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Well, nothing is free in this world. The installation is free, but you have to sign a 15 year lease. It doesn't say whether or not that if any "extra" electricity not used will go back to TXU and you will get credited for it.
Quote:
Get solar panels installed for free through TXU program
Would you like to have energy-saving solar rooftop panels installed at your home, without any upfront cost?
If so, you're an electricity consumer TXU Energy wants to reach through a new program to be formally announced today by the Irving-based retail electric provider. TXU is teaming up with a California-based company, SolarCity, to lease solar panels that will be installed for free.
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15-year lease
A lease would run for 15 years, "within the sweet spot" of the "useful life" of about 20 to 25 years for solar panels, Geary said. A homeowner who sold a residence before the lease expired could "pre-pay the balance of the lease and transfer it to the homebuyer," with the panels likely boosting the sale price, he said.
A homeowner who sold a home and bought another residence in Dallas-Fort Worth could have the panels moved to the new home, Geary said.
The residential solar arrays range from 2.3 to 10 kilowatts, with initial leasing costs running from about $20 to $100 monthly, Gutierrez said. The cost would increase 2.5 percent annually, Rive said, meaning an initial monthly lease of $35 would grow to $50.69 after 15 years.
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It is being offered in an area roughly bounded by Waxahachie to the south, Joshua and Cleburne to the southwest, Weatherford to the west, Denton to the north, McKinney to the northeast and Terrell to the east, Gutierrez said.
I would definately have to read the fine print. If this would save you an average of $50 per month, but it costs you $35 per month, then you are only saving $15 per month which probably isn't worth the hassle of a 15 year contract.
This would probably only be good for the conscious of someone who wants to "go green", but may not be a good idea financial-wise.
Just one problem I would need to know is what the pay out scale at retail is for a pannel owner to buy at on cloudy days, AND what the wholesale is the power company buys at on sunny days, reguardless of the power saved at the place of installation.
A next item I would want to know is who pays to service the unit in the event it needs any from any causes, which mught be defective part, simple break down, to a full blown hurricane. Here in NH there are some real hard to deal with fine prints when you have these systems and are on the grid, almost as if your place not belongs to the power company.
They tend to sell high, buy low and demand you pay for services, and can demand you create current when you no longer desire too. Read well see a lawyer you choose. This isn't light stuff to mess with when it is one guy against the power company.
Any poles may end up at your costs, while at the same time your property is bound to Rights of Way you may not agree with, and other items such as transformers, that can be toxic when damaged, take up your land space, maybe not where you want it, or make noises. Once items like these are installed, pretty much they are forever.
Well, nothing is free in this world. The installation is free, but you have to sign a 15 year lease. It doesn't say whether or not that if any "extra" electricity not used will go back to TXU and you will get credited for it.
[URL="http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/02/23/1991849/new-txu-solar-power-venture-drops.html"]Get solar panels installed for free through TXU program | Business | Dallas Business, Te...[/URL]
Hi there - I'm in the energy storage business and am curious if the contract for this program precludes any form of storage of the solar energy produced. Would anyone on this thread be open to sharing their contract terms with private info blocked out or at least send the provision regarding storage (if there is one at all?). Thanks!
Free Solar Installations are usually done by a group of investors that are looking for a “host” for their investment. There are a few situations where this is a good option but it is almost never pitched as “free”. Because the largest of the solar incentives is the federal tax credit, non-profits, municipalities, governments, and other non-taxable entities have a much higher investment cost and a longer pay back for their solar installation. In these situations investors may have to step in to help with the finances. However the investors only need to hold the ownership of the solar installation for 5 years. After this time they are permitted to sell the solar energy system to the non-taxable entity and usually want to work something like that out. Because of this “buy out” after a predetermined period of time the system is not pitched as a free solar installation.
For consultation you can also visit [url]www.sundirected.com[/url]
It doesn't say whether or not that if any "extra" electricity not used will go back to TXU and you will get credited for it.
I'm just beginning to research this but as the owner they would get green energy credits. These credits are used against the mandates for X amount of power produced through renewable means so their value will be substantial in the future.
I'm just beginning to research this but as the owner they would get green energy credits. These credits are used against the mandates for X amount of power produced through renewable means so their value will be substantial in the future.
That explains alot. So under Cap&Trade TXU could use "their" solar panels on your home as their renewable power produced. Is that what you are implying ?
I have TXU and have looked and they do NOT participate in net metering (they buy back the surplus energy produced)
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