We took the plunge and put 8 more panels on our roof! Looking at our anticipated use of electricity with our new systems and our ultimate dream of driving 2 electric cars, we decided to go for it and fill out our bottom row of panels now instead of waiting. They were installed over two days in September and went live on the 8th, right before the Great Reno Balloon Race. We couldn’t resist taking this photo from our neighbor’s second story window showing the panels with balloons floating in the background! Looking at the data from the SolarEdge inverter, it shows we are producing an average of about 60 kWh per day now vs. the 40 kWh we were generating before the new panels were installed (early September data). The newer panels are generating more power than their 2.5-year-old predecessors.
Cost of 8 Additional Solar Panels
- $6,600 ($825 per panel, installed)
- -$1716 Less 26% Federal Tax Rebate
- =$4,884 Total Net Cost ($610 per panel, installed)
Another big thank you to Great Basin Solar for making this so easy! I called on a Monday and they were installed and operational 8 days later! You guys are amazing! (https://greatbasinsolar.com/)
We are excited to see how all of this year’s changes will affect our energy use vs. generation. Our ultimate goal is to produce enough electricity to power most of the systems in our home, two electric vehicles, and offset our limited natural gas use. Let’s see how we do! Next up is the installation of a new heat pump heater and air conditioning system. We are having some trouble with ordering the unit to go with our high efficiency Bryant natural gas heater. But we are hoping to have it in before winter. Luckily, our 22-year-old A/C condenser has made it through another hot Reno summer, giving us time to make this switch.