https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 22 May 2026 02:00:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2717213 Tue, 28 Mar 2017 07:46:23 +0000 looch 2717213@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had solar city come out and give us an estimate and they basically said we don't consume enough power for it to be worth it for them to install, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2717167 Tue, 28 Mar 2017 01:48:21 +0000 808love 2717167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought one solar panel just for our solar water heater. It cut our bill more than half. Now Our bill is so low (we don't use much energy due to natural lighting and small lot size, plus electric company rates went down) it doesn't make sense to buy panels for the rest. We would need to make the panels last more than 30 years to break even. Those are my own calculations...we haven't gone through with a consultation. I am sooo glad we did the water heater though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2717139 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 20:51:33 +0000 lilyofthewest 2717139@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We tried to get panels through Solar City. We went through multiple, lengthy consults and then were ultimately told that our house wasn't suitable. It was frustrating, we spent easily 5 or 6 hours on the process. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2717043 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 16:33:26 +0000 Mrs. Microscope 2717043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We kinda do! We had them when we lived in AZ, and will have them on our new build home next year. Right now we live in a condo, so we bought panels on a solar garden in town. We have enough to cover our energy usage now, and it will reduce how many we need to put on the new house. Since they are at the solar garden, we don't have to do the maintenance! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716978 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 14:13:37 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2716978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: I haven't researched it but I'm assuming the power company won't pay enough for the power to make up for the cost of the panels? Or the cost for the panels is too much in this area? I'll check into it and see... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716963 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:59:20 +0000 Mamaof2 2716963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Sketchbook: that's interesting! How would you lose money? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716951 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:44:36 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2716951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have them but I buy solar power credits through the power company. I think we would love to get some though! According to Google we would lose money though.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716936 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:31:38 +0000 gotkimchi 2716936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: I just looked into this and apparently renting them isn't legal in my state :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716925 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:21:53 +0000 ShootingStar 2716925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: When you rent solar panels the company owns all the energy that comes in through them and then you pay them a fee for it. We pay either 12 or 15 cents per kwh, I can't remember.</p> <p>@Mamaof2: So they said it would produce up to X amount. And we hadn't been in our house very long so we had no idea how much energy we were actually going to need. We expected to use less and we expected the panels would produce more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716924 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:21:51 +0000 gotkimchi 2716924@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh ok that makes sense </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716918 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:18:54 +0000 Mamaof2 2716918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi: so they would get the rebates for the installation - that's a big one.</p> <p>Also, if I bought them outright all the energy the panels provide would be free to me. Since I am not paying for them I am paying the company (vivant) .11 per kwh vs .17 that I am paying PECO - so they get that money but I save money too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716916 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:18:14 +0000 PeaceLily 2716916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My in-laws have solar panels and I know they are happy with them. They bought them outright.</p> <p>They cover the majority of their roof, but they don't look too bad. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716914 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:16:17 +0000 gotkimchi 2716914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: I'm confused, what does the solar panel company get out of this arrangement? Cuz it sounds awesome for you so why would they do that lol? Who is his through? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716897 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:07:18 +0000 Mamaof2 2716897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: one more question - did they say it would cover 100% and then only cover 50?</p> <p>They said ours would cover 92% and I am wondering how close we will get to that number- </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716889 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:03:22 +0000 ShootingStar 2716889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: Nope, we rent them through solar city. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716888 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:02:54 +0000 Mamaof2 2716888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: so you bought them outright? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716877 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:58:18 +0000 ShootingStar 2716877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have ours through Solar City. If anyone wants a referral link let me know :grin: .</p> <p>They cover a good portion of our roof, but I don't mind the look so it doesn't bother me. I wish we had more, lol. They cover about half of our electricity use, and it costs about half of what National Grid costs. For us it's a win-win, except that we thought it was going to supply closer to 100% of our energy. </p> <p>Here's a google satellite view of our house. </p> [attach=2504/17/onhj96.388x463.roof.png] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716871 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:51:05 +0000 petitenoisette 2716871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: Yea I mean he worked for a company that sold them outright so of course they're going to say the rented ones are a bad deal :silly: </p> <p>I just found this calculator <a href="https://ilsr.org/ultimate-solar-calculator/" rel="nofollow">https://ilsr.org/ultimate-solar-calculator/</a></p> <p>Also it seems that if you aren't staying in your house for 10+ years then buying makes little sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716866 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:46:20 +0000 Mamaof2 2716866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@petitenoisette: the benefit for us is a lower cost per kwh for energy and any excess power we generate we get cash back for- we wont pay any $ for the panels for installation, upkeep or insurance</p> <p>I know we miss out on the rebates and such but we don't have the 25K to pay for the panels either so..... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716865 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:43:21 +0000 bushelandapeck 2716865@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: not entirely. They are on one side of our barn/garage, and two sides of our house. Our house is an expanded cape so from the back its shaped like a "U". You can only see one the solar panels from the road on one side of the house.</p> <p>ETA: we do not rent ours. We bought them outright. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716863 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:42:03 +0000 petitenoisette 2716863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: We don't but my husband worked for a solar company for 5 years and his opinion is that rented panels are not a good deal for the homeowner. The company putting the panels on is getting way more out of the deal than you are. I guess from an environmental standpoint more panels on more houses is a good thing though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716861 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:39:02 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2716861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a couple panels to hear the pool in our old house. I'm not sure up much they cost the prior homeowner. We barely used the pool/ pool heater. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716857 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:33:42 +0000 Mamaof2 2716857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bushelandapeck: is your entire roof covered like the picture above? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716842 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:22:45 +0000 bushelandapeck 2716842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do. They were not cheap, I'll say that, but my DH used to cover solar technology for work and he really wanted them. They should pay for themselves in 6-7 years, so we saw it as a longer term investment. I don't have a pic but they don't look nearly as bad as I was thinking they would! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716808 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 11:57:52 +0000 PawPrints 2716808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You don't have to pay anything? That sounds amazing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-solar-panels#post-2716788 Mon, 27 Mar 2017 11:40:39 +0000 Mamaof2 2716788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I saw a post from 2013 but nothing newer so thought I'd start a new thread.</p> <p>Does anyone have them?</p> <p>We cant afford to buy them (25K) but there is a company that installs them for free and then you pay a lower price for energy and anything you have in excess they cut you a check at the end of the year. After 6 years you can buy the panels from them if you wish at a lower cost.</p> <p>Sounded good then they sent the image and OMG my entire roof will be covered!! :shocked: </p> [attach=4342/17/onhfns.337x600.IMG_0537.PNG]