So what do YOU think...is solar worth it? Compare solar quotes with EnergySage here: www.energysage.com/p/smarthomesolver/? Thanks to EnergySage for sponsoring a portion of this video.

@thomaswilkerson9961

6 күн бұрын

Natl. driving mi. avg 15k Natl. car avg 25 mpg = 600gal x$4 gal fuel $2400 fuel saving - Elec bill $2400/ year $4.8k in savings/yr.!! So a $30k investment 6.25yrs to brerak even? Smart move my friend 👍

@maxmustermann194

5 күн бұрын

As a European I can only dream of your surge prices. Our normal price here in Germany is 30 c/kWh.

@jaap7374

5 күн бұрын

How can Home Assistant be used to further optimize your energy management? Could you pre-cool your house when there is a surplus of solar or pause charging and reduce cooling during price peaks to support the grid? Do you use window covers to improve isolation and reflect sunlight when/where it's most needed?

@user-pn6qq1zr3x

Күн бұрын

No

Of course your electricity bill is $0... you paid $48,000!!!!!!!!!!!!

@traskth

6 күн бұрын

But one time. Pays for itself eventually

@chulito1981357

6 күн бұрын

So 😂😅

@traskth

6 күн бұрын

Just saw the clip, and i got sucked in. Nice job Reed

@wojtek-33

6 күн бұрын

​​@@traskth At 48k, it would take me 26yrs to pay it off here in Texas, where electricity is cheap. That's assuming 0 maintenance. That ROI isn't very good. Texas isn't very solar friendly either, you know...big oil.

@polymossimal

6 күн бұрын

@@traskththe word eventually is carrying a lot of weight

I’ve had solar for six months now, and am so happy with it. We have $0 electricity bills, and saved even more money by going solar through a co-op. Great to hear about your experience after two years!

Dude, Those numbers are crazy to me. I live in denmark, in an average house, and i use 2300kWh in a year! You use 30kWh at night, and thats almost a weeks use of electricity for me.

@jasonpwright

6 күн бұрын

Most of his electricity use is AC. Does a typical home in Denmark even have AC?

@Mistermaker09

6 күн бұрын

@DaKooler I thought the same thing D: @jasonpwright I life in germany and my flat has natural gas heater, but the consumptions is being converted to kwh. Last year I used about 4000 kWh natural gas. So I have to pay 3500€ per year for heating and electricity

@JBoy340a

6 күн бұрын

Is it 90F at midnight and 110+F at 1PM at your house. It is in Arizona all summer long.

@owenashcroft8167

5 күн бұрын

You've got to include EV charging, we have 2 Teslas and that makes a massive difference in the amount of electricity used, it's cheaper than a normal car, but the figures on the bills of kwh used is quite scary

Bill Shock!!!! This is the first year in the last 12 that we are home during the summer months and not up in the GA mountains. My electric bill last month was $336 where as it never went higher than $150. We normally averaged between 18 and 30kWh on average, but last month we hit 54kWh on a lot of the days. I will be starting my DIY solar installation next month and it will be completed in 3 phases. Can't wait to get started! Great video!

I love the setup of it all, now all I need is a house, enough sun and a bit of money for it all

That's a gigantic amount of electricity use per year. I didn't realize a single house could use that much, even with multiple electric cars. I know power is a lot cheaper in the states and there is more sun, but it still seems a lot can be done to improve the energy efficiency and reduce energy use. For reference, houses here in the Netherlands have triple-layer glass, wals, roofs and floors which are well over a foot think and have multiple layers of isolation.

@ElectrcRadiation

6 күн бұрын

A large chunk of that cost goes into AC costs. It's lower in the upper states, but Arizona is known for being very hot for a long portion of the year, so the AC is running a lot.

@BassLiberators

5 күн бұрын

Yeah I thought our bill in Australia was high at $90 per month, $200 per month is another level.

@ericlancaster2889

5 күн бұрын

Arizona is ahem, slightly hotter than the Netherlands bro.

@jaap7374

5 күн бұрын

@@ericlancaster2889 Netherlands is slightly colder. It doesn't matter that much if you need to heat or cool 20 degree C. Both have the same thermal and heat pumps are the same technology as AC. The main difference is the time between summer and winter which is pretty mild here. It's all more reason to build better insulated housing in Arizona.

@shubinternet

4 күн бұрын

Yeah, it’s a lot harder to throw out virtually all the housing in the U.S. and replace everything with housing that is built to PassivHaus standards. You’re also much further north than most of the U.S. So, of course your houses are much better insulated, with much better windows, etc…. And you don’t have to worry about running massive air conditioning units throughout much of the year. But I lived in Brussels, Belgium, and in a house that was built in 1910. And if Europe keeps getting heat waves like some you’ve seen in the past decade or so, you might have a larger percentage of people dying from heat stroke than you have historically had.

Not stressing about paying to much for the electric bill is worth it IMO 🎉nice breakdown reed!

One thing not mentioned is when the utility and local government are ‘run by crooks’ factor. When I bought my system, the lowest my bill could be was $9.87. But since my State has a gov’nt authorized monopoly, they raised the minimum bill to $28.97 for everyone… and blamed solar customers for it. So check out how your local utility is run and how rates changes are approved.

@ItotheCtotheE

6 күн бұрын

Vote in different people, or run for office on a platform of not being a crook.

@CCCC-tq8yo

6 күн бұрын

A cook? ​@@ItotheCtotheE

@leebannister3759

6 күн бұрын

Yeah, this is happening now everywhere. They are saying it costs money to transmit you solar energy into the grid. Total BS

Great video Reed! We installed Tesla Solar 23.085 kWh of panels and 4 Powerwalls this year. We've really been reaping the benefits since the install.

Great video - Thank you for sharing your experience. As someone just looking for solar this is very helpful

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

One thing people often forget is the opportunity cost of interest on the up front cost. If you invest the $31,000 (48k-rebates) at 6% interest you get $155 per month to start. By my calculations it's 25 years until break even. This assumes $200 savings/month with solar, compounding interest, and no maintenance or degradation. Of course it's difficult to put a number to the comfort of not worrying about electricity. Also possible rate increases in excess of inflation.

Thanks for sharing Reed.

My man is simply living the best days of his life.

Love the Hibbert ref!

Always loved the humor in your videos! Very interesting; thanks for sharing. In the Great North unfortunately Solar does not cut it; we need way more energy to heat our homes than AC demands and we have obviously less sunlight.

Great video Reed, my next big project is going to be a solar system, $350/month is painful, this video is really helpful!

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

Thanks! Glad to hear it was helpful!

I’m in Scottsdale with APS, your system is oversized. The return on power wall is awful, the batteries may not last 10years. So you maybe paying for them after they no longer work. Battery back up only pays if you are off grid. I self installed 12.5kw for a total of $15k after rebates my cost was $9.5k. My payback has been less than 4 years. The paperwork/permits were a pain but well worth the effort.

@TypicalBlox

5 күн бұрын

Eh, the Tesla Powerwall has a 10 year warranty and even then is rated for about ~12 - 15 years before *severe* degradation. However the Powerwall Gen 2 has only been around for 7 years so it's difficult to verify that claim but those estimates line up pretty well for how long NiMH batteries last and the current battery health trajectory for early adopters. However the Powerwall Gen 3 which came out a couple months ago is using LiFePO4 batteries which are known for their thousands of cycles alongside of just overall better engineering learned from the past decade of home-battery storage and has the same 10 year warranty but will almost certainly last way longer past the point of ROI. Just a quick FYI, people buy home batteries for more than just ROI you know? It has the added benefit as acting as a whole house UPS and if your house is efficient enough you pretty much never have to worry about power outages again.

@LifeLongLearner-om8jx

2 күн бұрын

Also, they don’t just instantly break at year 10. You’re covered even with degradation, if it doesn’t retain 70% by year 10 then Tesla will replace the battery under warranty.

Protection from the grid's unpredictable outage is, in itself, priceless especially in the era of cyberattacks and freak weather patterns! Also, I'm thinking the property value may be somewhat enhanced! But the overall peace of mind is, no doubt, incomparable! Thanks for sharing @SmartHomeSolver

There are SPAN Smart Circuit Breakers so you can control it on your phone and if the Powerwalls go under 20% Battery Backup during a power outage, you can turn off, for example, Air Conditioners or Refigerators to keep the house on

Doing the revert math pondering in my current monthly energy bill here in Brazil, the U$D 48 K would result in a 80 to 100 years payback time (not considering interest nor compound interest). What a whopping different world we live in. Thanks for sharing your rationals. ❤

You also don't need a generator since you have battery backup. More savings right there!

Great video, I always enjoy your breakdowns. One calculation you don’t have is home appreciation with solar.

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

Thanks! That's a good point!

I paid around what you paid, I only got 1 power wall. One thing about break even - now t hat I generate my own power, I use a ton more (for free). No more setting the thermostat to 80 when I'm gone. I use as much of my power as I can, I dont get credited for my excess.

Beyond the $0 bills, it's fantastic knowing you are helping the planet, reducing pollution, and relieving stress on the electrical grid, so thank you for upgrading.

My country has a 1 for 1kw points system, they don't buy as monetary value. But we are not allowed to have batteries and there is an anti islanding rule, so blackouts still mean blackouts for us (legally I mean)

Thank you for all the numbers. Now I am clear that I dont need solar. 13.5yrs... since i wont be taking the system when I move to new house, it is hard NO. Again, great info!!!

@JBoy340a

6 күн бұрын

Don't forget to speak to your real estate agent and see what additional price your get for solar in your area.

@agentred8732

5 күн бұрын

It can add value to your home

@kiloy1006

5 күн бұрын

@@agentred8732 it 'can' add value, sure. Realtor says the same thing. 30~40k is pretty big chunk to me to invest that 'can' add a value. Especially when I talk to people in my neighbor and think that all those inverters and battery packs are eyesore.

Staying connected to your energy company is not "dumb". The only way you can sell your electricity back to the grid is to be connected to your energy company.

Hey Reed I am wondering if your willing to do a video on How you can integrate Solar system into home assistant and be able to have it monitor your electricity usage and let's say you system was to go to a certain percentage during the night how home assistant would start turning things off that are not needed to run ?

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

That could be a good video, I’ll see what I can do!

Reed, I am with you. Me too. I've generated 126 MWh and I have 4 Powerwalls. I live where a single Kwh is 42 cents

Great Video for Newbies 2 powerwalls and 2 SunPower Solar systems (31 panels) over here We outgrew our 2014 system and installed an additional system in 2023. My only wish was maybe a 3rd powerwall and more panels? We're good for now. It took a little bit to coordinate with SunPower and Tesla to get the monitoring all dialed in. We love it. Our system covers 1 ev eeezy peezy. I don't use the Only Charge EV on Solar option, instead I already know how much the EV needs to charge every night so I set the reserve accordingly. I only use the grid to charge the EV and keep the 2 powerwalls just for the house if that makes any sense. Thankyou for the videos and keep them coming Reed.... What part of AZ are u at ?

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

Thanks! Yeah that makes sense what you are doing and that's great. I'm in the south east part of the valley!

It's definitely worth doing the math. I bought a home with solar a few years ago and inherited a financing bill but also energy credits (Long Island, NY). However, since adding an electric heat pump to reduce 95% of my oil bill and a hot tub, I started burning through credits. So I had a talk, did the math, more talks, and am in the process of adding more panels and aim to be net positive with future proofing. Couldn't justify the Tesla walls but wanted one. All in all, once again, worth having a discussion and doing the math.

Here in Canada people say that a solar setup will usually break even in 10-12 years. But that is without the battery side of the equation. Things vary a lot from place to place though. In my area there are currently no time of day rates or demand prices so batteries only make sense for power backup during outages.

It's easy when you have net metering. Here in Belgium I pay €0.48(incl tax) per kWh used and retrieve prox €0.04 per kWh for pushing energy on the net. Above that we are taxed on our peak bandwith. So, if your peak demand is 5KW you pay prox €250 extra than if you have a 2.5kW peak demand. I have my rolling average peak demand atm at 3.2kW due to solar panels and 10kW battery

@bulzaiguard

6 күн бұрын

Yes it's a pain here in belgium

@patrickd9551

6 күн бұрын

The only reason they have net metering at the moment, is simply because they can upcharge the non-solar customers premium for the over production. So it's a net win for the energy company. This changes however when more and more people are going the solar route and decreasing the value for the energy company. And guess what, they don't like to see their profits vanish :) Not that it's any better above north from you :) we are currently dealing with all kinds of upcharges to the point that I'm not going to invest in solar any time soon.

@thomaswilkerson9961

6 күн бұрын

I will no longer complain that my price increased to $0.14.

@scotthall1381

6 күн бұрын

@@patrickd9551 SRP doesn't have traditional net metering. You only get it if you agree to a Demand plan where they charge you a fee for your largest 30 minutes of energy demand in a given month, if you don't get batteries Solar in the SRP territory is almost worthless because with demand charges you bill doesn't change from prior to solar. So with solar in SRP you get batteries to get access to net metering and super cheap energy rates. But SRP still comes out golden because either you pay the high demand charge or you use your solar and batteries during peak periods and SRP has one less home to worry about during major energy demand periods.

@dannelson6980

3 күн бұрын

If we had those rates in Arizona, my power bill would be over $2000 a month in the summer (May through October) . The only good news would be my payback would be under a year.

I've been looking into solar here in Ohio while there's 1:1 net metering offered. It's interesting that I got roughly 13 years for the system to pay for itself as well(not factoring in probable electric rate price hikes). On one hand, there are definitely better ways to invest the money, but it would be nice to have one less bill to worry about. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Solar energy is a fixed cost in a world where everything is getting more expensive.

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

True!

@ThatsPety

5 күн бұрын

Exactly, this is the part everybody is missing. You're doing the math with today's electricity rates. But prices go up over time, and it just makes the math more and more favorable

Great review. I wish our Tesla Solarroof generated what your panels do. But, we have a massive (50'+) tree in the backyard just South of the house and the tiles are not the as efficient as your panels. Still we get to net $0 for electricity all year round, even with the high PG&E rates. We find that solar with batteries is one of the best upgrades we did to the house.

Paul, always enjoy your videos, thanks for the good work. I was actually chatting about this with some mates over the weekend and one of the big sticking points was the usable life of the batteries. Someone mentioned the batteries would need to be replaced every 7-9 years which would make a pretty significant impact on the economic analysis. How did you factor that into your calcs?

Great vid, one thing that bothers me though, your array isnt symmetrical!

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

Thanks! I know right! Luckily I can't really see that it's not symmetrical without flying the drone.

Thank you Reed for a good video. People just don't understand that aren't from Arizona. What the temperatures and what it takes to cool a house when it's 115° outside. I have Tesla power walls in my house also and they work awesome. My system cost me $15,000 up front but in the 3 years we've almost paid it off with savings. Keep up the good content

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

Thanks! I’m glad you understand haha. Wow that’s awesome you’ve almost paid your system off with savings!

Good clear explanation. Here in California the PGE rates are insane. So maybe your system would pay off faster. Unfortunately the state may allow the power companies to charge a sliding connection fee to the tune of 30 to 100 dollars. Plus no net metering.

You have a great understanding or Net Metering and how it works. I do wonder however, once you break even, will you still have the same panels and Powerwalls? If you put that much mileage on these, do you have a replacement cost factored-in? I'm reading "estimated system lifetime: 30 years" for the panels, but what about the Powerwall units? Also, something must be said about solar in AZ, which is QUITE different from solar in MA, NY or even Canada where sunshine hours are way different (about 1200hrs a year here in QC). Great video! Perfect for getting people interested in solar!

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

The Powerwalls will degrade over time but I don’t drain them every night so hopefully degradation shouldn’t be too bad.

Pluto will always remain a planet in our hearts!

Did the $48K include the battery packs? That’s actually not bad. I ended up paying about $48K and no battery backup.

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

Yes it includes the 3 Powerwalls.

would i be right in assuming that at night the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature? if so, you could cut down on (or even eliminate) your air conditioning needs by using phase change material. during the day it absorbs the extra heat, and in the night all you have to do is bring in some cold air from outside to get rid of the heat and prepare the phase change material for the next day.

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

Haha I wish you were right! In the summer here in Arizona the outside temperature doesn't go below 100 F until 10pm sometimes. And the temperature never gets below 90 F. So we have to run the AC at night. It's so hot here.

@mrxmry3264

6 күн бұрын

@@SmartHomeSolver is that "F" for "Freedom units"? :-) but yeah, if it's that hot, PCM wouldn't work. but have you heard of those cooling panels from skycool systems? i keep hearing they radiate heat into space, and that they cool down several degrees below ambient even in direct sunlight. if my numbers came up, i'd check them out.

I would love to see the numbers that are not including the Tesla tax on the equipment. Going with a different system could be a significant benefit.

Can you easily add a small wind turbine or two to your system?

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

I could be possible but I don't know if it would be easy for me. I would probably have to get approved by the city/power company and HOA. If I lived somewhere else like way out in the country it might be less of a hassle.

How long until the tesla battery storage starts degrading and those need to be replaced though?

There is also an opportunity cost with your cash. $30k at 5% interest per year is $1,500 per year which covers a lot of the electric bill. But having solar is cool. I am waiting a bit since I am in California, and they just got rid of net metering last year. Also, they want to bill you based on income here in crazy California, so you would still have an $80 per month bill.

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

That's true about the opportunity cost. One of the biggest reason we got it was to not be so reliant on the grid. We hear about some of the energy restrictions and that kind of scares me. I heard about that bill in California and it's crazy!

@percy9228

6 күн бұрын

I actually wrote a comment above on exactly this. I'm not sure why you have 5%, index funds on average have given 10% consistent for decades. It cost him $30994, his bills are $2,273, at 10% he's actually increased his index fund to $31,820 after one year with free electricity. in ten years (for simplicity keeping the electricity price constant) he would have $42,216 in his index fund and still paying zero for his bills. In ten years his solar system would be worth half what he paid for it so say $20k. he can't really sell it. Its not without maintenance either, so he has take that into consideration. Solar panels last between 20 to 30 years. so in 20 years he should easily have over $50k in his account which keeps giving him free electricity for lifetime effectively, whereas he has hardware he needs to pay to take down and is worth nothing. He also had to do pretty much nothing to set up a direct debit to pay his electricity bills. and he's not tied down to the house to make it worth while. He's pretty wealthy and 100% has investments and knows fully well how bad of an investment this is for anyone that doesn't make money from KZread videos on advertising this money pit. I would put in $30k into bitcoin in a bear market. in 10 years, I would be surprised it's not worth $300k

@jasonpwright

6 күн бұрын

It’s not a good investment from a purely financial perspective. But he’s insulated from large electricity price fluctuations, gets to play with solar as a “hobby”, is probably far ahead in terms of net CO2 output, and gets to make KZread content that makes money. I’m sure it adds up for him. My worry is about system longevity and maintenance/repairs over that projected 20-30yr lifespan. The system also depreciates. New solar and battery tech will be cheaper and more efficient, so it could be that the same size system costs half as much in 10yrs. So many variables to consider. It is nice to see some real numbers though, will help others decide for themselves. Hopefully anyone making this kind of large purchase understands the opportunity costs.

@MusicMonkey5555

5 күн бұрын

We did ours when we did because of both the tax rebate incentives and that net metering still being offered. I know it will quickly fill up and it's the lifetime of the house/system so even if we add panels later it will still be covered. Also why we didn't pay extra for the batteries. Our bill used to be about the cost of the loan most months between AC in the summer and heat for ever colder winters. So for us it worked out to be instead of paying the power company we pay a bank until we pay it off. That shouldn't be long and will be even more worth it once energy prices keep increasing.

@BassLiberators

5 күн бұрын

@@percy9228 I'm not surprised that someone who's into bitcoin doesn't realise why you would use 5% to estimate bonds rather than 10% lol

Certainly! Here's an improved version: --- The $48,000 estimate is probably from a solar company handling the entire installation. However, based on my firsthand experience, installing solar panels isn't difficult. We have solar panels at our weekend house in West Tennessee. Initially, it took some time to get the local utility to permit individual homeowners to install their own solar systems and connect to the grid after an inspection. Now, it's possible. I'm planning to install solar panels at our main house near Nashville within the next two years. Doing the installation yourself can lead to significant cost savings. It's not as hard as it seems.

Great video man but fuck living in Arizona. Living in southern Utah near Moab was hot enough. lol You got a pretty good system there. do you know the efficiency of each panel? Is it 20-ish% i'm guessing. Because the average 0.5% reduction in efficiency each year can add up after awhile. I'd like to know the amount that is projected to make after 10 years with the efficiency rating going down. plus keeping the dust off the glass too is a factor. Thanks again.

Charging the car during the day only works if you work from home though.

@scotthall1381

6 күн бұрын

He has Net Metering and charging the car at night on SRP solar plans is like 4 cents a kw

Would off gird be cheaper?

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

It's difficult to say. Basically the grid acts as a large battery that I can use at night. If I did only use the Powerwalls, then those batteries would degrade faster. So I only use the Powerwalls as little as necessary.

Thanks for the transparency, Reed. Do you also have a charge for electricity transmission, or does this "connection fee" replace that? Here in Ohio, we have two charges: one for electricy generation, which you can buy from multiple companies on an open market, and one for transmission, which comes from your traditional electric monopoly to cover the delivery and wiring to your home.

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

No we don’t have separate fee so the connection fee must cover it.

What is the average amount of Solar radiaton during Summer and Winter in your Region?

Like other solar videos, this is only helpful for people who live in Arizona, and I guess near Reid. Still appreciate the video and hearing about the experience but everything is always apples to oranges.

That’s pretty interesting, I have a 12.4 kW system as well, but only one inverter. Do you know why you went with two? I wonder if that’s why you generate more power also. Last year I did 16.6 MWh. But I’m also in Ohio where it is measurably less sunny lol

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

One of my inverters is 7.6kW and the other is 3.8kW I think. Your inverter could be bigger and handle more.

There are some power shots in this one ^^

Sooo how long will the equipment last before it needs to a costly repair or service? Im assuming this will happen before the break even period which would extend that period further. How does this affect your roof and your insurance on it if there are leaks?

Have you added spray foam to your attic to use even less energy?

My gas compan;y has a $25/mo "monthly customer charge" regardless of usage. I just switched that over to electric. Edit: i've got the only house in the 'hood with no gas meter now.

Crank that AC up!!! As long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters🎉👍. Thanks for the great content

@MrAlucardDante

5 күн бұрын

You could also say "As long as you are happy heating up the planet even more"

Can you tell us your 2 inverter sizes and brand?

I recently got silar installed at my house in India about 3 minths ago, and here are a few dufferences I noticed between the cost breakdown of your system vs mine A few things to note Our homes are much smaller than those in the states In my city we need aircon only about 4 months a year, plus it doesnt get very cold so heating costs are not a factor for us We also dont own any electic vehicle Ee went for a 3 kW on grid system so no batteries involved. The total price of the entire system was 178 k INR and after 79 k in cash subsidy it cost us 99k INR (1,200 USD). Thats pretty cheap. The system can not cover our demand in the summer but the idea is since our electimricuty usage in winters is next to nothing (only lights and other daily use appliances), we plan to build up credit in the winter months and use them in the summer months to be net zero over the course of the entire year. Based on our electricity rates and consumption, i expect out system to break even in 4 years. With a 20 year warranty on panels, thus is a steal. Free electricity for atleast 16 years maybe more. And when we switch away from petrol, installing more panels isnt that difficult so yeah, solar for the win😂

Break-even in Brasil for a similar size system without batteries is less than 4 years.

That cost is insane, i assume because you used tesla powerwall, in Romania a solar pannel kit of 12 kw of solar + 20 kw of storage + 10 kw inverter costs you around 7500 US dolars, yes 7500. without any incentives . You can also get incentives around 3000 $, bringing the cost of the sistem to 4500 $.

Resale value.....I have solar panels on my house. I tried to sell it a couple of years ago, and our realtor told us most of her clients walked because they didn't want the panels. We also have cameras inside the house that were recording during the open house days. Even though we laid out informational FACTS about our solar, the other realtors that showed the house lied to their clients about the system. Why they'd sabotage their own sales is beyond me, but I'm glad they did. The house we were going to buy ended up having a termite infestation. *WHEW*

@mesodan

2 күн бұрын

In Australia it is a selling point. 1 in 3 homes have solar so everyone knows the benefits.

@Ziedo

8 сағат бұрын

That's insane. I imagine it will change in a few years as solar becomes more common/understood. I'm in California and can't see it as anything but a positive.

Definitely love my solar system. 13.465kwh

@punksjutgbd

4 күн бұрын

kWh?

I'd have liked to get a few more panels, but we couldn't fit any more on our south facing roof, our peak/off peak difference is pretty extreme, so being able to fill the power walls with cheap power overnight power, and then sell back at more than that during the day has hugely reduced our payback period of a 5.8kwp and 2 power wall system to around 7 years. But ignoring the payback period we've knocked about 250 a month off our bills, because despite still using gas for heating and hot water the returned solar is paying for that over summer. I've only had a few months with the system, but logging onto my utility and seeing our bill being close to 0 for electricity and gas is great, next step is to ditch the gas!

60kwh on a winter day.... damn i'm crying myself to bed.. Over here it's MAYBE 3kwh total in winter time.

Generation is 85 Units per day? Thats amazing. What's the brand of your inverter?

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

It’s just the one from Tesla.

13.6 years... But what is the warranty on each component? And degradation of the panels, inverters and batteries?

If the neighborhood has a power outage are you immune or does system default to batteries?

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

Completely immune. The system switches over to batteries immediately. What’s really cool is the internet runs on a different power supply so my house keeps on running like nothing happened.

If your break even is 11-13 years, when do you need to replace the solar panels? Are they still around 15 years?

@NateBraska

6 күн бұрын

Most panels have a 25 year warranty. The inverters are 12.5 years for Tesla (at least it's are).

@venom5809

5 күн бұрын

@@NateBraska I assume it's a pro rated warranty. No way anyone is straight warrantying something for 25 years.

@NateBraska

5 күн бұрын

@@venom5809 it's pretty much a "if complete failure". Technically it's supposed to have a expected loss each year. I don't think it's prorated, why would it be? I expect them to replace them, pending the manufacturer and specific warranty. For panels/modules went with QCell but considered REC. I also went with the Tesla Inverters to keep them at ground level (vs micro). The Enphase have good ratings, and micros their own set of pros/cons, but at least 2 legit installers didn't recommend them because their 25 year warranty is only for the part. They only have 2 years for labor included in that, and since they are installed under each panel, the labor will likely not be trivial. The String vs PO vs Micro debate is a big one, and unique to each install, so I don't mean to bring that up. There's just a lot of factors when deciding. My estimated payback in ATX was about 13 years as well (Austin Energy has a really dumb billing/credit setup). Signed my install contract before the end of 2023 but only just had them enabled about a month ago. Partially on the installer, mostly on the local utility (shutdown, inspection, etc lead times)

@NateBraska

5 күн бұрын

@@venom5809 I had typed up something longer and thought it sent. I choose between QCell and REC panels. Pretty sure both have a 25 year performance warranty. Easy to look up online.

@ThatsPety

5 күн бұрын

​@venom5809 I don't remember exactly, but i think they guarantee a certain level of efficiency for a certain period of time. For example, they might say "30 years from now it will be no worse than 70% of the efficiency it had when it was new" or something like that, and that's the promise backed by warranty I'm just talking from memory though so I could be wrong

Those January solar production numbers ... I'm so jealous ... we make almost NOTHING in December/January. Dec. 2023 was I think 70kwh total solar for the month, on a good June day I can make 38kwh. So ALL of December is worth two solid June days ... Ah, Belgian weather ....

Thanks for the video. A couple of questions for you. Does your ROI include maintenance/upkeep fees, warranty fees, finance costs (interest) that would occur over the life of the system or just the initial costs (i.e. one time $48k or $31k after rebates)? If you paid cash are you including the potential lost income (interest or investment growth) from that cash (min of 2% compounded over 13 yrs = $9k where as max of 12% (S&P) over 13 yrs = $110k). Just want to ensure your ROI model includes all the "hidden" costs and opportunity losses. I suspect the ROI is either a lot further out or not existent.

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

There are warranties for the Powerwalls, solar panels and they just come out and fix it with no extra cost. So yes it’s included. The logic of lost interest doesn’t work like you mentioned. That money would slowly go away as I pay for electricity.

@michaelsd284

4 күн бұрын

@@SmartHomeSolver That true, so lets adding in your average monthly elect bill which you mentioned was around $200/month or $2,400 annually. After 13 yrs if you had invested the $ 31K in the S&P you would have accumulate a total of $56k while spending $2,400 of the gains each year. Of course, we do have to assume a couple of other things like the fact that you probably are consuming more elec now that you have the solar capacity and we would have to account for some form of rate increase. But then again, I would assume after 13 yrs your solar system would be rather antiquated. All this being said, I applaud you for getting mostly off the grid but as far as a financial investment going solar I do not believe you are there yet.

Love the video, but one small thing I want to add. I am an electrical engineer for a utility company and while it seems crazy the fee to be connected to the grid is entirely reasonable in my opinion. There are very real costs to building and maintaining the transmission lines that connect you to generators and those need to be covered. If solar customers did not pay these fees it would effectively be a regressive tax as those not fortunate enough to afford solar systems would then have to pay a higher fee to cover the infrastructure costs.

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

Thanks for the input. You’re right that I’m getting a lot from the grid since it acts like a big battery that I can use at night. I won’t complain about it anymore haha.

So how does this get connected to home assistant?

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

There is an integration. It works great and I can view my usage/solar/battery all nicely in a graph in Home Assistant. I have it set up with a few automations too.

No mention of your average (because it will change year to year) cost per kWh. Your initial outlay ($48k - credits) amortized over X years (30? Unlikely) divided by your actual annual production, or the estimated production values provided by Tesla. BTW, a 13.6 year payback reflects a rotten ROI made slightly more tolerable with a battery operated AC during a summer power outage. Far cheaper to install a transfer switch, easy start box on the heat pump or AC unit and a propane generator.

Meanwhile where i live rates are 34.23c kw/h :(

How many payments for this? Or did you pay in full?

My electric is about $60/month with levelized billing for $720/yr. At $48k for solar, it'd take me over 48yrs to see any savings (I'm 45yo now, btw).😒

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

You would need a smaller system that wouldn’t cost that much. Haha 93 years old to see returns on a system like that would not be worth it.

Why is your panel layout not symmetrical? 😢

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

I know right! Luckily I only see it when flying the drone.

Curious why you have 2 A/C systems, in a 1 story?

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

The one isn’t large enough to cover the square footage.

if you consider time as a form of money there is much of that added as part of the cost as well. it also depends where you live because solar panel theft and vandalism is a thing. you open yourself to a lot of many factors than if you never had solar panels to begin with. it attracts attention and may show you have electric cars in the garage and other valuable things to a vandal or robber. i am not downplaying the benefits but at this time, moderation in this tech is probably more beneficial in the long run… unless you are rich when you can upgrade all the solar hardware every 2 to 5 years or whenever you want and have the time to do that. most people have full time jobs so don’t have this luxury of time and money. it’s where the maximized benefits come to those who can afford a very high cost upfront versus those who can’t practically afford it so go the other route of the electric bill. probably the best route for most people is to just save money to have the facility to do something at a later date. by then, improved and more mature tech would be out taking into account more of the issues that came about with early adopters. with all that said, i appreciate the transparency. it helps others looking into this.

Best solar company for NY resident??

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

I would start with EnergySage.

Ecobee thermostat i installed this week. First time i’ve ever thought maybe those anti-capitalists are onto something

Hahahahahahahahaha. That was the best ending ever!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha

I have made 23.5Mwh in 5 years, LOL.... nice setup!

Pluto is and forever will 💯 be a planet!! Way to raise those kids up right!

I was told I only need an 8kwh to get 100% offset, I went ahead and got a 9kwh set, in full years in 2021 I generated 11.6 MWh, 22 - 12 MHh, 23 - 11.6MWh, and so far in 24 I am at 5.55 MWh. This offsets about 1/3rd my yearly cost, it's going to take me 15 years to get my money back in the solar panels and that's with me putting down 27k so I wouldn't be paying much in interest. I have Toshiba panels and a Solaredge system, would I go solar again? NO

Of course, Solar is worth it. Ever heard of Immersive Translate?? It is a tool with meticulously crafted prompts, that allows translations in the technology field become more accurate and professional.

Pluto is a planet. As are Ceres, Eris and others. We should probably find a more specific way to refer to these little planets, and distinguish them from planets that have cleared their orbital path

@KalleKilponen

5 күн бұрын

Maybe we could call them "dwarf planets"?

@BassLiberators

5 күн бұрын

They're not planets and they already have a term lol

Pluto is a planet, end of story.

Almost 14 years to break even is waaaay to long.. especially when battery life is more or less 10 years..

Inverters are used, for using solar energy. I do not remember hearing, or reading about storing solar energy.

@SmartHomeSolver

6 күн бұрын

Yes the inverters are for using the solar energy. I can use that energy to charge up my Powerwalls (storing the energy created by solar), use it to power my house or send it back to the grid.

I was estimated 25k to put solar on my house. My bill with gas included is around $90 a month, usually half of that is electric. It would take a long time to make up the 15k difference and by then I am sure I would need some repairs. 31k? You won't make that up in your lifetime. In 13.6 years you'll be lucky to not have put at least 10k into it for repairs and batteries.

Did you pay for this in cash or are you doing a payment plan??

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

It was paid in cash. We had some extra money from selling our previous house.

@kevinsono

4 күн бұрын

@@SmartHomeSolver well dang you weren't kidding when you said zero $ electric bill

13.6 years unless something breaks or needs to be replaced....I mean that power wall thing broke after just two years so that's not exactly promising.

@SmartHomeSolver

4 күн бұрын

There’s always a risk to everything and the warranties are really good. They came and replaced the any issue with nothing extra out of my pocket.

Your electricity is so expensive. In Russia, 1 kilowatt costs 7 cents.