solar panels
 

Hi everyone- I have been thinking about going solar. I’ve received 4 different estimates. The recent one is from Freedom Solar Power. The headquarters is in San Antonio TX, but local branch is in Tampa.

I am having a hard time finding any credible information about the Tampa branch. Since there are many bad stories about companies installing solar panels, I would like to ask your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you,
Jan (Citrus Grove)

Do a search for other threads on this topic.

Here is the bottom line. If you want to save the planet, buy a solar system. If you are trying to save money, don't buy a solar system.

And you end up not saving the environment when they reach end of life - it costs $20-30 to recycle 1 panel and $1 to put it in a landfill.

At least according to the Harvard Business Review
The Dark Side of Solar Power

But, it makes you feel good.

I would NOT buy a house that had solar cells on the roof. Period.

After the 20 or so year life span most Villagers would have moved the three times to another home or be underground with the panels, LOL

Be very careful, and DO NOT sign any contract with any company for solar, there are some that low ball the cost, and then stick you with a nasty contract AND put a lien on your house, and the real kicker, if you go to sell the house the NEW owner must take over the lease.

If I was going to go solar, I would self-finance only.

As noted above there are several threads on this subject, general opinion was do not do it.

Let me explain this to you. I'm not at all anti-solar. I have a bunch of self installed panels on my garage at my northern home and they work great for that.

You need to understand how most of these companies work. You sign a contract for the panels and you pay for them under some financing model that they came up with. They agree to pay you for some of the energy that's generated.

The problem is, that they often structure it so that even with your whole roof covered in panels that you're paying for monthly, they decide how much of the energy that the utility company pays for ends up in your pocket. They usually structure it so that any subsidy is given to them, NOT you and then they collect money selling all of that power to the utility and give the homeowner a small cut of that. You can end up with a roof full of panels generating $500/month more energy than you use, but they structure the contract so that you sometimes make $0/month and are stuck paying for the panels on the roof for 25 years while the solar salesperson made $10k on the sale.

Here is an informative unbiased article about that.

Why prices for rooftop solar might be higher than they should be : Planet Money : NPR

Solar
 

Ask what the cost would to be to remove and reinstall if you were changing out your roof at some time.

I agree. Also, there was another recent post where the homeowner had a small roof leak under a relatively new solar panel. How do you get it repaired? Will the solar company come out and remove enough panels, so a roofer can repair the leak? I doubt that any roofer would assume the risk of removing any solar panels. A $200 repair could suddenly cost several thousands of dollars, if it can be repaired at all.

Great line and pretty much sums it up! I've been curious about how long it would actually take to recoup the investment. And down the road, there would likely be costs associated with maintenance on the system or when shingles need to be replaced. And personally, I find solar panels to be unsightly.

IMHO. If solar was so good, the electric companies would lease our roofs and put their panels up and not charge us for electricity.

Excuse me while I call Seco and get laughed at.:bigbow::bigbow:

Agree!

Agree!!!!!!!!

Agree about solar panels appearing unsightly. I think the panels deface the home.

In spite of all the sunshine, solar is not a good investment in Florida. The power companies will take a good cut of your output, and the insurance companies will be forcing you to replace your roof after 10 years. And you certainly don't want to do one of those "no money down" lease deals. Contrast this to my home in CT, where I installed 28 solar panels on my roof in 2011. Have not bought a single watt of electricity since. The utility company gives me a kw for every kw I put into the grid. No pressure to replace my roof shingles (which are covered by the panels anyway) and I get a credit for excess kw produced at the end of the year. I only pay for metering, which is about $12/month. Pretty good for CT, where residents are now paying huge electrical bills ($400+/month and more)

To me, spending $20K to install solar panels on an asphalt roof that may need to be repaired or replaced in a few years is crazy. My electric bill is only $1,500 per year. So, $20K, invested at a 5 percent return, will pay my entire electricity cost for 22 years.

In UK many new homes are having solar panels installed.
They are an integrated part of the roof, not an attached system.
They are not obtrusive, and blend into tiles or slates seamlessly.
If I were building a new house, I would definitely have such a system installed.
I would not on an older house, as it is not economical in short term.

Consider a Tesla roof. Cost more but you get more electric production with a durable 25 year guaranteed roof that looks great.
I had a 5kw panel system installed 8 years ago. After tax credit cost was 11k and the system produces around $1000 in electricity per year. 10-12 year payback is a long term investment.
The original roof is 20 years old and I have insurance with Tower Hill. No leaks and no maintenance issues. Roof inspector a year ago from a Tower Hill guy said our roof is good for another 5 years.
I think solar will be more beneficial in the near future when SECO switches to Time of Day billing.

Plain & simple DO NOT get solar panels in Florida. YOU never recover your investment you are only making money for the electric company plus you must now pay for electricity 7pm - 7am NOT covered by the panels.

My neighbor has them. She never received the promised tax break. She did end up with a leaking roof on her home when it was only 2 years old. She will never live long enough to justify the cost (most of us won’t) and I get to look at her ugly panels when I sit in my dining room. Beware. They aren’t what you think. And don’t assume that your electricity will remain on when the electricity goes out. It won’t.

Be very careful about putting on solar panels and who you deal with should you decide to spend a the money.

Some things to consider:
Payback time vs your age? If you are older it is not worth it.
Do you have a new roof? The cost of replacing your shingles once solar panels are up there is extensive maybe even double.
Are you going to have batteries that will power your house if needed? If not find out what the power company is giving back to you for the extra power. It is not 100% and has gone down over the years.

In my opinion it is a bad idea financially. Just do the math.

Go Solar. Mark Hader. Did mine

This post is 100% correct! My neighbor has them also and they are quite old. No batteries so if the power goes out it goes out for them too!

Second that, utilities are very reasonable here compared to our home at Annapolis Md. And as others have stated be careful with the contract fine print.

But 28 solar panels must have been pretty expensive. How long to get an actual return on your investment?

Solar panels
 

I have solar panels on my second home in NJ and it’s been some what of a nightmare with many roof leaks on two roofs where they are installed. Presently dealing with the third round of leaks and repairs where I’m into a four month process and hopefully can be resolved before heading back to The Villages . I doubt if most folks make the effort to actually venture up into their attic or are physically able to do so and only become aware of any leaks until the water reaches their living area ceilings. The roofing company making the repairs for the solar company says they are kept busy repairing solar panel related leaks, lack of skilled professional installers is the issue. Almost eight years with the solar panals and all warranties expire after ten years, yes I’ve almost reached the point of pay back for the cost of the panels but unsure if after say five more years those gains will actually cover the cost of a roof replacement. Leasing or no cost to you installation with reduced monthly utility bills some times involves a long term agreement. Would I ever do it again ABSOLUTELY NO !

The new owner doesn’t have to assume the lease and most transactions will require you to pay off those leases before they can sell the house. There are/were a couple of houses in the villages for sale that can’t sell because their solar panel contracts/leases have to be paid off 1st and 1 of the families have a $75k cost and they don’t have the money to pay it off.
Just like a lien, they have to be paid off before the residence can be sold

Solar Bear out of Tampa. They did mine in 2019. I wish I had done it earlier. Great investment!

First, you’ll not save the planet, or any $$$, by installing solar panels. Sorry, just facts. Second, why would you put holes in a perfectly good roof? I don’t care what you do, I’ve never seen any after-market roof procedures NOT leak.

At one time, with my VELUX skylight business, VELUX manufactured solar powered water heaters. Profit was fair and payback was reasonable. Plus, there were and are some state and Federal solar tax credits which made solar water heaters practical. The solar panels were installed just like our skylights, thus when the roof was replaced, the panels remained in place like a skylight and a new roof only required a new inexpensive flashing. VELUX ended up selling their system to another solar company as they knew once the tax credits would expire, it would be financially unfeasible to recoup the investment without tax credits. I quit selling them and only sold solar powered skylights that had a better payback for the homeowner. Thus, if it sounds to be too good to be true, it usually is.

Back in 2011, the solar panels were expensive - about $400 each. Today they are half the price. But there was a HUGE federal income tax deduction at the time and the state of CT kicked in an additional $10k credit. The system has long been paid off, especially in light of the huge electric bills my neighbors are now paying. But don't expect the same scenario in Florida.

Are other rate payers in Connecticut forced to subsidize the panels? That probably would not never happen in Florida.

Don't know if there is a current program in CT. Probably not. It was unusual to see solar panels on roofs here in 2011.

Very expensive when you need a new roof.

I've had solar panels for 5 yrs. No problems and has reduced my energy cost by 75%. The solar company estimated a 13yr roi. It real life it looks more like a 16 yr roi. I'm happy with it and would do it again.

Reading through the thread, it appears the consensus is that solar is good if electricity rates are very high, but since Florida has low rates they are not really worth it to do in Florida.

This is not even taking into account installers giving multi decade contracts to install for free.

There are some types of panels, more expensive, that are part of the roof which could be good if I stalled when a new roof is installed, such as solar tiles, but the bolt on type appear to cause more harm than good.

Florida needs to get electric choice like PA has. You pick your generation company. That means you can choose a green company if saving the planet is the goal.

Heavy winds (hurricane) can lift solar panels off your roof, and take your roof with it.
They also have to come off when you replace the shingles... mostly every 15 years .

Exactly.