How much would cost for a Solar Panel system in Florida?
Filed under Solar power for home
I live? Clermont, FL 34711th I tried? several solar calculators, etc., but I do not know if I’m doing something wrong, or what. My family wanted me? looking for solar panels, and this co t was in power at home by? solar power. I’m working on it for a few hours tonight, but everything I found said we would? pay between $ 40? 80,000 for a system? Me of solar panels to produce the quantity? of? energy we use! I know if the so called ‘solar panel became so much better, but it is co t of a house in some r? Regions! I hope? Re I just do something wrong. We use Coop Sumter? Electrical. According invoice? Readers? We use on avg about 55 kWh / day. Or last month about 1600 kWh. (Penned caps, etc. given? E as indicated? On your order not to confuse the measurements). Anyone with exp? Experience with the system? My solar panel can tell me if I’m wrong with my estimates of co? Ts 40? 80,000? the power of our house? If so, I guess solar is based on the question for us, everything you hear on the news, friends, etc. that makes us think that this would be 5? 10,000.
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No, your calculations are approximately correct. Solar costs in the range of $5 or $6 per watt before any sort of rebates. Here is a price list for my area, which is going to be approximately the same for you.
http://www.americanpv.com/PDFs/ase_prices_18mar10_100319id8.pdf
For giggles, lets just assume a ~ 8,000 watt system. The installed price for a system like that is $40,000 ($5 per watt).
However, there are incentives which include a federal tax credit of $12,000, a state tax credit of $1,000 (you will have to see if Fla has a program and what it offers) and the big one, a $3 per watt of installed capacity from the local utility (which is going down to $2.25 per watt soon). So $3 * 8,000 watts is a BIG $24,000 rebate (their list shows $20,000 and I can’t explain the difference, but it is at least close). Again, you will have to check with your local utility to see if they have such a program.
So a $40,000 system is now down to roughly $7,000 thanks largely to tax credits and rebates.
“The dollar-per-watt ratio is the best way to compare the prices of solar cells. How does this ratio work? If we assume that a solar array costs $500 and generates 100 Watts, the dollar-per-watt ratio is $5.00 per watt. The current best deals on solar cells are around $4.30 per watt.”
http://renewableenergyarticles.blogspot.com/2010/03/solar-panels-things-to-know.html
yep, Stephen nails it…….5 dollars a watt, or 5,000 per KW installed is the running averages……….only way to make it affordable is with the government,…..federal and state…rebates AND, if your local power company allows it, “net metering” where you sell back whatever energy you aren’t using at any given moment.
See why houses aren’t covered in panels?
Now, go at it from the other direction….how much can I cut the 1600 a month usage? The most bang for the buck is ALWAYS in energy conservation…..more efficient A/C systems, insulation, appliances …..all of which have government rebate programs available……and just a little conservation. Set the A/C to 82 rather than 79……the heat to 68 rather than 75…..turn off lights, use cold water to wash clothes…….if you have an electric water heater, can it and get a”demand draw” or “insta-hot” heater which only uses power when the hot water taps are open……..no sense keeping 20 gallons of water warm 24/7…..you’ll probably save 20 % off your bill right there.
So if you can knock that 1600kWh down to 1200, now you have reduced the cost $20,000…..
Your number sounds correct, as despite what you see on the news the costs for solar are still quite high. Keep in mind that with economies of scale, the incentives and subsidies, and the ever rising price of fuel that the utilities are passing along to customers will make the cost of solar go that much lower. Push your local state representative to pass the Feed In Tariff measure that my research shows is working its way through the FL State Legislature, as that will bring down the cost of solar as well.
There is a good solar panel calculator on the sun electronics website, and I know that their panels have been working well. My Uncle used them for a big retro fit that he did on his house in the Florida Keys, My In-Laws for a project outside of Chicago, and my brother on his boat in the Caribbean.
Good Luck
Do you know someone who is handy and good at DIY projects? You can build renewable energy sources that are inexpensive to build and will produce electricity for you to use that will save you money month after month forever.
a lottttt! you’ll have to buy it and then hire someone to install it!