Not much talk about solar power in SW Florida (sale, big house)

[az99]

Originally Posted by HarborRat

I'll also add that in states that pay you for your extra energy produced at a decent rate it makes less sense to use your extra daytime power to charge a battery. But those credits they promise today could be gone tomorrow.

Isn't Fla. a net metering state?

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by az99

Isn't Fla. a net metering state?

Yes it is....Gary

[HarborRat]

Originally Posted by az99

Isn't Fla. a net metering state?

Yes, but it seems they only pay you 2 cents per kw right now.

[az99]

Originally Posted by HarborRat

Yes, but it seems they only pay you 2 cents per kw right now.

Net metering is when the utility co. allows you to send your excess production to them. When you are producing more electric than you are using, the excess goes back to them to be used by your neighbors. Your meter basically spins backward.

My meter has 2 readings. One is how much I used from them, the other is how much I supplied to them. My bill is the "net" of those 2 readings. In the winter I use more than I produce so I am billed for KWH used. From about April to Nov. I produce more than I use and just get a CS charge. In Nov. - Jan. I use up all my banked KWH.

I only get paid for excess electric once a year if I have not used all I have banked. I believe it is in May.

[az99]

I just Googled it. You have net metering in Fl. The only time that $.02 would come into play would be if you generated excess at the end of the year. A properly designed system should make just enough to cover your use or a little less. At $.02 it makes no sense to generate extra.

[HarborRat]

Thanks AZ. So in a net metering state a battery system would not save anything. For some reason I thought the excess power during the day was sold back to FPL at a reduced rate, I didn't realize those extra Kw's went into a "bank" for you to use later. That changes everything.....

[az99]

I did not think we were on the same page. That was why I continued the discussion to find out what was the item we were missing.
You can now see why I made the comments about using batteries. The electric co. is your free battery bank.

[Macgregorsailor51]

There are SOOOOO many differences in power suppliers and what the pay back .. That why My niece had installed what she did.. They never pay for electric now and the power company will in a relatively short time be paying for their system.. or much of it.. When the Power company is charging you 15cents and then only having to compensate you @ 2 cents you want the system just to cover your own needs and a little wiggle room but when the two rates are very close.. it pays to have a larger system.. or at least in their case it does..

Originally Posted by HarborRat

Thanks AZ. So in a net metering state a battery system would not save anything. For some reason I thought the excess power during the day was sold back to FPL at a reduced rate, I didn't realize those extra Kw's went into a "bank" for you to use later. That changes everything.....

[SJNE17]

What impact does solar have on roof structures down yonder in Florida? That's like a sail waiting to catch wind if not properly mounted, no? I'd be hesitant before moving forward with any solar without checking your insurance policy first.

We looked at a system here in our home in northeast but the structural load (not to mention we just had new roof done, and I didn't want anyone treading all over it to install big panels) and the general headache wasn't worth it. That, plus we have backup generator system with huge propane tank for when things hit the fan. That, to me, is easiest (it ran for about 10 days during Sandy nonstop without a glitch).

And don't forget, if you have your house with a big solar unit(s) on there and eventually look to sell the home, the new owner may not want it and then you're stuck with having to terminate a big lease (unless you buy the panels, which is an insane cost).

[davephan]

Originally Posted by SJNE17

What impact does solar have on roof structures down yonder in Florida? That's like a sail waiting to catch wind if not properly mounted, no? I'd be hesitant before moving forward with any solar without checking your insurance policy first.

We looked at a system here in our home in northeast but the structural load (not to mention we just had new roof done, and I didn't want anyone treading all over it to install big panels) and the general headache wasn't worth it. That, plus we have backup generator system with huge propane tank for when things hit the fan. That, to me, is easiest (it ran for about 10 days during Sandy nonstop without a glitch).

And don't forget, if you have your house with a big solar unit(s) on there and eventually look to sell the home, the new owner may not want it and then you're stuck with having to terminate a big lease (unless you buy the panels, which is an insane cost).

I've heard that leasing the PV solar system can cause problems with home sales if the buyer's credit is marginal. It's best to buy the system and it raises the home's value and/or causes the home to be sold more quickly.

The front-end cost is very high for a PV solar system, but after the Federal tax credit, rebates, and other cost reductions can significantly bring down the cost, in our case $32K comes down to $12K. But you need to have the income to be able to afford the front-end cost, and the high income also means you can write off a lot of the cost with the 30% Federal tax credit. We can afford the front-end cost, but affording the cost and making the decision to spend that much money are two different matters. Investing the money might offer higher returns. You also need to be committed to staying in your home for at least the majority of the payback time to make the numbers work. In our case, the only way we would keep our Minnesota home for 8 years is if we are a snowbirds in four years. The future isn't crystal clear, except for my limit is four more Minnesota winters, then I'm totally done with winters here.

What type of generator do you have? Does it run your whole home, or do you have to shut down or not run certain things? Is it air or liquid cooled? I've heard that air cooled units are like a lawn mower running and liquid cooled units are like a car running, for sound levels. How large is your propane tank, and how many days could you run on a tank, before you need to refill the tank? I'm assuming that since you lived through a time when the generator ran for 10 days, you'd never want to be without one in a future home.