Help comparing quotes for a home solar installation in Orlando, Florida

[OldAdster]

Hi guys! I used EnergyScape and called some other local installers to get a fair amount of quotes for a new residential solar system. I think I have one more quote coming this upcoming week from SunPower, but I know they can be a bit expensive. I plan on financing the system. Prices per watt are before the tax credit.

All warranties seem to be very similar. I do worry partially about local installers because I was dealing with a solar company a year and a half ago that is now defunct. But in reality any business can go defunct whenever, local or not.

I'd like some opinions from you experts. Thank you!

My yearly energy usage: 12264 kWh

Tesla SolarCity

• 8.235 kW system.
• 27 - 305W Panels (although they told me they have new Panasonic 325W panels?)
• $3.10/watt
• SolarEdge or Delta inverter.

SunRun

• 8.55 kW system.
• 30 - REC Solar Panels Model REC285TP2
• $2.95/watt
• Ginlong inverter. (can't find a lot of info about this one?)

Local Installer 1

• 8.40 kW system.
• 28 - Heliene HEE300M 60M panels.
• $2.80/watt
• SolarEdge Optimizer (no model specified)

Local Installer 2

• 7.84 kW system.
• 28 - AXITEC, LLC AC-280M/156-60S panels.
• $2.75/watt
• SolarEdge Optimizer (no model specified)

Local Installer 3

• 8.8 kW system.
• 32 - Amerisolar AS-6P30 275W panels.
• $2.75/watt
• SMA Sunny Boy inverter.

Local Installer 4

• 7.2 kW system.
• 24 - Itek IT-300-SE panels.
• $2.30/watt
• Fronius inverter.

[J.P.M.]

Do you know:
1.) Your annual electrical usage by month ?
2.) Your utility's rate/tariff structure ?
3.) How that rate structure may be changing in the future ?
4.) How much of your electric bill it makes economic sense to offset ?
5.) How much of your electric bill you want to offset and why that much ?

Since you ask:
- I'd stay local for installers. I'd avoid SolarCity and Sunrun to the point of not letting them on my property. I've seen too much of their work, the results of their work and also dealing with them as part of an HOA review monitoring function. Those 2 and Vivant are IMO only, pretty much bottom feeders.
- No one can predict the future, but local and established electrical contractors with known and good reputations who were around before solar for 5 - 10 years with a good reputation and have installed PV for 5 +years may have the best chance of being around if service is required. Local installers with those credentials seem to produce the best installations around here in terms of quality installation.
- Solar is now a commodity. 20 years from now, most well installed equipment will be serviceable by most any reputable installer. It'll still be a crap shoot as to who's still standing even 5 yrs. from now. Just the way it is.
- Since solar components are pretty much a commodity beyond some basic quality level, I'd spend more time and concern on picking an installer based on quality of installation and reputation, and a big dose of informed interviewing and what your gut tells you. Initial price is important but long term value is much more important. The two are not the same. A suggestion: Read a copy of "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies", formulate a bunch of questions (and their answers) and reinterview the local installers. The answers you get will help with your gut check.Think long term quality of installation. A few cents/watt saved up front will be quickly forgotten. A poor installation is a constant and never ending remainder that you got screwed.
- While you're at it, get your roof inspected/serviced. PV can and probably will last a long time if properly installed. Chasing leaks under an array is an expensive and very frustrating task, particularly if they are not discovered quickly. Give the roof under the array the highest probability of lasting as long as the PV over it. You will not be sorry. I got mine done by an independent roofer. To me roof maint. is the last place to cheap out or be lax about, but that's just me.
- At installation, trust but verify. Check the material to make sure it's what you paid for. Check permits. Then, sit on the roof and watch the work as it's being done for things like screws/fixings that miss rafters, flashing details that get missed or are sloppy, etc. A pair of binoculars helps. You won't catch it all, but your presence will act as a form of quality control.

Take what you want of the above. Scrap the rest.

[peakbagger]

You may or may not know you are comparing apples to oranges to some extent. Tesla, L1 and L2 appear to be microinverter based systems while the rest appear to be string inverters.

If you have potential shading issues microinverters are nice as shade on one panel wont drop out adjacent panels. String inverters may have a couple of MPTT circuits but the reality is if you have shading issues they are going to loose more power production compared to micrinverters. The trade off between string inverters is they can be mounted in the shade in cool spot while the micros are under the panels in much hotter environment. Most of the microinverter companies are selling at loss trying to get market share and anyone could go belly up at any time. SMA and Fronius are large companies that make other products so they are more stable. Note, there are passionate arguments pro and con for microinverters versus string inverters so spend some time on research. The book recommended above is a good place to start.

Only one of the systems may be able to run to a very limited extent with the grid down unless you add lots of equipment. L3 has a Sunny Boy String inverter which may mean you can get a Secure Power Supply option which can supply one 15 amp outlet power with the grid down and when the sun is out. It not automatic but might keep a fridge running (depends on the fridge). If you negotiate it up front they will probably throw it in otherwise they may hit you up with extra to run an outlet box and piece of 12/2.

As for national firm versus local, its a toss up, few national companies have their won crews, they just hire a sub to do the install. They are mostly marketing groups that want to get the product out. If there are warranty issues, the sales rep you dealt with is long gone. The national firms have reputation that their installs are quick and dirty, if someone screws up and the homeowner notices they may eventually send someone to fix it. If its local installer in business in the area for an extended period of time then they are more prone to do it right the first time as they depend on local reputation. I would rather deal with a local established electrical firm that happens to install a reasonable amount of solar than a firm that just does solar as they first firm may be in business long after the various solar incentives go away.

The one reason to go with Tesla is if you have an extra 10K in your pocket and really want battery backup in the next few years they will probably be able to integrate their PV system with their battery. Realistically buy a generator, but if you want to be "cool" and want to throw away money it may be a factor. On the other hand I have heard but not seen that they are going to sell a Powerwall with an internal inverter so that it will integrate with any PV system. I expect its all vaporware but if you want to drink the kool aid then go with Tesla

[Kingram]

Here is that SMA Secure power supply-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9r8XfmErNs

Has anyone made one of these ?

[Goat]

Re: SMA Secure Power Supply.
Yes, I have it on my system and it's great (especially since it's pretty much free, system wise).
I have a 9KW array and it allows me to draw ~600W - 1200W on overcast and drizzly days.
That's enough for me to run some equipment and charge my electric chainsaw and batteries during a grid outage.

[Kingram]

Did you build it and install it yourself ? it looks like it would be easy to do from the video. I asked the install team here in Arizona ( Titan ) and they said we don't do that.

[Goat]

I did it myself. It's just as easy as the video shows - assuming you have a TL series with the SP module in it!
Double check all your wiring before re-energizing the unit.
What's the deal with your local company? Won't do it? That's crazy!

[BFW577]

Hi guys! I used EnergyScape and called some other local installers to get a fair amount of quotes for a new residential solar system. I think I have one more quote coming this upcoming week from SunPower, but I know they can be a bit expensive. I plan on financing the system. Prices per watt are before the tax credit.

All warranties seem to be very similar. I do worry partially about local installers because I was dealing with a solar company a year and a half ago that is now defunct. But in reality any business can go defunct whenever, local or not.

I'd like some opinions from you experts. Thank you!

My yearly energy usage: 12264 kWh

Tesla SolarCity

• 8.235 kW system.
• 27 - 305W Panels (although they told me they have new Panasonic 325W panels?)
• $3.10/watt
• SolarEdge or Delta inverter.

SunRun

• 8.55 kW system.
• 30 - REC Solar Panels Model REC285TP2
• $2.95/watt
• Ginlong inverter. (can't find a lot of info about this one?)

Local Installer 1

• 8.40 kW system.
• 28 - Heliene HEE300M 60M panels.
• $2.80/watt
• SolarEdge Optimizer (no model specified)

Local Installer 2

• 7.84 kW system.
• 28 - AXITEC, LLC AC-280M/156-60S panels.
• $2.75/watt
• SolarEdge Optimizer (no model specified)

Local Installer 3

• 8.8 kW system.
• 32 - Amerisolar AS-6P30 275W panels.
• $2.75/watt
• SMA Sunny Boy inverter.

Local Installer 4

• 7.2 kW system.
• 24 - Itek IT-300-SE panels.
• $2.30/watt
• Fronius inverter.

Have you crunched the numbers on payback? My family has a condo in FL that we all share the bill with and the electricity is dirt cheap down there compared to here in CT. My payback period is around 4-5 years here with rates around .25-.30 KWH. Florida is like 3 times less than that. Your payback would be like 15 years or more off my rough estimate.