Solar Panels

[scumdevils86]

I know some of you folks must have this and for some reason I couldn't find a dedicated thread. My TEP bill has become outrageous with how hot it's been the last few years. I had a new AC installed last September but not early enough to offset the cost of the blazing hot July and August so my budget billing skyrocketed.

Who's done solar and what is the actual, true cost of it. It should be extremely advantageous here but I know nothing is simple when competing with power monopolies and non-renewables.

[84Cat]

We used Technicians for Sustainability in Tucson and they were great. My system cost just under $12,000 and saved us $100/month. The economics have changed though as we had net metering. This gave us equal credit for when we sent energy back to the grid. They changed that a few years ago. Now most systems come with batteries so that you send minimal energy back to the grid since you get less credit.

There are also companies like energy sage and energy pal that will find you the best deal from all the installers in the area.

I would recommend to get an energy audit first. You could check with tep to see if they do it. They will come out and check your house for leaks and see if you need more insulation. We put more insulation in our roof and the payback was 2 years plus it made the house more comfortable. It is better to reduce your energy needs before getting solar.

[scumdevils86]

We used Technicians for Sustainability in Tucson and they were great. My system cost just under $12,000 and saved us $100/month. The economics have changed though as we had net metering. This gave us equal credit for when we sent energy back to the grid. They changed that a few years ago. Now most systems come with batteries so that you send minimal energy back to the grid since you get less credit.

There are also companies like energy sage and energy pal that will find you the best deal from all the installers in the area.

I would recommend to get an energy audit first. You could check with tep to see if they do it. They will come out and check your house for leaks and see if you need more insulation. We put more insulation in our roof and the payback was 2 years plus it made the house more comfortable. It is better to reduce your energy needs before getting solar.

Only $100/month? I was hoping for more haha. My bill is currently $422/month

[84Cat]

We used Technicians for Sustainability in Tucson and they were great. My system cost just under $12,000 and saved us $100/month. The economics have changed though as we had net metering. This gave us equal credit for when we sent energy back to the grid. They changed that a few years ago. Now most systems come with batteries so that you send minimal energy back to the grid since you get less credit.

There are also companies like energy sage and energy pal that will find you the best deal from all the installers in the area.

I would recommend to get an energy audit first. You could check with tep to see if they do it. They will come out and check your house for leaks and see if you need more insulation. We put more insulation in our roof and the payback was 2 years plus it made the house more comfortable. It is better to reduce your energy needs before getting solar.

Only $100/month? I was hoping for more haha. My bill is currently $422/month

Yeah, you would need more solar panels. I see people getting systems that were 2 to 3 times what I got. You also need to figure out how to lower your bills. That's where you can save bigger too. My bill was $400/month before I started insulating and replacing out ancient windows

[scumdevils86]

My windows are decent but I bet the insulation could use some work

[azgreg]

My solar bill last month was $107 and my APS bill was $34.

[Carcassdragger]

I've always wondered, but never seen it confirmed: Wouldn't solar panels on a roof also have a bit of a shading effect, such that the attic space wouldn't get quite as hot, thereby helping a bit with the energy demand by the AC unit?

[Merkin]

I looked into it for a while, but the high pressure tactics really turned me off to it. I was trying to find a company that is not commissioned base but then California changed the laws regarding NEM paybacks and drop the rate you receive from the utility by 75%. Also no more state incentives so I lost interest. My electric bill is about $150 a month or so, but no AC here.

Typically, Solar Sales Representatives earn commissions based on a percentage of the sale value, which may include the cost of solar panels, installation, and related services. Commissions can range from around 3% to 10% or more of the total sale.

[UAEebs86]

Whatever you do, don't lease the system. It will make it much harder to sell your house if you ever need to in the future.

[scumdevils86]

Whatever you do, don't lease the system. It will make it much harder to sell your house if you ever need to in the future.

I have heard this so that's good to know

[Merkin]

Whatever you do, don't lease the system. It will make it much harder to sell your house if you ever need to in the future.

I have heard this so that's good to know

When I had SunRun come out, they said that it's a personal contract tied to you, not the house. If you move before the contract is up, you have to deal with the new owner resuming the lease, or pay the penalty for canceling the lease.

Looking at the reviews, SunRun is still having lots of issues, not even with the lease. https://www.solarreviews.com/installers/sunrun-reviews

[gouacats]

Whatever you do, don't lease the system. It will make it much harder to sell your house if you ever need to in the future.

I have heard this so that's good to know

When I had SunRun come out, they said that it's a personal contract tied to you, not the house. If you move before the contract is up, you have to deal with the new owner resuming the lease, or pay the penalty for canceling the lease.

Looking at the reviews, SunRun is still having lots of issues, not even with the lease. https://www.solarreviews.com/installers/sunrun-reviews

I've also heard that the new owner would need to qualify to assume the lease, which is more difficult than qualifying for the house.

We put on solar panels about two years ago (bought, not leased). I think it's a bit cheaper, but I like to think I'm doing the right thing. Also, the tax credit was quite nice. Make sure your roof is newish before putting panels on...I hear it's expensive to replace a roof after the fact.

[Merkin]

Here is one of the companies I was looking at even though it has some hyperbole.