Price paid per watt

[Jayc5627]

I end up with green power energy $3.07 per watt.

[desant89]

I end up with green power energy $3.07 per watt. Tell them jay cho from Marlboro.

Just called, waiting for a quite which will be a day or two. I did mention you, and they said I would have the same person that did your system if I moved forward . What kind of system did you get if you don't mind?

[desant89]

I end up with green power energy $3.07 per watt.

Looks like I am going with them. Will be signing papers tonight or tomorrow. Thanks!

[Jayc5627]

seens like you are getting it for a bit cheaper.. i didntl want to bargain with them that's why i just settled with their first counter offer. Are you sure you are getting the LG 365W? or it's the 325W? if it's the 365W, it's probably the 72 cells panel. I am getting 35 320W LG panels with solar edge10000

[desant89]

seens like you are getting it for a bit cheaper.. i didntl want to bargain with them that's why i just settled with their first counter offer. Are you sure you are getting the LG 365W? or it's the 325W? if it's the 365W, it's probably the 72 cells panel. I am getting 35 320W LG panels with solar edge10000

It's the 365 panels for sure along with the 11.4 SolarEdge. Barry seems like a great guy to work with. If I didn't finance through them, it was even cheaper. I hate that the solar loan companies add money right up front, but I still got it for less than I expected. I do not agree with pricing anyway. Charging per watt is robbery to me. The cost between a 365, and say a 325 panel are not that much different, and require no more labor to install. So in all fairness, I think as panel size goes up (same amount of panels), the PPW should come down some. What I mean is that at 3.00/watt, a 365 vs a 325 would cost 120.00 more per panel. Does a 365 cost 120 more per panel?

[sensij]

I don't follow the logic here. What I'm seeing is two similar systems from the same installer, one at $3.00 and one at $3.07. it seems likely that the less expensive one is using less expensive (per watt) equipment, or is less labor to install (per watt). Either or both of those look true based on what had been described.

[desant89]

I don't follow the logic here. What I'm seeing is two similar systems from the same installer, one at $3.00 and one at $3.07. it seems likely that the less expensive one is using less expensive (per watt) equipment, or is less labor to install (per watt). Either or both of those look true based on what had been described.

My guess is that if the wattage goes up (same amount of panels though), you should actually save money. No additional labor is involved here. The SolarEdge 10 vs 11.4 price is hardly any different. When picking random sites that sell both wattage LG panels, the 320 is 305.00, and the 375 (did not have 365 on the site) is 321.00. So, at 3.00 a watt, why should we pay 165.00(3.00x55watt difference) more per panel when they are physically doing nothing different at all with the install, and the panel only cost 16.00 more? So you are correct I would say, less expensive per watt on the equipment. As a whole, that is why I do not get all the conversations about price per watt.

[Jayc5627]

My is also cash purchase. In the end, price range is probably in the ball park.

[J.P.M.]

My guess is that if the wattage goes up (same amount of panels though), you should actually save money. No additional labor is involved here. The SolarEdge 10 vs 11.4 price is hardly any different. When picking random sites that sell both wattage LG panels, the 320 is 305.00, and the 375 (did not have 365 on the site) is 321.00. So, at 3.00 a watt, why should we pay 165.00(3.00x55watt difference) more per panel when they are physically doing nothing different at all with the install, and the panel only cost 16.00 more? So you are correct I would say, less expensive per watt on the equipment. As a whole, that is why I do not get all the conversations about price per watt.

The 375/365 Watt LG panel is 72 cell and ~ 20 % physically larger than the 320 Watt 60 cell LG panel. Nominally equal (electrical) sized LG arrays of different panel Wattages will be of ~ = areas. I'm not a vendor or installer, but it seems to me that under most circumstances, prices/Watt for common array sizes ought to be similar, particularly for the same mfg. from the same vendor.

The 72 cell panels will have some possible application limitations/considerations due to size and voltages that the smaller +60 cell panels won't have. Perhaps a consideration, perhaps not.

BTW, scuttlebutt I heard is that 400 Watt LG 72 cell panel on the way. When ??

[sensij]

BTW, scuttlebutt I heard is that 400 Watt LG 72 cell panel on the way. When ??

LG395's have been quoted by several vendors for a commercial system for which I've been getting bids, with availability in July. The 400's are from the same series, on the same data sheet, so maybe available around the same time?

[J.P.M.]

LG395's have been quoted by several vendors for a commercial system for which I've been getting bids, with availability in July. The 400's are from the same series, on the same data sheet, so maybe available around the same time?

My guess as well. A 400 Watt 72 cell panel would give about the same area density as a 327/335 Watt S.P. panel. All conjecture in my book until I can touch one, but some ear to the ground is always good. How's the pricing BTW ? Did you do much of an R.F.Q./ R.F.P ? Just wonderin'.

[sensij]

My guess as well. A 400 Watt 72 cell panel would give about the same area density as a 327/335 Watt S.P. panel. All conjecture in my book until I can touch one, but some ear to the ground is always good. How's the pricing BTW ? Did you do much of an R.F.Q./ R.F.P ? Just wonderin'.

No, not a very good proposal process. I started by filtering the CEC database for companies with experience putting up these big systems, narrowed it down early on to Baker, IES, and Borrego. IES shut down early in the year, but I've stayed in contact and replaced them with a smaller firm that scooped up one of the teams. Baker just had a staffing change that will probably result in a proposal revision, too. Anyway, we did preliminary layouts and site assessment only with Baker, started by looking at rooftop, decided that was more trouble than we wanted and have restricted the bids to just carports. It is looking like something around 350-400 kW, depending on exactly how property line setbacks are applied. Prices have been around $3 / W +/- 10% depending on choices we make.

Damn forum killed the rest of what I wrote because of an invalid character. I'll try again another time. Short version is that the offset is about 30% energy, but only 20% of the bill thanks to demand pricing. Simple payback of 10 years on bill reduction alone, the tax credit and depreciation will probably need to be carried forward at least 5 years before they do us any good. We would be fully self consuming everything that is produced, so we aren't depending on net metering to justify it.

[J.P.M.]

No, not a very good proposal process. I started by filtering the CEC database for companies with experience putting up these big systems, narrowed it down early on to Baker, IES, and Borrego. IES shut down early in the year, but I've stayed in contact and replaced them with a smaller firm that scooped up one of the teams. Baker just had a staffing change that will probably result in a proposal revision, too. Anyway, we did preliminary layouts and site assessment only with Baker, started by looking at rooftop, decided that was more trouble than we wanted and have restricted the bids to just carports. It is looking like something around 350-400 kW, depending on exactly how property line setbacks are applied. Prices have been around $3 / W +/- 10% depending on choices we make.

Damn forum killed the rest of what I wrote because of an invalid character. I'll try again another time. Short version is that the offset is about 30% energy, but only 20% of the bill thanks to demand pricing. Simple payback of 10 years on bill reduction alone, the tax credit and depreciation will probably need to be carried forward at least 5 years before they do us any good. We would be fully self consuming everything that is produced, so we aren't depending on net metering to justify it.

Thank you. Understood.

You may already know this, but I've found and heard Baker to be tough on negotiating, at least for residential. My impression is that they are and are capable of professional work, but that's residential only. Not sure of their project mgmt. capabilities for commercial or large projects. Who are/*were you dealing with there ?

[sensij]

Who are/*were you dealing with there ?

A rare moment to miss the PM system. Contacts have been SM and MJ. Please don't quote this, I'll delete it after you've indicated that you've seen it.

sensij. I removed the links for you since JPM saw them.

[J.P.M.]

A rare moment to miss the PM system. Contacts have been SM and MJ. Please don't quote this, I'll delete it after you've indicated that you've seen it.

Thank you. Understood.