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Looking for advice on systems and info on rebates and incentives

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  • Looking for advice on systems and info on rebates and incentives

    Hi All! Sorry in advance if I'm asking too many/dumb questions. New to the forum and looking for some guidance. I'm still far from knowing what I'm doing, but I'm in the process of getting information and quotes for system install at my house with annual usage of around 7,000 kWh. Here's the info I have right now. Any insights, suggestions, questions I should ask is greatly appreciated!

    Option 1: My least favorite so far

    Local Installer who gave very little information.
    $26,000 initial cost
    (20) 300 W Panels (unknown manufacturer)
    25 year warranty on panels, inverters and labor
    $4.33/W

    Option 2:

    $14,839 initial cost
    (19) 275 W Yingli Solar YL275D-30b (25 year warranty)
    SolarEdge Technologies Optimizer Inverter (12 Year Warranty)
    10 Year Labor warranty
    $2.84/W

    Option 3:

    $16,000 Initial Cost
    (18) 300 W SolarWorld unknown model number (25 year warranty)
    Enphase Energy Micro Inverter (25 year warranty)
    5 Year labor warranty
    $2.96/W

    Option 4:

    $14,400 initial cost
    (16) 300 W SolarWorld Sun Model Plus SW 300 (25 year warranty)
    SolarEdge Technologies Optimizer Inverter (12 Year Warranty)
    10 year labor warranty
    $3/W

    Option 1 came to the house the other day to discuss. Everything sounded good while he was here, but then I got other quotes.... He did talk about the federal 30% tax credit which I understand to be a pretty simple process. He also mentioned the Illinois rebates (25%) which are not being given out right now. Does anyone know about any available Illinois rebates?

    Option 2 is coming to the house tomorrow so I plan on asking them a TON of questions.

    Finally, I've seen a lot of information about SRECs in PA and NH, but not a whole lot about them in Illinois. Can someone share info on SRECs in Illinois? Or point me to a place I can do some research. I'm coming up empty in many searches.

    Thank you all for the amazing amount of information on this forum!

  • #2
    Are you building a ground mount or a roof mount? For a roof mount snow is going to be extremely difficult
    to clear. If a ground mount, ask what provisions have been made to aid in clearing snow. If none,
    check back here to get some.

    Also ask them how much to expect the weather will influence production. good luck, Bruce (N IL) Roe

    Comment


    • #3
      Start by downloading and reading a free but slightly outdated version of : "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies", or get the updated hardcopy for ~ $20 at bookstores or Amazon. Pay particular attention to the portions of the book dealing with conservation and energy reduction which is a whole lot more cost effective at reducing an electric bill with solar.

      Don't know if there's a SREC market in IL, but get familiar with how you pay for electricity, your power Co's. (your "POCO") tariffs and rate structures and net metering, and know that those things are probably changing as POCO's try to get out from under what they probably see as the unfair burden and lost revenues net metering places on them.

      Then, download and run something called PVWatts. It's a solar PV residential model for sizing PV systems. Read the help/info screens a few times before doing any runs. Easy to learn and something of an education. Get your array orientation and tilt correct, and use 10 % system losses rather than the 10 % default the model uses.

      After the above self education, you'll probably be as well or more informed than most of the peddlers who make most of their money off the solar ignorance of people who know much less than you are about to learn.

      Call the vendors back and maybe a few more. Tell them what you want, and keep all prices to yourself. You'll kill any opportunities for lowest price bysharing prices with competing vendors.

      Welcome to the neighborhood and the forum of few(er) illusions.

      Comment


      • #4
        Use desireusa.org for the available incentives in your area.
        BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

        Comment


        • #5
          It's definitely going to be a roof mount; the Option 1 salesman didn't seem concerned with snow as he stated that the sun would gleam through, the panels would heat up, and the snow would slide right off. Is that not the case?

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Andymul87 View Post
            It's definitely going to be a roof mount; the Option 1 salesman didn't seem concerned with snow as he stated that the sun would gleam through, the panels would heat up, and the snow would slide right off. Is that not the case?
            The salesperson is full of road apples.

            Read what Bruce wrote here and a lot of other stuff he's written about snow removal, and take it seriously. You could do a lot worse.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Andymul87 View Post
              It's definitely going to be a roof mount; the Option 1 salesman didn't seem concerned with snow as he stated that the sun would gleam through, the panels would heat up, and the snow would slide right off. Is that not the case?
              Haven't tried it, but my feeling is that clearing snow off a roof mount array really isn't practical. The
              sun IS NOT going to gleam through any kind of significant snow, I have spent many an hour clearing
              it off my ground mount. Maybe days of snow months are a write off anyway, being so short and with
              such a high percentage of cloudy days that kill solar. good luck, Bruce Roe

              Comment

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