Thinking of adding solar to my house

[dlleon]

Originally Posted by valleyranchGuy

Sorry.. can't answer your question. But, need more info on the existing improvements you made.

Are you able to break down the cost and benefit of each of the improvements - radiant barrier, solar attric vent, insulation and any other improvements?

Who to contact to get an energy audit done?

The whole shebang cost $3000. I used acoolerhouse.com to do the work. It took two days. I don't have the breakdown, because they did several different things.

[dlleon]

Originally Posted by dlleon

I used a service called "acoolerhouse.com" They didn't break down what each thing would save, only a collective estimate of 25% I'm getting better than that, though. Also, I took some energy saving tips from Oncor's website (put my flat screen TV & stereo on a "kill switch" so that power is cut to the units, rather than just turning them off, changed some bulbs to CFL, etc.)

I also found this solar pool pump:

Find Solar Pool Pumps and Solar Pool Pumping Equipment -

but I don't know if it can beat a regular high efficiency pump such as:

Residential Pool Pump Savings Calculator

Finally, on the HVAC, Lennox has a high efficiency AC (XC21) which is "solar ready" and can qualify for the tax break:

XC21 Air Conditioner | Home Air Conditioners | Lennox Residential

I'm just curious if these are gimmicks, and if the tax breaks are real. As someone pointed out, the ONCOR credits have expired. I'm also looking for other traps. I had to cut back the trees on my house, as they were damaged by the snowstorm a few months ago, so it doesn't look like my house is shaded. There are steep roof pitches, so it looks like some areas get natural shading while others don't. The micro-inverter is a good tip.

I'm curious why no one seems to have invested into one of these systems yet. That makes me very, very nervous.

Update:

The Lennox XC21 would cost about $14k before the solar panels. OUCH! (plus I have two units needing replacement) They have a lesser, solar ready unit for $11k, again before the installation of the panels. I did find that the panels each have inverters. This means that if one panel is shaded, it will not effect the other panels (if I understand correctly.) I'm bothered that the Lennox people couldn't confirm that anyone is actually using this stuff. I don't want to pay full freight to be a test case.

[Philip T]

Hey, for what it is worth, I do this all day, every day. MSEE / Texas Master Electrician. Oncor/AEP/CPS (San Antonio) listed, and State Licensed. Not really trying to pick up business, we are backlogged for a month or more, already -- just letting you know how to get the info you need. As far as specific $, can't really quote numbers on line, but if you want you can PM me, and I go over details.

Or so can most of the contractors you will find on the Oncor list of contractors. AFAIK, everyone does free quotes and site inspections, so you should be able to get the information you need very directly and completely.

There are also some additional rebates, grants, credits, etc., that folks do not tend to know about that most of the listed contractors should be able to guide you, as well.

[dlleon]

Brian -

My A/C is getting long in the tooth. Which unit did you opt for? The TRANE 18 Seer unit was very expensive. Since my normal summer bill is less than $300, I didn't think it'd be worth it.

[dlleon]

Can you contact me? I tried to do a PM, but couldn't figure it out.

dave@leonlaw.com

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by dlleon

I've already done the energy audit on my house (they installed a radiant barrier, solar attic vent, insulation, etc.) My power bill dropped by 40%

OK, now I'm addicted. The two main power sucks at my house are the pool pump (which only runs three hours per day) and the HVAC.

Both are already in need of replacement anyway (each has about a year or two of life left in it). I've looked at solar options for both, but I'd like to hear from people who have already installed them. (Lennox has a solar power assisted HVAC, and Lorentz makes a solar pool pump.)

I don't have a HOA, and I don't think there's a zoning issue at my address (Frankford/Midway)

I understand you can get a 30% tax credit, plus some incentive from ONCOR.

Has anyone actually done this? Are there any traps for the uninformed? Recommendations?

THANKS!

Dave

In regard to the OP's question about "traps for the uninformed". I was the project manager for the new City Hall in Austin. We installed a large solar array on the canopy over an outdoor seating area as part of the project, because Austin considers itself a green city and is very interested in alternative energy sources. However, to be honest, that solar array was not cost effective. The cost of the electricity it is generating is much higher then what can be bought from the existing power grid. As the solar consultant shared with me, solar is the most expensive way you could go about generating electricity on site. Hydro-electric power and wind power is cheaper, as is electricity produced from gas, fuel or coal powered generators.

Chances are very, very good that you can buy electricity from your local power grid much, much cheaper then what it will cost you to produce it with your own solar collectors. And don't forget you have to maintain those solar collectors, make repairs and replace parts and collectors, periodically removing them to reroof your house, which makes that job more expensive also.

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by dlleon

Brian -

My A/C is getting long in the tooth. Which unit did you opt for? The TRANE 18 Seer unit was very expensive. Since my normal summer bill is less than $300, I didn't think it'd be worth it.

When you buy a trane, you pay for a lot of marketing. We have a guy that a friend of ours recommended that's done her HVAC work for decades - very nice guy, doesn't believe in up selling and gets you what you need, not what is the most profit for him. He actually is a fan of Goodman + Amana. We got a 5-ton 16 SEER Goodman unit, which is a 2-speed system - it's roughly 3.5 tons when in "low" mode and 5-tons when in "high" mode. When it's ~94-95 degrees or cooler, the system stays in low mode and only begins to cycle into high once we get past the mid 90's. By having the system run in low (which is more efficient), it also runs longer and therefore pulls more moisture from the air, which is critical in our climate.

I think Goodman now makes an 18-SEER unit; it's been over 4 years since we've had ours replaced so I haven't completely kept up with the new offerings. For what it's worth, we paid about $6600 total for our unit and this summer, I have estimated based on our old bills + the new bills that we will have saved enough money in energy costs to have fully recouped our initial cost outlay for the new system. We're also going to be replacing the last 9 windows on our house, so our house will be about as efficient as it's going to get until the HVAC system reaches ~ 10 years old, when it will probably need replacing. At that point, I suspect that 20+ SEER will be the norm. Since in 2010, our monthly average was already just below 1,000 KwH/month, in 5-years, after the new windows + some LED lighting we're eyeballing, we should be able to drop our average monthly usage below 900KwH, at which time we should be able to put up some sort of solar array to cover 50% or more of our average monthly usage.

Brian

[CptnRn]

There was a good article in the Austin Statesman paper today about the cost and payback for a solar collectors added to a house.

Rooftop solar, backyard wind turbines catching on in the suburbs

The panels on the Cripes' roof, installed last year, cost the couple $10,000 , after an $11,000 rebate from their energy provider, Oncor, and a $4,000 federal tax credit. The solar panels, along with other features, such as spray foam insulation and a geothermal heat pump, combine to give the couple a credit some months on their electricity bill for their 1,440-square-foot home because they produce more electricity than they use, Karen Cripe said.

She said it will probably take roughly seven years for the solar panels to pay for themselves.

I assume they are estimating that payback based on the $10,000 they had to pay out of pocket. They were fortunate to get such large rebates, they are not available to everyone in all areas. Also I believe that Federal tax credit expired in 2009.

My annual cost for electricity is $1483, if solar panels were able to provide 80% of my needs, saving me $1,186 annually, and the solar collectors cost $25,000 it will take 21 years for the panels to pay for themselves. By which time major parts of the components will have to be replaced if not the whole system. Even with a $10,000 rebate it would take close to 13 years to pay back before I started saving money.

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Also I believe that Federal tax credit expired in 2009.

The Federal Tax Credit for solar panels was extended until Dec 31, 2016 (Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit) - and in fact, the $2,000 limit was removed which was in place prior to the extension. The Fed provides a 30% tax credit for PV arrays.

Originally Posted by CptnRn

My annual cost for electricity is $1483, if solar panels were able to provide 80% of my needs, saving me $1,186 annually, and the solar collectors cost $25,000 it will take 21 years for the panels to pay for themselves. By which time major parts of the components will have to be replaced if not the whole system. Even with a $10,000 rebate it would take close to 13 years to pay back before I started saving money.

Assuming you pay 10 cents/KwH currently (because that's the easiest way to do the math... and I'm lazy... hehe), you're talking you use 14,830 KwH/year, or 1236 KwH per month. You'd need a roughly 8,000 watt array to generate that in our region. I believe you can get systems installed for around $4 per watt now, or $32K. The Oncor rebates are gone to my knowledge, but you'd still qualify for $9,600 from the Fed. That'd leave you with the $22,400 remainder. Assuming that same 10 cents/KwH, you're talking 15.1 years payback.

If the Oncor rebate comes back (which was $2.00 per watt) you're talking a savings of an additional $16K - though you have to use their certified installers, which are typically higher cost suppliers (I've wondered if there is a kick-back involved), but you'd still be talking about $10-12K out of pocket, which really makes it interesting!

Brian