Advice needed......

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System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Grid Tie and Grid Interactive Systems #1
hey guys i just got a quote for a solar electric system for my house. Can you guys look over the specs and tell me if the price is fair?

Location: southern california
Contractor: Suntrek Solar
Monthly KW usage: 12.4
Solar modules: 14 - solarworld 175w
Inverter: 1 - PV Powered 2500w
Estimated Rebate: $4620.00
Estimated Tax Credit: $2000.00
Complete system cost: $27000.00

thanks
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #2
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    Re: Advice needed......

    Not sure what the 12 kW monthly usage is... Number and units does not make any sense.

    Anyway, a 2.45 kW system in Long Beach California would generate about 3,549 kWhrs per year or an average of 296 kWhrs per month.

    I assume you will be on a Time Of Use rate plan (usually required by California)--have you looked at the amount of power you use and will your family be able to avoid the peak times (which in Northern California are about 3x the off peak rates).

    If your power usage is somewhere 300 kWhrs per month--you should do OK... However, if you have AC or other heavy loads (such as an irrigation pump) and use much more than 300 kWhrs per month--make sure your installer or your local power company estimates your power bill using the actual utility calculations--There are times that installing a small grid tied power system on a large home/business can actually give you a higher power bill with Time Of Use metering...

    I purchased my 3 kW system (3.5 kW of solar panels) almost three years ago for ~$29,000 less ~$9k in rebates and tax credits... Recent inflation may have increased the costs--but $27,000 before Rebates and Credits sounds a bit high for a 2.45kW system (list price should be less than $25,000)... (mine was installed on a 2nd story roof with simple racks and wiring--no major house/electrical modifications were required--included engineering and permits).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
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    Re: Advice needed......

    Correction

    Daily KW usage: 12.4 KW
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #4
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    Re: Advice needed......

    Just to be clear, the units are kWh for killowatt-hour. This is a unit of energy which is what you buy from an electric company. One kWh is 1,000 watts for 1 hour, but could also be 100 watts for 10 hours. It is the same amount of energy used a different rate.

    Power is the rate of energy use (or production). If you use one 100-watt bulb, your rate of energy usage is one-tenth of a 1000-watt floodlight.

    Energy = Power x Time.

    Hope this helps in your discussions with your contractor.

    Rob

    P.S. It's interesting that we use the terms solar POWER and renewable ENERGY.
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  • jza80
    jza80 Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭
    #5
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    Re: Advice needed......

    That quote is $11.02 per DC watt...that's pretty high. $8.00-10.00 per watt is more in line with what you should pay in so cal. Check the CSI program status website for recent cost comparisons in your area. Also, I think the consensus is that the PV Powered may not be the most advanced design around these days (no offense to PVP users), better choices include Xantrex, Fronius, SMA.

    Here's a link to the CSI page, the program status is a zip file that you can download from there: https://csi.powerclerk.com/Default.aspx
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  • newenergy
    newenergy Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Advice needed......

    When someone specifically asks about something like this is it spam for me to say I'm solar contractor in SoCal and this price seems quite high?
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: Advice needed......

    no, i don't mind just as long as you aren't going to use that opportunity to push your business. i see no problem if you would mention the company name once as a reference of proof of credentials for you to have such an opinion.
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  • Roderick
    Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
    #8
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    Re: Advice needed......

    Do get some other bids. This seems really high to me.

    The system is about 2.4 kW STP, and 2 years ago, the most expensive bid we got was $25,000 before rebate on a system this size. But we're in Northern California, and labor in Southern Cal is cheaper. Plus, economically, these are supposed to be hard times, installers should be hungry for business.

    If your roof is unusual (like ceramic tile), that might account for the extra cost.

    About the PVP-2500 inverter, you will have a hard time interfacing to it if you want to keep tabs on your system by computer. Xantrex is easier to monitor. I say this, as an owner of a PVP2800-XV.
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  • autoxsteve
    autoxsteve Solar Expert Posts: 114 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: Advice needed......

    seems a little high. Call REC Solar and get a bid.
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