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

[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.

SoCalsolar - Read your own post and then comment - maybe

[Ian S]

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!

To cut through the sales blather, you might ask him what their production guarantee is.

[russ]

From PV Watts for your zip code

"PVWATTS v.2: AC Energy and Cost Savings"

"Station
Identification"
"Cell ID:","0176363"
"State:","California"
"Lat (deg
N):", 32.73
"Long (deg W):", -117.17
"PV System Specifications"
"DC Rating:"," 8.3 kW"
"DC to AC Derate Factor:"," 0.770"
"AC Rating:"," 6.4
kW"
"Array Type: Fixed Tilt"
"Array Tilt:"," 33.7"
"Array
Azimuth:","180.0"

"Energy Specifications"
"Cost of Electricity:","13.3
cents/kWh"

"Results"
"Month", "Solar Radiation (kWh/m^2/day)", "AC
Energy (kWh)", "Energy Value ($)"
1, 4.67, 879, 117.07
2, 5.17, 869,
115.74
3, 5.79, 1070, 142.51
4, 6.29, 1101, 146.64
5, 6.82, 1211,
161.29
6, 7.00, 1178, 156.90
7, 7.04, 1193, 158.90
8, 7.08, 1200,
159.83
9, 6.72, 1123, 149.57
10, 5.89, 1053, 140.25
11, 5.19, 926,
123.33
12, 4.55, 849, 113.08
"Year", 6.02, 12653 kWh/year, 1685.25 - changing the derate to 85% the annual output was 13987 kWh/year

Tell your boy (salesman) he is not welcome on your property would be my suggestion.

[SoCalsolar]

This Cat is a liar lock your door and change your phone number

Ban this sales guy from your house and count the silverware.

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) LIE-SCE doesn't care how many you put up they will only provide a rebate for %100 of your historical usage. The 2watts per squre foot acutually relates to the an equation they use if you don't have a full one year of kWhr history

2. You live in Murrieta CA 92563 and get allot of sun! Days ranging between 10 to 12hours. Yes but still a lie the sun shines for 10+ hours most days but your panels will produce on average for the year closer to 6 hrs a day

3. Solar Calculators are very conservative and do not translate into the real world. LIE-Just like all calculators are conservative.

4. Solar Max Technologies uses very high efficiency SMX230 panels Most Likely a LIE I couldn't find a data sheet on these but if we put two and two together judging by the name of the panel SMX and the name of the company selling them SolarMax these look like re-branded generic panels more than likely about 13-15% efficient which is standard but not very high efficiency.

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!

Sorry I got worn out trying to explain all these lies. I'm sure others will tell you the same. I know an honest guy that does solar in your area. He is out of Wildemar. He's poor because he's honest but will answer all your questions and get you a fair price. If you want his info let me know.

[SoMoney]

Thanks guys,
An 8.280 Kw System installed 52K before rebates (isnt that 6.280 per Kw DC?)

I spoke with a rep from mohrpower.com last night.
They dont have a conventional loan like MaxPower, there more interested in Leasing it to you, and locking you in for 5years.
He was saying however 52K is about right for an 8Kw System from them also but didnt want to commit to any pricing on paper.
--California is Frustrating--

I'm getting 2 more Quotes.
I Have a phone appointment with RecSolar this afternoon.

[SoCalsolar]

If I were a betting man..

If I were a betting man I would bet REC will come in at a better price. MPower and SMax they have been slamming and jamming folks for years. Some of the comments on the BBB were comical regarding these guys. One of them was customer saying he was unhappy about something and the company response was no one made you buy from us. You need to at least do a little research on these guys just to know what you can expect the responses say a lot about how customer complaints are handled. These guys are dropping the names and addresses of the customers in their responses in some petty attempt at payback I suppose. Completely unprofessional in my opinion. Ask Naptown how many times he has resorted to this juvenile behavior. High prices and hard sales. REC is ok who's the fourth? My recommendation out of Wildemar? There are a few other companies I would avoid I'm curious to know. You know how to pick them SoMoney.

[SoCalsolar]

Your calculation is correct

Your calculation is correct on the price per watt and expect to hear from Mpower for the next like two years they are famous for their telemarketing and they will likely send out their "Closer" in the near future. She will have much better pricing but be wary.

[KRenn]

Even Charles Barkley is shaking his head at that quote........"your price is turrible." Solar's definitely pricier in California but $6 a watt? Whatever they're smoking they should just mass-produce that and leave the solar alone.



Seems to me like the stereotypical kind of company that will bid high, once they see you balk at the price or look elsewhere, they'll come to your home and talk about a "special advertising discount", maybe have you write some letters, put a sign in your yard or how they want to make your home a "featured home" and list it on their marketing, its all a bunch of sales BS but magically you'll see the price drop like $15,000 out of the blue. Don't buy into it, companies that utilize such techniques have no scruples and are NOT to be trusted.

[KRenn]

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!

An 8kW system producing 18,000kWh ANYWHERE?






Common, now they're just trying to screw you over completely, wow, they've got some big cajones for sure.

[Sunking]

An 8kW system producing 18,000kWh ANYWHERE?

Acutally it is pretty close for the location and size of the system for 1-year production. My calculator gives me 17.09 Mwh/year.

[KRenn]

Acutally it is pretty close for the location and size of the system for 1-year production. My calculator gives me 17.09 Mwh/year.

Still don't believe it. That's about 4000 kWh off the PV Watts number and yes PV Watts is conservative as all heck, but even with top notch equipment, panels with minimal power-tolerance variation,appropriate inverters and orientation, minimal derating due to superb engineering and installation and ideal conditions I don't see such a system outproducing 16,000 kilowatt hours at the very best

[Naptown]

If I were a betting man I would bet REC will come in at a better price. MPower and SMax they have been slamming and jamming folks for years. Some of the comments on the BBB were comical regarding these guys. One of them was customer saying he was unhappy about something and the company response was no one made you buy from us. You need to at least do a little research on these guys just to know what you can expect the responses say a lot about how customer complaints are handled. These guys are dropping the names and addresses of the customers in their responses in some petty attempt at payback I suppose. Completely unprofessional in my opinion. Ask Naptown how many times he has resorted to this juvenile behavior. High prices and hard sales. REC is ok who's the fourth? My recommendation out of Wildemar? There are a few other companies I would avoid I'm curious to know. You know how to pick them SoMoney.

Actually I have done that a few times. Only when the competitor has blatantly lied to a prospect and I have caught them in it and lost a deal to a high pressure, ignorant, lying cheating salesperson.
Generally I just direct them to the BBB website and let them draw their own conclusion. They should do that as a part of due diligence anyway.

Actually after re reading I have never put a customers name and address in a BBB response.
Actually have never needed to as we have never had a complaint.

Haven't checked Angies List in a while but last time there was no negative feedback.

[solarguy12]

SalesRep Lacked Experience!!!

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?!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2087[/ATTACH]

I read this entire quote and found it to be pretty interesting. I can tell you for a fact the SolarMax sales rep who met with you had no clue what he was talking about. He did not know how to calculate the production of the 8.28k system. You have to factor in the inverter efficiency and the actual production needs to be converted to AC. Also did you need a main service panel upgrade, or do you have any trees they may need to trim for you, or any other work that would be required to install a system?
If your array faces true south with a 17 degree pitch it will produce about 14,000kWh this is based off of www.csi-epbb.com/default.aspx (a very conservative estimate), and you will have a rebate of about $1,700.00.
If you do not require any additional work to install the system you should be able to get that system for about $4.50/watt or $37,260 before rebates and tax incentives with installation warranty, and product warranties.