Discounts on solar available through Aug. 31
Fairfax County is teaming up with the nonprofit Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) on Solarize Virginia, a program that makes it easier and cheaper for homeowners to switch to solar.
Homeowners who sign up by Aug. 31 receive a free assessment and quote from a vetted solar installer and a guaranteed discounted rate.
Through a competitive bidding process, LEAP has selected Prospect Solar and Energy World Solar as their two installers for 2023.
LEAP also provides ongoing customer support and education throughout the process.
Solarize Virginia has scheduled virtual information sessions on July 19 at 12:30 p.m., Aug. 1 at 6 p.m., and Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. Register here.
Solar United Neighbors has a similar discount program called Capital Area Solar Switch.
I got an estimate from a renowned solar installation company on a bare bones grid tied solar system for a 2 br 2 ba. It was over $60,000. Cost recovery on that vs. what I pay now is over 100 years. Not worth it by a long shot.
Check multiple bids. I had a $60,000 bid also, but had another that was less than half their price with equal equipment.
Not sure where you got that estimate Orenthal, or how long ago, but I got 5 different bids, and the first four were pretty similar, but the one from this Solarize VA was the best quote and deal by far. I had Energy World Solar give a good pricing to me, and it’s nowhere near $60k, not sure how many panels you got but I got a 21 panel system, and while it’s certainly not a small purchase, it’ll most likely save me money in the long run while being better for the environment. I use all electric tools and I plan on using EV. When you get something that saves money, and is good for the environment, isn’t that a win for everyone? The Fed tax credit of 30% off is also a really compelling incentive to take advantage of. Solar isn’t for everyone, it depends on where your house faces, how much sun you get. For me, it seems worth it, I get to have 60% off my utilities, a ROI in 7.5 years, and savings long term all while helping the planet. If we all don’t do our part, then our planet is doomed.
ROI in 7.5 years, and what is the life of your equipment? I’ve found the math works out for me somewhere in the middle of you and Orenthal.
Equipment slowly degrades. After 25 years you get about 75-80% of initial efficiency.
Thank you for posting the details about your experiences, it is always helpful to hear real world experiences. And thank you for doing your part to help fight climate change. Just doing a little math if you spent say $20k (which seems like a low estimate) and you are recouping that in 7.5 years you are saving $2700 per year or which is about $220 per month. If this is 60% of your electric bill, that means your average monthly electric bill is $370. I have a fully electric house that uses electricity for both heating and cooling. My electric bill runs between $200-400 a month, so this tracks. That said, if you lived in smaller house that say had gas for heating, this calculation could be wildly different. If your average electric bill is more like 100-200, your break even could easily go into 15-20 years. So while it works for you, there could be a lot of people where the math just does not add up.
That’s true, from a monetary gain financial standpoint, it doesn’t make sense for everyone, and your consultant should be able to tell you that. That being said, some solar companies will sell too on 100% offset which is efficient if you don’t have the roof/solar rating for that. Solar energy world showed me the best parts of my roof that should support a solar panel. Other companies put panels where it wasn’t very efficient and costed more, solar energy world focused on what is the “best bang for buck” which I liked.
It’s warrantied for 30 years, at that point the efficiency of the panels drop to somewhere in the low to mid 80s range, but they will last longer than that, who knows the total lifetime but I bet there will be better cheaper panels by then and it’ll make sense to replace them. I also factored in the fact that I have a high-yield savings cash account.that yields 4.55 APR so I lose out on a thousand in interest payments a year but that gets taxed and who knows how long these high interest rates last, I’d rather save it in utilities and local government incentives in producing my own power harnessing the power of the sun.