In the beginning

2011-07-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

I actually started this quest several years ago. Living in Southern Nevada, where there is ample sunshine it seemed to me a natural evolution. Forget about "being green". I simply don't give a damn about that. I do, however, want to SAVE MONEY. Pure and simple it's about how green is my bank book. If there is some environmental benefit for the rest of the world and you feel guilty because you're not in an area to go solar, please feel free to send me a check for your guilt. I most certainly will say thank you. You're, kind of like, buying carbon credits. You'll feel better for it and I most certainly will feel good about it. I will tell anyone who will listen how you are helping the world by buying in on my solar energy system.

Moving on. Several years ago when I first looked into solar the Return on Investment (ROI) was nearly 20 years. That would, most likely, put me in permanent horizontal hold (more simply stated, dead) before I saw any ROI. Didn't seem like much of a deal for me.

In just a few years times have changed. Solar Panels are more efficient. Prices have dropped, but only a little. The big savings comes in Federal, State and Local Tax credits, along with power company rebates. This is where your first line of ROI hits your wallet. You can nearly get half, if not slightly more of your money back in this arena.

So far, I've met with three companies doing solar in Southern Nevada. Prices and panels vary widely. Six words here, shop around, Shop Around, SHOP AROUND. I'll give you information on my best deal as soon as and if I crack it.

I'm trying to make this simple for anyone interested in this topic. I've seen the "DIY" solar panel information. Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah. If climbing on your roof and spending hours of your precious time building a questionable system that you will have to maintain is to your liking, go for it.
Before you do that remember this, although solar is a simple technology, installation, parts, safety and getting it to work within guidelines is more professional than I care to tackle. I have learned over the years to know some personal limitations. I'm damn good at what I'm good at and for the rest, I'll find somebody damn good at what they are good at.

Let me talk for a few minutes about the technology and some of the basic things you need to know. Size of a solar panel does not make any difference. It's the wattage out, baby. Let's talk old tech VS. new tech.

One hundred eighty five watt (185 W) out is old school. Somebody trying to sell you an array of those is stone age. You know, "Meet the Flintstones" style. Today 210 to 240 W is more the norm. Umm, more power, more power. Keep in mind, I'm referring to residential here and not commercial. Then there's this thing called an inverter or micro-inverter. Solar panels generate Direct Current (DC) Your house runs on Alternating Current (AC). To make that new found power useful you need to have the inverter. Back to old school. One inverter for your entire array of panels. Boy, that sounds cool. Not so fast, Bronco. With one inverter on your array your system will work like the old Christmas Tree lights. You know, when 1 went out the whole string went down. Same principal here. If your inverter goes out (the life span of the inverter is 10 to 12 years and can cost upwards of 7K to replace) your system goes down. All of it. New school is a micro-inverter on each panel. The new micro-inverter carries the same 25 year replacement warranty as the panel. Smart. Each panel operates separately. If 1 goes down the others still generate. I know, the technical term is "Harvest". In some cases electric companies will monitor your system, after all they are getting any excess generated and moving it on down the line. By the way, excess is good because you get credit and/or paid for the additional. Depends on your electric company. I need to add here, NVEnergy, at the time I write this, is not very "Solar Friendly". They talk the talk but when you follow policy closely and what they do, they really don't walk the walk. I can't speak for your power company, just the one I have to use.

So what am I looking for with solar energy? No electric bill. I want a system that will totally offset my electric usage. Something that will pay for itself in 7 years. Low or no maintenance. Those are the basic requirements for me to go solar. I believe it can happen. Stay tuned and we'll see together.

One shameless plug before I go: Please visit my website at http://www.weather89014.com/ . There is a link there to connect with me on FB.

Tuesday July 5th

There are many things to consider before going "solar". If you live in the northern half of the U.S., don't waste much time on this idea. Your amount of sunshine days is a deal killer. Western Texas, New Mexico, Southern AZ, Southern NV, and S. CA are best bets for a good ROI.   Other considerations include which direction your roof faces. You want a good southerly face. Maximum sunshine on the panels will equal solid electrical output. What may be blocking or partially blocking the location for your panels? Anything blocking the sunshine will cut into the end result.

Wednesday July 6, 2011

Looks like I won't be signing off on this anytime soon. I just inked a deal for solar panels with Solar Universe out of Las Vegas. I share with you the particulars, but most important I'll walk you through the process from now through the first year of electric bills. You'll read about the good and the bad. Hopefully, a lot of good and little or no bad.

This project consists of 25 SunTech 245W panels including all permits, installation, HOA approval, etc.
These panels and the 25 inverters carry a 25 year warranty. The cost, at a little more than 31K may seem a bit staggering, but the NVEnergy rebate program puts about 10.5K off of the bill + another 6.5K from Federal Tax incentives. Bottom line slightly more than 14.5K out of my pocket. In return I get a ZERO electric bill. Actual ROI based on my usage and bill will be around 7 to 8 years. I can live with that.

Right now the down side is not getting installation until the NV Public Utility Commission releases the next round of money to NV Energy. I'm under the belief that could happen in late July or August, which leaves my installation and savings hanging until August or September. Hey, it's only a couple of months. Over the next several weeks I'll post a pre-installation picture of our house. I'll take you every step of the way with how it goes. Grab me by the electric bill and here we go.

Thursday July 7, 2011

One thing I should mention at this point. If you decide to go solar and finance the project you will change the ROI. If you've read my book "Cause and Effects: The Amazing Story Surrounding The 'Perfect Showcase Bid' on Television's #1 Daytime Game Show" you already know how I feel about financing. If you haven't read it yet, you can order an autographed copy from my website at http://www.weather89014.com/ (another shameless plug?? Yep) I'll tell you what I did to get, a 7 year return without paying interest. Notice I did not say without financing but I did mention NO INTEREST. Solar Universe has a one-year same as cash financing option that they have arranged through a lender. I put the entire amount on that loan. As soon as NVEnergy gets me my check I will squirrel it away in an interest bearing account. That's about 10.5 K. When I do my taxes next year, and I will be doing them early to get back the federal funds that will add another 6.5 K.   A little later than this time next year I will only have to come up with the 14.5 K out of my pocket.   I know I can make that happen so I will not be shelling out any interest for this entire project. Hence, my ROI comes in quicker. If you are forced to finance this type of operation your ROI could easily be pushed out to 12 to 15 years. The project moves forward with updates as needed. Stay tuned.

Monday July 11, 2011

Although this part of going solar is not exciting to me, it's something you need to consider. One of the immediate benefits of solar panels is that, in a housing market where values are dropping, this will ADD value to the price of your home. After all, who wouldn't pay extra for a house that will produce a near zero or zero electric bill. Those pushing those nearly flat panels for power will tell you it will add more than the cost to the value of your home.  I did some external checking and found that MAY be true, however, the reality is still this - - your home is only worth the maximum somebody will pay for it. I love it when I hear a real estate agent say someones home is worth, let's say 180K.  Put it on the market and if the absolute best offer you get is 135K, then your home is only worth that and not a penny more.
Now you might be wondering why I'm not excited about upping the value of the property where I park my .....car (You may have thought I was going to say ass, but I fooled you). The reason I don't care is because I'm not planning on selling. Well, if somebody handed a cool million (any takers??), I'd entertain the offer. Maybe more than entertain it, after the check clears the bank and I'm sure it's valid, I could probably be out before midnight (any takers???). Until the NV Public Utility Commission releases the green for rebates I patiently wait, licking my chops knowing that someday my electric meter will run backwards.

Wednesday August 3, 2011

Haven't had much to post of late because the NV PUC, mentioned above, is still holding out on the next release of rebates. Until that happens not much will happen on my end. I must admit, I don't understand why that takes so long to happen. Maybe I do. Politics, possibly?? I was originally told it might happen in July or August. I was thinking more like August or September. I do know that if this drags beyond October, I may pull the plug on it. I've got other things to take care of and I need to be sure this can happen on my schedule. We shall see. Stay tuned.

Monday August 15, 2011

The wait for the NV PUC to release money for rebates continues. I started thinking about this over the weekend. I looked at my past electric bill and we paid a buck and change last month into the renewable energy fund. Let's assume that 2,000,000 NV Energy customers paid the same (counting in Reno NV Energy customers it's much higher than that). That would put in excess of $2,000,000 per month into this fund. This does not include any additional money paid in by commercial customers. Add the commercial money in and your probably looking at $4,000,000, or more, per month into this fund. Since NV Energy collects the money, while they sit on it, some entity (Either NV Energy or the NV PUC) is making interest on it. You can damn well bet the interest is NOT going into the fund. Why not role that money out as it comes in? Unemployment in NV is in excess of 13%. When the money is released it puts people to work making solar panels and installing them. While the wheels of bureaucracy churn ever so slowly, the unemployment number stays high. Thank you big government for all the things you continue to mess up. Jerks.

August 24, 2011

I've got some interesting comments from people that want to be "Solar Green" but they don't live in an area where it's practical. There are parts of this great land where the ROI on solar is not going to work. If you live in a part of the country where sunshine isn't readily available because of many cloudy days, solar panels simply aren't a good investment. Maybe wind turbines are more your speed (Okay, pun intended). At this point I ask you to please reread the 1st paragraph of this blog. I'll wait..................... Welcome back. If your not familiar with Carbon Credits, they are really a scheme for some people to make money. It's kind of like selling the air inside a balloon. It's really a goofy idea and a select few will get very rich from it.
So this part of my blog is for those of you with, what I'll call, Green Guilt. That definition will be as follows: an individual feeling of overwhelming guilt because 1) the high cost of going green makes it unaffordable 2) he/she lives in an area where going green is not practical.

I'm serious when I tell you, I applaud your sense of environmental consciousness.

I'm going to offer a select group of you something very special. Here it is. You can invest in the "Green" of my solar panel project. I will, when donations start pouring in, put a special page on the website http://www.weather89014.com/ mentioning by name, those that contribute to the "Green Home Project". Please note, any donation to the project is NOT tax deductible. Donations will only be accepted to the point where the entire price of the project is offset. So if you don't act quickly, you may not get in. In addition to the website listed above you will be mailed a Certificate of Appreciation. This Certificate, suitable for framing or wrapping fish, will let your friends, your co-workers, and the world know that YOU CARE. How cool would that be hanging on your wall!

Minimum donation is $2.00. Please feel free to contribute more. A $2.00 donation gets you both website mention + the "Green Home Project" Certificate. A $100.00 donation gets you both website mention + a "Silver Green Home Project" Certificate. A $1000.00 donation gets you website mention + a "Platinum Green Home Project" Wall Plaque. A $10,000.00 donation gets you website mention + a "Gold Green Home Project" very fancy Wall Plaque.

Make your checks payable to Krystalco LLC and mail 'em to 1407 Rim Fire Circle, Henderson NV 89014. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for Al Gore's donation.

August 26, 2011

Today the NV PUC released information on dates and monies available for the next round of renewable energy incentives. I'm still weeding through all of this information but here are the basics:

Applicants may submit an application at their convenience anytime between September 16 and midnight, September 28, 2011.
This year NVEnergy won't be reserving anyone's application during the application period. Instead, all the applications will go into a pool. Then, on September 30 NVEnergy will add up the capacity from all the applications they received.

If the total capacity from all the applications is less than what NVEnergy is allowed to fill this year, all the applications will accepted. If the total capacity from the applications is more than the allotted amount, a third party will select the participants using a random lottery.
This way, the person who submits their application just before midnight September 28 has the same chance of having their application accepted as the person who submits an application immediately on September 16.

The lottery will take place on September 30, 2011 and results will be published on the RenewableGenerations website on October 4, 2011. Reservation letters will be mailed to successful applicants in early October. This is the first release of capacity for the program year 2011-12.

Keep in mind, last year within the first 20 minutes of opening the applications process all of the allotted funds were used. Based on that fact alone I suspect my chances of getting my name pulled out in the lottery are slim to none. If that is the case and I am not selected, my quest for solar energy will most likely come to its end.

Now if this project hasn't confused the hell out of you yet, wait until you read what's coming. When you take the incentive money, which I mentioned earlier is paid by every NVEnergy customer in the form of a PUC FEE on each monthly bill, you assign all of your "Portfolio Energy Credits" (PECs) from your solar energy panels to NVEnergy without future or further compensation.

At this point I need to explain what are PECs. What I'm about to write varies from state to state.
The Solar Panel array I'm considering will generate 9700 kilowatt hours annually. Last year NVEnergy paid $25 per KWh if you did not take the one time installation incentive. In other words I can take the $10,500.00 one time incentive and sign over all of my annual KWh rights to NVEnergy for as long as I own my system, which is guaranteed for 25 years. If I choose not to take the onetime incentive, each year I can sell my portfolio credits to NVEnergy. Based in last years rate I would get, just shy of, $250.00.
At the current rate NVEnergy pays for PECs it would take me nearly 50 years to get the $10,500 they are willing to pony up now. Keep in mind that $10,500 they are willing to give me is partly mine anyway.
As I mentioned earlier, every electric user in the state pays into this fund every month. Though the NV PUC, NVEnergy is just refunding money from this renewable energy fund back to the people that paid it. If NVEnergy buys my PEC's it's comes out of NVEnergy's pocket. Currently in Nevada you cannot sell your PEC's across state lines. That's a damn shame because last year Massachusetts paid $500.00 per PEC KWh. I could have made $4,500.00 in one year alone if that were the going rate in Nevada. Each state has its own Rules and Regulations governing renewable energy and they are in flux annually.

What determines the value of a PEC?

The PUCs of the states tell electric companies what percentage of electricity must come from renewable energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal). I believe it's by 2015 in NV, 20% of generated electricity MUST come from renewable sources. I think right now it's at 15%. As the requirement for renewable energy sources grow so should the value of PECs. In other words, today's $25 PEC could be the next version of gold. Although if that happens nobody will be able to afford paying an electric bill.   If the Federal Government steps in and standardizes the regulations it most assuredly be totally screwed up.

So as of now, this project is still a go, at least until after the results are handed out in October.

September 17, 2011

Since we're doing the solar thing here, I had to share this with all of you. This is way off the charts funny!

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/daily-show-on-solyndra-scandal-its-not-easy-being-green-video.php

October 4, 2011

The results of the NVEnergy lottery were posted today and I was NOT selected to get the Solar Energy Rebates. That, in essence, brings my quest for solar energy to an end. Without that cash back it's just not affordable or practical for me to continue. At least for now, I bid my journey to sunland farewell.

NOTE: Much like "James Bond will be back", this Journey will return in January of 2012 when NVEnergy releases it's next round of rebates.

For yet another potentially energy saving blog check out Energy Savings through Duct Sealing

January 17, 2012

I just got word NVEnergy will NOT be doing a January funds release as previously thought. Remember I mentioned earlier NVEnergy is the reluctant warrior when it comes to wanting existing customers to go solar. I'm going to park this blog on the side probably until March or whenever I get some positive feedback as to when the next round of solar money goes out.   There will be more on this but, for now, when is uncertain.   Hang in there.

In search of Solar Electricity - journey to sunland

In the beginning