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Yes best month of the year so far for sure! 916kWh on my 5.4kw system..
I had my 3rd best month in a year and a half.
We had a 3 hour power outage last night and the Batteries kicked in quickly. I looked out the window and the rest of the neighborhood was dark.
My battery discharge level is set to 50% when connected to the Grid. What that means at night it will draw down to 50% using batteries before going 100% to the grid
Due to the high power use of the AC, the batteries were down to 50% at 9;45PM when the power went out. Once the Grid came back on, it charged the batteries back up to the 50% level.
50% has worked great before it got hot as it would power the house all night until the sun came up the next morning even with heat running.
so 50% may not be a good setting for Hot weather. I changed it to 100% for the next 24 hours and the grid is now helping to recharge the batteries in this cloudy rainy weather. I figured with heavy snow coming I should have fully charged batteries in case the power goes out again
The battery set point is what is used when connecting to the grid. It isn't used when the grid goes down. Not sure if there is still a minimum point like 10% on batteries
If the Grid goes down, the system disconnects the AC (not heat), Oven and Dryer from what gets power. Everything else works on battery power.
Two 16KW batteries (32kW total) from LG RESU line. The way it works is the inverters talk to each other and use 1 battery down to the set level and then switch to the other battery until there is a total system % at the set level. That required some new Software that they are still providing updates for as they see how it performs.
I will have to think about what I want these to be set at for the next few months. Since Exports offset Grid Usage, not sure there is value Financially using batteries at night and summer is when the Grid will be taxed the most. Maybe go with 80 or 85% just to exercise the batteries and make sure the switch over works.
It is satisfying though going days without taking anything from the Grid (Solar day, Batteries night)
My battery discharge level is set to 50% when connected to the Grid. What that means at night it will draw down to 50% using batteries before going 100% to the grid
Due to the high power use of the AC, the batteries were down to 50% at 9;45PM when the power went out. Once the Grid came back on, it charged the batteries back up to the 50% level.
50% has worked great before it got hot as it would power the house all night until the sun came up the next morning even with heat running.
so 50% may not be a good setting for Hot weather. I changed it to 100% for the next 24 hours and the grid is now helping to recharge the batteries in this cloudy rainy weather. I figured with heavy snow coming I should have fully charged batteries in case the power goes out again
The battery set point is what is used when connecting to the grid. It isn't used when the grid goes down. Not sure if there is still a minimum point like 10% on batteries
If the Grid goes down, the system disconnects the AC (not heat), Oven and Dryer from what gets power. Everything else works on battery power.
Two 16KW batteries (32kW total) from LG RESU line. The way it works is the inverters talk to each other and use 1 battery down to the set level and then switch to the other battery until there is a total system % at the set level. That required some new Software that they are still providing updates for as they see how it performs.
I will have to think about what I want these to be set at for the next few months. Since Exports offset Grid Usage, not sure there is value Financially using batteries at night and summer is when the Grid will be taxed the most. Maybe go with 80 or 85% just to exercise the batteries and make sure the switch over works.
It is satisfying though going days without taking anything from the Grid (Solar day, Batteries night)
Shark Bait
Rising Sun Member
I stumbled on this thread a while back. I'm intrigued with the idea of being energy somewhat independent if only part of the time. But I am not sure if it is a wise investment for us. I'm 67 and plan on working maybe another 4 or 5 years. We hope to stay in this house for another 10-15 years. And we're trying to get the mortgage paid off before I retire. We don't have a hot tub or an EV, although I could see maybe the latter in our future. In your guys' expert opinions, would it be worthwhile for us to make this investment? It looks like you all have chosen different companies. Is there one any of you would recommend? I like the idea of battery storage like I see Ken is doing.
Chris,
That is a tough question. Sarah had it on her house and sold it after 6 years and then put it on her new house. From what I saw it increased her home value, but it was a crazy market
I would think of the battery more as a capability rather than an investment. I don't expect it to pay off over the next 15 years. I have enjoyed when the neighborhood went dark with a power outage that my house kept on trucking. I expect outages to get worse with the age of the grid, summers getting hotter and cyber attacks, but that is a guess with not much to back it up.
Right now you get a 26% Tax Credit and that makes a big difference in affordability.
It doesn't cost anything to get quotes. I have been happy with Anna Perry at Namaste. Anna Perry <anna.perry@namastesolar.com>
I would also get other quotes from others on here. Don't just look at the price, but the quality and capability of the components.
Then you will have data based to better make your decision. I haven't paid for electricity this year except early when it snowed as I hadn't built up enough Net Credits due to it just coming online. Everywhere you read is that Electricity is going up.
It may not payoff in the timeline you suggest, but I would research if it really increases your home value to get it back
FWIW - if I had just done solar based on my 12MW of usage over the year, it would have been $31K- 26% tax credit = $23K
I have a large home with two HVAC units so I would think your system needs would be less. I am amazed how ,much power the AC uses now that I watch usage. I can go in a days usage from 30kWh in the winter to 20kWh usage in the spring to 83kWh when it broke 100. The 83kWh was an outlier in low mid 90's is closer to 50-60kWh. \Who knows what the future will bring.
My HVAC systems are 18 years old, so I plan on eventually replacing them with more efficient units and figure that will offset an EV or mostly.
I hope that helps
That is a tough question. Sarah had it on her house and sold it after 6 years and then put it on her new house. From what I saw it increased her home value, but it was a crazy market
I would think of the battery more as a capability rather than an investment. I don't expect it to pay off over the next 15 years. I have enjoyed when the neighborhood went dark with a power outage that my house kept on trucking. I expect outages to get worse with the age of the grid, summers getting hotter and cyber attacks, but that is a guess with not much to back it up.
Right now you get a 26% Tax Credit and that makes a big difference in affordability.
It doesn't cost anything to get quotes. I have been happy with Anna Perry at Namaste. Anna Perry <anna.perry@namastesolar.com>
I would also get other quotes from others on here. Don't just look at the price, but the quality and capability of the components.
Then you will have data based to better make your decision. I haven't paid for electricity this year except early when it snowed as I hadn't built up enough Net Credits due to it just coming online. Everywhere you read is that Electricity is going up.
It may not payoff in the timeline you suggest, but I would research if it really increases your home value to get it back
FWIW - if I had just done solar based on my 12MW of usage over the year, it would have been $31K- 26% tax credit = $23K
I have a large home with two HVAC units so I would think your system needs would be less. I am amazed how ,much power the AC uses now that I watch usage. I can go in a days usage from 30kWh in the winter to 20kWh usage in the spring to 83kWh when it broke 100. The 83kWh was an outlier in low mid 90's is closer to 50-60kWh. \Who knows what the future will bring.
My HVAC systems are 18 years old, so I plan on eventually replacing them with more efficient units and figure that will offset an EV or mostly.
I hope that helps
So I was staring at the panels today and thought it was worth a minute to reflect. YTD numbers through 8 months...
3300kWh consumed, as indicated on the net meter on the side of the house- this was 0 the day before Christmas.
5600kWh produced, as indicated by the Enlighten app.
So you could add those up to say my total consumption has been about 9000 kWh ytd. Prior to getting solar, our annual usage was 7000kWh for an entire year- so I'm tracking to about double that. They actually sent me a video explaining that my bill has gone up about $55/month, and that I should consider upgrading my refrigerator.
Our power bill (electric & gas) is around $85/month now. Before, with the "average monthly payment" program it was $114/month. The difference in usage is that we added an electric car, hot tub, and our AC is set in the 73-75 range, compared to 75-78 in years previous. I am hopeful once AC season ends our power bill will go down a little more, but it still feels like a moving target what we'll actually be charged from Xcel. I have referred 2 people to Project Solar so far, still waiting on my referral check. I've also been asked by numerous people how I like solar, and was it worth it, etc. My big points that are routinely buried in this thread still apply...
1. Super glad I paid cash for the system rather than amortizing it out for 20 years. Just cleaner that way.
2. Definitely bump up your usage for a while before actually applying for a solar permit. As I've stated previously, I totally screwed myself by being frugal with electricity usage, as I could only get approval on 5.4kWh of panels. And Xcel energy actually has no idea how much power your system produces, they will tell you this. So they limit you on the front end, but that's it- I guess unless your meter nets out a negative.
3. And definitely look at the max input of your inverters, as they will become a limiter. in my case with 250w inverters and 320w panels, I clip every single day it's sunny... I estimate I am missing out on about 10% of what I could be producing, had I got better inverters. Kind of a guess, you just have to draw in the rest of the bell curve and decide how much got lopped off... here's yesterday for example:
And I think my last point is to not get too hung up on the numbers. I have faith that my bill's lower than it would have been without solar, I'm good with the slightly higher mortgage payment as a result of the refi that bought the system (and the hot tub) and life's too short to argue with Xcel Energy all the time. somewhere in our monthly budget there's $50 of gas we're not buying, and I seem to stand with the fridge door open for longer now, and kinda don't care so much about what lights are left on. Other than that, life is still about the same.
3300kWh consumed, as indicated on the net meter on the side of the house- this was 0 the day before Christmas.
5600kWh produced, as indicated by the Enlighten app.
So you could add those up to say my total consumption has been about 9000 kWh ytd. Prior to getting solar, our annual usage was 7000kWh for an entire year- so I'm tracking to about double that. They actually sent me a video explaining that my bill has gone up about $55/month, and that I should consider upgrading my refrigerator.
Our power bill (electric & gas) is around $85/month now. Before, with the "average monthly payment" program it was $114/month. The difference in usage is that we added an electric car, hot tub, and our AC is set in the 73-75 range, compared to 75-78 in years previous. I am hopeful once AC season ends our power bill will go down a little more, but it still feels like a moving target what we'll actually be charged from Xcel. I have referred 2 people to Project Solar so far, still waiting on my referral check. I've also been asked by numerous people how I like solar, and was it worth it, etc. My big points that are routinely buried in this thread still apply...
1. Super glad I paid cash for the system rather than amortizing it out for 20 years. Just cleaner that way.
2. Definitely bump up your usage for a while before actually applying for a solar permit. As I've stated previously, I totally screwed myself by being frugal with electricity usage, as I could only get approval on 5.4kWh of panels. And Xcel energy actually has no idea how much power your system produces, they will tell you this. So they limit you on the front end, but that's it- I guess unless your meter nets out a negative.
3. And definitely look at the max input of your inverters, as they will become a limiter. in my case with 250w inverters and 320w panels, I clip every single day it's sunny... I estimate I am missing out on about 10% of what I could be producing, had I got better inverters. Kind of a guess, you just have to draw in the rest of the bell curve and decide how much got lopped off... here's yesterday for example:
And I think my last point is to not get too hung up on the numbers. I have faith that my bill's lower than it would have been without solar, I'm good with the slightly higher mortgage payment as a result of the refi that bought the system (and the hot tub) and life's too short to argue with Xcel Energy all the time. somewhere in our monthly budget there's $50 of gas we're not buying, and I seem to stand with the fridge door open for longer now, and kinda don't care so much about what lights are left on. Other than that, life is still about the same.
LARGEONE
Rising Sun Member
I think this calculation will lean way more in your favor as soon as the daytime pricing kicks in. They are basically doubling the price for usage during peak hours which is when your system will be producing the most.
Due to net credits I haven't had to pay for any electricity. My bill is $33 which is the Gas water heater and taxes and fees that still come with being connected to the grid
My AC has always been at 72 deg. I did have some startup issues related to Software controlling these brand new batteries, but think I am past that now. Those issues I think set me back about 0.5-1mW and were finally fixed mid April with a couple small outages in May and June
What I am concerned about is the Gas bill this winter.
With the new tax credits I will likely go Heat Pump in 2023 and then the second system in 2024 to maximize the rebates. That should lower my gas usage and lower my Electrical Consumption in the summer. I am hoping that along with the performance I missed will help take care of an EV in a few years. I can always expand the system
If I went Geo Thermal than I could reduce the gas bill even further than a heat pump as I wouldn't need the Dual Fuel backup furnace for below 30 deg days
so far this summer I still have slightly more produced TYD than consumed as to why no electric bill
I have found on a sunny day anything below 83-84 tends to have more produced than consumed. The 90 deg days consumed much more than produced
My AC has always been at 72 deg. I did have some startup issues related to Software controlling these brand new batteries, but think I am past that now. Those issues I think set me back about 0.5-1mW and were finally fixed mid April with a couple small outages in May and June
What I am concerned about is the Gas bill this winter.
With the new tax credits I will likely go Heat Pump in 2023 and then the second system in 2024 to maximize the rebates. That should lower my gas usage and lower my Electrical Consumption in the summer. I am hoping that along with the performance I missed will help take care of an EV in a few years. I can always expand the system
If I went Geo Thermal than I could reduce the gas bill even further than a heat pump as I wouldn't need the Dual Fuel backup furnace for below 30 deg days
so far this summer I still have slightly more produced TYD than consumed as to why no electric bill
I have found on a sunny day anything below 83-84 tends to have more produced than consumed. The 90 deg days consumed much more than produced
Shark Bait
Rising Sun Member
I finally got my solar connected to the grid. Pretty interesting to see how it is working. From the CORE website for yesterday.
baileyfj40
Rising Sun Member
Getting ready to have a system installed at my house.
FJCDan
Rising Sun Member
Just started paying my new average monthly payment for excel $24/ month down from $81 the last year. Haven’t paid anything for electric in 3 year. With Solar lease paying less than $100/ month and run the AC all the time.
Has anyone had issues on their Xcel bill with the new smart meters that were installed? I had a new smart meter installed in early September by Xcel and now it shows my energy consumption is up exponentially compared to previous months and years. Based on the chart below the temps were about the same compared to last year so I don't think I was running my AC any differently. I don't have an electric car and we haven't changed our energy usage at all really. Curious if anyone else has noticed anything funky on their bill?
Xcel Chart
Sunrun Solar Energy Production Chart
Xcel Chart
Sunrun Solar Energy Production Chart
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DouglasVB
Rising Sun Member
Our landlord just installed panels on our roof. I think one string isn't functioning based on the little readout on the power center thing they installed (a battery will be installed later) so maybe we'll be generating more once that's fixed. This is from the first day of operation from the Pacific Gas and Electric website (we're in Monterey, California). We get a lot of cloud cover here from marine fog and clouds especially in the mornings. It'll be interesting to see how this changes our bill over time. Normally we're paying about $150-$200/mo for electricity (no electric car, gas hot water heater and furnace).
There was room for double the panels (I think we ended up with 12?) But historical energy usage on this place wouldn't let us go higher with the power company. Maybe once the battery is installed that'll allow more to go on the roof?
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WVU fan
Rising Sun Member
We now have solar installed but apparently it can’t be activated as Xcel needs to install a new transformer for our street. I don’t quite understand the reasoning but was told current transformer can’t handle projected increases. Homes are late 1970’s builds with under ground electrical. Supply chain issues and workload capabilities are delaying the transformer upgrade
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
@RayRay27, ~500 kWh/month usage doesn't sound all that odd, although I would expect significant A/C use to get there. Do you have any other electric appliances, welder, range, dryer, etc? How much solar do you have?
It seems like you either didn't generate any power to offset or weren't credited for it. There's times when a change in equipment wasn't correctly configured by the utility. One example is generated energy can be metered mistakenly as consumed, although in that case you'd expect a very large bill.
Or it's possible your old meter wasn't working and the new one is. Unless you have a lot of solar I'm a little dubious of your 2023 summer bills.
It seems like you either didn't generate any power to offset or weren't credited for it. There's times when a change in equipment wasn't correctly configured by the utility. One example is generated energy can be metered mistakenly as consumed, although in that case you'd expect a very large bill.
Or it's possible your old meter wasn't working and the new one is. Unless you have a lot of solar I'm a little dubious of your 2023 summer bills.
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I'm dumbfounded. Our solar system is producing the same amount as last year essentially, actually it produced more this September (2023) as opposed to last September (2022). All of our home appliances are electric but all are fairly new in the last 5 to 7 years. I have a 96% efficient furnace and new AC. I'll have to get up with Xcel to see what the difference is.
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
How much solar do you have and do have results from it for September? The rule of thumb I've usually found is that in Colorado you need about 4 kW (about 16 panels) of solar to balance about 600 kWh/month usage. That's about what you'd expect from a modest house with A/C but with gas furnace and stove. An all electric house I would assume 1000 kWh/month and to balance that in Colorado you need about 6.5 kW (26 panels) of solar. These are very rough numbers, we can go through the calculations specific to you. Point I'd make is that Sept's usage seems about right and if that's the first month with a new meter I'd make assumption it's working now when it wasn't before. So depending on your equipment arrangement and billing with Xcel. They may now be able to break out consumption vs generation whereas before it was literally a delivery net, so the meter just stopped running when your generation was sufficient to cover consumption. To Xcel it could just look like you had the power off before.
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I have a 9.7kW system.
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Yeah, you should be selling plenty of power to Xcel in spring and fall.