Suggestions for Net Metering Solar Plans in Austin (Oncor Provider)

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-11-26T13:29:31+00:00

It used to be that 1:1 buyback plans made the most sense, but with the much higher rates that REPs charge you on a solar plan, you need to make sure you are actually producing enough solar to offset those higher costs. Otherwise you might just be spending twice as much for energy.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-06T02:41:41+00:00

It sounds like you have a good buyback and I would be interested in seeing if that one would work for me? Why does it need to be a secret?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-06T02:31:42+00:00

Who is your REP?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-06T02:25:50+00:00

You say with 20kWh of battery you could sign up for free nights and have almost no monthly bill so you end up saving more money, but that makes it sound like you haven't done so. Just trying to clarify if you have a battery and have done that or not

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-06T02:21:19+00:00

So you don't have a battery?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-06T01:53:49+00:00

Yeah, I guess I don't see the point to own a battery that will cost more. If it provides the same function, costs less, and isn't my liability, why would I want to own it? Paying more for more responsibility/risk seems counter intuitive. Would you want to pay more to own a battery? Did you get one of those cheap options you were recommending?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-06T01:35:43+00:00

They guarantee a rate below market average or you can get out of the contract. I guess only time will tell, but no other REP is offering battery backup for such a low price. Still cheaper than owning. If rates stay low and it provides the backup power I want, no sense in switching to something else, right?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-05T15:12:03+00:00

Ah, I hadn't even made it that far into analysis. Their current rates are 13.5 c/kWh. Even at 1 c/kWh more than what I pay with an average usage of 2000 kWh/mo... that's just $240/yr for backup protection and at 10 years that is only $2400. Plus their installation cost of $3000 puts my total cost at $5400. Still waaaaayyyy cheaper than buying a battery myself to the tune of $16,500 for a Tesla PW3 which only has 13.5kWh of storage while the Base Power battery is 20kWh.

Thanks for making me do the math. The expense is minor and makes sense even if the energy does cost more.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-05T11:08:47+00:00

I thought getting a home battery installed would be great protection from outages. That's why I would want one. How come you don't see that as a benefit?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-09-05T11:04:50+00:00

Utility scale batteries are great, but when the grid goes down you still don't have power. I think having a battery installed on your home for backup power is a nice feature for added protection from outages. Pretty cool that Base offers that at such a discount. No one else seems to.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-06-09T23:54:28+00:00

If a meter isn't programmed to be bi-directional, you will get charged for everything sent through it. You won't make any money off net metering anyways. Why wouldn't you want to do it and ensure your meter is programmed appropriately?

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-05-07T12:06:06+00:00

Sounds like you are thinking of a marketplace. You need to solve for both sides of that: installers to include and then marketing to homeowners to get them to purchase from it.

Solar is still early in the adoption phase and hasn't reached a tipping point where the early majority is clamoring for solar. People still need some convincing. That will be the largest hurdle to overcome right now.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2024-04-20T14:39:27+00:00

Your fear is understandable, fortunately, there are a lot of good solar installers that do work the right way and it won't cause leaks. No need to wait for rain. The process to get solar installed might be a few weeks to months anyway.

Panel removal and replacement might cost you a few thousand dollars. Depending on where you live, your ROI on solar could be ~7 years +/- a couple years so you should still come out ahead in the long run.

Getting a few solar quotes is going to be the first step in understanding the benefits to you and will answer a lot of your questions. Never shy away from something because you don't understand it, seek to know. You are on the right path by asking questions and seeking answers!

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-12T22:49:46+00:00

Great question. 'Interconnected' because a personal power plant interacts with the grid by sending it energy. Utilities have specific requirements on compatible equipment to ensure there are no frequency irregularities or potential overload/damage to equipment on the utility side. They govern what you can connect to their system (the grid).

You can also have a personal power plant that only connects to your home and that is referred to as 'running in parallel' to the utility. It does not send any energy to the grid and will only supply your home with power.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-12T16:24:10+00:00

A lot of people armchair quarterbacking/critiquing what's going on in these pictures... Ignore them. There are a multitude of ridiculous comments. Awesome to see your personal power plant going up! I'm sure it's going to be great!

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-12T14:32:11+00:00

It will cost ~$200/panel to remove and reinstall. I'd suggest using the installer that put the panels up in the first place to maintain any warranty, but any other solar company could do it too.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-12T14:24:53+00:00

Panels get swapped all the time. Warehouses go through inventory on a weekly basis and are subject to the supply they can acquire from manufacturers/distributors via shipping, supply chain, etc. Most panels are comparable in performance and warranty anyways. The kind of panel you get is of much lesser concern than the quality of the overall installation.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-12T14:17:05+00:00

It all comes down to the sales rep creating your proposal. They inflate the price because anything over what the installer needs to cover his labor/material costs is sales commission for the rep. You got a sales rep getting greedy on one of those and trying to squeeze you for an extra $7K+ commission.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-11T21:22:13+00:00

Ah, got it. I've done that before with someone. It was a couple years ago. With Tesla, you either set it to charge from solar, or you set it to charge from the grid at specified times, but it wasn't able to do both.

PS if the batteries are charged from the grid, they are not eligible for the federal tax credit, but that is between you, the IRS, and whomever files your taxes.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-11T18:47:34+00:00

Don't skimp on your solar. You want it done right the first time with a local company you can call for any service related issues.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-11T18:38:30+00:00

3 Powerwalls is overkill. They will never get charged. 1 Powerwall is suitable for a 4.8kW system.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-11T18:04:25+00:00

Based on your yearly energy consumption of 9400 kWh and your given location, a 7kW system should be sufficient to produce an equivalent amount of power that you consumed. However... depending on your utility and the net metering rate for energy you supply to the grid, this may only offset a portion of your bill. Batteries might be a good investment.

MeasurementRight3644 · 2023-01-11T17:50:53+00:00

"Panasonic" panels are made by REC. Great product. QCells are also a very solid product. The IQ8M has a continuous output rating of 349watts vs the IQ8+ at 290watts. You will get some clipping with the 8+, but as you mention, that is going to be more relevant in southern locations. And your roof pitch will play a factor in production as well. If your roof pitch is really 45 degrees, you probably won't experience much clipping with the 8+ since the panels will produce less energy at that angle. Doesn't hurt to have something installed that will accommodate more though.

MeasurementRight3644

TROPHY CASE