE Site Designer tool is fabulous, by the way, I cannot believe they give it away for free.

https://www.solaredge.com/us/products/installer-tools/site-designer