Solar Hackr -- Now 2024

If you haven’t been installed yet I can easily beat that price :relieved:. But if not congrats, that’s a solid ppw.

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Yeah I would suggest anyone in CA that wants to get the ball rolling and be grandfathered in before April 23rd 2023 when NEM 3.0 is institute get the ball rolling ASAP.

General turn around is 30-60 days from documents to installation and then passing inspection/code in which the system is given permission to operate (PTO).

Sorry I’ve been a bit MIA from leasehackr forums and this thread specifically.

I’ve been helping @dukez with his solar (as he stated) and im more than happy to help anyone else or answer any questions here.

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Sent PM 1010

Is it worth while getting solar if you are not with one of the private utilities? I have SMUD and rates seem very reasonable compared to PG&E.

Are these the worst solar “deals” in the history of solar???

What a utility sham😢

https://www.duke-energy.com/home/products/renewable-energy/fl-shared-solar?jur=FL01

https://www.duke-energy.com/home/products/clean-energy-connection

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Getting additional panels installed this week and pricing really has not come down from my 1st system in 2017.

5.525 kW installed in 2017 for $2.88/watt, before tax credit. $2.02/watt after.
3.150 kW installing this week for $2.83/watt, before tax credit. $1.99/watt after.

  1. Any recommendations in socal ?
  2. I thought only the three utility companies mentioned will implement NEM 3, or is it for entire CA?

Can you also include batteries in your installations?

PMd you @cyak.
I was quoted over $4/kWh in SoCal
How can I do better?


Keep shopping and calling reputable installers for quotes. I think I reached out to 13-15 and got written quotes from 8 installers. Down selected to two finalists and went from there.

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I had a 9.1kw system (QCell all black panels) installed in November 2021 in the Bay area for $2.30 ppw before the 26% fed incentive (now at 30%). @cyak initial post really Kickstarted my journey and so grateful for him sharing his knowledge with us.

Ireceived nearly a dozen bids and the top 3 lowest were under $2.50 ppw. I realize times have changed but definitely get multiple bids by reputable (and tenured!) companies. Pay back is about 6-7 years.

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I’m sure @cyak will blow that out of the water. But FWIW, as a seasoned member of this community, you should really know better than to just reach out to one company for a quote and then ask how you can do better! We have plenty of folks in this thread who are SoCal based who mention receiving bids for $2.50-$3 cents per watt on their systems.

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Absolutely but like with car dealers, I am afraid to get random quotes without knowing reputation etc.
If anyone here can point to outfits in SoCal that they have trusted and have been successful with, that would be great. I’ll do my homework but a kickstart is what I’m looking for. Thx!

Would love that too.

I got solar last fall in OC and ended up finding an installer through EnergySage. You just put in your info and several companies will send you their bids in about a week, which was pretty convenient. The website allows you to see apples-to-apples comparisons and also shows reviews for the companies. I ended up getting a 6.4kW system with REC400AA panels and IQ8A microinverters for $2.75/w.

Here’s a referral link if anyone is interested: Jon T. recommends EnergySage, Inc.!

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Let me know if anyone wants a referral to a low cost, well-reviewed installer in San Francisco Bay Area. Just signed with one after getting a dozen bids. Was cheapest by far in the region.

If any of you guys/gals are moderately electrically handy, you could look into doing this yourself. It actually can be quite a fun project and you may cut the cost in half or more. It will be some work, but it is honestly not terribly difficult. There’s a ton of self-help stuff out there on YouTube as well.

Of course, depending on your roof and your tolerance for heights, this could play into the decision as well.

Hello - I would like to get the referral. I am in the Bay Area and looking to get solar installed. Can you please let me know the installer you went with and what was your system capacity and pricing?

Hello - would you please share the installer name? I am in the Bay Area and looking to get solar installed.

No need to post the same request multiple times. You can PM users directly asking for that info.

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