Solar Energy for Homes, personal experiences

[AeroK]

I'm buying a house in the future maybe late 2015- early 2016 and I'm really looking into solar energy however I have no experience with it and the only information I know is what I get from the internet. I'm living in TX however I'll be moving back to Louisiana to build and I see that LA is currently offering 50% tax credit and the federal credit is 30%. The example the websites are giving is this:

If the system costs: $25,000

50% La. State Tax Credit: $12,500

30% Federal Tax Credit: $7,500

You Pay: $5,000

Does anybody here have experience with solar energy and if so what do you like or not like about it.

Thanks in advance.

[jsteinhauer]

If you are using solar simply connected via inverter to supply your home, you might do pretty well in the South. We have a grid tied system in Minnesota, and even a sunny day in Winter generates very little. What does not get used by us on summer days goes back to the grid. A different meter runs backwards, and we get credited for the power. Rules and regs on grid tied systems are changing, because they are not favorable for the utilities. You may want to look into that. Rules are getting more restrictive. Also, the larger the utility that serves you, the more bureaucracy you are likely to encounter in getting the permission to connect. We have a power co-op, and it was fairly easy. We also use the system to keep a bank of marine batteries charged for a limited supply of electricity, to keep fridges and some lights, in the event of power outage. That requires some ongoing maintance like topping up batteries, replacing exhaust fan and a lot of space for the battery box. This system will not pay for itself in this area. We really have it for the backup power, so we don't need a generator, requiring fuel storage. The grid tie is a bonus, deferring at least part of the cost.

To qualify for credits and rebates, you will need to have your site evaluated. If you have too many tall trees or structures or not enough southern exposure, you might not qualify. You also need space on your property for the panels. I don't recommend rooftop panels, as you might need to structurally improve your roof, and it can make servicing your roof challenging. In some areas, firefighters will watch a structure with roof panels burn, because they continue generating current, even when the utility shuts power to the burning structure, creating lifethreatening hazard to firefighters. And realize they are not attractive.

Passive solar hot water heating is a good bet to pay for itself over a few years to several years. It's a separate system from the photovoltaic panels. Glycol is heated in tubes that is pumped through an exchanger with our water supply when the temp in the tank gets low. On a sunny day in winter, we can heat water from the well at 50F to 70F. In summer from 50F to 110F. This is heat we don't have to pay the utility for, and adds up quickly.

Many solar users are do it yourselfers. If you have the knowledge and skill, I would do it that way. I am not, and I find support from the installer to be less than great. Ideally, I think you would want some sort of routine maintenance plan. We don't have one and really need one for both systems.

If you have technical questions, I can't help you much. I don't know that I would decide to do it again.

[timhollerbach]

Its not a bad idea, but you have to have enough panels installed to make more power than you think you'll consume.....and sell it back to the grid, otherwise, its not worth it. Also, if you can get the tax credits, its the only way it'll pay for itself. If you have to foot the entire bill, you'll never see the return on your money....unless you can sell an awful lot of power back....The technology is improving on solar every day, but its still not as efficient as it could be....if the technology continually improves, it'll be worth it pretty soon.

Solar Panel guys will promise you the sun and moon and you'll think you're gonna be ahead of the curve, in reality, the energy models they show you are not realistic and are in a "perfect world" where there are no clouds....we know that's not true....so don't believe everything they tell you!

I'm speaking from some experience....I do not have any on my house, but I'm an architect, and I have done many buildings with them....I've sat with solar panel salesmen and engineers, the engineers are a hell of a lot more accurate....and what I'm saying is what they've told me....

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by timhollerbach

...but you have to have enough panels installed to make more power than you think you'll consume.....and sell it back to the grid, otherwise, its not worth it.

With the budget he mentions, he should not have trouble generating excess power during daylight hours, at least periodically, especially when no one is home. That energy just evaporates into thin air, if you don't sell it back, so that option makes no sense, unless your intent is to go off grid. But, yeah, I don't think it's a good way to save money on energy. It's nice to turn the lights on during the blizzard (or thunderstorm down there). And it's really nice that the well pump and septic pump are on backup.

[timhollerbach]

Originally Posted by jsteinhauer

With the budget he mentions, he should not have trouble generating excess power during daylight hours, at least periodically, especially when no one is home. That energy just evaporates into thin air, if you don't sell it back, so that option makes no sense, unless your intent is to go off grid. But, yeah, I don't think it's a good way to save money on energy. It's nice to turn the lights on during the blizzard (or thunderstorm down there). And it's really nice that the well pump and septic pump are on backup.

yeah, thats what I'm getting at, if you do it, go big and sell it back to the utility company, otherwise, you're wasting money....