Had a ground mount solar system installed

[Chaparral]

My neighbor had a very similar setup installed in his backyard about nine months ago. IIRC, it was an outfit based near Lawton that did the install, but he wasn’t happy with their overall work and customer service - they did a crappy job burying the main line across the yard to the new meter, and they cut a gap in the sidewalk next to the house rather than go underneath, etc. After a lot of nasty back and forth, he finally told them not to come back. I believe the installed cost was $30K, then he had trouble with PSO “seeing“ the input from the solar panel, and they started charging him double because that’s what the two meters said. He finally had to start keeping a daily log of the panel’s output, and after two months, PSO sent an engineer who got it sorted out, and my neighbor got credit for the overcharges. He said at present with three people in the house, he’s running near zero net use, but I imagine it’ll be at least 10 years before he recoups the initial expense, and he also has that eyesore in the 8-acre backyard, fully visible from the house. Not something I’d do myself unless I had at least a few dozen acres where the array could be hidden from view.

By chance, do you know the name of the company?

 

[Perplexed]

By chance, do you know the name of the company?

No, sorry. He didn’t tell me the name, just that they were out of Lawton or thereabouts.

 

[Chaparral]

Thank you! Really question if these are worth the cost.

 

[cowadle]

No subsidies other than the 26% tax credit which will help on our taxes. The ROI (return on investment) is yet to be determined.
The Solar installer installed a wireless antenna that allows us to via cell phone or computer monitor the entire system at anytime and provide all the data for the system, including if a micro inverter or panel is not functioning as it should. I have not signed up for that free service yet as the system is not operational until the power company inspects and authorizes it to be activated. Hopefully CREC will be out next week to inspect and approve.

how is the solar system working out?

 

[cowadle]

i read that tesla in texas is trying to get the utility companies to pay the owners of their power wall systems for electricity delivered back into the grid during crisis. but i don't think the power wall is a solar set up but just a battery that acts like a back up generator.

 

[Forgalspop]

how is the solar system working out?

Working great. With net metering we have not had an electric bill from CREC for the past 8 months. This month we will have a small bill and most likely the next few months due to cloudy weather and shorter days. CREC charges $27.00/month just to be tied to their grid. Most months the net metering pays for the $27.00 plus some and the amount paid for excess is carried forward. Some months the amount is 3.1 cents/ KWH and the highest was 7.3 cents/ KWH. I am guessing it is based on what CREC pays for the electricity. CREC does not produce their own electricity, they purchase the electricity from a wholesaler.

As of the last bill we had a $42.00 credit to apply to this months bill.

Our house is a total electric home.

 

[Forgalspop]

i read that tesla in texas is trying to get the utility companies to pay the owners of their power wall systems for electricity delivered back into the grid during crisis. but i don't think the power wall is a solar set up but just a battery that acts like a back up generator.

The company my wife works for installs Tesla Power Walls tied to the solar system. Often, customers install solar, the Power Wall and a whole house generator. Personally, I think the cost of that is not economically viable.

We rarely lose electrical service and when we do it usually is only a few hours. During the last major ice storm we were without power 4 days. I have small generators that I hook up to each leg of the electrical system that will run small appliances and lights. We can't use the well pump, dryer, electric range or heat pump. For the short time inconvenience I could not justify spending the big bucks for a battery system that has to be replaced every 10 years or so and a whole house generator that has to be maintained, etc.

Tesla Power Walls are not cheap. Neither are whole house generators.

 

[Snattlerake]

What about our good old Oklahoma hailstorms? Dad had a solar unit on the farm that heated the water and ran the water pumps in the cisterns.

 

[Snattlerake]

Working great. With net metering we have not had an electric bill from CREC for the past 8 months. This month we will have a small bill and most likely the next few months due to cloudy weather and shorter days. CREC charges $27.00/month just to be tied to their grid. Most months the net metering pays for the $27.00 plus some and the amount paid for excess is carried forward. Some months the amount is 3.1 cents/ KWH and the highest was 7.3 cents/ KWH. I am guessing it is based on what CREC pays for the electricity. CREC does not produce their own electricity, they purchase the electricity from a wholesaler.

As of the last bill we had a $42.00 credit to apply to this months bill.

Our house is a total electric home.

CREC buys from Anadarko Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. I used to work for Cimarron Electric.

Do you have their GE alarm system? I might have installed it depending upon how old your home is.

 

[Forgalspop]

What about our good old Oklahoma hailstorms? Dad had a solar unit on the farm that heated the water and ran the water pumps in the cisterns.

Don't know about the hail storm aspect. We have not had one yet. The panels we have are rated to withstand hail at a certain impact rating. I would have to look that up.

A neighbor of mine in New Mexico has a similar sized solar system and they are totally of the grid. There was a major hail storm there a few years back that took out 6 of their panels. We are talking grapefruit sized hail.

That hail storm beat the hell out a couple vehicles I have parked there and shattered a skylight on the travel trailer.

Time will tell about Oklahoma hail.