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Just contacted a local solar panel company for a consultation and estimate. We live in south Louisiana. We’re doing what we can to lower our energy bill. Have already changed all lights to LEDs, had new insulation blown into the attic, and recently had storm windows and solar screens installed over our single pane aluminum frame windows.
What we’re hoping for with the solar panel system is two fold. First is the obvious lower utility bill. Second may or may not be possible, the ability to use the solar and battery system as an emergency power back up to at least power the refrigerator for a few hours a day. I know the technology has evolved so I’m hopeful it is possible to use as an emergency power backup. Our home is 1300 square feet, 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, just two people living in home, and gas powered stove, water heater, and central heat. The long part of our roof faces the north and south and both sides are always in the sun during daylight hours.
I'm in the process of having a system installed here in Colorado. I'm not a die-hard greenie and without the federal tax credit and local incentives like net metering with my local utility, the system would not make financial sense for me. However, I'm interested in the idea and the technology, and the size of my system is relatively small.
One thing I've learned along the way is to get multiple quotes! You can use a website like energysage.com to get and easily compare quotes from installers local to your area. I ended up with 5 quotes and they varied greatly in terms of price (compare by looking at cost/watt), for the same general size of system. So that's where I would start - get the quotes and learn a bit about the various types of panels and sizes now, so that you don't rush into something and then wish you had done something differently later as you learn more.
I would also get a quote from Tesla, especially since you want the battery backup capability. Tesla isn't the be-all, end-all, but based on what I'm reading, the total cost of a system offered by Tesla that also includes a battery is very competitive.
Just contacted a local solar panel company for a consultation and estimate. We live in south Louisiana. We’re doing what we can to lower our energy bill. Have already changed all lights to LEDs, had new insulation blown into the attic, and recently had storm windows and solar screens installed over our single pane aluminum frame windows.
What we’re hoping for with the solar panel system is two fold. First is the obvious lower utility bill. Second may or may not be possible, the ability to use the solar and battery system as an emergency power back up to at least power the refrigerator for a few hours a day. I know the technology has evolved so I’m hopeful it is possible to use as an emergency power backup. Our home is 1300 square feet, 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, just two people living in home, and gas powered stove, water heater, and central heat. The long part of our roof faces the north and south and both sides are always in the sun during daylight hours.
Does the company also install the battery storage as well?
We are almost ready to pull the trigger on solar, but not any battery storage. That's still too pricy for us and we also don't really think the marginal benefit of limited storage to run a small % of our home was worth it.
I'd make sure to get more than one quote if you can. Energy Sage is an AWESOME and free resource to not just find contractors but for all things residential solar.
Just be aware of the horror stories related to the ownership of the panels and encumbrances against the property. If the home is damaged or you want to sell, you may find the contract you signed has put you in a place you don't want to be.
Just be aware of the horror stories related to the ownership of the panels and encumbrances against the property. If the home is damaged or you want to sell, you may find the contract you signed has put you in a place you don't want to be.
Yup, good point! This can happen if you lease your system from a solar provider. Definitely want to do your due diligence on this.
I decided to buy my system, so it will stay with the house and won't be a problem for the new owner in the very unlikely event that I decide to move.
We have a solar system with battery back-up and a hybrid inverter. With a power outage we can run critical circuits from our sub panel using the battery. The solar charges the battery only during this time. With a small gas generator powering the inverter to make the solar system think it is grid tied, the solar system will run the entire house during sunlight hours. It’s wired for this and is not connected to the grid at that time for safety.
We live in hot snd humid FL and went with lithium iron phosphate batteries. They are not as sleek and sexy as the Tesla Powerwall Lithium ion. They are less energy dense and need to be bulkier because of that, but they are also less combustible, heat sensitive and have a longer life cycle.
We are total electric with a monthly bill of $9.06 which is the price of staying connected to the grid with our utility company. Solar made more sense to us than dropping 15k for a propane whole house generator which may never get used. We have no natural gas here.
Arm yourself with knowledge before getting any estimates. We got quotes from companies more interested in selling the financing and from companies that never asked to look at our existing electrical panel snd still gave us an estimate!?! That left very few that were knowledgeable and not all about the financing.
We have a solar system with battery back-up and a hybrid inverter. With a power outage we can run critical circuits from our sub panel using the battery. The solar charges the battery only during this time. With a small gas generator powering the inverter to make the solar system think it is grid tied, the solar system will run the entire house during sunlight hours. It’s wired for this and is not connected to the grid at that time for safety.
We live in hot snd humid FL and went with lithium iron phosphate batteries. They are not as sleek and sexy as the Tesla Powerwall Lithium ion. They are less energy dense and need to be bulkier because of that, but they are also less combustible, heat sensitive and have a longer life cycle.
We are total electric with a monthly bill of $9.06 which is the price of staying connected to the grid with our utility company. Solar made more sense to us than dropping 15k for a propane whole house generator which may never get used. We have no natural gas here.
Arm yourself with knowledge before getting any estimates. We got quotes from companies more interested in selling the financing and from companies that never asked to look at our existing electrical panel snd still gave us an estimate!?! That left very few that were knowledgeable and not all about the financing.
What is the size of your house and what was the cost of the instatllation?
We have a solar system with battery back-up and a hybrid inverter. With a power outage we can run critical circuits from our sub panel using the battery. The solar charges the battery only during this time. With a small gas generator powering the inverter to make the solar system think it is grid tied, the solar system will run the entire house during sunlight hours. It’s wired for this and is not connected to the grid at that time for safety.
We live in hot snd humid FL and went with lithium iron phosphate batteries. They are not as sleek and sexy as the Tesla Powerwall Lithium ion. They are less energy dense and need to be bulkier because of that, but they are also less combustible, heat sensitive and have a longer life cycle.
We are total electric with a monthly bill of $9.06 which is the price of staying connected to the grid with our utility company. Solar made more sense to us than dropping 15k for a propane whole house generator which may never get used. We have no natural gas here.
Arm yourself with knowledge before getting any estimates. We got quotes from companies more interested in selling the financing and from companies that never asked to look at our existing electrical panel snd still gave us an estimate!?! That left very few that were knowledgeable and not all about the financing.
Our home is in Lafayette Louisiana (actually the town of Carencro in Lafayette parish). Real humid here as well. Our home has natural gas for heating and cooking. Our electric bill prior to installing storm windows and solar screens was no more than $130. Waiting to see what it’s going to be next month. Home does feel better and we don’t hear the AC running as frequently. The first company I contacted does come out to the house for a home survey to make suggestions on systems that would work for our home and needs. Haven’t made an appointment with them yet. We are concerned about the roof and winds. We’ve heard from some people who had a bad installer which resulted in roof leaks or damage from the hurricanes. Not going to jump with just any company.
Our home is in Lafayette Louisiana (actually the town of Carencro in Lafayette parish). Real humid here as well. Our home has natural gas for heating and cooking. Our electric bill prior to installing storm windows and solar screens was no more than $130. Waiting to see what it’s going to be next month. Home does feel better and we don’t hear the AC running as frequently. The first company I contacted does come out to the house for a home survey to make suggestions on systems that would work for our home and needs. Haven’t made an appointment with them yet. We are concerned about the roof and winds. We’ve heard from some people who had a bad installer which resulted in roof leaks or damage from the hurricanes. Not going to jump with just any company.
Making your house energy efficient is a better investment of your money. Our county extension office had a zoom meeting on solar and that was the first thing they recommended. Too many people with high energy bills jump to solar without addressing the underlying cause of excess energy use. Then they have to buy a pricey larger solar system.
Last edited by jean_ji; 06-13-2021 at 10:32 AM..
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