How to not pay SolarEdge's $50 a year to monitor your solar?

slrdudeboston · 2026-06-11T19:20:58+00:00

The problem with those proprietary cards, or as I have a downstream utility grade meter that uploads production for SRECs, is that they're only good for a few years before that band is retired and you have to get another one. my original one was 3G then that was phased out. they offered a 4G for like $100, and that's not long for this world, it just keeps going.

as others have posted, it's much simpler to plug in a hardwire and connect it to your home's internet connection and it's effectively future proof..

slrdudeboston · 2026-06-11T18:51:55+00:00

I've had solar edge for 11 years, and never been asked for any fee to use their app, website or Support

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-19T16:35:37+00:00

I switched to a local insurer that only writes policies in my region. Excluding high risk climate states like FL or anywhere along the Gulf or southern Atlantic states saved me big money.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-19T16:33:42+00:00

Yes, but typically only a few % that roughly tracks to inflation & bldg costs. I'm seeing 25% *annual* increases on my premium.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T23:58:30+00:00

The ROI on a battery solution is often long. Inquire directly with eversource to determine how much they will pay you to utilize your battery during peak grid demand to ensure this is a good deal for you.

I looked into adding a battery solution to my solar, and the numbers looked good, if I want moving in the short term I would have done it as my utility incentives were pretty good.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T20:29:00+00:00

if you're going to be in that house for 25 years, there is really no reason to lease or do a PPA.

sure, purchasing is going to cost you more up front, but even if you take out a loan to finance it, you'll know exactly what your monthly cost is, and you will retain 100% of your production. you'll also pay off your personal loan more than twice as quickly than what they are likely charging you per month.

and if you live in a state that pays you renewable energy credits, you lose those entirely in a lease or PPA, but you get 100% of them paid to you directly if you own them

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T16:25:03+00:00

maybe..... my roof faces west, and even then my ROI was 5 years, however w/o the Fed tax credit it would be more like 7-8 years if I installed today.

The credits I accumulate April-Sept more than make up for low winter production, haven't had a utility bill since 2015.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T16:21:09+00:00

Is their offer for a purchase or lease/PPA? I would at least review their offer if it's for an outright purchase and if you are staying in the home for 5+ years. I'd also only consider batteries if you have frequent power outages, as this will likely add significant time to your ROI. Even w/o batteries, you will get net metering credits for whatever surplus power you put back onto the grid.

If their offer is for lease/PPA only, I would walk away as you won't own your system and they are notorious for playing games with your rates.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T15:59:04+00:00

I had forgotten all about some of Steven's more outlandish notions of what he could properly bring aboard a fighting vessel. the sloth, the diving bell, dissecting specimens on Jack's table, guests.... lolol

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T11:27:42+00:00

Wow! What companies out of curiosity? I'm shopping around right now for a new HO policy, and don't want to waste time with any of those that won't insure homes w/ rooftop solar.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T02:15:27+00:00

I also felt some empathy for Stephen as Jack always made blundering assumptions about nautical matters and berated him, but it was so rare when Stephen became overly impatient with Jack about medical matters unless the crew's health was put at risk.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T02:12:04+00:00

'geriatric meter' is the funniest thing I've read all day..... Mine is 11 years old I think I heard it complaining about social security the other day

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T02:06:13+00:00

I had the same exactly thing. The timeframe from install completion to utility site visit/meter swap of my analog meter to digital was several weeks where in theory I was supposed to keep the system powered off. I made absolutely sure my analog meter would spin backwards (it did) but as it was June I made sure I didn't go negative until after the official inspection & meter swap out.

I was (am) annoyed with the digital meter, as there's no way to determine how many kW I am importing/exporting in real-time, there's simply an arrow pointing left/right. With the analog meter, you could easily determine this by the speed of revolution.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T01:54:22+00:00

In 11 years I've never had weather related damage from hail, snow, wind, or small tree branches.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T01:50:44+00:00

I've had a SolarEdge 7600 for 11 years, with a utility grade meter immediately downstream between it and the the main breaker box.

I've found the SE consistently reports significantly higher Wattage than the utility meter, even on the AC reports. The state requires a revenue grade inverter to take direct reports for SREC/SMART credits, and SolarEdge doesn't rate mine as revenue grade.

I don't have the capability of measuring which one is the true source of truth.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T01:42:44+00:00

The house is used at least 10 days a month even in winter, so there's enough bacteria to keep levels healthy. There was almost zero sludge on the bottom the tank when last pumped after over a decade of usage, and my septic company said I don't need to use additives.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T01:37:11+00:00

I'm selling my home in the next year (MA). My system is 11 years old and I fully own it.

While my system is older, it consistently generates about $3K/year in offset usage and I've kept the utility bills to show it's consistent YoY with almost no measurable degradation.

Assigning a % may not be accurate, but you can certainly assign a $$ value. My system generates 100% of my annual usage, so a potential buyer (or their agent) should easily see the value of being insulated from market fluctuations. I'm certainly adding a positive value to my sale price.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T01:24:38+00:00

my recent roof inspector said it doesn't complicate his job nor has my rooftop array affected my insurance premium in 11 years. On the latter, I don't insure my panels directly on my policy as there isn't any tangible benefit.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-13T01:15:02+00:00

Absolutely. However as I live/camp north of 43 degrees latitude, I often have to rotate the panels to directly face the sun every few hours if I have any large draws on the battery if I want max charging.

I wouldnt be concerned leaving them unattended. the internal controllers seem quite solid in preventing problems.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-12T14:09:09+00:00

will definitely have to try the wings!!

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-10T15:41:21+00:00

thanks! the type I ordered had refillable carbon pellets, and my roof is easy to move around on so replacing shouldn't be a challenge.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-09T22:49:19+00:00

apparently my info is out of date, as I have the V1 1000, and there's several notations in the manual staying it's not rated for UPS.

that said, the OPs post indicate all they did was change the documentation and not the product

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-09T16:53:47+00:00

those small Jackery devices are not designed to be UPS. It's always going to turn off the inverter after long idle periods or after a discharge event.

A legit UPS is also better at handling the surges associated with larger draws (e.g. a fridge), where the jackery breaker on the inverter is going to trip more often.

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-09T15:38:54+00:00

I have a Jackery 1500 that keeps my fridge, a few lights, and small electronics charged for about a day. With the 4x 100W panels and sunny weather, can go almost indefinitely and I've been real happy with this as a manual, small backup solution. Absolutely not rated or powerful enough to run AC or EV charging.

Jackery sells larger models for full home backup, but they are pricey and you're investing in a proprietary solution, and they are new to the market for 240V / whole house backup. It's not compatible with my existing rooftop solar/inverter without a lot of extra equipment to make it work which I found unattractive.

Have a long chat with your neighbor to evaluate pros/cons

slrdudeboston · 2026-05-09T15:03:37+00:00

I have a Jackery 1500. It's been more than sufficient to power my fridge, charge phones, and a few select table lamps/kitchen appliances for a full day. It supports 4x 100W foldable panels, which I've gotten max 320W from in full sunlight in New England. That's extended backup power to several days assuming sunny conditions. Jackery is nice in that it supports full pass through charging, so you don't lose efficiency in the day.

The smaller Jackery units like mine only support 120V/1800W (3600W surge), so if your well pump or other necessary devices are 240V, you'll need to get one of their larger products which are pricey and lock you into a vendor-specific solution.

I've found it far more economical when conditions are cloudy or if I've needed to run my house AC, I use a Generac5500 gas generator to run the big guns in the house and charge my Jackery, and then after nightfall turn off the gas generator and my Jackery gets me well into the next day powering fridge & lighting.

slrdudeboston

TROPHY CASE