How much can we save?

How much you can save depends on how big you want your system and how much power you will use at home. NEED MORE INFO. If you want to know more

I assume it is grid tie, you need to know about your net metering program.

If you already have power from the local utility, you will find the only way to save money is to be more efficient.

batteries

Yup, totally agree with you guys.

Batteries.

So, too answer your question from my point of view, How much can you save ?

I am not "saving" anything .. . I am getting my money back a little bit at a time.

Too install the system I have here cost me between 8 and 10 thousand. . .  out of pocket . . then when I flipped the switch, I hope too get 40 $ a month back every month - since my summer bills around around 40 $ a month, I should have no hydro bill in the summer ...while with the winter bills - it should help . . I plan to be here a while . .   



Now, the one benefit that I am seeing, is the fact that now that I have a monitor on my wall telling me how many watts I am making every 15 minutes or so, I am far more aware of everything that clicks on in the house.  So far - I have removed my ceiling fluorescent light in the living room (40 watt) and replace it with an l..e.d screw in bulbs (9 watts). Replaced my entry light from a 60 watt Edison bulb - to a 9 watt l.e.d. bulb...

I am also in the process of removing all the fluorescent lights in the shop which adds up too around 600 watts with everything on - and installing 8 of the same 9 watt l.e.d. lights . . for 72 watts or so . .  AND it should be brighter in there as well . .

As for the fridge that I have wrapped in Styrofoam, I am seriously thinking of adding that second layer of foam too it . . it would only save .15 of a kilowatt a day, but it is still a savings . . on going everyday savings that add up . ..

Me personally do not like the whole "rent your roof out" for solar . .  that is just a way for them too jack up the sale price of a "cheap" system . .and add a year of two for you too pay it back . .  but then that is just negative old me talking... just my opinon

Skippy said:

<snip>
I am also in the process of removing all the fluorescent lights in the shop which adds up too around 600 watts with everything on - and installing 8 of the same 9 watt l.e.d. lights . . for 72 watts or so . .  AND it should be brighter in there as well . .

Yep I have been thinking about doing the same in my shop, all on it takes 500 watts to drive all the fluorescents.  It was the cheap thing to do when the building got set up.

I'm wire my place now and went with 10 9 watt  recessed lights in the garage .
 Seems kind of fancy for a garage but the  fixtures dim down to 10 W  and give ok light .
 Full power is bright . 
 And I'm done , nothing else to buy. 

Marc Kurth said:

oil pan 4 said:

Convert to solar, as in going off grid. You would save negative tens of thousands of dollars.

Yep. Accurate without needing a calculator.

I was about to say he might live where electric is >40 cents a Kwh....
...Bill spoiled my fun...

Marc Kurth said:

My gut tells me that even $.40 would be tough to financially justify taking an existing home with existing utility service totally off grid. But it wouldn't be the first time I guessed wrong.

In general, battery systems tended to put it over the top, while straight grid tied can easily work in many areas.
Marc

Marc, I did a break down about 5 years back after setting up my current system, I think I was around 26 cents a Kwh, WITHOUT the tax credit. It doesn't include personal installation and labor costs and some very good shopping. And doesn't include the installation and deferment of heating to wood stove (about an extra $1000 and some labor each year, though I also don't credit the energy but the wood stove is required) but does include an extra charge controller vs replacing an existing forklift battery and inverter.

I should do an update, as originally I had calculated to go ahead an replace the existing inverter and calculated the battery would last 10-15 years. I had several battery issues, it was under rated at 20hr by GB and I had a cell poisoned (I worked security at a place I lived), which is limping along but has shown surprising durability. 5 years+ and it'd likely to make 10. I should have the cell replaced but the nearest place is 110 miles and the cost would be very high unless I wanted to figure out how to load and transport it...

Now I'll keep the battery until it's near death and replace the inverter then. May even look to pick up a small 1100 watt ExelTech 48 volt to make the transition easier and have a back up.

Here's a link to the original calculations. A couple things jump out at me. The calcs look to be based with the added 2600 watts of panels I mostly still have in a closet. I did add 1000 watts I purchased on a lark for $250 or $300. I'm setting up some of those other panels as a direct water heating system.

Also the local cost of electric has gone up as there is now a $32.50 per month fee (up from $25) so 8 months out of the year when I use @4 Kwhs a day the cost would be 37 cents a Kwh! during the summer when I use @14Kwh's a day cost would be about 15 cents a Kwh. So over all annual usage of 2540 Kwhs (9.6 cents)  243.84 + $390 (monthly fee x12) = $633.84 or 25 cents a Kwh from the grid (633.84/2540)

http://forum.solar-electric.com/discussion/15701/its-going-to-be-close-to-cost-effective-or-off-grid-at-26-cents-a-kwh

Estragon said:

The future local grid power cost might be the least predictable piece of the puzzle.

Certainly, I understand Texas is lower these days, I suspect in areas where renewable have caught on big, grid prices will be up. I also understand the coop manager who we have really intends to continue increasing it's user fee and has else where. Mom's Florida Electric has split off the line/infra structure fee (per Kwh) and it's energy cost, both on a per KWh. Energy was pretty low 3.5 cents? She opted to pay 5 cents for energy from their being built solar plant. I suspect this is to combat 'net metering' which is odd since Tallahassee is pretty much pro renewables.

@Photowhit - Thank you for the link. I want to sit down and go through the numbers.

I worked for a company called SunEdison before the banking collapse in 2008/2009. Our model was strictly Power Provider Agreements and generally those PPA's were for 15 to 20 years. Another approach is to simply sell power at a fixed percentage below the prevailing utility company rate.

Lumisol said:

When I went with off grid solar, I saved 39,000 on the installation cost and will save 1,200 a year on bills but will need to put back 1,200 every 2-3 years for batteries.

 Can you provide detailed numbers on this installation? How you saved that much? Unless you live with extremely expensive POCO rates It is generally agreed off grid will never save you any money. $1200.00 for replacement batteries sounds like a pretty small battery bank which compared to a $39,000.00 savings on installation makes no sense whatsoever.

 Inquiring minds want to know.