1st time Post 1st Time 8.28kw Solar QUOTE!

[SoMoney]

No Personal Information Listed JUST NUMBERS. (your welcome)

This is a SolarMaxTech Power Purchase Quote / Finance Installed.
I average a 360 per month electricity bill (500+ in the Summers/Winters)

1. SolarMaxTech Installs a 8.28kw System
2. Loan Term is $52,000 financed 15years for %5.99 installed.
3. I Have 13months to give them back $15,600 in tax credits to maintain a $315 per month payment.
4. If I opt to keep the $15,600 the payment jumps up to 451.92 per month.

I've seen cheaper deals online for 10k cheaper but this is the 1st company to actually give me hard numbers

What do you guys think?!
15Yr-315mo-8280kwh-PPP.jpg

[russ]

1) Please post only once - I deleted the duplicate.

2) This is the loan document - nothing about the contract

3) Over 6$ per DC watt is very expensive today in most locations

4) This document mentions 168 payments of 451$ but no mention of the rebate

If you want suggestions/comments you need to poast the contract and your aproximate location.

[SoCalsolar]

My guess is

The location is in California and the rebate is listed on line 8 as CSI rebate. I sounds on the high side but they are burying a lot of finance charges in this system. You more then likely can do better.

[SoMoney]

Thanks Russ,
It would have helped if I put the system I was getting installed.

36 SMX 230P Panels
1 SunnyBoy SMA 7000 Inverter
Racking System, mounting hardware, wiring
Doing All Paperwork (Government, State, HOA)
[Size 8.280 KW (DC)]

------------------------------
PV Module SMX230P Details
Manufacturer: SMX Capital
Manufacturer Model Number: SMX230P
Production Status: unknown
CSI Approved: Yes
CSI Model Number: SMX230P
Description: 230W Polycrystalline Module


Electrical
Power at STC (W) 230
Power at PTC (W) 202.30
Lower Power Tolerance (%) -
Upper Power Tolerance (%) -
Power Density at STC (W / m2) 141.37
Power Density at PTC (W / m2) 124.35
Module Efficiency (%) -
Cell Efficiency (%) -
Vmp: Voltage at Max Power (V) 30.10
Imp: Current at Max Power (A) 7.67
Voc: Open Circuit Voltage (V) 36.10
Isc: Short Circuit Current (A) 8.45
Max System Voltage (V) -
Series Fuse Rating (A) -
Bypass Diode -
Nominal Operating Cell Temp (°C) 46.6
Open Circuit Voltage Temp Coefficient (% / °C) -0.372
Short Circuit Current Temp Coefficient (% / °C) 0.076
Max Power Temp Coefficient (% / °C) -0.522
------------------------------


I have 13months of $315 payments. When my $15,600 rebate check comes in, I put that into the Loan.
After 13months the principle would then drop down to 33K.
I have an option to keep the Rebate for myself and pay $451.92 per month.

6.28 Per DC Watt took me aback also as I've seen online shops in Florida that advertise 42K Installed(5.07pdcw) anywhere in the continental US.

I think why its more expensive is having some one to do all the paperwork for me.

Question,
How many Kw can an 8.28Kw realistically Generate in Southern California over the course of a year?

[SoCalsolar]

That system should generate about

12-13kWhrs a year according to this http://www.gosolarcalifornia.org/too..._estimator.php

This is the same site that calculates your rebate it's legit.

If the salesman didn't provide you with information like this it was not by accident. At this price your cost for electricty is going up for year 1 then perhaps down after that. This particular company makes more on financing then they do on solar. Get another quote. Based on the sales tax the equipment cost is about 30% of your total price it should be closer to 40%. I think the equipment should cost Your 42k number is a good price for your area. Get a quote for that amount on the same size system and the numbers will look much better.

[SoMoney]

No argument there, I'm being charged a premium price for a system I could probably find for 10k cheaper.

0 Down and deferring my SoCal Edison bill to the end of the year instead of monthly is like waiving a juicy steak in front of a hungry Dog!

The sales staff appear to be primarily Chinese so there must be something lost in translation.
I average 16,000Kwh ($4,200yr easy). Can some one explain how could a 14,000Kw per year system possibly off set the cost of 16,0000kwh of usage?

Taking Electricity Tiers into consideration he seams confident I wont see any bill at the end of one full year with this system. Is he Lying out his Teeth?

[SoCalsolar]

Tiers maybe

I think you could get close to zero if your home is empty during the day and you switched to time of use rate, mix in a little conservation, and add a few more panels. With a bill that size find the right install company and the numbers will usually work. I know some people down that way in a similar situation that were able to make the numbers work. Keep looking.

[Naptown]

As long as you are in the mood to throw money away ah I mean spend it There is a bridge in New York I can get you for a good deal.
Seriously though $52 K for an 8 K system is way too much.
Look at leasing it may be a better option and certainly less costly.
I do systems all the time that size in Maryland and the cost is right around 30K With Microinverters and around 28K with the inverter you are getting. Oh and we do all the paperwork.

[SoMoney]

Solar is new too me,
Thank you all for arming me with the tools I need to talk to these people. When they start talking about Tiers and Kw I get really confused. All I know is I pay too much now and this would reduce monthly expenses. But if the system isnt big enough for me it may bite my at the end of the year when all the Kwh's are added up...

I expressed my concerns on price and system size inadequacies.
I have an appointment today with him so he can go over the numbers.
The Kwh over site may be as simple as 'you can't fit larger than a 8.28kw system on your roof' but we'll see what he says.

[SoCalsolar]

Naptown at that price

I know business is more expensive to do in CA but at that price here you would be blowing the doors off the competition. Not even Chuck in a truck who works out of his garage with no insurance could touch that price in CA.

[russ]

Some simple things like sealing up air leaks can go a long way also - don't forget that and such items care normally far cheaper than additional PV panels

[russ]

I know business is more expensive to do in CA but at that price here you would be blowing the doors off the competition. Not even Chuck in a truck who works out of his garage with no insurance could touch that price in CA.

6.50$ per DC kW is cheap?

[SoCalsolar]

No $6.50 is not cheap

Look at Naptown's pricing.

[russ]

Look at Naptown's pricing.

Naptown is saying it is very costly!

[SoMoney]

I just finished speaking with a rep at SolarMax Technologies Inc.

I'm sure some you you guys are going to blow a fuse but this is the pitch.

I'm paraphrasing here but this is what I remember:
1. Your roof is approximately 4,200sqft, SCE only allows 2Watts per sqft of solar (8.4Kw)

2. You live in Murrieta CA 92563 and get allot of sun! Days ranging between 10 to 12hours.

3. Solar Calculators are very conservative and do not translate into the real world.

4. Solar Max Technologies uses very high efficiency SMX230 panels

5. A conservative production estimate would be 202.2Watts X 6.5hours = 17278.443Kwh per Year

6. Taking into consideration the Long Summer days, the 8.28Kwh can produce 18,000-19,000Kwh in a year.

7. This system will produce more than enough to cover your 17,000-19,000 yearly electricity needs.


This is what us non solar savvy consumers are up against!