5kw SunPower installation

[rathiram]

I am trying to find a best quote for 5kw Sun Power installation for my home, its around $5/watt after Fed tax credit , does it seem right? Are there companies that do at a better price

[sensij]

Depends on where you are located. You could definitely spend less if you are willing to consider other panels.

[J.P.M.]

Depends on where you are located. You could definitely spend less if you are willing to consider other panels.

I paid $4.50/Watt for 5.232 kW. That was ~ 30 months ago and prices have dropped since then. Some here claim < $4.00/Watt. I'd think < $4.50 is possible but wonder if < 4.00 requires some insider discounting. In any event, depending on location and more importantly, negotiating skills, $5.00/Watt is leaving money on the table.

Besides, and as Sensij points out, unless you buy the S.P. hype, know that other quality equipment is as fit for purpose and will have about equal annual output per installed Watt as S.P. for about a buck/Watt less. Pay your money, take your choice, but walk in with your eyes and mind open.

Caveat Emptor. S.P. is good stuff, but IMO, usually about the least long term cost effective solar choice you can make.

[rathiram]

Thanks for that note, I researched many panels there is no other company that gives a 25 year warranty on labor/panels/output except SP.
I live in SJC do you recommend a company that could do around $4?

[solar pete]

Thanks for that note, I researched many panels there is no other company that gives a 25 year warranty on labor/panels/output except SP.
I live in SJC do you recommend a company that could do around $4?

Hi rathiram you could always try the site sponsors sites, www.solarreviews.com and or www.solar-estimate.org cheers

[Yaryman]

I am trying to find a best quote for 5kw Sun Power installation for my home, its around $5/watt after Fed tax credit , does it seem right? Are there companies that do at a better price

That $5/watt price HAD better be BEFORE the solar tax credit. The rates everybody here are quoting are BEFORE the solar credit.
Don't let anybody quote you prices that involve the solar credit. If they do, just walk away.

All that said, $5 a watt before the solar credit is sky high.

[solarix]

Sunpower has legitimate high quality but they charge an arm and a leg for it. You will be happy with the quality of your basic system installed by a reputable local dealer and achieve way better value.

[rathiram]

Thanks for all the useful information, I did get better quotes. $3.91 for LG Neo2 panels or $4.55 for Sunpower x21 panels.
These are the best quotes I have got so far and I am tending towards Neo2,

Any suggestions?

[Yaryman]

Thanks for all the useful information, I did get better quotes. $3.91 for LG Neo2 panels or $4.55 for Sunpower x21 panels.
These are the best quotes I have got so far and I am tending towards Neo2,

Any suggestions?

For the life of me I can't understand anybody paying so much more for Sunpower panels.
The math on the deal makes NO SENSE.

Using the two quotes you gave, the Sunpower system will cost $3200 more. ( .64 x 5000 watts )

You will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER get that money back.

If buy chance, 6 of your LG panels go bad, AND LG won't replace them ( don't know why they wouldn't), you can buy your own LG panels and have them installed for at most $500 a panel.
The math on that is $300 for the panel and $200 to pay somebody to do a job that takes at most 1 hour.

BUT, BUT, BUT everything I've ever read from every old timer on the board in the last 6 months says one thing. The panels don't go bad.
Not just LG, but pretty much all panels don't go bad. Do a search on the board.

So it turns out the warranty feature on a Sunpower panel means nothing.
Second thing on the warranty, Sunpower offer a 25 year replacement.
Does Sunpower offer a claim they will still be in business in 25 years?

If my math is wrong, somebody please explain.

For the OP, I would bet money you are paying a premium for those LG panels that are equivalent to other premium panels.

[J.P.M.]

Thanks for all the useful information, I did get better quotes. $3.91 for LG Neo2 panels or $4.55 for Sunpower x21 panels.
These are the best quotes I have got so far and I am tending towards Neo2,

Any suggestions?

FWIW, $4.55 for the S.P. is about what I've seen recently, although others claim to have seen lower - and no argument from me - I've just not seen it is all - and nothing close to that price - and I probably would have seen it by now. On the other price, I'm pretty sure you can get LG' s for ~ $3.50/Watt or less provided you don't have extra work involved. I just may take some negotiating.

Sounds like your mind is not yet made up and you're becoming more knowledgeable. Well, again, knowledge is power.

S.P. good stuff, but, and with no offense intended, potential buyers with limited knowledge that can be B.S.'d by the S.P. hype are one of the reasons why I own S.P. stock.

In effect, I believe P.T. Barnum was right, and put my money where my opinion is.

Like I wrote and believe, S.P. is quality stuff. But one question in my mind: If the S.P. stuff is so good, why is a superior warranty, that the S.P. disciples seem to use to justify a good part of the price premium even needed, particularly with the dearth of panel failures of all types. ?

[SandyEggo]

Rathiam, I don't know where you are located, but if you happen to be in San Diego, here is a suggestion. Go onto pvoutput.org. Click on team along the top, then click on Team San Diego ( #46 on page 2.) On the left column, pick a date. The list of San Diego systems will pop up in a random order.(Or a not so random order that I just haven't figured out yet) Along the top row click on efficiency and all the systems in the team will be relisted in order from most efficient (most kwh/kw) to the least. Find the column with system size, (in blue) slowly scroll over each system size and you will see the type of panels, inverter, zip code and tilt for each system. I just looked at todays' date and of the top 22 most efficient systems, 15 of them are using different types of LG panels and primarily enphase or solaredge and a couple string inverters. The others in the top 22 include a Bosch, Sunpower, Solarworld and something else but the vast majority of the listed most efficient systems are using LG panels.

I know this may not be a very scientific poll on the efficiency of LG panels. Maybe people who have them tend to join Pvoutput more often. Maybe most of us used the same vendor who was pushing LG's really hard, or maybe most of us who have them, gained our solar knowledge from this forum and made the more frugal choice. I don't know, but for me it is confirmation that they tend to be pretty darn efficient panels and I made the right choice by going with them instead of the much more costly Sunpowers which I was considering. As several people said, panels tend to not be the part of the systems that fail, so a 25 year warranty seems to be more of a sales hype (and a way to justify the higher premium) than a necessity. Check for yourself, pick any random day and the results will be close to the same. My little workhorse of a system is Nychtophobia, and, at least so far, it has been landing pretty consistently in the top 4 or 5 systems daily so I am very happy with the choice I made.

[J.P.M.]

Rathiam, I don't know where you are located, but if you happen to be in San Diego, here is a suggestion. Go onto pvoutput.org. Click on team along the top, then click on Team San Diego ( #46 on page 2.) On the left column, pick a date. The list of San Diego systems will pop up in a random order.(Or a not so random order that I just haven't figured out yet) Along the top row click on efficiency and all the systems in the team will be relisted in order from most efficient (most kwh/kw) to the least. Find the column with system size, (in blue) slowly scroll over each system size and you will see the type of panels, inverter, zip code and tilt for each system. I just looked at todays' date and of the top 22 most efficient systems, 15 of them are using different types of LG panels and primarily enphase or solaredge and a couple string inverters. The others in the top 22 include a Bosch, Sunpower, Solarworld and something else but the vast majority of the listed most efficient systems are using LG panels.

I know this may not be a very scientific poll on the efficiency of LG panels. Maybe people who have them tend to join Pvoutput more often. Maybe most of us used the same vendor who was pushing LG's really hard, or maybe most of us who have them, gained our solar knowledge from this forum and made the more frugal choice. I don't know, but for me it is confirmation that they tend to be pretty darn efficient panels and I made the right choice by going with them instead of the much more costly Sunpowers which I was considering. As several people said, panels tend to not be the part of the systems that fail, so a 25 year warranty seems to be more of a sales hype (and a way to justify the higher premium) than a necessity. Check for yourself, pick any random day and the results will be close to the same. My little workhorse of a system is Nychtophobia, and, at least so far, it has been landing pretty consistently in the top 4 or 5 systems daily so I am very happy with the choice I made.

FWIW: Pretty much +1.

I'd only suggest keeping in mind that system azimuth can have an effect on system production, and restate my opinion based on calcs and confirmation of those calcs that equal (electrical size ) systems in the same location, orientation and duty will produce about equal annual output for about as long as most folks will own them.

The warranty hype is, at least IMO only, a red herring. The damn things don't fail much, at least not at this stage of the game.

Not a recommendation because extended warranties are a rip off as well, but if you're worried about failures, buy non S.P. and get an extended warranty - you'll get as much for less money and still sleep at night.

[rathiram]

Thanks for all the information, these posts were really helpful. I am going with Lg Neo2 315w (17 panels) with enphase s280 5.3KW system and I am spending $3.55/watt. I was able to bargain well armed with the information I got here! Thanks again!

[touchstone]

Thanks for all the information, these posts were really helpful. I am going with Lg Neo2 315w (17 panels) with enphase s280 5.3KW system and I am spending $3.55/watt. I was able to bargain well armed with the information I got here! Thanks again!

Rathiram, which installer did you go with? DP? Am I aloud to ask that?

[solar pete]

Rathiram, which installer did you go with? DP? Am I aloud to ask that?

Yep you sure are, they can mentionthe installers name, and if they want to they can link it to their solarreviews.com page, cheers