[Kennybmd]

I am thinking of getting solar electric panels for my roof. Has anyone had good or bad experiences? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[villagetinker]

Whatever you do make sure of the contract, there have been reports of some "zero cost" companies placing liens on homes and then when you decide to sell the new owners MUST take over the contract.
It is unfortunate, but the current utility environment in Florida appears to make it impossible to breakeven on solar, you are forced to NET metering, review the rates very carefully. DO NOT enter into any agreement with a solar supplier where they are the middleman between you and the utility.
Bottom line, there have been many threads on this in the past, and the general conclusion, you will not break even in your lifetime.
Please proceed carefully.

[Stu from NYC]

Agree with the Tinker. We looked into it and at this stage of our life made no sense.

Not to mention very expensive to remove solar panels when roof needs replacement.

[retiredguy123]

Are you trying to save money or save the planet? If you are trying to save money, you cannot do it with a solar system. A solar company will give you a totally dishonest breakeven calculation that ignores the time value of money, and the maintenance costs to own a solar system. Save your money, buy a 5 percent CD, and use the interest to pay your electric bill. If you are trying to save the planet, go for it.

[RICH1]

cost vs return.... spring for a couple nice vacations, for you and your Lady!

[Dotneko]

Florida doesnt sell SRECs, so your break even point will be far far in the future.
In MA, our SRECs check was a nice chunk of change and our $200,000 system had an 8 year payback. (175 panels on a barn roof).
We looked into it in Florida and it wasnt a reasonable investment.

[UpNorth]

The power companies in Florida don't want you making electricity and competing with them. You are going to pay them one way or another and are unlikely to break even. Leasing would be out of the question. Florida is not a state that makes it easy to benefit from solar panels. Contrast this to CT, where I had 28 solar panels put on my roof in 2011 and have not bought a single watt from the power company since then. There is an even exchange for the wattage you produce. Every year we get a credit for the over wattage we generate. Good deal, in a state that has one of the highest electrical rates in the nation. Electrical rates in Florida are cheap by comparison.

[retiredguy123]

Attaching solar panels on a sloped asphalt roof is one of the craziest ideas I have ever heard of. If solar energy was really a good idea, the power companies would have their own solar panels and mount them on the ground.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

. If solar energy was really a good idea, the power companies would have their own solar panels and mount them on the ground.

Interesting thought

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Attaching solar panels on a sloped asphalt roof is one of the craziest ideas I have ever heard of. If solar energy was really a good idea, the power companies would have their own solar panels and mount them on the ground.

They're waiting for us all to install them and sell them our surplus electricity on the cheap

In reality, companies the World over are installing solar panels (on roofs and on the ground) but power companies have to get the most out of their current infrastructure (until that reaches end-of-life) so rarely invest in "competing" technology.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Attaching solar panels on a sloped asphalt roof is one of the craziest ideas I have ever heard of. If solar energy was really a good idea, the power companies would have their own solar panels and mount them on the ground.

There is a 2-megawatt solar array on the ground in front of Coleman.

Federal Facility To Save $79 Million in Energy Costs Over 2 Decades | Constellation's Energy4Business Blog

[JRcorvette]

Two things… consider the Payback time and your age. You might just find that it’s not a wise investment.
Second… I would definitely not put panels on an older roof. If you roofing is more than just a few year old it will cost you a Lot more to
Replace once the panels are on the roof.

Good Luck

[CarlR33]

Originally Posted by Altavia

There is a 2-megawatt solar array on the ground in front of Coleman.

Federal Facility To Save $79 Million in Energy Costs Over 2 Decades | Constellation's Energy4Business Blog

Yep, many power companies will have to put large scale solar plants (among other technologies) on the ground at some point with the push to stop producing electric by coal via our feds. U seen or heard of any new coal or nuclear plants being built lately? It’s possible someday utilities will have to work with homeowners for micro grid systems (aka home based installs).

[jwk1101]

Originally Posted by Kennybmd

I am thinking of getting solar electric panels for my roof. Has anyone had good or bad experiences? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

It seems that most responses focus on return on investment or saving the planet. There is another reason to consider solar, backup power during a power outage. A few years ago, we were without power for 5 days due to hurricane damage to the grid. We did not want to go through that again so we looked at backup generators and solar with battery backup. With the 30% tax credit we decided on the solar route and purchased (not leased) a Tesla system. Installation was flawless and we have not had any issues with the system.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by jwk1101

It seems that most responses focus on return on investment or saving the planet. There is another reason to consider solar, backup power during a power outage. A few years ago, we were without power for 5 days due to hurricane damage to the grid. We did not want to go through that again so we looked at backup generators and solar with battery backup. With the 30% tax credit we decided on the solar route and purchased (not leased) a Tesla system. Installation was flawless and we have not had any issues with the system.

How much did that cost, total? It would be nice to have during a power outage, but in the four years I’ve lived here, my power has been out for only a couple hours, and my electrical bill (including recharging the car) costs me about $1,200 a year. I love solar electricity, but I really don’t think it makes sense for me. I’m sure your system costs you much more per year than that.