We've gone solar! - Now with pics! Now with CAD Drawings!

[Adul]

Just got it turned on finally this morning.

4.68KW install, we did the solar lease with 1k down for a lease payment of 43 month. We should generate enough to offset our costs 1/3 on avg.

• 4.68KW array of panels
• Leased option for 15 years 43 month increase 3% every year
• Expect to save 1/3 of our avg $200 monthly bill (based on last years rates, it went up 4.9% this year)
• We put $1000 bucks down

Power Generated So Far
http://www.mysolarcity.com/Kiosk/So...ption=1&Min=30&ExportLifetime=0&RangeType=Day

Engineering stuff
Engineering Drawings
Eletrical Wiring

Photos

 

[PepePeru]

sweet.

the pics on your blog link are really cool. is that the goosenecks? it looks like it. cool view there.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Woah 4.68KW? Got any pics of the setup? I'd be curious to know how it's all setup, from the solar arrays, inverters etc... that's a decent amount of power output for solar. I'd like to consider it later on, along with wind power. Wind power may be an issue though... something I'd have to get the city involved in probably. There is probably certain high limits that structures can have in a residential setting.

 

[leeland]

How much does something like this cost to you to set up? How large of a home do you own? Are you leasing the equipment or own it out right?

 

[Adul]

weet.

the pics on your blog link are really cool. is that the goosenecks? it looks like it. cool view there.

I don't remember the name of the bend in the colorado, but that is the one just before page az.

Woah 4.68KW? Got any pics of the setup? I'd be curious to know how it's all setup, from the solar arrays, inverters etc... that's a decent amount of power output for solar. I'd like to consider it later on, along with wind power. Wind power may be an issue though... something I'd have to get the city involved in probably. There is probably certain high limits that structures can have in a residential setting.

I got pics I need to upload. I'll do it later on and update this thread.

 

[Adul]

How much does something like this cost to you to set up? How large of a home do you own? Are you leasing the equipment or own it out right?

House is 2250 SQ FT
we went with lease option $1000 down $43 month going up 3% a year for 15 years.

that all we spent out of pocket was $1000 bucks. they handled everything from permits to installation testing inspections etc.

 

[allthatisman]

Might I ask, what is your monthly electricity bill before on average? How much is this going to end up costing in the long run and what does it cost to just buy the system outright?

 

[Adul]

Might I ask, what is your monthly electricity bill before on average? How much is this going to end up costing in the long run and what does it cost to just buy the system outright?

avg was 200 bucks we are conservatively estimated to save 1/3 of that costs.

I forget what the total cost was in the long run, but it was much cheaper to lease vs buying outright. The businesses get a larger tax break and rebate on the solar panels so that is why costs are lower for us.

 

[cheezy321]

Are you located in Phoenix? Where exactly?

I hear their advertisements on the radio all the time and was curious how exactly they do this.

Can you upload some pictures of the solar arrays?

 

[Adul]

Are you located in Phoenix? Where exactly?

I hear their advertisements on the radio all the time and was curious how exactly they do this.

Can you upload some pictures of the solar arrays?

Yes I am in the phoenix area. Southwest part of phoenix in the laveen area. I will upload pics later plus the engineering drawings provided to us.

 

[Hyperlite]

House is 2250 SQ FT
we went with lease option $1000 down $43 month going up 3% a year for 15 years.

that all we spent out of pocket was $1000 bucks. they handled everything from permits to installation testing inspections etc.

Awesome. I also looked at your blog...some great subwoofer work there, the Maelstrom-X is a behemoth! And i just went through the config for "Switcher," an amazing little program. Thanks!

 

[leeland]

So my basic math skills come out to something like this...

you invest 1,000 dollars right off the bat...sounds like you have a 15 year lease at 43 dollars a month starting out and an increase of 3% each year...so the breakdown would be something similar to this for the out of pocket cost per year

Year Cost
1 1,000 + 516
2 546.96
3 563.3688
4 580.269864
5 597.6779599
6 615.6082987
7 634.0765477
8 653.0988441
9 672.6918094
10 692.8725637
11 713.6587406
12 735.0685028
13 757.1205579
14 779.8341747
15 803.2291999

which totals out to a little under 11,000 dollars of total cost (approx.)

Your monthly bill for electricity is currently around 200 dollars...assuming you had 5% increase yearly your costs would be roughly per year

Year Cost
1 2400.00
2 2640.00
3 2772.00
4 2910.60
5 3056.13
6 3208.94
7 3369.38
8 3537.85
9 3714.75
10 3900.48
11 4095.51
12 4300.28
13 4515.30
14 4741.06
15 4978.11

totals out to around 54,100

remove 1/3 of that cost for the low end savings estimation it is around 16,000 dollars in savings...not to bad at least you are in the black on the savings department (16,000 - 11,000)...only better if the price of energy goes up or your estimations are low...

Again this was all done with my general public school math education...I am sure there is a missed decimal somewhere or I didn't account for something...


It is pretty cool they allow you to 'lease' this vs. having to front the money right away...wish they had that option in my area...maybe they do and I just don't know it...

 

[Krazy4Real]

Cool! I'm also interested in pictures whenever you get around to it.

 

[zCypher]

that's pretty cool, congrats

 

[Crusty]

It's gone cloudy, unless that thing updates in realtime!

 

[Adul]

So my basic math skills come out to something like this...

you invest 1,000 dollars right off the bat...sounds like you have a 15 year lease at 43 dollars a month starting out and an increase of 3% each year...so the breakdown would be something similar to this for the out of pocket cost per year

Year Cost
1 1,000 + 516
2 546.96
3 563.3688
4 580.269864
5 597.6779599
6 615.6082987
7 634.0765477
8 653.0988441
9 672.6918094
10 692.8725637
11 713.6587406
12 735.0685028
13 757.1205579
14 779.8341747
15 803.2291999

which totals out to a little under 11,000 dollars of total cost (approx.)

Your monthly bill for electricity is currently around 200 dollars...assuming you had 5% increase yearly your costs would be roughly per year

Year Cost
1 2400.00
2 2640.00
3 2772.00
4 2910.60
5 3056.13
6 3208.94
7 3369.38
8 3537.85
9 3714.75
10 3900.48
11 4095.51
12 4300.28
13 4515.30
14 4741.06
15 4978.11

totals out to around 54,100

remove 1/3 of that cost for the low end savings estimation it is around 16,000 dollars in savings...not to bad at least you are in the black on the savings department (16,000 - 11,000)...only better if the price of energy goes up or your estimations are low...

Again this was all done with my general public school math education...I am sure there is a missed decimal somewhere or I didn't account for something...


It is pretty cool they allow you to 'lease' this vs. having to front the money right away...wish they had that option in my area...maybe they do and I just don't know it...

Well they cover Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado and Oregon so far.

 

[JTsyo]

Lease might also be good for having to replace it due to hail or some other damage. I would assume it wouldn't fall under your home insurance. Does it feed into the grid? I would assume most of the power used is during the evenings.

 

[SunSamurai]

Pics or you lie and this whole thing is a sham!

 

[Adul]

Lease might also be good for having to replace it due to hail or some other damage. I would assume it wouldn't fall under your home insurance. Does it feed into the grid? I would assume most of the power used is during the evenings.

it feeds into the grid whatever we dont use. We get credit however many KWhours we feed in.

Pics or you lie and this whole thing is a sham!

LOL I am at work still

 

[Rubycon]

Pics or you lie and this whole thing is a sham!

Abdul has been around for a while. I don't think she will syringer us!

:biggrin:

 

[Adul]

Abdul has been around for a while. I don't think she will syringer us!

:biggrin:

its Adul!

 

[Rubycon]

its Adul!

:biggrin:

I know - people do it to me on both sides as well.

A few PV panels along the Panama Canal running these should take care of the skeeter problem lickity split!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C5vkbtpdN4&

 

[rcpratt]

Sounds cool. Although as a utility employee, I do not condone this.

If only everyone could have little nuclear reactors in their basements...

 

[EvilYoda]

I get to check the system out in person on Saturday!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Sounds cool. Although as a utility employee, I do not condone this.

If only everyone could have little nuclear reactors in their basements...

I've been reading up a bit on nuclear fission out of curiosity, and it does sound like fun. () Walmart would start wondering why I keep buying so many smoke detectors. :awe: