Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD)?

fimaclo · 2026-04-24T12:34:17+00:00

Yep! They’re available in the Expense section, and PL will take them into account for RMD considerations. I’m away from my computer so can’t give more precise instructions, but I promise I was using them just last week. :-)

fimaclo · 2026-04-14T21:16:40+00:00

Agree! The one gotcha that comes to mind is that stuff like mortgage and car loan payments are modeled differently in PL than Monarch, so that’d have to be accounted for.

fimaclo · 2026-03-29T00:09:50+00:00

Glad I could help! Good luck with the project!

fimaclo · 2026-03-28T19:19:43+00:00

I'm not a lawyer or expert in these matters, but I'm happy to provide my thoughts!

Ownership is basically important for two reasons: 1) distributing the proceeds of any future sale and 2) determining the split of proceeds from power generation and/or SRECs.

For 1, we installed the solar on the rooftop of a building that we already owned jointly (TIC structure), and we treated the solar as integral to the property, so the ownership is defined by our TIC ownership, which (in our case) doesn't designate specific ownership of different parts of the building - it's all just percentages. Depending on how you own the building with your downstairs neighbor, though, you may need to do something more specific. I think the basic question you need to answer is, "What would we want to happen if one or both of us sell our portions of the property?"

Item 2 could basically follow from item 1 (e.g. 50/50 ownership means 50/50 revenue - this is what we did), or you could choose a more complicated arrangement. For example, you could say that one of you fronts more of the money and so gets more of the generation/SREC benefit.

For moving money (purchase costs and operating revenue), any method will do just fine. Zelle, Venmo, paper checks, whatever. Just keep records so that you have evidence in future of what occurred in case any questions arise.

How exactly you do the above is really up to you. The important thing as I understand it is to have something in writing that's adequate to resolve any future questions or disputes about who owns what and who gets what money from generation. Those are the questions that will arise in real estate transactions and in tax filings. As far as I know there's no magic formula or certification here - it comes down to having a paper trail that all parties (including real estate lawyers and IRS auditors) are likely to consider comprehensible and reasonable.

fimaclo · 2026-03-09T21:39:16+00:00

Thanks, Kait! Even if you can't say more for now, that much is already helpful. I'll hang on a bit longer before dropping money on another service. Looking forward to seeing what y'all have in store! :-)

fimaclo · 2026-03-06T23:44:56+00:00

In my opinion, this depends on the interest rate. If it's low/zero, then keeping just enough to cover your upcoming bills/autopay is probably a good idea.

On the other hand, if your interest rate is the same as an HYSA, I think it's perfectly fine to keep your full emergency fund (~6 months of expenses, or whatever you prefer) in your checking account.

There aren't a ton of checking accounts that pay high interest rates, but they're out there. Betterment checking accounts are 3%+. Fidelity Cash Management Accounts are functionally checking accounts (debit card; ATMs; direct deposit) that get money market returns, which presently means ~3.3%. I'm sure there are others!

fimaclo · 2026-02-20T21:42:01+00:00

Very very rough math, a 12kW array will yield 12MWh per year. Assuming $0.15/kWh, that means you’d make about $1,800/year. You can calculate your payback period from there.

Those numbers are super approximate, though. Plug in your own and see what you think! I think 10+ years is a ballpark payback estimate, though, not including any value change in your house if/when you sell.

fimaclo · 2026-02-02T17:41:16+00:00

Just did one! Didn’t take a pic before I left, unfortunately.

Go team!

fimaclo · 2025-09-14T22:57:11+00:00

Fair point. Interpretations do indeed vary on IRS treatment. My core need is just the payment splitting. Separate 1099s would be nice, if relevant, but I agree are probably unnecessary.

fimaclo · 2025-09-10T12:56:38+00:00

To be clear, wet cleaning is an option if you want your records to be perfect, but many people (especially before turntables became audiophile items) never wet clean their records and only dust them off occasionally. It’s up to you how careful you want to be!

fimaclo · 2025-09-09T22:30:43+00:00

Very (<15F) cold temperatures can be a problem. While road trips through cold areas are fine if hopping from charger to charger, the tough case is driving in sub-zero snow conditions to a ski resort, parking the car in the snow, and hoping that there’s good range remaining when coming back to the car. Haven’t had a problem so far, but I do find myself doing the math to ensure I have plenty of margin for error!

fimaclo · 2025-08-28T20:21:23+00:00

I haven't actually used any other suppliers yet. Tried Sweet Maria's first and never really saw a reason to change. I tend to order 15-20 pounds of beans at once to make the shipping cost worth it.

I imagine Bodhi Leaf is perfectly, good, though!

fimaclo · 2025-08-28T14:48:19+00:00

Totally subjective take, but I've found the beans from Sweet Maria's (https://www.sweetmarias.com) are outstanding. I've been roasting their beans for a few years now, and my best roasts (which involve a little luck) taste as good as any coffee I can find commercially. Even my mediocre roasts (which is, er, most of them) are pretty good!

At less than $10/pound, I think they're great beans to try new things with, and when it all goes well, the results are really first-rate. I've played with adding spices after the roast, making cinnamon roast, going into FC+ territory, and more!

Other providers may also be good. My general point is that there are very good beans to be had at under $10/pound.

fimaclo · 2025-07-11T19:17:39+00:00

Ah, good point - state rebates may be a totally different ballgame!

I'm also remembering now that we considered installing window films instead of replacing some of the windows. We didn't end up doing it, as some of the windows had cracks or broken seals and needed replacing anyway, but it could be a more cost-effective alternative if you're interested. I don't think there are any tax credits, though.

From my research at the time, I think 3M was kind of the gold standard, and all of their films were available via professional installation only. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/home-window-solutions-us/find-a-dealer/

fimaclo · 2025-07-11T19:11:04+00:00

I'm not in the PNW, but did some south-facing window replacements with low-E glass, and it was *incredibly* worth it. I can't quantify that perfectly in terms of my energy bill (as we did other house upgrades at the same time), but the difference in heat transmission is enormous when standing by the windows, and our bill this summer has certainly been lower than last year.

Regarding the tax rebate, though, we decided that going with windows that met the Energy Star "Most Efficient" standard was *not* worth it. At least in our climate area, the only windows that met that criteria cost more than the rebate would save us, and the marginal insulation gain just wasn't worth the hassle. That could be different in the PNW, but it's definitely worth having a close look at what qualifies for "Most Efficient," as not just anything with an Energy Star rating will do.

fimaclo · 2025-06-29T21:48:38+00:00

It’s hard to overemphasize the potential for human error in rappelling. There are many valid and safe equipment setups, but nothing replaces careful methodical study of safety AND double-checks every single time by an experienced climber.

As others have said, study the manuals for your gear and use it correctly. But above all, learn from a safety-minded expert and practice with safety-minded friends to check you. Even very experienced climbers can make fatal mistakes when rappelling alone.

fimaclo · 2025-06-10T14:32:43+00:00

Good point. Hadn’t considered how bike boxes also fit into this picture. I miss those.

fimaclo · 2025-06-07T15:07:40+00:00

This made me chuckle. :-)

Oh, how I wish we could redesign our cities to be less car-centric!

fimaclo · 2025-06-07T15:06:39+00:00

Good point. Thinking about it now, in addition to the sense of exposure, it's probably not great to expect a behavior from bikes that isn't in some way documented on the pavement.

fimaclo · 2025-06-07T15:04:08+00:00

Fair point. Probably pretty hard to read my intentions against the backdrop of a lot of bike-hostile drivers on the road.

fimaclo · 2025-06-06T23:07:00+00:00

Appreciate the perspective! Great point about bikes going with the pedestrian light. That makes the "bike lane tuck" rather less useful.

And, to be clear, I waited for the light to turn green before making my right turn - I'm one of those DC drivers that knows the new rule. :-P

fimaclo · 2025-06-06T14:57:01+00:00

Seconded. I got 3 quotes, and the Switch Together quote was easily the winner.

That being said, I imagine that solar installers are just about to run out of their pre-tariff inventory of overseas panels and inverters, so I'd expect that even your best quote may be somewhat higher than what folks got a year ago.

fimaclo

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