Florida Solar panels questions

[drsportster]

1 is anyone in Florida getting any payback from overproducing more than they use from the power company ? 2 Are these panels owned or leased ?3 Can you just buy your own inverter plus panels and install yourself ? 4 Is it even worth doing ?

 

[Hemmjo]

Solar power as an energy source has its place in the world. Planning to make money by selling energy to a local power company is NOT a valid reason to leap into a solar power system.

There are lots of reasons why a Yesterday’s Tractor guy would set up a solar power system.

 

[Red Dave]

1 is anyone in Florida getting any payback from overproducing more than they use from the power company ? 2 Are these panels owned or leased ?3 Can you just buy your own inverter plus panels and install yourself ? 4 Is it even worth doing ?

Those are questions I would address to your local distribution utility.
Especially Question #1.

 

[Alvin 41]

1 is anyone in Florida getting any payback from overproducing more than they use from the power company ? 2 Are these panels owned or leased ?3 Can you just buy your own inverter plus panels and install yourself ? 4 Is it even worth doing ?

Have had 30 panels feeding the power grid for 3 years.Cost me about $30,000 with subsidies and payback is about 14 years. they are supposed to last 25 years . SWI .

 

[Keith True]

Every state is different,and every power provider is different.I've worked on dozens of them here in N.H. and I doubt any of our procedures here would apply to you.I worked for the installer,NOT the solar companies that sold the systems.Do your homework locally,and watch the salesmen.Bottom line is,it works,and all I've worked on wind up with yearly overages.Too much overage and you will be labelled as a producer,not a road you want to go down for just a few hundred dollars a year.Best setup I've sen was my BIL.His usage was known,and between geo-thermal and solar his payback was projected to be just over seven years.It paid for itself in less than four.He did adjust some trees to get optimum exposure.

 

[glennster]

I have heard insurance company’s are not insuring houses with solar panels on roofs in Florida.

 

[EFV]

Never heard of direct cash back to panel owner. WAY different rules if you get labeled as a producer.
$$$$$ in wrong direction quick. Know people who have had them 20+ years, electric bill stays low and
they're still working. Overage on production is returned to panel owner when you use more than they produce,
most likely heating in cooler temps. Upstate NY

 

[sotxbill]

Here... if you produce more than you use, the power company will only pay you WHOLESALE prices for the power.. For instance you the customer pay 12cent a kilowatt, but you sale excess back at 3 cents a kilowatt. SO... there is no way you can make money on a 30k to 60k investment at 3 cents a kilowatt. Some areas, the power company will not buy back excess power. SO!!!!!!... only build your system to power your house so that you break even or pay the power company a little bit each month. Then you will break even at 14 to 16 years.. and then make a bit on money after that.. HOWEVER inflation makes a huge difference in this build as if power continues to go up and up and up,,, your pay back become shorter and shorter and look like a genius. If power is then 24 cents a kilowatt, your golden. If there is no or little inflation, you might make more money in the stock market over the 25 year period. Much more. Then come a hail storm, and you loose your system and your roof. And you pay twice as much on insurance. Or a lightning strike fries it all. Then if you sale the house, and move, you usually do not recoup the full price of you system same a pool or other add on. So, will you be in the same house for the next 25 years?. If your over 65 years old, you will probably not live long enough to get all your money back?.. So there can be many factors to consider. Also solar panels will degrade to about half or less output after 12 years, so the system output drops more and more, so now you install panels rated twice as high as your need to keep the output up at 16 years (as this is factor is now built into most panel ratings today). So a system will put out more than its rating new, but still meet it rating as it ages to a specified year point. And you must wash the panels periodically, change out defective inverters, decide you want to install batteries, which are a whole another box of uncertainty, risks and cost. Will you do snow removal when your 65 years old? Will you trim the trees so that they dont block or drop limbs on the panels. Will you have to remove the entire system to replace a defective roof every 20 years or so. How many sunny days in your area of the country? Do you have mountains that limit the amount of daylight by 2 hours a day. And solar claims to work for only 8 hours a day average pending on location and other factors, so you need batteries??

If your young and gonna stay put 25 years, then with inflation and abundant government, solar is a very good ideal. Just as my own water well would be a great investment that pays back... in this area, However there are many factors to consider.

 

[rrlund]

Here... if you produce more than you use, the power company will only pay you WHOLESALE prices for the power.. For instance you the customer pay 12cent a kilowatt, but you sale excess back at 3 cents a kilowatt. SO... there is no way you can make money on a 30k to 60k investment at 3 cents a kilowatt. Some areas, the power company will not buy back excess power. SO!!!!!!... only build your system to power your house so that you break even or pay the power company a little bit each month. Then you will break even at 14 to 16 years.. and then make a bit on money after that.. HOWEVER inflation makes a huge difference in this build as if power continues to go up and up and up,,, your pay back become shorter and shorter and look like a genius. If power is then 24 cents a kilowatt, your golden. If there is no or little inflation, you might make more money in the stock market over the 25 year period. Much more. Then come a hail storm, and you loose your system and your roof. And you pay twice as much on insurance. Or a lightning strike fries it all. Then if you sale the house, and move, you usually do not recoup the full price of you system same a pool or other add on. So, will you be in the same house for the next 25 years?. If your over 65 years old, you will probably not live long enough to get all your money back?.. So there can be many factors to consider. Also solar panels will degrade to about half or less output after 12 years, so the system output drops more and more, so now you install panels rated twice as high as your need to keep the output up at 16 years (as this is factor is now built into most panel ratings today). So a system will put out more than its rating new, but still meet it rating as it ages to a specified year point. And you must wash the panels periodically, change out defective inverters, decide you want to install batteries, which are a whole another box of uncertainty, risks and cost. Will you do snow removal when your 65 years old? Will you trim the trees so that they dont block or drop limbs on the panels. Will you have to remove the entire system to replace a defective roof every 20 years or so. How many sunny days in your area of the country? Do you have mountains that limit the amount of daylight by 2 hours a day. And solar claims to work for only 8 hours a day average pending on location and other factors, so you need batteries??

If your young and gonna stay put 25 years, then with inflation and abundant government, solar is a very good ideal. Just as my own water well would be a great investment that pays back... in this area, However there are many factors to consider.

Here in Michigan, Consumers Energy tells you how many panels you can have based on your historical use. If you produce more than you consume, they won't pay you at all. The money goes in to escrow and the only way they'll pay it out is if you sell your home or die.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

In Maine solar is being pushed hard. Lots of solar farms being built at taxpayer expense as far as I can tell. Then some salesman comes around telling how much you can save on your electric bill by signing up with them. Even pay you $50 or more to do it. I fell into the trap and the first 3 months my electric bill was $150 ($50 a month) more than it was before. As far as I am concerned it is a scam. A lot of unhappy people. I got out as fast as I could and will never go back . There are some people that are letting solar panels be in stalled on their roofs, and I haven't heard anyone bragging how much the are saving. Just my take on solar. I won't get into windmills. In my own personal unbiased opinion.

 

[Dusty MI]

I read some where that Michigan ranks 47th of the 48 states in the amount sunshine.

Dusty

 

[buickanddeere]

I have been kicking around the concept of 2-3 kw of eastish facing panels and 2-3 kw of westish facing panels. Connecting them to just a grid tie inverter . With the hopes of reducing the mid day electrical demand from the utility during peak rates.

 

[showcrop]

I am not in FL. I am in NH. We had solar put on 39 months ago for a cost of $14,000, $9200 after tax credit, and I am absolutely thrilled with it. We paid up front, we have it facing south, with nearly no shade, and we get credit against our electric bill. Initially the payback was projected to be nine years, but now it is working out to under seven. I checked output in May when it had a heavy coating of pollen on it, and there was just a tiny reduction. Snow slides off usually within a day, so no shoveling needed. With hotter days and more AC usage, and the cost of electricity constantly going up, it just keeps getting better. I wish to thank all of you who helped me to pay for it!!

 

[tom upton]

Solar panels where the best investment a fellow could make up here back about 15 years ago when you could get a contract to sell back to the grid for 80.2 cents / Kw hr. Payback was 3-4 years. Must have been the nuclear nasayers that pushed that one thru! Contrary to what some think there is pretty much 0 maintainence if installed correctly away from trees etc. If there is anywhere in the world that solar makes sense I would think Florida with all there sunshine should be a prime place?

 

[buickanddeere]

Solar panels where the best investment a fellow could make up here back about 15 years ago when you could get a contract to sell back to the grid for 80.2 cents / Kw hr. Payback was 3-4 years. Must have been the nuclear nasayers that pushed that one thru! Contrary to what some think there is pretty much 0 maintainence if installed correctly away from trees etc. If there is anywhere in the world that solar makes sense I would think Florida with all there sunshine should be a prime place?

That was Gerald Butts enviro wacko , son of a retired Cape Bretton coal miner . Was president of the Canadian World Wildlife fund . Went to university with the PM who lost his teaching job due to a relationship with a 14yr old. Butts was Principal Secretary of the Ontario L Party. Had more power and influence than the Premier. Butts had the Lampton and Nanticoke fossil power plants sold for scrap. Butts was going to " replace" that power with subsidized, wind, subsidized solar and subsidized NG turbines . Ran up the retail price of electricity . Some other shady occurrences too.

 

[BarnCat]

I am in Michigan, have had a system for about 8 months now, and it was totally worth doing. There are some caveats though. In my opinion it is only worth doing if you can do it yourself. The quotes from solar companies for my system ranged from 45-68k. I did it myself for 11k. And I own it. After 8 months, it looks like my pay off time will be 4.58 years. I have an all electric house- oven, water heater, furnace, a/c, dryer- and my last couple of bills have all been single digits. The worst part was dealing with my township and the power company, but that is behind me now.

 

[showcrop]

I am in Michigan, have had a system for about 8 months now, and it was totally worth doing. There are some caveats though. In my opinion it is only worth doing if you can do it yourself. The quotes from solar companies for my system ranged from 45-68k. I did it myself for 11k. And I own it. After 8 months, it looks like my pay off time will be 4.58 years. I have an all electric house- oven, water heater, furnace, a/c, dryer- and my last couple of bills have all been single digits. The worst part was dealing with my township and the power company, but that is behind me now.

Did you read my post?

 

[moresmoke]

From my limited experience with solar, I would invest in reducing my usage first, then worry about producing.

Also, the real estate aspect was mentioned previously. If you have a loan from one of the various sellers, you may need to pay that loan first before you can get the lien removed from your property to transfer title. Something to think about if you plan on selling or dieing before the loan is paid back.

 

[Keith True]

As I said,DO YOUR HOMEWORK.Watch the salesmen.Some are like the old siding salesmen of the 60's.Pay no attention to the,I heard,or I read about,stories.Most are misconceptions,some things are twisted,and a lot are outright absurd.I did a lot of climbing for an installer,he was not a solar company,be bid and installed for the companies.I've heard some strange stories while on jobsites,I can't type that many pages here.The real estate thing is normal,and it has always been around.Window companies,siding,roofing,bathroom and kitchen remodelers have been doing that work and financing the homeowners for over 50 years.Has to be dealt with at time of sale or transfer of property.Nothing to see here,just that the solar haters have brought it to the forefront and made a big splash about it.Business as usual.My wife drives an electric car,the silliness I've heard about those can keep me laughing for a half hour.

 

[moresmoke]

As I said,DO YOUR HOMEWORK.Watch the salesmen.Some are like the old siding salesmen of the 60's.Pay no attention to the,I heard,or I read about,stories.Most are misconceptions,some things are twisted,and a lot are outright absurd.I did a lot of climbing for an installer,he was not a solar company,be bid and installed for the companies.I've heard some strange stories while on jobsites,I can't type that many pages here.The real estate thing is normal,and it has always been around.Window companies,siding,roofing,bathroom and kitchen remodelers have been doing that work and financing the homeowners for over 50 years.Has to be dealt with at time of sale or transfer of property.Nothing to see here,just that the solar haters have brought it to the forefront and made a big splash about it.Business as usual.My wife drives an electric car,the silliness I've heard about those can keep me laughing for a half hour.

While financing issues have been around forever, less and less people have any available cash to cover these loans. I’m going to guess a significant number of people on this site could pay cash for a $35k solar setup if they wanted to. Not so in the general public. Less cash on hand and larger house prices, coupled with more and more rules around taking a mortgage make real estate sales dicy at times.