cmfitness
Posts:122
 | | 05/24/2008 9:45 PM |
 Alert | Anyone out there that can recommend a reputable company to install solar panels on my house in Rancho? And answer all thequestions I have? I have browsed so many websites that I dont kow who to trust anymore!! Thanks!  | | | |
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poobaa
Posts:157
| | 05/24/2008 10:22 PM |
Alert | | Have you checked with your HOA? | |
"What me worry"
If you don't know where you are going, it matters less what road you take | |
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cmfitness
Posts:122
| | 05/24/2008 10:37 PM |
Alert | | if you are saying "will the HOA let me have them" the answer is, the recent AZ court ruling says they have no right to stop me | | | |
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poobaa
Posts:157
| | 05/24/2008 10:46 PM |
Alert | | I think the court did not say that the HOA could not have control of where you put them even if the place you want them is the most effective one. It would be hard to put enough panels on your roof that could not be seen from the street | |
"What me worry"
If you don't know where you are going, it matters less what road you take | |
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spl002
Posts:17
| | 05/24/2008 11:48 PM |
Alert | Sounds like a great idea to put solar panels. We would if we could afford the initial costs. I have heard they will probably decrease in costs over the next several years. We will probably wait for the price decrease before we do it. But hats off to you for stepping up and doing it now.
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Maricopa is Home! | |
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sysadmin
Posts:127
| | 05/25/2008 12:13 AM |
Alert | | State law states that you do not need HOA approval to put in solar panels. In fact HOA’s can’t even tell you where you can and can’t put them. This was upheld in a recent court case with some one living in the Gilbert area. He put one in his backyard and his HOA took him to court and the judge ruled in favor of the home owner. There was also an other case with a home owner and his HOA on the west side of the valley but I never heard the out come of that case. | | | |
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Eric the Red
Posts:435
| | 05/25/2008 12:38 AM |
Alert | Posted By poobaa on 05/24/2008 10:46 PM
I think the court did not say that the HOA could not have control of where you put them even if the place you want them is the most effective one. It would be hard to put enough panels on your roof that could not be seen from the street The law states that they can put "reasonable rules" on where you can place them, but it also states that they can't require you to put them somewhere that would affect their efficiency. www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01816.htm | |
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cmfitness
Posts:122
| | 05/25/2008 9:50 AM |
Alert | | I just dont know where to start. | | | |
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poobaa
Posts:157
| | 05/25/2008 11:20 AM |
Alert | | You start at the beginning. Submit your plan to the HOA. Next contact APS, they have a list of approved contractors. One kw panels cost about 3k installed. You need about 6 to 12 panels for the average home. Panels are 6x8 to 10 x 8. You need an inverter, controller and batteries at a cost of about 5k. I have not seen any installations in Maricopa but did see one in Palo Alto CA | |
"What me worry"
If you don't know where you are going, it matters less what road you take | |
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OBG II
Posts:553
| | 05/25/2008 11:36 AM |
Alert | Sorry, but if you are on grid you do not need batteries. You revert to grid at night and cloudy days. Batteries are very expensive and are high maintence and only last 5 to 10 years. Speaking from experience as have had solar, off grid, for almost four years now. 24 batteries and genset back up. | |
Some people will do anything to get elected!
IMPALIN' THE LEFT | |
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AzSandSlinger
Posts:587
| | 05/25/2008 11:47 AM |
Alert | You can get a nice turnkey system installed for 10-20k...
I'd contact a contractor FIRST.. so you know full well what you are getting into as far as cost and design.. THEN contact the HOA and submit a plan to them.. Since they really can't say "no".. It should be easy..
http://www.perfectpowernetwork.com
is one of many solar contractors in the valley...
It's definitely good move if you plan on keeping your home.. I'm looking into putting one on top of my covered patio... Then I could do it myself.. and hire an electrician to inspect and sign-off the wiring..
-Shane | |
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Ultra Super Member
Posts: eleventy-billion
Joined: 10 Nov 1775
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"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army | |
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poobaa
Posts:157
| | 05/25/2008 11:50 AM |
Alert | You do need some batteries. They help store and regulate the voltage. The inverter converts to 60 Hz 240 volts. If you make more energy than you use, the electric meter runs backwards saving you money from ED3 or APS as the case may be. Even a small installation of 25% of the power you need is costly.
You pay ED3 about 13¢ per KWH but the cost of solar with a 10 year pay back is about 20¢ per KWH.
The engineer in Palo Alto invested about 35k to run his home completely on solar power and sold his excess back to PG&E in CA. His net power over the year was about 2% from PG&E | |
"What me worry"
If you don't know where you are going, it matters less what road you take | |
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OBG II
Posts:553
| | 05/25/2008 11:54 AM |
Alert | The whole point of being on grid is that you do not need to store voltage; what for? I store voltage to use at night and on cloudy days. If I do not have enough stored, I have to use my genset. Your controller just pulls from the grid if you demand more than the system provides for. | |
Some people will do anything to get elected!
IMPALIN' THE LEFT | |
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OBG II
Posts:553
| | 05/25/2008 11:58 AM |
Alert | http://www.solartec.com.au/FAQs.html Do I need batteries for a grid connect system?
No, solar energy is collected on your roof and fed into the electricity mains via your inverter. You have the convenience of using electricity from the electricity grid while the renewable energy you produce spins your meter backwards while you are not using electricity, & slows it down when you are using less electricity than you are producing. A Grid Connect System is low maintenance. An occasional wash of the solar panels with a hose is all that is required. It is possible to have a battery storage system for use as an uninterruptible power supply in the event of a blackout. This is when a battery storage bank is added | |
Some people will do anything to get elected!
IMPALIN' THE LEFT | |
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AzSandSlinger
Posts:587
| | 05/25/2008 12:03 PM |
Alert | batteries or no batteries..lol.. contact a contractor... I've seen nice turnkey systems (i.e. EVERYTHING you need) installed anywhere from 5k-25k...(the 5k one was for a backyard barn) you pay a contractor, and they will ensure you have everything you need.. you can also hire a contractor to "consult" if you plan on doing it yourself..
Solar is getting cheaper and cheaper.. especially with the advances from SigNet, IBM, etc..
Pretty soon, they're going to be affordable to more and more people.. then you'll see more of them on homes..
-Shane | |
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Ultra Super Member
Posts: eleventy-billion
Joined: 10 Nov 1775
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"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army | |
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OBG II
Posts:553
| | 05/25/2008 12:12 PM |
Alert | 24 batts x 300 bucks=$7200 hardy a lol when they need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years and are high maintence. BTW if you do it yourself the rebates are not available as the installation must be done by an approved contractor. | |
Some people will do anything to get elected!
IMPALIN' THE LEFT | |
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AzSandSlinger
Posts:587
| | 05/25/2008 12:33 PM |
Alert | BTW if you do it yourself the rebates are not available as the installation must be done by an approved contractor.
Interesting point... I guess I'd have to look at the difference between the rebate and labor for the contractor.. the system I want to install is maybe 10'x40'...
I agree an on-grid system is the way to go... I don't think ED3 has a "buy-back" system..
You can also install a small water heating system to replace your electric water heater for ~4k (not worth it if you have a gas heater).. it's usually a 4-5 year pay back..
-Shane | |
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Ultra Super Member
Posts: eleventy-billion
Joined: 10 Nov 1775
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"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army | |
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AzSandSlinger
Posts:587
| | 05/25/2008 12:59 PM |
Alert | FYI.. I came across this.. Home Depot Installs Solar Cells... -Shane | |
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Ultra Super Member
Posts: eleventy-billion
Joined: 10 Nov 1775
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"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army | |
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OBG II
Posts:553
| | 05/25/2008 2:46 PM |
Alert | http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/28901.pdf Title is:this is an excellent on line handbook that explains just about everything you need to know about purchasing solar. Arizona Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Solar Electric System | |
Some people will do anything to get elected!
IMPALIN' THE LEFT | |
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