**Correction** Tax Credit will apply to Tesla Shingle Roofs, to claim tax credit for new roof, not a new asphalt shingle roof that you purchased with Solar.
yes - this video did better position my thinking processes. I learn more from presentations that explain "mistakes" than from a presentation where the presenter is the hero of his/her story: "commonly, people learn from their mistakes - wise people learn from the mistakes of others. And fools don't learn from either of them." Greg (garden grove, CA usa)
Excellent video! Here in South Africa, our corrupt government has broken the state utility company beyond repair, so we suffer up to 3 power cuts daily, lasting 2-4h each, so having a grid-tied or off-grid system is now more of a necessity than a nice-to-have. Content like this is invaluable, so thank you!
A fool had to bring the government into this as if the presenter knows or even care about South Africa, talk about unpatriotic sod! You'll never hear other nations discussing internal issues with outsiders.
Hi Jack, great video, and you make very good points regarding things to do or consider. If I could add one more item to your list. Before considering a new solar system, optimize your home, that is to do things such if you have an old central air conditioning system, replace it with a newer high efficiency model WITH variable speed compressor (inverter technology), variable speed fans, both on the outside condenser and the air handler indoors, since when they turn on they turn on gently and don't clobber the inverter with a high start up current draw. Other things fix air leaks around the house, install insulation, etc. do all the things that will lower your overall yearly consumption BEFORE committing to a new solar system. Doing all these kinds of common sense things will greatly reduce the size of the solar and battery systems needed and save money. Just my 2 cents. Good luck on your new channel, I just subscribed and look forward to your videos.
Don't ANY of you clowns remember when 'air-conditioning'/etcetc didn't exist?? It might remind you that much of the crap you're all so concerned about is if not irrelevant then certainly unnecessary. The crap that people are prepared to sell their souls (or their arses!) for is inexplicable to someone who grew up without any of it; including electricity. (except for the car-battery-powered mantle-radio.)
Thanks for the info. Came here expecting to find I had made huge mistakes when going solar nearly two years ago, relieved to find that I didn't actually make any of the mistakes you listed.
I enjoyed this informative video. Because of not wanting a long term commitment,the likelihood of lower priced equipment in the future, or questions about what one really needs,some people may not take advantage of this great opportunity. It’s true that quality of equipment improvement and prices falling may give an advantage to buy later. For almost everyone who has a place to put a small,ground mounted array,the DIY off-grid systems are a good place to start.They are scalable and can be easily moved when the person has to relocate. Connected to a small essential-circuits panel you can easily move lighting,refrigerator ,life support equipment,washing machine,etc to a small system.I have 2 refrigerators,a freezer,several small window ac units , and most of the general purpose receptacles and lighting connected to a 5 KW inverter,15 KWH LFP battery,and 10 used panels.I was surprised to find that this load only used from 10-20% of the inverter capacity. Instead of adding to this system,I built a separate,bigger system,piece-by-piece paying cash for more capacity. With it I run the large loads and a small rent house. While I still have a grid connection,it’s mainly used to top off the batteries at night when my provider has free electricity. $30.02 bill in August in Texas. About $20,000 investment I expect to recover over the next five years.I can load it on a trailer in two days and be gone if needed. Listen to John Prine’s “ Spanish Pipe Dream “ for motivation.
Great video ! I am 100% OFF GRID, no ties to sell or buy just bought my own stuff & put it together, the panels are the cheap part, My battery bank runs me ok in summer but still building my bank to what I need for winter as money allows, I only have 1400ah of storage and really need about 4000ah, with the short days in the way north I have 4 months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb that I have to use a little generator to keep batteries topped up, In my parts panels have to be adjustable to follow the sun & to keep the snow off them.
Listing amp-hours without system voltage is not completing the unit, and therefore we have no idea how much energy storage you have. Going off grid might be cute and all but it is not for the everyday person as it would be ridiculous if people had to run their generators to charge batteries when we have foggy or cloudy weather. I love it and I lived off grid for 24 years but there is nothing green about it and your battery bank sounds ridiculously small.
A friend of mine made up a solar trailer on his back yard. A large tandem wheel unit that has an inverter and a switchboard and battery pack, plus fold out arms for the solar array and it sits in his yard facing the sun. The local city had a fit when they saw it and asked him to remove it --he counted the argument by saying what about the person next door with his big motor home. Then they countered and said the trailer had no road permits. They lost the case as the city would have had to take every truck and car and trailer that is off the and road, and remove them from everyone's home in that city. He is considering making hot houses made aluminum frame with solar panels batteries and inverter for the home gardener-- Ha Ha Ha. Tied into the home via a light activated change over relay switch in the fuse box in the home for nighttime use. Build a workshop then line the roof with panels/ Pergola roof with panels/ A brilliant system to bypass the bullshit.
just watched all your videos to date. Very good info in all and it's nice to get info from someone who is not a salesman or sponsored by the industry. Curious what your feelings and/or recommendations are about DIY. I am leaning that direction for a rack mount system
Thank you. I do sell solar, but I take a much different approach then the rest of the industry. DIY solar can be a great option, because you can save $ on equipment, but It will be a longer process, and be riskier, because you will have to file for your own permitting, likely hire electricians to wire the inverter, and also not be granted any service warranties on the system. If you are up for the project go for it. It will also allow you to pick and choose which equipment you like which is a plus.
Very useful info, thanks! Unfortunately, my power company is a coop and they don’t offer net metering as a service, but I’m still looking into solar for a new home build to reduce my reliance on the grid and protect from power outages.
Nice! Even if you have a coOp, you can slightly undersize the system to ensure you don’t send to much back to the grid. Otherwise battery backup can help. Best of luck!
There's an aspect of Power Purchase Agreements that you missed. Buried deep in the agreements there's sometimes obscure legal language that allows the company to put a lien on the property.There's never a section that says "LIEN AGREEMENT". Companies will seldom use the words "property lien" because it tends to make people have second thoughts about signing an agreement. In some countries/states/counties it doesn't even need to be in the agreement, they can just take a lien out against a property they have a system on. It's like an honor system where the gov't assumes companies will only take out liens in good faith. Leaving it up to the courts to sort it out. When asked about property liens I got four different types of answers from salespeople. 1 "I don't know". Or "I am unaware of any lien". (most common answer by far) 2 "We don't do liens" (No company putting potentially tens of thousands of $$$ worth of labor and equipment on other people's property is going to leave it to the honor system if you sell your property, or if the you unexpectedly pass away. To stay solvent they need to be assured of a return on investment.) 3 "There is nothing in the agreement about liens". (Technically true. Like I said, some areas don't require a lien agreement from the property owner. A company can just take a lien out on a property without the owners knowledge or consent. So by answering "There is nothing in the agreement..." doesn't mean there won't be a lien on your property.) 4 "Yes there is a lien" There are other types of companies that offer "service agreements" that do property liens too. (Not all service companies do this) Say for instance you sign an agreement to have filters changed or HVAC equipment service. They will also sometimes put liens on your property. The wording in the agreements will often times deliberately obscure that so read carefully and ask questions.
@@jackthesolarguy Short answer. It depends on your situation. (Lol I know horrible answer) Long answer. when you enter into a contract with a company they need assurances of a return on investment. It's not just solar companies, this is true with any contract you're signing with any company where they might be giving you a "deal". Especially where you're paying nothing out of pocket. The contracts vary widely. Some companies will do solar at 0 cost to you. Some companies, you don't have to pay for installation, but you do have to pay a monthly flat fee. Some companies the monthly fee might fluctuate depending on how much energy is created. etc. My neighbor for example got "free solar panel installation", they don't pay for electricity, but they do pay $80 a month flat fee for the term of the contract. Which was better than paying a much higher electric bill every month (Like $300+). But when the husband suddenly got injured in an accident and they wanted to sell their home they had several choices. As is typical the new buyers need to also sign a contract with the company. The company will often times NOT have the same terms as before. The monthly fee might be higher. How much higher? Ah see, they have the equipment there already and they have you already "locked" into the contract, so they have an advantage in the negotiation. Sometimes it will be the same terms, but effectively the company can set any rate they like and you only have one recourse. You can buy out the contract. That brings us to the second option my neighbor had. They could buy out the contract. Which was costly and prohibitive. Apparently in the contract the buyout was in excess of $50,000. That is obviously FAR more money than it took to install a solar power system, but from the companies point of view they also want return on investment they would have gotten from the long term agreement. So if the new buyer is agreeable to signing onto whatever agreement the company offers, there's not much of a problem. But make no mistake the company is dictating those terms, because they already have their equipment there and a contract in hand. So the added complications mean you're reducing your potential buyer base some buyers are averse to buying into a property with a long term service agreement. Which means you may have to reduce the selling price of the property. Of course the local real estate market will be a big determining factor here. In some areas a contract like that may be a selling point, like say in CA perhaps. My neighbor (In Massachusetts) for example had two choices for a quick sale. They needed to either buy out the contract for $50,000+ OR significantly reduce the selling price of the house. They chose the latter, but still had difficulty finding a buyer willing to sign on with the company. Even though there was wording in the contract that gave the impression that all terms would just be transferred to the new owner, there was terminology that allowed a LOT of wriggle room. The new terms were not as amenable. And sure, why not, the company had the reigns in that situation. So what does this mean in that example? Effectively the PPA they signed significantly reduced the resale value of their home. While we all know that buying your solar power system outright will almost certainly increase the resale value. It's definitely a selling point that the new buyers will only have to pay a low monthly service fee to be on the grid every month. All they have to do is set aside a min amount every month for maintenance costs. So the lesson is to be REALLY sure a long term PPA is going to fit your situation. Be really sure to read any agreements carefully. But even if you do, think of it this way. A company is now going to have a legal claim to some portion of the value of your property. That can go bad in so many ways, especially if the company is not on the up and up. Like you said in the video researching the company is a really good idea. EDIT: For clarity.
A UCC-1 filing? Your entire paragraph is speculation and misinformation. Educate yourself with sources that aren’t random people on the internet. Unreal. Disliking this video and flagging this channel for misinformation.
Thanks for this. I'm in BC Canada, have a chevy bolt euv on order, and am looking into solar panels for the house. I'm learning all I can about it before I invest.
I don't live in California so I won't use optimizers I use the way I do it now except I just combine the wiring together to make More voltage and use a combiner box to bring it into the house and I might end up doing it myself which did not have to watch no more RUclips videos but I did put my own roof on my house I am a carpenter.
When changing a roof, there is the solar shingles option... But the tech is not well researched so best to make sure that your roof shingles don't fall off.
Roof shingles have been tried again and again over the last 20 years and all of them have been a flop. Steer clear! Also the labor is just way too high for that technology.
The inverter is the most important part of the system according to most solar experts. And 80% of customers lease, whether this is smart or not. Companies that don't lease will always recommend not leasing. So it's hard to know whether your opinion is objective. The biggest mistake people make is not making a system military grade or EMF proof in case of war or outages.
Another mistake is assuming you will have a warranty on a new roof after having a company drill 50 to 100 holes in it for lag bolts. They will just laugh at you and tell you that you voided your warranty. Another thing to consider is many home owners insurance companies won't cover you for having over 20 panels. So make sure they're happy before you go too big. It's also a very easy DIY if you are handy. You can save thousands of dollars over paying a solar company to install a system.
That's not true, the installation might be easy if you are technically inclined but pulling a permit and getting the interconnection agreement and not screwing up your homeowners insurance is not an easy task.
Thanks for sharing this information. I live in southern Arizona & I am in the process of getting estimates. What solar panels or company do you recommend. Thanks for your time
1. Use a solar company that is established and reputable. So many solar companies are fly by night leaving customers with no one to call for warranties and most other companies will not touch systems that they have not installed. 2. Don’t buy into solar panel scams like zero out of pocket- many of these don’t tell you how much you’ll pay to finance and the complexities and problems if you sell your house later on. 3. If your house has high utility bill look into common insulation problems first before purchasing solar. Your windows may need replacement, your HVAC system may need tune up/repair/maintenance or replacement and you’ll find out that doing these things may instead save you money in the long run. 4. Know that solar panels do not increase the value of your home unless its paid off- even if its paid off its not a 1:1 increase
Seeing what is happen in Ukraine with the attacks on nuclear power stations I can't see way any country would decide to build a nuclear power station. The strategic risk the Nuclear power poses in a war puts the country were it is built at a disadvantage. Home Solar with backup storage would decentralize power generation making what Russia is doing attacking power infrastructure impossible as there is on central power generator.
This is the only reason to go solar. On the downside is that someone with guns are going to take your home from you. Don't expect rule of law to keep you safe if the grid falls.
I have a question. We are in Puerto Rico. The grid is not reliable and electricity cost is on a sliding scale expected to hit up to .50 cents a kw this year. I understand why owning your system outright seems advantageous, however (at least down here) the primary reason for renting over ownership is the service package. I don’t have the time or education to troubleshoot my solar system. I’m not even on the island for moths at a time. And when something goes wrong (and it does) if you are renting a phone call and it’s fixed. That’s huge for someone like myself. I was told if I buy it, I’m on my own. Am I missing something? Thanks!
That’s not true. With purchasing, you will have a 10-15 servicing package as well, it will just fall under your warranties. Feel free to book a call with us at Solarprosteam.com if you would like a quote for a Puerto Rico Install.
Biggest mistake is being Grid tied and not fully understanding that contract, when you become a power generator feeding the Grid, you are responsible maintaining and replacing anything that has reached its certified life, Power company is asking for your component list for a reason, in 15yrs expect a letter in the mail demanding you replace parts, and that will never end.
Inverter rated for 15yrs, replace it, does not matter it "Could" have made 25yrs....stuffs gonna hit the fan soon, then wait for "Insurance" to get involved....ppl are gonna be hating life soon enough with this "Experiment" in uneducated unqualified Homeowners generating power....Let the Grid put up the solar for the Grid, If you must install it, keep your PV system "Off Grid", and run a transfer switch to use the Grid when needed.
Thanks! If you would like to check out my latest video going over leasing vs owning solar, I explain more detail why leasing can cause issues selling your home.
Just put in yourself Buy it out right Why have an installer’s Don’t do roofs Put it on the ground base The more panels and batteries the better Go off grid us best
The biggest problem you'll have is actually getting to the person in the installation (EPC) company who can answer these questions. 1. Do they have a Warranty Reserve? This is the amount of money set aside for future costs which will inevitably come. 99% of solar salespeople have NO clue what this is...and therefore, they'll make something up. Or lie. I love salespeople, but this is reality. And, I'd say that, at best, 90% of solar EPCs do not have a Warranty Reserve. Two that do (or their Dealers) are SunPower and Powur. 2. What is their plan for being in business in the future? This seems like a silly question, but if you can find out that their plan is to make as much money as possibe, then sell their business, you're (if you're wanting to work for one) probably going to be selling, selling, selling (or if you're a homeowner that gets sold) with no regard to the future needs/requirements of the homeowners' solar systems. It is a BIG frigging deal, but they'll make is seem like it isn't an issue. Or they'll sell you a supplemental insurance package that has many limitations and loopholes in it. (Solar Insure, Omnidian, etc.) 3. Are they too small (and new) or too large (and jaded)? The point behind this is to find a local/regional installer that is doing a substantial number of installs (from 100 to 500/month) and are debt free. A newer or larger EPC carry different kinds of financial issues/pressures, both of which add up to hiccups. If they're veterans in the industry and have grown EXTREMELY fast, then they're getting hit with unplanned for costs, supply chain issues, changes in the financing or product, and very likely, they're not paying out commissions to their sales teams, etc. Check the solar forums on facebook and do a search on commissions not getting paid. (see Warranty Reserve). Hope this helps. You can look me up or text me here: 469-879-9615.
Is it possible to buy my panels outright and having someone hook them up in my home ? I want to put them along my fence because my house doesnt have enough roof space to fit them.
Wrong. Increasing our solar panels by more than 7% would kick us out of NEM 2.0 and into NEM 3.0 in California. We completely covered the roof in solar panels because it’s unlikely to be an option later.
Buy your own equipment from Bluetti and be Electric independent!! If the grid goes down or your power goes out your solar panels are useless!!! I went off grid because I can’t afford the electricity anymore!! It will cost you between $4 to $6 thousand to power your home with Bluetti power generators! It’s a wonderful feeling to be independent making you safer from ever loosing electricity again!!
So after 4 years of use I get told I need a new inverter, something they don’t tell you when you install the units claiming a 15 year life span, inverter cost £800 before vat
I know my state will pay $14 on a kilowatt they will charge you $25 to 50 cents depending on the day per kilowatt this I do understand the power usage I use I understand what I use for power and I understand how much more power I use in the winter time and one so the company says they'll put 405 Watts on my house I know what size those solar panels are already got four of those solar panels from Menards but one so the company generac told me they'll put solar panels on my house but I have one year to pay it back in full meaning I have one year to pay him back in and everything else after that is mine but I don't know what that cost would be but I got other solar panels that they can hook you up to the system as well and longer they wait to come over the more solar panels I'm going to have for them hook up to the system and my solar panels that I'm getting I put on ground mounts the ground mounts I make I got several size solar panels and right now I'm going with 12 volts when they come in it's all going to be changed to 48 volts that I understand.
To anyone with ability to learn yourself, you can easily install you own system. First, keep your mouth shut, tell neighbors/friend's nothing. Because you'll be bypassing your electrical panel, you'll still get a minimum electric bill even with main breaker off.. So buy an All In One unit, find panel deals, learn simple electric information and install. With some effort and time you'll have a complete system for a fraction of the cost. You can upgrade easily at any time. However, say your a big power consumer and mentally lazy; just keep paying your huge electric company.. It requires some thinking and work out of you, which most today refuse to do... Which one of these are You!!!
Hi Jack, I live in Northern Idaho, and I made the mistake of roof mounting my 24 290w panels. They are often covered by snow which means my generator has to run much more than I would like. I do not want to remove and relocate them. I added 12 ground mount panels this year to help. My question is, have you found a reliable cost efficient method to melt snow off roof mounted panels? It seems someone should be able to come up with an efficient cost effective method to do this. Thanks.
The most common method I am familiar with is using a leaf blower. If that is not accessible for you, I would recommend reaching out to a local panel cleaning company, who likely will offer that service.
Here is a possible method if you have a log burner with a wet back fitted, run some piping with a spray or drip system along the length of the panels across the top so you can run warm not to hot tho you don't want to damage your panels and make sure you lag your pipes so they don't freeze up 12 mm piping will do the job. PS make sure your not standing underneath the snow when it lets go.
The ELEVENTH tip I would add is to make sure you communicate your future plans to have a BATTERY BACKUP installed. I specifically told all the companies I interviewed we were going to do this in two phases due to budget and tax liability issues. Phase One was an OVERSIZE PV system this year and Phase Two would be to add batteries next year I wanted anything installed during Phase One to be compatible with Phase Two. And that included pre-planning for the location of all the batteries, boxes/conduits etc so nothing would have to be replaced or moved when we add the batteries. We made it clear that we would only buy LFP batteries, am hoping the Tesla Powerwall 3 is available when the time comes, or else they won't be in the running. We also stipulated we wanted Made in the USA whenever possible and were willing to pay more. We told him I wanted as little Made in China as possible. We told him we and our HOA don't want my house to look like some WWII battleship with stuff draped all over our house including the finished garage. If they had to open walls they had my permission. So be very specific in communicating your desires. It's your money and home and you will be living with this system for decades, do it right the first time.
poreso la compania de electrisidad les anuncian alos dueños delas vibiendas que mejor usan un alternador electrico porque la compania ellos tienen sus alternadores productores de electrisidad y les venden un alternador chiquito para una casa y el cliente nomas ba pagar la electresidad que gaste su alternador sito y tada la electresidad que produsca el alternador sito es gratis poreso no quieren que los clientes agan tanto desmadre arriba de sus casas de paneles que produce es gratis es gratis para el cliente dueño dela casa
The idea that it pays for itself is a bunch of crap. I invest 40k and in 15 years i have 180k. You invest 40k in solar and in 15 years you break even at $0.00
for most people that re,mmain on grid batteries are useless and you8 shoudl enevr consider them. you just cant make the money back. Batteries are for off grid and you need a overdose of panels just to get the battery charged in winter.
If you receive a cheap overnight off peak rate then they can pay for themselves in under 8 years. Fill battery overnight at cheap rate and use battery in the day when it’s more expensive.
@@jackthesolarguy Well for a 10 kwh battery here you pay 5 grand without install. That's barely 1 day use (can't drain lithium batteries to zero which many forget) is that worth it? if you have many short dropouts i'd stop paying my service fees as clearly thewy need to invest in the network and if its many long ones your going to need several batteries worth many pears of power bills plus a LOT of solar. my solar setup of 3200 wp barely gives me 2 kwh in winter days. So to fill a battery for my day use id need 3 times my setup which is 3 times my year use. thats wasted money on batteries and on excess solar. its just not a wise investment. if the grid is that unstable id move to a other place as thats unacceptable.
As stated above, it's not always about ROI but stability in daily life. Also, it just feels better knowing you have an actual backup in case things go south. And not everyone has, nor wants to exercise the option of packing up and leaving. Can't exactly pack up the house your family has been living in for generations... but you can modernize it by going solar and possibly a battery backup.
@@ungoyone Wel if you have the disposable money to do so whats fine but i prefer to keep my noney and don't invest in things that have no return. Then again i live in a country with about the most stable grid in the world so i dont really need a backup. Battery is just a very short term solution as they do not store a lot of energy. if i was to store my summer generation for winter i need a extra room in the house to store the batteries for winter.
Basicly never lease always own . Its funny theseccompanies want 40k for solar panels when yoy can buy them off of ebay for 15k , takes then 2 days or so to install . Wtf talk about a ripoff
@@danielb516 Solar system has 3 components - 1)Panels 2)Inverters, junction boxes & connection wires 3) installation accessories, structures & labour The cost of inverters, junction boxes & wires should come out to be 60-65% of the panel costs. The structure & installations costs about 50% of panel costs. If you have any regulatory requirements like installing lighting arrestor, new meters, extra groundings, breaker boxes etc, it can cost more depending on the regulations. In general, assume that panels are only 40-45% of the cost.
**Correction** Tax Credit will apply to Tesla Shingle Roofs, to claim tax credit for new roof, not a new asphalt shingle roof that you purchased with Solar.
Thank you. My head about exploded when he said the ITC also includes a new roof.
yes - this video did better position my thinking processes. I learn more from presentations that explain "mistakes" than from a presentation where the presenter is the hero of his/her story: "commonly, people learn from their mistakes - wise people learn from the mistakes of others. And fools don't learn from either of them." Greg (garden grove, CA usa)
Excellent video! Here in South Africa, our corrupt government has broken the state utility company beyond repair, so we suffer up to 3 power cuts daily, lasting 2-4h each, so having a grid-tied or off-grid system is now more of a necessity than a nice-to-have. Content like this is invaluable, so thank you!
Thank you
A fool had to bring the government into this as if the presenter knows or even care about South Africa, talk about unpatriotic sod! You'll never hear other nations discussing internal issues with outsiders.
@@penekedirero4636 shut up and sit down, you twit. Nobody pulled your string.
Hi Jack, great video, and you make very good points regarding things to do or consider. If I could add one more item to your list. Before considering a new solar system, optimize your home, that is to do things such if you have an old central air conditioning system, replace it with a newer high efficiency model WITH variable speed compressor (inverter technology), variable speed fans, both on the outside condenser and the air handler indoors, since when they turn on they turn on gently and don't clobber the inverter with a high start up current draw. Other things fix air leaks around the house, install insulation, etc. do all the things that will lower your overall yearly consumption BEFORE committing to a new solar system. Doing all these kinds of common sense things will greatly reduce the size of the solar and battery systems needed and save money. Just my 2 cents. Good luck on your new channel, I just subscribed and look forward to your videos.
I agree. Thank you for the feedback
Don't ANY of you clowns remember when 'air-conditioning'/etcetc didn't exist?? It might remind you that much of the crap you're all so concerned about is if not irrelevant then certainly unnecessary. The crap that people are prepared to sell their souls (or their arses!) for is inexplicable to someone who grew up without any of it; including electricity. (except for the car-battery-powered mantle-radio.)
Thanks for the info. Came here expecting to find I had made huge mistakes when going solar nearly two years ago, relieved to find that I didn't actually make any of the mistakes you listed.
Nice!
Hard to believe, but congratulations on your statement 😅
Best video I have seen to date.
Thank you
I enjoyed this informative video.
Because of not wanting a long term commitment,the likelihood of lower priced equipment in the future, or questions about what one really needs,some people may not take advantage of this great opportunity.
It’s true that quality of equipment improvement and prices falling may give an advantage to buy later.
For almost everyone who has a place to put a small,ground mounted array,the DIY off-grid systems are a good place to start.They are scalable and can be easily moved when the person has to relocate. Connected to a small essential-circuits panel you can easily move lighting,refrigerator ,life support equipment,washing machine,etc to a small system.I have 2 refrigerators,a freezer,several small window ac units , and most of the general purpose receptacles and lighting connected to a 5 KW inverter,15 KWH LFP battery,and 10 used panels.I was surprised to find that this load only used from 10-20% of the inverter capacity.
Instead of adding to this system,I built a separate,bigger system,piece-by-piece paying cash for more capacity. With it I run the large loads and a small rent house.
While I still have a grid connection,it’s mainly used to top off the batteries at night when my provider has free electricity. $30.02 bill in August in Texas.
About $20,000 investment I expect to recover over the next five years.I can load it on a trailer in two days and be gone if needed.
Listen to John Prine’s “ Spanish Pipe Dream “ for motivation.
Great video ! I am 100% OFF GRID, no ties to sell or buy just bought my own stuff & put it together, the panels are the cheap part, My battery bank runs me ok in summer but still building my bank to what I need for winter as money allows, I only have 1400ah of storage and really need about 4000ah, with the short days in the way north I have 4 months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb that I have to use a little generator to keep batteries topped up, In my parts panels have to be adjustable to follow the sun & to keep the snow off them.
Listing amp-hours without system voltage is not completing the unit, and therefore we have no idea how much energy storage you have. Going off grid might be cute and all but it is not for the everyday person as it would be ridiculous if people had to run their generators to charge batteries when we have foggy or cloudy weather. I love it and I lived off grid for 24 years but there is nothing green about it and your battery bank sounds ridiculously small.
The lease is a fleece!
Of course it is!! May as well stay on the grid.
A friend of mine made up a solar trailer on his back yard.
A large tandem wheel unit that has an inverter and a switchboard and battery pack, plus fold out arms for the solar array and it sits in his yard facing the sun. The local city had a fit when they saw it and asked him to remove it --he counted the argument by saying what about the person next door with his big motor home.
Then they countered and said the trailer had no road permits.
They lost the case as the city would have had to take every truck and car and trailer that is off the and road, and remove them from everyone's home in that city.
He is considering making hot houses made aluminum frame with solar panels batteries and inverter for the home gardener-- Ha Ha Ha.
Tied into the home via a light activated change over relay switch in the fuse box in the home for nighttime use.
Build a workshop then line the roof with panels/ Pergola roof with panels/
A brilliant system to bypass the bullshit.
This is criminally under-watched. Leaving a comment for some algorithm boost. Good luck
Thank you
just watched all your videos to date. Very good info in all and it's nice to get info from someone who is not a salesman or sponsored by the industry. Curious what your feelings and/or recommendations are about DIY. I am leaning that direction for a rack mount system
Thank you. I do sell solar, but I take a much different approach then the rest of the industry. DIY solar can be a great option, because you can save $ on equipment, but It will be a longer process, and be riskier, because you will have to file for your own permitting, likely hire electricians to wire the inverter, and also not be granted any service warranties on the system. If you are up for the project go for it. It will also allow you to pick and choose which equipment you like which is a plus.
Very useful info, thanks! Unfortunately, my power company is a coop and they don’t offer net metering as a service, but I’m still looking into solar for a new home build to reduce my reliance on the grid and protect from power outages.
Nice! Even if you have a coOp, you can slightly undersize the system to ensure you don’t send to much back to the grid. Otherwise battery backup can help. Best of luck!
Good for you!
There's an aspect of Power Purchase Agreements that you missed. Buried deep in the agreements there's sometimes obscure legal language that allows the company to put a lien on the property.There's never a section that says "LIEN AGREEMENT". Companies will seldom use the words "property lien" because it tends to make people have second thoughts about signing an agreement. In some countries/states/counties it doesn't even need to be in the agreement, they can just take a lien out against a property they have a system on. It's like an honor system where the gov't assumes companies will only take out liens in good faith. Leaving it up to the courts to sort it out.
When asked about property liens I got four different types of answers from salespeople.
1 "I don't know". Or "I am unaware of any lien". (most common answer by far)
2 "We don't do liens" (No company putting potentially tens of thousands of $$$ worth of labor and equipment on other people's property is going to leave it to the honor system if you sell your property, or if the you unexpectedly pass away. To stay solvent they need to be assured of a return on investment.)
3 "There is nothing in the agreement about liens". (Technically true. Like I said, some areas don't require a lien agreement from the property owner. A company can just take a lien out on a property without the owners knowledge or consent. So by answering "There is nothing in the agreement..." doesn't mean there won't be a lien on your property.)
4 "Yes there is a lien"
There are other types of companies that offer "service agreements" that do property liens too. (Not all service companies do this) Say for instance you sign an agreement to have filters changed or HVAC equipment service. They will also sometimes put liens on your property. The wording in the agreements will often times deliberately obscure that so read carefully and ask questions.
In other words… stay far away from PPA’s
@@jackthesolarguy Short answer. It depends on your situation.
(Lol I know horrible answer)
Long answer. when you enter into a contract with a company they need assurances of a return on investment. It's not just solar companies, this is true with any contract you're signing with any company where they might be giving you a "deal". Especially where you're paying nothing out of pocket.
The contracts vary widely. Some companies will do solar at 0 cost to you. Some companies, you don't have to pay for installation, but you do have to pay a monthly flat fee. Some companies the monthly fee might fluctuate depending on how much energy is created. etc.
My neighbor for example got "free solar panel installation", they don't pay for electricity, but they do pay $80 a month flat fee for the term of the contract. Which was better than paying a much higher electric bill every month (Like $300+). But when the husband suddenly got injured in an accident and they wanted to sell their home they had several choices. As is typical the new buyers need to also sign a contract with the company. The company will often times NOT have the same terms as before. The monthly fee might be higher. How much higher? Ah see, they have the equipment there already and they have you already "locked" into the contract, so they have an advantage in the negotiation. Sometimes it will be the same terms, but effectively the company can set any rate they like and you only have one recourse. You can buy out the contract.
That brings us to the second option my neighbor had. They could buy out the contract. Which was costly and prohibitive. Apparently in the contract the buyout was in excess of $50,000. That is obviously FAR more money than it took to install a solar power system, but from the companies point of view they also want return on investment they would have gotten from the long term agreement.
So if the new buyer is agreeable to signing onto whatever agreement the company offers, there's not much of a problem. But make no mistake the company is dictating those terms, because they already have their equipment there and a contract in hand. So the added complications mean you're reducing your potential buyer base some buyers are averse to buying into a property with a long term service agreement. Which means you may have to reduce the selling price of the property.
Of course the local real estate market will be a big determining factor here. In some areas a contract like that may be a selling point, like say in CA perhaps. My neighbor (In Massachusetts) for example had two choices for a quick sale. They needed to either buy out the contract for $50,000+ OR significantly reduce the selling price of the house. They chose the latter, but still had difficulty finding a buyer willing to sign on with the company. Even though there was wording in the contract that gave the impression that all terms would just be transferred to the new owner, there was terminology that allowed a LOT of wriggle room. The new terms were not as amenable. And sure, why not, the company had the reigns in that situation.
So what does this mean in that example? Effectively the PPA they signed significantly reduced the resale value of their home. While we all know that buying your solar power system outright will almost certainly increase the resale value. It's definitely a selling point that the new buyers will only have to pay a low monthly service fee to be on the grid every month. All they have to do is set aside a min amount every month for maintenance costs.
So the lesson is to be REALLY sure a long term PPA is going to fit your situation. Be really sure to read any agreements carefully. But even if you do, think of it this way. A company is now going to have a legal claim to some portion of the value of your property. That can go bad in so many ways, especially if the company is not on the up and up. Like you said in the video researching the company is a really good idea.
EDIT: For clarity.
A UCC-1 filing? Your entire paragraph is speculation and misinformation. Educate yourself with sources that aren’t random people on the internet. Unreal. Disliking this video and flagging this channel for misinformation.
Thank you! Very clear and practical info!
Thanks for this. I'm in BC Canada, have a chevy bolt euv on order, and am looking into solar panels for the house. I'm learning all I can about it before I invest.
Glad to help, good luck!
very informative session, something not available in BC - CANADA - THANK YOU👍
Our pleasure!
great video !!!....wise words !!!
Thank you
Thank You for Sharing your Knowledge!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Good info.
I don't live in California so I won't use optimizers I use the way I do it now except I just combine the wiring together to make More voltage and use a combiner box to bring it into the house and I might end up doing it myself which did not have to watch no more RUclips videos but I did put my own roof on my house I am a carpenter.
Nice
The way you describe that makes me very scared of your electrical competency.
Excellent presentation. Thank you for all the detail.
Glad it was helpful!
Nice content. Well done. Keep going.
Thank you! Will do!
Very helpful, thank you!
Thanks!
Thanks for the good advice- I subscribed and look forward to learning more from you.
Welcome!
When changing a roof, there is the solar shingles option... But the tech is not well researched so best to make sure that your roof shingles don't fall off.
Solar shingles are still in their infant stages. Very expensive, and not durable. Will make a video in the future about it
Roof shingles have been tried again and again over the last 20 years and all of them have been a flop. Steer clear! Also the labor is just way too high for that technology.
Good list
Thanks!
Great video, great information thanks for sharing
Glad it was helpful!
The inverter is the most important part of the system according to most solar experts. And 80% of customers lease, whether this is smart or not. Companies that don't lease will always recommend not leasing. So it's hard to know whether your opinion is objective. The biggest mistake people make is not making a system military grade or EMF proof in case of war or outages.
Interesting! I subscribed for more info in t he future!
Another mistake is assuming you will have a warranty on a new roof after having a company drill 50 to 100 holes in it for lag bolts. They will just laugh at you and tell you that you voided your warranty.
Another thing to consider is many home owners insurance companies won't cover you for having over 20 panels. So make sure they're happy before you go too big.
It's also a very easy DIY if you are handy. You can save thousands of dollars over paying a solar company to install a system.
That's not true, the installation might be easy if you are technically inclined but pulling a permit and getting the interconnection agreement and not screwing up your homeowners insurance is not an easy task.
great information, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic video
Thank you
Great content!
Thank you
Thanks for sharing this information. I live in southern Arizona & I am in the process of getting estimates. What solar panels or company do you recommend. Thanks for your time
You can book a call using the link in bio!
1. Use a solar company that is established and reputable. So many solar companies are fly by night leaving customers with no one to call for warranties and most other companies will not touch systems that they have not installed.
2. Don’t buy into solar panel scams like zero out of pocket- many of these don’t tell you how much you’ll pay to finance and the complexities and problems if you sell your house later on.
3. If your house has high utility bill look into common insulation problems first before purchasing solar. Your windows may need replacement, your HVAC system may need tune up/repair/maintenance or replacement and you’ll find out that doing these things may instead save you money in the long run.
4. Know that solar panels do not increase the value of your home unless its paid off- even if its paid off its not a 1:1 increase
All great points^
What about how it affects your homeowners insurance.
Seeing what is happen in Ukraine with the attacks on nuclear power stations I can't see way any country would decide to build a nuclear power station. The strategic risk the Nuclear power poses in a war puts the country were it is built at a disadvantage. Home Solar with backup storage would decentralize power generation making what Russia is doing attacking power infrastructure impossible as there is on central power generator.
Great point.
I think you meant to say 'I can't see why any country "would" want to install nuclear power'.
@@scout4locations the have corrected my error.
It’s only because Ukraine can’t shoot back at Russian nuclear plants and doesn’t have nukes.
This is the only reason to go solar. On the downside is that someone with guns are going to take your home from you. Don't expect rule of law to keep you safe if the grid falls.
I have a question. We are in Puerto Rico. The grid is not reliable and electricity cost is on a sliding scale expected to hit up to .50 cents a kw this year. I understand why owning your system outright seems advantageous, however (at least down here) the primary reason for renting over ownership is the service package. I don’t have the time or education to troubleshoot my solar system. I’m not even on the island for moths at a time. And when something goes wrong (and it does) if you are renting a phone call and it’s fixed. That’s huge for someone like myself. I was told if I buy it, I’m on my own. Am I missing something? Thanks!
That’s not true. With purchasing, you will have a 10-15 servicing package as well, it will just fall under your warranties. Feel free to book a call with us at Solarprosteam.com if you would like a quote for a Puerto Rico Install.
Help. I recently bought 5x100 w panel, 3 gel battery, wind Tribune with MPPT hybrid controller
Biggest mistake is being Grid tied and not fully understanding that contract, when you become a power generator feeding the Grid, you are responsible maintaining and replacing anything that has reached its certified life, Power company is asking for your component list for a reason, in 15yrs expect a letter in the mail demanding you replace parts, and that will never end.
Inverter rated for 15yrs, replace it, does not matter it "Could" have made 25yrs....stuffs gonna hit the fan soon, then wait for "Insurance" to get involved....ppl are gonna be hating life soon enough with this "Experiment" in uneducated unqualified Homeowners generating power....Let the Grid put up the solar for the Grid, If you must install it, keep your PV system "Off Grid", and run a transfer switch to use the Grid when needed.
Wait for the next 10yrs till Insurance companies get in on things and put the same requirements on "Off Grid" systems.
Remember Murphy's Law, if it can happen....it will happen.
Great video! This may be a dumb question but, why does leasing make it nearly impossible to sell your home?
Thanks! If you would like to check out my latest video going over leasing vs owning solar, I explain more detail why leasing can cause issues selling your home.
Should we clean the solar panels every once in a while. Rain washing the panels doesn’t make them look squeaky clean
How many 250w panels do I need to run a 12kwh 150vdc growatt inverter?
Great video. Thanks for all all the info!
Glad it was helpful!
Just put in yourself
Buy it out right
Why have an installer’s
Don’t do roofs
Put it on the ground base
The more panels and batteries the better
Go off grid us best
What is a clue that an installer company will be around for a long time? Or what is a clue that it won’t be around?
How long they have been in business for is the first thing I look at. That is the best predictor of future goings.
The biggest problem you'll have is actually getting to the person in the installation (EPC) company who can answer these questions.
1. Do they have a Warranty Reserve? This is the amount of money set aside for future costs which will inevitably come. 99% of solar salespeople have NO clue what this is...and therefore, they'll make something up. Or lie. I love salespeople, but this is reality. And, I'd say that, at best, 90% of solar EPCs do not have a Warranty Reserve. Two that do (or their Dealers) are SunPower and Powur.
2. What is their plan for being in business in the future? This seems like a silly question, but if you can find out that their plan is to make as much money as possibe, then sell their business, you're (if you're wanting to work for one) probably going to be selling, selling, selling (or if you're a homeowner that gets sold) with no regard to the future needs/requirements of the homeowners' solar systems. It is a BIG frigging deal, but they'll make is seem like it isn't an issue. Or they'll sell you a supplemental insurance package that has many limitations and loopholes in it. (Solar Insure, Omnidian, etc.)
3. Are they too small (and new) or too large (and jaded)? The point behind this is to find a local/regional installer that is doing a substantial number of installs (from 100 to 500/month) and are debt free. A newer or larger EPC carry different kinds of financial issues/pressures, both of which add up to hiccups. If they're veterans in the industry and have grown EXTREMELY fast, then they're getting hit with unplanned for costs, supply chain issues, changes in the financing or product, and very likely, they're not paying out commissions to their sales teams, etc. Check the solar forums on facebook and do a search on commissions not getting paid. (see Warranty Reserve).
Hope this helps. You can look me up or text me here: 469-879-9615.
Not relevant. NO 'installer company' is the least bit concerned with YOUR interests. (
Is it possible to buy my panels outright and having someone hook them up in my home ? I want to put them along my fence because my house doesnt have enough roof space to fit them.
Wrong. Increasing our solar panels by more than 7% would kick us out of NEM 2.0 and into NEM 3.0 in California. We completely covered the roof in solar panels because it’s unlikely to be an option later.
Buy your own equipment from Bluetti and be Electric independent!! If the grid goes down or your power goes out your solar panels are useless!!! I went off grid because I can’t afford the electricity anymore!! It will cost you between $4 to $6 thousand to power your home with Bluetti power generators! It’s a wonderful feeling to be independent making you safer from ever loosing electricity again!!
So after 4 years of use I get told I need a new inverter, something they don’t tell you when you install the units claiming a 15 year life span, inverter cost £800 before vat
Which inverter was that
Almost all inverters have a 10 year warranty these days.
Leases and PPPAs are trash! Purchase when possible.
I know my state will pay $14 on a kilowatt they will charge you $25 to 50 cents depending on the day per kilowatt this I do understand the power usage I use I understand what I use for power and I understand how much more power I use in the winter time and one so the company says they'll put 405 Watts on my house I know what size those solar panels are already got four of those solar panels from Menards but one so the company generac told me they'll put solar panels on my house but I have one year to pay it back in full meaning I have one year to pay him back in and everything else after that is mine but I don't know what that cost would be but I got other solar panels that they can hook you up to the system as well and longer they wait to come over the more solar panels I'm going to have for them hook up to the system and my solar panels that I'm getting I put on ground mounts the ground mounts I make I got several size solar panels and right now I'm going with 12 volts when they come in it's all going to be changed to 48 volts that I understand.
Nice
Well keep doing your homework because you have your units completely screwed up and everything that you said makes absolutely no sense at all.
To anyone with ability to learn yourself, you can easily install you own system. First, keep your mouth shut, tell neighbors/friend's nothing. Because you'll be bypassing your electrical panel, you'll still get a minimum electric bill even with main breaker off.. So buy an All In One unit, find panel deals, learn simple electric information and install. With some effort and time you'll have a complete system for a fraction of the cost. You can upgrade easily at any time. However, say your a big power consumer and mentally lazy; just keep paying your huge electric company.. It requires some thinking and work out of you, which most today refuse to do... Which one of these are You!!!
Do all companies automatically offer a solar consultant to go over options available or is there a separate company I would deal with?
It depends....
Hi Jack, I live in Northern Idaho, and I made the mistake of roof mounting my 24 290w panels. They are often covered by snow which means my generator has to run much more than I would like. I do not want to remove and relocate them. I added 12 ground mount panels this year to help. My question is, have you found a reliable cost efficient method to melt snow off roof mounted panels? It seems someone should be able to come up with an efficient cost effective method to do this.
Thanks.
The most common method I am familiar with is using a leaf blower. If that is not accessible for you, I would recommend reaching out to a local panel cleaning company, who likely will offer that service.
Here is a possible method if you have a log burner with a wet back fitted, run some piping with a spray or drip system along the length of the panels across the top so you can run warm not to hot tho you don't want to damage your panels and make sure you lag your pipes so they don't freeze up 12 mm piping will do the job. PS make sure your not standing underneath the snow when it lets go.
Get up a ladder with a high-pressure hose?
@@olliemoose2020 VERY innovative idea! Here in Oz such questions don't arise, though innovating DIY living is all the go among people I know.
@solarprosteam We have a off-grid inverter to invite you to test it.Are you insterested?
Sounds cool!
@@jackthesolarguy Could you send me your e-mail？i can't found your e-mail in your youtube info
@@kaihuang1851 jacknsneed@gmail.com
10 Mistakes First-Time US Solar Homeowners Make
Yup
The ELEVENTH tip I would add is to make sure you communicate your future plans to have a BATTERY BACKUP installed. I specifically told all the companies I interviewed we were going to do this in two phases due to budget and tax liability issues. Phase One was an OVERSIZE PV system this year and Phase Two would be to add batteries next year I wanted anything installed during Phase One to be compatible with Phase Two. And that included pre-planning for the location of all the batteries, boxes/conduits etc so nothing would have to be replaced or moved when we add the batteries. We made it clear that we would only buy LFP batteries, am hoping the Tesla Powerwall 3 is available when the time comes, or else they won't be in the running. We also stipulated we wanted Made in the USA whenever possible and were willing to pay more. We told him I wanted as little Made in China as possible. We told him we and our HOA don't want my house to look like some WWII battleship with stuff draped all over our house including the finished garage. If they had to open walls they had my permission. So be very specific in communicating your desires. It's your money and home and you will be living with this system for decades, do it right the first time.
poreso la compania de electrisidad les anuncian alos dueños delas vibiendas que mejor usan un alternador electrico porque la compania ellos tienen sus alternadores productores de electrisidad y les venden un alternador chiquito para una casa y el cliente nomas ba pagar la electresidad que gaste su alternador sito y tada la electresidad que produsca el alternador sito es gratis poreso no quieren que los clientes agan tanto desmadre arriba de sus casas de paneles que produce es gratis es gratis para el cliente dueño dela casa
Good point!
The idea that it pays for itself is a bunch of crap. I invest 40k and in 15 years i have 180k. You invest 40k in solar and in 15 years you break even at $0.00
If you didn't build it yourself. You got screwed! End of story!
is this information still relevant today?
Shingle "dust"? Did he really just say shingle "dust"???
for most people that re,mmain on grid batteries are useless and you8 shoudl enevr consider them. you just cant make the money back. Batteries are for off grid and you need a overdose of panels just to get the battery charged in winter.
For some people who experience consistent blackouts, they provide significant value for the price point
If you receive a cheap overnight off peak rate then they can pay for themselves in under 8 years. Fill battery overnight at cheap rate and use battery in the day when it’s more expensive.
@@jackthesolarguy Well for a 10 kwh battery here you pay 5 grand without install. That's barely 1 day use (can't drain lithium batteries to zero which many forget) is that worth it? if you have many short dropouts i'd stop paying my service fees as clearly thewy need to invest in the network and if its many long ones your going to need several batteries worth many pears of power bills plus a LOT of solar. my solar setup of 3200 wp barely gives me 2 kwh in winter days. So to fill a battery for my day use id need 3 times my setup which is 3 times my year use. thats wasted money on batteries and on excess solar. its just not a wise investment. if the grid is that unstable id move to a other place as thats unacceptable.
As stated above, it's not always about ROI but stability in daily life. Also, it just feels better knowing you have an actual backup in case things go south. And not everyone has, nor wants to exercise the option of packing up and leaving. Can't exactly pack up the house your family has been living in for generations... but you can modernize it by going solar and possibly a battery backup.
@@ungoyone Wel if you have the disposable money to do so whats fine but i prefer to keep my noney and don't invest in things that have no return. Then again i live in a country with about the most stable grid in the world so i dont really need a backup. Battery is just a very short term solution as they do not store a lot of energy. if i was to store my summer generation for winter i need a extra room in the house to store the batteries for winter.
Don't ever put solar on your roof.
✅ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴏsᴍ
Thanks
DO NOT LEASE SOLAR
Step one figure out how much you need learn ohm's law then you'll discover that you need about 90% more than you 1st thought
👍🏽
Your first mistake was buying them in the first place...scammers all of them.
👍🏽
Basicly never lease always own . Its funny theseccompanies want 40k for solar panels when yoy can buy them off of ebay for 15k , takes then 2 days or so to install . Wtf talk about a ripoff
Ehh, there is a lot more that goes into a system besides just buying panels
@@jackthesolarguy 2 guys say 3 days ,,,, call it 5 days for fun cant be 25k in labor .. what am i missing ?
@@danielb516 Solar system has 3 components - 1)Panels 2)Inverters, junction boxes & connection wires 3) installation accessories, structures & labour
The cost of inverters, junction boxes & wires should come out to be 60-65% of the panel costs. The structure & installations costs about 50% of panel costs. If you have any regulatory requirements like installing lighting arrestor, new meters, extra groundings, breaker boxes etc, it can cost more depending on the regulations. In general, assume that panels are only 40-45% of the cost.