[compwiz02]

I'm a supporter of renewable energy but it seems like my monthly bill for solar panels (cost of the energy plus cost of maintenance and other things) is gonna be higher than my NV Energy bill if I move forward with solar panels. What are your guys's thoughts? Pros and cons of having and not having solar panels?

[longviewJoe]

I have no input but am definitely interested in hearing people's actual experiences rather than just the sales pitch numbers.

[lvmensch]

I have been following the industry for decades. Used to do it for major corporation now I do it for my own interest.

The day for PV solar panels is here. But there are hookers. The cost for industry scale solar has now reached the point where it is cheaper than the variable costs of fossil fuels. The result will be that the utilities will all duplicate their present capabilities in solar plants.

The roof top industry however is different. The problem is that they load the costs with profits and overheads that basically double the cost of roof top versus utility scale solar. We may see some changes to this in time when perhaps the utilities offer roof top. But not yet.

In the interim the only one to consider seriously is Tesla solar panels (not solar roof unless you need to replace your roof anyway). Tesla has recently gone to far and away the most generous prices in the industry.

But in summary I would suggest waiting a few more years. It is going to continue getting better and better.

[compwiz02]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

I have been following the industry for decades. Used to do it for major corporation now I do it for my own interest.

The day for PV solar panels is here. But there are hookers. The cost for industry scale solar has now reached the point where it is cheaper than the variable costs of fossil fuels. The result will be that the utilities will all duplicate their present capabilities in solar plants.

The roof top industry however is different. The problem is that they load the costs with profits and overheads that basically double the cost of roof top versus utility scale solar. We may see some changes to this in time when perhaps the utilities offer roof top. But not yet.

In the interim the only one to consider seriously is Tesla solar panels (not solar roof unless you need to replace your roof anyway). Tesla has recently gone to far and away the most generous prices in the industry.

But in summary I would suggest waiting a few more years. It is going to continue getting better and better.

Gotcha. What do you mean when you say "roof top industry" and "they load the costs with profits and overheads that basically double the cost of roof top versus utility scale solar."? What is rooftop vs scale solar?


Problem for me is....I know I will pay $20-30 per month during some months and more in other months depending on how I setup my fans in the house. But a few solar panel companies have quoted me for a flat $80-90 per month fee. My goal is to support renewable energy but pay less on my bills. It's like comparing organic food vs regular food. I only pay maybe 2-10 bucks more on organic food depending on what I buy but $2-10 is a small price difference compared to $30-60.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by compwiz02

Gotcha. What do you mean when you say "roof top industry" and "they load the costs with profits and overheads that basically double the cost of roof top versus utility scale solar."? What is rooftop vs scale solar?


Problem for me is....I know I will pay $20-30 per month during some months and more in other months depending on how I setup my fans in the house. But a few solar panel companies have quoted me for a flat $80-90 per month fee. My goal is to support renewable energy but pay less on my bills. It's like comparing organic food vs regular food. I only pay maybe 2-10 bucks more on organic food depending on what I buy but $2-10 is a small price difference compared to $30-60.

The people we deal with to get solar panels on our roof or property are the roof top industry. They can actually get the panels and support electronics at close to the price paid by the utilities...but they double the costs when they sell it to you. One of the big items is marketing costs...they have to advertise and hire sales men to get the consumer to buy the product. That costs.

The utility industry simply treats it all as the cost of the plant and takes advantage that it gives them fully loaded energy cost less than a good gas plant.

[compwiz02]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

The people we deal with to get solar panels on our roof or property are the roof top industry. They can actually get the panels and support electronics at close to the price paid by the utilities...but they double the costs when they sell it to you. One of the big items is marketing costs...they have to advertise and hire sales men to get the consumer to buy the product. That costs.

The utility industry simply treats it all as the cost of the plant and takes advantage that it gives them fully loaded energy cost less than a good gas plant.

So you would recommend that a person should go solar 2-3 yrs from now? The sales people I've talked to said it will be mandated for all homeowners to go solar in a year or two since Nevada is going for renewal energy to reduce carbon emissions and that a person can apply for tax credits to get some money back during tax season if you qualify.

[Mariza160]

Originally Posted by compwiz02

So you would recommend that a person should go solar 2-3 yrs from now? The sales people I've talked to said it will be mandated for all homeowners to go solar in a year or two since Nevada is going for renewal energy to reduce carbon emissions and that a person can apply for tax credits to get some money back during tax season if you qualify.

I would expect the Biden administration to push for more tax credits for solar
continuing past next year. However, I'm not sure they have the votes to get it
approved in the Senate. I think the current tax credits for roof solar panels run
out at the end of 2021.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by compwiz02

So you would recommend that a person should go solar 2-3 yrs from now? The sales people I've talked to said it will be mandated for all homeowners to go solar in a year or two since Nevada is going for renewal energy to reduce carbon emissions and that a person can apply for tax credits to get some money back during tax season if you qualify.

No I recommend waiting a couple of years and then examining the situation. I am not sure that roof top will ever make sense. It could though.

I am however pretty sure now is not the time. Wish it were.

The mandated stuff is silliness. Is never going to happen. There might be a requirement that new build homes have solar. But not likely. Lets see what CA does.

There is a good possibility we will all go hard roof top somewhere down the road. Need storage as well as panels but there is stuff going down that could make that all possible. Five years or so out though.

[Mariza160]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

The mandated stuff is silliness. Is never going to happen. There might be a requirement that new build homes have solar. But not likely. Lets see what CA does.
.

California is already there.

The California solar mandate is a new building code that requires new construction homes to have a solar photovoltaic (PV) system as an electricity source. This code, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, applies to both single-family homes and multi-family homes that are up to three stories high.

And in Feburary, there was a challenge and a bypass that allowed new home owners to opt into a community solar power purchase rather than having to install roof panels on their own homes.
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/02/...solar-mandate/

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by Mariza160

California is already there.

The California solar mandate is a new building code that requires new construction homes to have a solar photovoltaic (PV) system as an electricity source. This code, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, applies to both single-family homes and multi-family homes that are up to three stories high.

And in Feburary, there was a challenge and a bypass that allowed new home owners to opt into a community solar power purchase rather than having to install roof panels on their own homes.
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/02/...solar-mandate/

I know Mariza. But they are still trying to get it to work correctly...and dealing with all sorts of exceptions. I suggest we wait another year and then see how it turned out.

I suspect that NV might be better off passing. We are actually better fixed for utility solar than CA. But lets wait until CA digs through and then decide what we do...