One of the more exciting things we’re doing is seriously considering installing solar panels on our roof. We were already getting ready to replace the roof, our original shake roof is old, inefficient, and a fire hazard (resulting in an insurance “extra”), but thought that in Denver, we get sooo much sunshine and we have a big roof, maybe we could swing solar too.
We’ve been getting quotes for a new roof, which is a bunch of decisions alone (asphalt, composite, stone-coated steel) and have reached out to a few solar installers. As of this writing, we have a few roofing quotes and one solar quote is expected any day.
Why? While we all know the think globally, act locally motto, it’s something we’re trying to really do. I’ve converted a good number of our light bulbs to compact fluorescent and we try and watch our consumption. But we have a nice big roof and my eye tells me we have a nice patch of southern exposure (where the sun is, and this was confirmed by the first solar company) and can probably afford the up front cost, in hopes of getting the ROI over time.
How much does it cost? Well, we haven’t gotten a quote yet, but we expect the solar alone to be ~$20,000. [the roof is a separate cost/project and too boring to get into much detail of, except for where it overlaps with the solar project]. The actual cost is double that, but the solar shops work with xcel (the local energy company) to cover 1/2. Our first company is Namaste, from Boulder. Also, there is a one-time tax credit of $2,000.
How long will it take to pay for itself? We’ll be able to calculate this better once we know the exact quote, but early estimates indicate we’re looking at 8-10 years to get the payback.
How to figure out the cost? What we’ve learned is that you call your energy company and get your actual usage for the past 12 months, looking for the average monthly consumption. The goal is to get enough solar panels to generate ~85% of your consumption. Why? Well, your local energy company pays you dollar for dollar for any energy you generate, up to your actual usage. If you generate more than you actually use, the energy company buys that from you too, but only for the wholesale rate (~1/2 of the retail price). When you factor in the overall cost of the project and panels, it’s not cost effective to generate more than you need. This was news to me, I was under the mistaken perception that I’d want a check from the energy company, but in the end, we’re looking for the sweet spot.
How’s the view? You do need a nice sized roof with a healthy amount of daily sun via a southern sky exposure. The guy we met was very nice and told us that they often reject people because their roof is too small, too covered (trees), or just doesn’t get enough sun during the day. For the investment, they don’t need cranky people screaming about the lack of savings they’re not getting. However, the guy from Namaste (also named Ben) said we have a great roof! We have a split-level, with 4+ different roof sections, each facing a different direction. And while we do have a good amount of trees, they don’t cover our biggest southern facing piece.
Next steps? As of now, we await all the quotes – for the roof and the solar. We’re looking to get a few quotes, but not just for price. We want folks that, ideally, have worked with the other (i.e. roofers who’ve worked with solar installers and vice versa)) — a few roof guys we spoke to early had no idea about the solar piece. However, the solar folks seem pretty sure that they will project manage the entire thing, and the roofers just show up in the middle and the solar folks can work around them. Basically, the roofers pull off existing and lay down the “paper;” then the solar folks install anchors (while the roofers are at lunch), and the roofers can return and complete their job. The solar folks can land the plane from there.
Other considerations? Well, we need to check with the HOA for their input. The solar company will work out all the permits thankfully. Also, we need to pick the roofing material and there are different types of panels (single & multi cell; single is more efficient, thus expensive). Once we get the pricing, we’ll make a decision.
I’ll provide further updates as we get down the road on this. We don’t know anyone else, personally, who has done this. But we did get a referral from someone who lives close by – suffice to say, she raved about it. Her monthly electric bill is down to $6-$8 per month!
I added a new blog category to focus on just my solar postings.
