Renting solar panels: Can anyone find the catch? Is there one?
This sounds completely awesome. I learned about it at the Troy Farmer's Market this morning. It's basically a long-term leased solar power system for your home. The upfront cost is a $500 security deposit. You lock in a monthly rental rate for the equipment based on the current price of electricity now, and it doesn't go up for 25 years. It's tied ( Read more... )
Our exact problem is that we would absolutely love to set up a PV system, but we can't afford the up-front costs. We have a huge sloped roof facing the south and above the treeline so I think we could probably generate enough power for the rest of the neighborhood. We're perfect candidates for this.
Let us know what you find!
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Miriam, thanks for bringing this to our attention...
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Here's the quote: Citizenrē guarantees that your REnU is designed to produce as close to your average electricity needs as possible, given the characteristics of your house and location.You need to read this as they are *not* going to install a system that produces more than your average need, so you can't ever expect to have any significant income from selling power to the grid. In fact, you need to check your own state's regulations on this, because some states basically allow you to earn credit toward your electric utility bill, but you won't get paid anything for any excess over your own total usage ( ... )
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It was my understanding that they weren't going to install a larger system than your needs specifically because you're not likely by law to be able to earn money that way so it wouldn't be worth it for you. The calendar year provision would suck though--we should check NY's laws, but I don't think it has that.
Also though, the expected savings to be generated is not from generating extra power above what you use, it's from having fixed costs rather than rising costs like everyone else. The utility intertie is more for not having to have batteries in your basement, not for generating income. (Again, yes, if you lose credits on Jan. 1st that wouldn't work.)
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if i were going the PV route i'd want to investigate this. we aren't home during most days to use the power, so all the PV would be powering would be a computer server in the basement and the clocks in the stove and microwave. getting credit from the grid would be key to making this pay off.
even long term, if i couldn't get credit from the grid then i'd still end up paying the grid for nighttime power use (lights, music, several computers). which is where batteries come into the picture... without grid-credit or batteries, i just don't see how it can work out well for people who aren't home during the day.
that said, i'm pretty sure MA isn't one of the screw-you states. but i'll have to check and make sure the rules haven't changed since my dad worked at the power company a decade back. under Romney, any sort of anti-consumer idiocy is not only possible but probable.
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Yeah, grid credit is definitely essential to making this all work, which is why they're only operating in states with net metering laws. I'm looking into NY's. Let us know what you find about MA's.
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http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/doer/pub_info/guidebook.pdf
from page 29:
The net metering regulations, 220 CMR 11.04, allow for a distribution company's customer with a QF or OSGF of 60 kW or less to run the meter backward and receive a credit, equal to the arithmetic average of the ISO power exchange price in the previous month, in any month that the customer generates more electricity than it consumes. The credit appears on the customer's next bill, unless a customer requests a check for the credit ( ... )
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Lucky you! (See my comment to Jake on NY's).
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BTW, there are some changes in the works for NY net metering, but I don't think they'll change much for homeowners.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=650243
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It should work out the same: either you store your power and don't sell or buy anything to/from the grid, or you get credit during the day and use at night.
except that batteries are expensive and need replacing. very very few people in urban contexts do solar without a utility intertie, even if they're buying the systems themselves.
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Interesting. So here's how New York works:
If you have generated more than you used in a given month you get a credit on your next month's bill based on the retail rate. If at the end of the year you still have a credit, the utility pays you cash for any remaining credit--but at their avoided cost, which is lower than retail rate. Not nearly as bad as losing it, but not ideal.
It would be nice if you could apply your credit to your connection fee or even the gas portion of your bill. Then you would have any building up over the summer anyway. I doubt that's how it works, although that is a legitimate way to read the law.
http://www.dsireusa.org/documents/Incentives/NY05R.htm
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Yay! We did grt in line while we're thinking it through, since you don't have to commit until you see the actual system design and get the monthly rate.
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