Anyone have solar panels? (lease, insurance, credit)

[matrix5k]

Are they worth it, how much did they cost, what company did you use, did your home insurance go up, does home insurance or the solar company insure them, who pays if the roof gets damaged, what happens if the system breaks down in a few years, does mold form underneath, do you have to scrape off ice and snow in the winter? Please tell me everything about them.

[wolfgang239]

If you have the right location, yes they are worth it. Right now my electric bill is -$330, I am heating/cooling most of my house and driving my car "for free", and will have them paid off in about 3 years. The 30% tax credit is phasing its way out over the course of several years.

There are several ways to get them but the only way that makes sense is purchasing. You can lease them or sign up for a PPA but you will not get the tax credit or the energy credits in the same way you would as an owner. As an owner in MA you are eligible for the Mass Solar Loan and certain income based loan support credits up to %30 of the install cost. One thing I will say is you should slightly overbuild the system if you know you'll be there for a few years and you think you'll use more energy. Take advantage of the tax credit while it is available.

You will receive 2 types of credits for producing energy. The first is a 1:1 credit on your bill for the amount of energy produced vs. energy used. The credit can be used to offset all charges on your bill. The second type of credit is a per kWh incentive payment (SMART program) that varies between utilities and when you signed up.

The highest production occurs during the summer months so most places size your system accounting for snow covering your panels and low production during the winter. They have specialized software that accounts for the pitch of your roof, equipment, shading etc.

Most of your questions are highly situational and depend on the installer, equipment they use, interconnection, utility company and many other factors. Read up about this stuff on Energysage. The way people compare costs is at $/Watt, and you should aim for around $3/Watt in MA.

[RBThescot]

If​ it was me, I'd put the panels on posts on the ground. Roofing is so expensive, leaks are so tricky to fix, I don't want anyone modifying my roof or up on my roof.

Several of my elderly neighbors have panels. I've never seen them clearing snow and there's no company here offering that service. I think it just melts a little and the snow slides off the glass.

I looked into solar a few years ago because we're in a rural area where the grid goes down a lot after storms. I was surprised to learn a home solar system shuts down when the grid goes down so it doesn't send voltage back into the grid while workers are making repairs. Made it worthless to me.

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by RBThescot

If​ it was me, I'd put the panels on posts on the ground. Roofing is so expensive, leaks are so tricky to fix, I don't want anyone modifying my roof or up on my roof.

Every installer I spoke with went over the type of racking/flashing they used in order to ensure a correct installation. They all had workmanship warranties, although you never know when a company will go out of business. If your roof isn't in good shape they will have you do that first or refuse to install. Ground mounted systems are significantly more expensive and eat into your yard space (if you have any), potentially turning off future buyers.

Originally Posted by RBThescot

I looked into solar a few years ago because we're in a rural area where the grid goes down a lot after storms. I was surprised to learn a home solar system shuts down when the grid goes down so it doesn't send voltage back into the grid while workers are making repairs. Made it worthless to me.

Grid tied systems, yes. There are other system types available and a few coming to market soon that get around this issue.

[mdovell]

It's a huge business with plenty of companies. Don't be surprised if you have many potential companies.

There are some innovations in solar brick and Elon musks Terra cotta roofs.