Sun Ray Solar

[pjard]

I know there are some older posts but has anyone had some recent experience with Sun Ray Solar?

[SIKSUKR]

Only that as I pulled into my driveway last night a kid was at my door after walking the neighborhood doing cold sells.

[dpg]

Are they doing free installs covered by state incentives? Mass is heavy into that lots of my neighbors are now sporting (free) solar on their roofs. Most people I speak with have nothing bad to say about it so far. My sister had them installed a few months ago, have totally eliminated her electric bill which averaged 100 - 150 a month depending on the time of year.

[pjard]

Originally Posted by dpg

Are they doing free installs covered by state incentives? Mass is heavy into that lots of my neighbors are now sporting (free) solar on their roofs. Most people I speak with have nothing bad to say about it so far. My sister had them installed a few months ago, have totally eliminated her electric bill which averaged 100 - 150 a month depending on the time of year.

The Federal and State incentives cover about 1/3 the cost. If you chose, you can then finance the rest and easily be positive cash flow on day one. I think I'm going to buy the system outright but I haven't decided. In addition to Sun Ray I'm getting proposals from Granite State Solar and Revision Energy. I'm surprised how quiet this forum is on the topic, I really want to find someone who had a system a few years to talk to.

[thinkxingu]

There was a thread about solar on my town's Facebook page not long ago and most of the people who had the systems installed were somewhere in the middle with satisfaction. Contracts that were overly complex and that made reselling the home difficult, roof issues, actual power production vs. estimated, warranty period vs. payback period, and overall savings were the most common "complaints."

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[Den65]

Originally Posted by pjard

The Federal and State incentives cover about 1/3 the cost. If you chose, you can then finance the rest and easily be positive cash flow on day one. I think I'm going to buy the system outright but I haven't decided. In addition to Sun Ray I'm getting proposals from Granite State Solar and Revision Energy. I'm surprised how quiet this forum is on the topic, I really want to find someone who had a system a few years to talk to.

my solar has been working great, best numbers I've had since I put it in.

[swnoel]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

There was a thread about solar on my town's Facebook page not long ago and most of the people who had the systems installed were somewhere in the middle with satisfaction. Contracts that were overly complex and that made reselling the home difficult, roof issues, actual power production vs. estimated, warranty period vs. payback period, and overall savings were the most common "complaints."

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I just read an article this month in Consumer report and they suggest that you do NOT go into a lease agreement... the consequences could be expensive when it's time to sell your home. Apparently you'll need to buy out of the lease and that could be pricey!

[pjard]

Leasing is terrible way to go. Most of the local companies will not even offer that option.

[pjard]

Signed a contract today with Granite State Solar. It's a very complicated purchase and Erik was simply awesome. I'll felt very comfortable giving that deposit.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by swnoel

I just read an article this month in Consumer report and they suggest that you do NOT go into a lease agreement... the consequences could be expensive when it's time to sell your home. Apparently you'll need to buy out of the lease and that could be pricey!

Anyone considering solar power should read the CU article, Aug 2016 issue pages 10-18. If you don't subscribe, most libraries have copies.

Solar yes; lease no!

[pjard]

I finally started producing power today. Long process to do this but it's worth it. In about 4 hours my system has produced about $8 worth of electricity...granted sun is still pretty high, sunny day, long days still, etc....but still do the math, this is good investment.

BTW, as mentioned many times, DON'T lease a system, it's a terrible deal.

[Den65]

Originally Posted by pjard

I finally started producing power today. Long process to do this but it's worth it. In about 4 hours my system has produced about $8 worth of electricity...granted sun is still pretty high, sunny day, long days still, etc....but still do the math, this is good investment.

BTW, as mentioned many times, DON'T lease a system, it's a terrible deal.

Welcome to the solar club, sunny days are good days

[djwade4]

They install my ground panels and did a great job. I would highly recommend them. Feel free to call me and I will fill you in. Doug 770-3677


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[NH.Solar]

Can I put in a shameless plug here? www.nh.solar My website is relatively new and very information dense, so you may want to grab a chair and a cup of coffee.
There is a tab dedicated to costs and incentives and I think most of you will be amazed to learn how quickly the investment into solar pays off! Even with the added cost of financing a solar system, the payback period is generally only 6-7 years. A solar system will last 40+ years, so for roughly 33 years your electricity will be coming to you from your array for free.
The "free" panels mentioned in the above posts are anything but ...in almost every circumstance they are installed through leasing and you neither own the panels nor do you get to keep the incentives. Solarcity is the main player in leased systems and has an office in Manchester, but their growth has been slow in NH
My phone and direct e-mail can be found on my website, so please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. I'll be glad to answer them not only because solar is my chosen occupation ..it is also a passion

[Just Sold]

We recently installed an 18 panel 6120 watt solar array sold and installed by NuWatt Energy. http://nuwattenergy.com/ It was a professional and hassle free install. 30% federal income tax credit and the NH rebate of $2500 were a big plus in our decision.
We heard about them through http://solarupnh.com/ in a presentation in Derry NH.

I talked with Solar City over a year ago and was not impressed with them. Their leasing option was not worth the $$. Plus they would only install a 4400 watt system and that was not close in size to what we now have and own.

[Biggd]

I'm against putting anything on my roof. A couple years ago when we had all that snow many homes with solar panels had serious roof leaks and the solar panels just make it that much more difficult to control in the middle of the winter. I have a friend of mine that installs them and he spent that whole winter dealing with angry customers. The damages done to these homes didn't come close to the electricity savings. If you can put them on the ground then that's the best option, JMO.

[fatlazyless]

Someone on the Meredith Neck Rd, close to Archie's old farm house, has a very sturdy looking steel pedestal based, single support, solar panel out in their yard, close to their house that looks like a good method for catching the sun as opposed to 'on the roof.'

The panel is pretty big, like maybe 12' x 16', and apparently it can be tilted and spun manually for best exposure to the sun. Right now, the panel is almost vertical, maybe 80-degrees, facing south, so no snow seems to collect on it what with the vertical posture. Could be it is more prone to damage by the wind, falling tree limbs, or a big bird than a roof mount? Right now, it's sort of 'a big square glass sail' that faces the sunny south, with no snow worries.

Seems like a good method?

Could be good to hang a wind chime from the lower edge ........ chime-chime-chime.......here comes the sun! .....to get musical.....and turn it into a musical sun panel!

How to do it yourself with 'Stupid-Easy Solar for Going Off Grid, RVs and Boondocking' from July, 2016.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov7ArKkm07c ....soooo easy.....even I could do it.....well.....maybe not.....duh.....ummm....duh.....yikes........duh-right?

Best scene in this video has girlfriend/wifey driving a 4-wheeler, towing a trailer carrying eight large and heavy looking 12v storage batteries in trailer.....about 4-minutes in.....could be 800-lbs of storage batteries.

.....all just so easy to do......yeah!

[MAXUM]

Couple things to keep in mind though...

Many of these tax credits and incentives disappear if making improvements on a second/vacation home. Not 100% sure on the alternative power options but doing improvements such as energy star rated appliance, windows, insulation, even alternative heat sources aren't necessarily available or if they are do not offer the same amount of credits.

To truly be off the grid requires very expensive storage. Using the existing grid is typical but that does not free you from the monthly expenses of being attached to it, so to suggest you wipe out your energy bill sort of a dubious statement, yes maybe you eliminate the actual cost of electricity but there is still a bill you got to pay if you remain connected to the grid. If you manage to generate more than you consume I have read that additional power is not necessarily credited back to you, or if it is the amount is capped and quite small.

Got to do your homework on this.

[pjard]

Produced 90.6 KWH today, best day since the system was turned on....that's a lot of power. Can't wait to see what this will do in late May.

[NH.Solar]

It no doubt will be better in May, and better still come June. But don't be overly surprised if the output isn't w-a-y ahead of now, solar modules are much more productive when cool. Due to the cooler modules and the bright cold air it isn't unusual to see solar performance in the crisp days of Spring and Fall rival the long days of summer.
Last Monday (3/6/17) I did a test of a bifacial (two sided) module on the ice of Sky Pond in New Hampton. Due to the reflectivity of ice and snow and the cool temps, it far exceeded the rated output by the manufacturer Here's a link to the video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPoFQ5_HpzM&t=122s