Anyone have solar panels?

[gameguy56]

Did you like your installation company? Worth the price?

[oladub]

I have 12 solar panels to electrify a 600 sq. ft. cabin. The entire system was about $12,000 last year and I received about 15% back. Interesting note: If I had built a frame to hold them that would have cost about $4,000 and would have been tax deductible. Instead, I built a storage building and put the panels on the roof. No part of that storage building was deductible. The local power company wanted $8,000 to run in poles so I decided to go solar and not have monthly electric bills. Were I to do it over, I would have put in 14 panels because in winter not as much electricity is produced.

My son did all the installation. Most of it is way over my head. If you don't have someone handy with computers or electronics, maybe you should just buy your electricity. He now has created something new. When the batteries are full, the system stops producing electricity. My son bought an electric heater that looks like a radiator and programmed the system to feed electricity to the radiator as soon as the batteries are full. If it is sunny out even if we are not there and don't have a fire going, a minimum of 500 watts is being produced when it is sunny. He is getting supplies to modify that so that depending on how much sunshine there is, the radiator can put out 350- 1200 watts.

We also ran lines from the storage/solar shed to the cabin so we can monitor the electrical production rate and % of battery storage. All that information is also available on our cell phones and computers 88 miles away. I had to put in an internet connection with that monthly bill to keep everyone happy including myself.

I have an EV car but its sensor won't accept my solar energy. My system is not large enough for a car anyway.

We ran into a problem with snow and ice covering the solar panels. Last year, I made the two hour drive just to clean them off a couple of times. Then I had the idea of offering the Amish girl across the highway to scrape it off for $8. Its a 10-15 minute job. For $32 I saved myself four trips to the cabin this second year.

[Meddle]

The local power company wanted $8,000 to run in poles so I decided to go solar and not have monthly electric bills.

Don't ask for a cite because I don't have one handy, but there are plans afoot in some places to deal with that. Utilities feel they're losing customers and revenue, so they're getting fees added to homes in their area that are not connected. Basically, you pay a monthly service fee even if you don't have service. I have no idea how it's legal other than Payola.

[jcole]

The library I work at got a grant for Solar panels on our roof and they just installed them last week; we're waiting for the electrician to come and wire them into the grid now. As I understand it, they will collect power, send info to DTE and we will be rebated that amount monthly; it's supposed to save us 40% off our bill. It's quite a large array.

[Ray1936]

Very common and economical out here in Sunny Las Vegas. We only have daytime cloud cover 12% of the year. I don't have it, but since I'm 85 and tend to drool during breakfast, don't see it as economical for me. But the young'uns are doing it big time out here.

[yaktown]

Buyer beware. Fox 2's Hall of Shame just did a piece on a local solar power company. Dark side of solar sales: Powerhome Solar's pitch leaves customers powerless [[fox2detroit.com)