Solar Panels
Check out those fancy solar panels basking in the sun! Ignore the landscaping, it's still in that awkward teenage phase.
OK, guys. So when I first set out to do this little blog thing, I had a whole set list for my "first posts" and everything, but decided to go a bit out of order. You see, I just got our electric bill for July. Last year, it was $294. Yeah, we're polar bears. Anyway, this July we paid $152. We're just as cool but were able to cut our bill in half. Thank you solar power! Getting solar was one of the best decisions we've made since moving into our house.
Way back when, we tried to get solar on our condo but it wasn't allowed. So as soon as the ink dried on the contract for our little farmhouse, we set up an appointment with someone at Solar City. We decided on Solar City for one main reason- my husband's infatuation with Elon Musk and all things Tesla. Plus, once we actually looked into the company, it was exactly what we wanted. (This post isn't a shameless plug, since let's face it, it's my third post and nobody is paying me anything, but there will be a referral link at the end since all Solar City customers have one. You've been warned.)
Photo from January 2015. Blue skies and all that sunshine going to waste.
We were able to quickly set up a phone consultation with Solar City and they explained the whole process of how it works and what costs there are. Basically, they pay for the install, any repairs that might be needed, and guarantee the amount of energy that will be produced from the panels for 20 years. They have four options for customers. First, they can be purchased outright or purchased with a loan. Any energy you make is yours and if there is extra you can actually sell it back to the electric company and make money. Score! For us it was too big a cost to pay right after buying a house, and we were hesitant to lease because we know how quickly they are innovating solar and didn't want to be stuck with giant panels if everyone else gets something better in a couple years. (Actually, Testa developed solar shingles that look almost like a regular roof. They're made from glass. If you're interested in learning more about them, check here.)
It was an overcast day in March that the panels were finally being installed. The panels even work on cloudy days, just not as well.
With the other two options, Solar City would own the panels. The choice is either you lease them for a monthly payment, that could nominally increase during the lease term, or you can enter a power purchase agreement, or PPA. Basically, Solar City turns into your electric utility company. The tiles are placed on your roof, generate electricity, and Solar City bills you monthly based on production- at a rate less than the power company. During some months you make more than you use, so your primary utility will need to install a net meter. This allows you to get credit for the excess electricity you don't use, and it flows back into the grid. On the cloudy days when production is low (or in July when usage is sky high), you're using the credits you've banked. The PPA is the option we went with and it's worked out great for us. July is typically our most expensive electric bill and it was cut in half, leaving more money to spend on other projects!
After we decided which contract we wanted, Solar City reviewed our power bills from the previous year to determine our annual usage. They base the number of panels needed off of that number and designed our system. (I asked if they could install extra "just in case" but they declined. They will, however, add panels if usage is higher than production.) Then an engineer came out to determine if our roof could support the load. They needed to reinforce the attic a bit for the added weight and add a support beam to the deck. From the permitting to the actual install, Solar City took care of it all. We paid nothing.
One plus about this beam is it hides the ugly fan.
We also opted to get the Tesla Powerwall to go along with the system. It's a backup battery that works in case there is a power outage. We never really worried about power outages before, but after Superstorm Sandy, having a kid and moving out of the suburbs, we knew we needed something. We have well water and septic out here so our home would essentially be a campsite and I'm not country enough for that yet. The Powerwall is a perfect alternative to a gas generator. We've briefly lost power a couple times since it's install and the battery kicks in almost instantly. Flushable toilets for everyone!
Here's the Powerwall in all its glory! Definitely not the ugliest thing in this basement.
That's the abridged version of our experience with solar. We're really happy with how everything was handled. All we needed to do was sign some papers and be present for the install and inspections, which is so worth it with the savings we've seen. They even have an app that works in realtime to show you how much energy you're using and how much the panels are generating. (I may have spent some time walking around my house with the app open to watch the chart change. Just maybe.) If that sort of thing interests you too, you can check out our data here.
If you want to learn more about Solar City and their program check it out here. If you are interested in getting solar on your house, feel free to use our referral link.
So, anyone else have solar? What was your experience?
