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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
I started generating electricity on February 17th of last year. Since then, I've generated 6,468kWhs of electricity, in what was the rainiest year I can remember.
  
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Posted 2/18/10 8:00 AM  |
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telmah
LIF Infant
Member since 1/10 239 total posts
Name:
Prince
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Just curious, if you don't mind telling, what was your initial investment on the panels and what type of maintenance do they require?
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| Posted 2/18/10 9:02 AM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Total cost was about $61k LIPA paid about $28k right up front. I had to foot the other $33k, but I'm getting a lot of that back in Fed and State tax credits. Total cost to me is around $19k. This past year, with rates being around $.21/kWh, I saved maybe $1300, so my ROI should be 10-12 years.
Absolutely no maintenance. Once a year for 10 years, the installers come to clean off the panels, and do an inspection.
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| Posted 2/18/10 9:12 AM |
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telmah
LIF Infant
Member since 1/10 239 total posts
Name:
Prince
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Interesting. I assume that the total cost is relative to the square footage of the panels?
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| Posted 2/18/10 9:31 AM |
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CouponKT
Our family is complete
Member since 6/06 16494 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
wow that year went fast - how awesome!
1 down, 11 to go 
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| Posted 2/18/10 9:31 AM |
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JldDolphin
Member since 1/07 6929 total posts
Name:
Jen
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
wow I can't believe it's been a year already. Congrats! 
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| Posted 2/18/10 10:13 AM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Posted by telmah
Interesting. I assume that the total cost is relative to the square footage of the panels?
Yeah. The bulk of the cost is X amount per panel. I have 36 individual panels. The converter, running the wires from the roof to the basement, and hooking up to LIPA is basically a fixed price, since whether you have 1 panel or 36, you need the same wiring.
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| Posted 2/18/10 12:59 PM |
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mandasue
LIF Adolescent
Member since 3/09 772 total posts
Name:
Amanda
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
awesome!!!!!!
congrats!!!!!!
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| Posted 2/18/10 1:27 PM |
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sunnyflies
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 1757 total posts
Name:
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Congratulations! My panels are going up as I type. I hope we do as well as you have. LIPA changed the rules just as we were about to sign a contract. Now you can only buy panels equivalent to your historic usage, no extra.
My out of pocket will be about $22,000 before the state and federal tax credits which will lower the final cost to about $11,000, but the system will be making electricity to run our new geothermal heat and a/c. It's so nice not to have oil bills!
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| Posted 5/21/10 11:44 AM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Posted by sunnyflies
Congratulations! My panels are going up as I type. I hope we do as well as you have. LIPA changed the rules just as we were about to sign a contract. Now you can only buy panels equivalent to your historic usage, no extra.
My out of pocket will be about $22,000 before the state and federal tax credits which will lower the final cost to about $11,000, but the system will be making electricity to run our new geothermal heat and a/c. It's so nice not to have oil bills!
Geothermal.... I'm jealous... Maybe someday we'll see if we can do that. Too many other things going on to pay for that right now. After my current kitchen reno, I want to get solar hot water, using the little bit of space on the roof not covered with photovoltaic panels.
What total wattage do you have? I have 8100, but I know LIPA changed the rebate amount recently, too.
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| Posted 5/21/10 12:45 PM |
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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
That is so awesome! Congrats!
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| Posted 5/21/10 2:51 PM |
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rkoenke
my little piggys
Member since 3/08 4315 total posts
Name:
rachel
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Posted by GoldenRod
Posted by sunnyflies
Congratulations! My panels are going up as I type. I hope we do as well as you have. LIPA changed the rules just as we were about to sign a contract. Now you can only buy panels equivalent to your historic usage, no extra.
My out of pocket will be about $22,000 before the state and federal tax credits which will lower the final cost to about $11,000, but the system will be making electricity to run our new geothermal heat and a/c. It's so nice not to have oil bills!
Question? Who the helck is LIPA to tell you how many panels you can buy?
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| Posted 5/22/10 2:26 AM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: One year anniversary generating my own electricity!
Posted by rkoenke
Posted by GoldenRod
Posted by sunnyflies
Congratulations! My panels are going up as I type. I hope we do as well as you have. LIPA changed the rules just as we were about to sign a contract. Now you can only buy panels equivalent to your historic usage, no extra.
My out of pocket will be about $22,000 before the state and federal tax credits which will lower the final cost to about $11,000, but the system will be making electricity to run our new geothermal heat and a/c. It's so nice not to have oil bills!
Question? Who the helck is LIPA to tell you how many panels you can buy?
They are the company that you are feeding electricity onto their grid. You don't HAVE to do what LIPA says, but then you can't do the feedback system where they take your extra power. They also won't give you the rebates if you don't follow their rules.
If you want thousands of dollars in rebates from LIPA, you have to abide by their rules, whatever they are.....
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| Posted 5/23/10 10:01 AM |
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