Anyone considering getting Solar with the new Green Act

happy intruder

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I ordered a tesla solar roof in august. After some considerations i figured it was the best way to go for me to charge my CT at home, even though my electric rates here are .05 per KWh I want to use the free energy from the sun to run my truck whenever possible.

Sadly it's not been installed yet
August?......thats a long time....what has prevented the installation?
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Pappy

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I am curious if anyone had thoughts on getting Solar to charge your CT.
I think with the proposed Green Act, it will increase the incentive for Solar panels.

We know EV's are cheaper to charge than ICE, but I would assume the CT will cost more in electricity than a Model Y will.
So I am curious if others are thinking about using the Solar incentive along with the EV credits and if that would make sense in the long run.

Thanks
I just signed a contract with Blue Sky Solar and Roofing via Chase Fowler who coordinates the financial and logistical side of the purchase/installation. Everybody would agree that Charging the CT via the sun, would provide the lowest operating cost (leaving out the cost of the solar system). Chase Fowler has managed to provide a system large enough to charge the CT, power my cabin, and, my shop for the same monthly cost as my current electric bill. It’s a “No Brainer” when he added a Generac battery pack to supply power when the grid is down (sorry Tesla but you said you didn’t provide service in my area). So here I am awaiting install.
 

ajdelange

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August?......thats a long time....what has prevented the installation?
Same as everything else. Chips and cells (battery cells). The company I use covers the DC Metro area and surround. Their queue has hundreds of frustrated customers in it but their allocation is 4 Powerwalls per month.
 

Pappy

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I just signed a contract with Blue Sky Solar and Roofing via Chase Fowler who coordinates the financial and logistical side of the purchase/installation. Everybody would agree that Charging the CT via the sun, would provide the lowest operating cost (leaving out the cost of the solar system). Chase Fowler has managed to provide a system large enough to charge the CT, power my cabin, and, my shop for the same monthly cost as my current electric bill. It’s a “No Brainer” when he added a Generac battery pack to supply power when the grid is down (sorry Tesla but you said you didn’t provide service in my area). So here I am awaiting install.
Do not use… I repeat, DO NOT USE, Chase Fowler or Blue Sky Solar and Roofing, they do not do what they promise. Signed contract March 12, nothing installed and they decided not to install the system as planned on August 10.
 

ajdelange

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I am curious if anyone had thoughts on getting Solar to charge your CT.
I think with the proposed Green Act, it will increase the incentive for Solar panels.

So I am curious if others are thinking about using the Solar incentive along with the EV credits and if that would make sense in the long run.
Whether it makes sense or not depends on how you do it. Let's assume you are the average American who drives about 1000 miles a month and uses about 910 kWh of electricity, The CT is going to pull about 0.450 kWh/mi and so adds 450 kWh a month to your consumption. That's 15 kWh/da extra on your nominal utilization of 30 kWh. Let's say that the average insolation for your area is 4 hours per day, Some areas (southwest) get more and some (northeast) get less and it varies with season (more in summer, less in winter). You would then need a 15/4 ~ 4 kW solar system to cover the truck's needs. A system of that size is not too expensive, doesn't require that much space for the panels and is easy to install. If your utility permits net metering it becomes your virtual battery (provides power when the sun isn't shining).

Such a system covers the costs of charging the truck but, of course, it doesn't charge the truck which, when it is charging, takes 10.5 kW. If you want to claim that you are charging the truck from solar then you have to set it's charging rate below 4 kW and turn off all the other loads in the house so that the full solar production goes to the truck and not the washing machine. Or get a larger system which you probably would want to do any way in order that it cover some reasonable fraction of your total electric bill such as half to two thirds. And there is nothing to stop you from going even further if cost is no object. Eventually the system will pay for itself but that is years out.

Now what does not make sense is to do what I am doing which is build a separate garage for electric vehicles which garage has an off grid solar system for charging the cars, lights, and HVAC. Not only does it not make sense but borders on insanity but it's been a really fun project. The builder and subs all think it's pretty cool and so have been motivated to do good work.

There are incentives in place for solar installations and we will benefit from those to the fullest extent but none of the motivation stemmed from any hollow promises by any politician.
 


ajdelange

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Do not use… I repeat, DO NOT USE, Chase Fowler or Blue Sky Solar and Roofing, they do not do what they promise. Signed contract March 12, nothing installed and they decided not to install the system as planned on August 10.
Sorry to hear of your difficulties and I cannot comment on how scrupulous or unscrupulous or competent or incompetent you contractor is but things are really tough in this industry (and lots of others too). They are as frustrated as you are.
 

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Yeah, I planned long ago to have solar, reducing the cost of using my vehicle. That was my idea too, of a solar ability, to allow even more out of the CT. All great options. peace
 

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where I live in NW Texas cost is 9.21 per kWh.
Having paid a $2000 electric bill for an all electric home rented in NY one winter, can’t imagine NOT going solar in your TX predicament.

Its $0.19 here and thought that was on the high side.
 

ajdelange

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Having paid a $2000 electric bill for an all electric home rented in NY one winter, can’t imagine NOT going solar in your TX predicament.
The problem with temperate mesic climate zones is that, depending on your heating system, the sun may cover 95% of your electric bill in the summer and 16% of it in the winter. You can, of course, improve that winter number by adding more panels (if you have roof or are willing to put them on frames in the yard) but there are limits as to how much the power company will allow you to connect. I believe the modern controllers will handle that problem but, of course, that means you will have excess capacity idled in the summer and for which you have shelled out big $.

Its $0.19 here and thought that was on the high side.
Some wild things happened in Texas last winter but I imagine he is talking 9.21¢/kWh.
 

Ogre

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When I moved to Oregon, power rates went from $0.15 or so down to $0.08/ kWh. That combined with more efficient home design meant my power bill dropped to $80/ month during the summer and $175/ month during the winter.

That pretty much robbed me of the incentive to buy a solar setup which would cost at least $250/ month. The added load from the truck might make things closer.

More likely, I'll wire up an off-grid solar setup just for the car & truck which will cost a lot less. Then when I get the truck I can work out some kind of transfer switch for home backup during the fairly rare outages we have here.
 


ajdelange

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More likely, I'll wire up an off-grid solar setup just for the car & truck which will cost a lot less.
That's a good one!

Being a little tongue in cheek here. You can put something together relatively inexpensively. A battery pack with built in inverter that can be charged from solar panels (Yeti, Jackery...) will charge a BEV if at L1 rates.
 
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MEDICALJMP

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I had hoped to get Tesla Roof done eventually when prices dropped. They are not in my area yet is one problem. Then we had a storm and I was forced to put on a new roof. Lifetime warranty on the roof.

our electricity is cheap here. So not financially attractive in retrofitting. If building new, that would be another issue .
 

YeahYeahYeah

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Tesla Cybertruck Anyone considering getting Solar with the new Green Act 51580339167_dc43d9d1e9_c


I'd still like solar too
 

YeahYeahYeah

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kW envy… no wonder WPPS defaulted!
Lol, I think were the cheapest in the nation, we have a big hydroelectric dam on each end of town
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