Is Solar Right for me in NC

[martyrob77]

So my Power with Duke are about $0.09/kWh and my monthly bill is $85.00. My heating and hot water heat with gas. Best scenario I've come up with is about a 13 year ROI which seems not as good as most of the other people I've read about. Ultimately I have two hang ups beyond that... Solar would need to go on the Front of my house (only thinking resale) and along with that I feel like I'm pretty much committing to live in this house for 15 years because I may have to take them down to sell the house anyway. Just looking for some feedback. Just not sure.

[SunEagle]

Hello martyrob77 and welcome to Solar Panel Talk

I am glad you are doing the math.

Some people can get a fast payback because their electric cost is over $0.20/kwh. Yours electric cost is much lower and based on your monthly bill maybe solar is not a good path to take unless you plan to stay in the home for 15 years.

[heimdm]

Not sure of you lot and space, maybe a covered patio made out of solar panels?

[J.P.M.]

Doesn't sound like the best place to put your money for the next 15 yrs. This is a problem in process economics and comparison of alternatives analysis.

I'd compare rate of return on PV vs. other investments and see (estimate/speculate) which investment is likely to leave you with the most money after 15 years vs. how much risk you'll be exposing the assets to.

The process and calcs can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it.

[azdave]

Unless your reason for going solar is purely for environmental reasons, I would not install solar in your situation.

Environmentally, we did everything we could to reduce consumption. We moved to a smaller, 1600 ft2 home, replaced any worn out appliances with Energy Star rated units, installed new A/C when the 18-year old unit was on its last leg, had an energy audit performed to reveal insulation and draft sealing needs, thermostats set at 80 in summer and 68 in winter, etc. Only then did we look at solar but really only as an investment tool at that point and only considered cash up front purchase with no lease or loan. We are in our final home, likely will live 15-20 more years. ROI was predicted at 7 years but came 6 years due to some good fortune with the local power company paying us to participate in a test program for grid-tie inverters. With reductions in our family activities to save even further, we now pay only the connection fee of about $150 a year and our grid-tie agreement runs another 13 years. We also managed to stay on the basic service plan so no TOU hassles. Any power we bank can be used later at any time of day and at true-up once a year in May we get about a $100 account credit.

[peakbagger]

Its odd, NC used to have very good incentives for solar. I guess ALEC got their hooks into the legislature ;(

[chrisski]

I’m on the fence with getting rooftop solar for my house. I will most likely get it this year.

For me, its not so much the rates now, but if EVs catch on, especially if these become American sized cars like you see Tesla making their new, but unreleased pick up. If a typical family has two vehicles and drives 15000 miles a year, that could double the typical yearly electrical rates when I did the math for smaller sized EVs we see now, never mind the bigger ones coming out.

That and seems to be some areas might have a limit on how much EV can be put in, mostly because of the already installed transformers might not handle more. The electric company would allow you to buy a new transformer if you would like.

Those are some of the reasons for me with my on average $225 a month electric bill and really considering it,

[SunEagle]

I’m on the fence with getting rooftop solar for my house. I will most likely get it this year.

For me, its not so much the rates now, but if EVs catch on, especially if these become American sized cars like you see Tesla making their new, but unreleased pick up. If a typical family has two vehicles and drives 15000 miles a year, that could double the typical yearly electrical rates when I did the math for smaller sized EVs we see now, never mind the bigger ones coming out.

That and seems to be some areas might have a limit on how much EV can be put in, mostly because of the already installed transformers might not handle more. The electric company would allow you to buy a new transformer if you would like.

Those are some of the reasons for me with my on average $225 a month electric bill and really considering it,

So I am a little confused. You would install a solar pv system on your home for your EV's. That would mean you have to leave them home to charge during the day time. Does that mean you are retired or work from home because for most that need a vehicle during the day then solar does not make sense to charge an EV.

Just saying.

[Ampster]

The points made about solar as a hedge against rate increases of course depend on whether Net Energy Metering benefits will also continue. Much of that will depend on the political situation in the OP's area. I don't think EV charging will drive the rates up as much as increased infrastructure costs as utilities have to upgrade their grids for the rollout of distributed generation. That could be rooftop solar, wind farms, or solar farms or other technologies. I also agree that energy conservation has a greater payback.

[Ampster]

So I am a little confused. You would install a solar pv system on your home for your EV's. That would mean you have to leave them home to charge during the day time. Does that mean you are retired or work from home because for most that need a vehicle during the day then solar does not make sense to charge an EV.
...

With a net metering arrangement the charging does not have to take place simultaneously with solar production. In some parts of the country rates are less expensive late in the evening and early morning.

[SunEagle]

With a net metering arrangement the charging does not have to take place simultaneously with solar production. In some parts of the country rates are less expensive late in the evening and early morning.

I agree that a solar pv system with TOU rates makes sense to some and EV's that can be charged by the solar makes sense but I did not understand why an EV would be a reason to install a solar system when it is not home to get charged by it.

[Ampster]

....... I did not understand why an EV would be a reason to install a solar system when it is not home to get charged by it.

Most people who do not own an EV think range and charging are big problems. Most people who own EVs do not have that frame of mind. I have been driving EVs for ten years and I think about the safety and low cost of operation.

I am not trying to change your mind. I just want other readers to see several viewpoints and make the best decision for their circumstances.

It all depends on where you are standing.

[SunEagle]

Most people who do not own an EV think range and charging are big problems. Most people who own EVs do not have that frame of mind. I am not trying to change your mind. I just want other readers to see several viewpoints and make the best decision for their circumstances.

It all depends on where you are standing.

I agree. People have different ideas about EV's and solar depending on where they live. For some it makes a lot of sense to get them for others not so much.

[heimdm]

and when it comes to solar the installation is relatively time intensive. Difficult not as much, just time consuming. In most area's, at least for me in the midwest, it only made sense from an ROI perspective, if I put a lot of sweat equity into it.

[J.P.M.]

I agree that a solar pv system with TOU rates makes sense to some and EV's that can be charged by the solar makes sense but I did not understand why an EV would be a reason to install a solar system when it is not home to get charged by it.

Seems to me if a T.O.U. super off peak rate is an option with or without net metering, that would negate some or all of the reason for getting PV for the purpose of offsetting EV charging that could be done at those super off peak rates. Also seems to me that a PV system working on a T.O.U. tariff that has super off peak rates would lower the cost effectiveness of the PV system because the cost of the POCO power would be less than if a super off peak rate were part of the T.O.U. pricing.

As a thought experiment, suppose it were possible to time shift power usage so that draw from the POCO only occurred at times when super off peak rates were in force (say, midnight to 5 A.M.) and at a rate of $0.05/kWh while regular hour rates were, say, $0.25/kWh. What would that do to the ROI or payback on a PV system ?