I work a job with typical hours. I have some capital but we're talking a couple hundred thousand, not millions. I have no debt. Does anyone who has been successful farming solar have advice on getting started? Is it realistic for someone in my position to get started now if my goal is ultimately leaving traditional work and living off the solar generation I upkeep as soon as it's reasonable to do so?
been thinking about this one for a while. everyone obsesses over which panel brand to buy but over 25-30 years how much does the module actually move total output compared to inverter efficiency, install quality, shading, site conditions? my gut says install and site dominate the first few years and the panel's degradation curve only really separates brands over decades. is that right or am i underrating how much the module matters? curious how people who've actually run the numbers see it
It's been a couple of months coming, finding a suitable time for the installers and gaps in the weather, etc, but it was finally all done earlier today.
Got nearly 16 kW of panels on the roof, a 48 kW/h battery & EV charger in the garage.
We're very happy with it.
I had solar installed and it’s been active about a month.
I just received this letter that my solar company asked me to countersign with a thumbs up and no other info. I’m not signing but wondering if this has happened to anyone
Dear [Redacted],
Congratulations on your solar project!
Installation is complete and our reports show that the system is energized and producing power.
Pursuant to Section 3 of the [Redacted] Purchase Agreement you signed on 2026-03-31, the Solar System is estimated to be capable of generating 49229 kilowatt-hours (kWh) during the six year period following the System Start Date and you are guaranteed that the Solar System will generate at least 41845 kWh during the six year period, which is equal to ninety percent (90%) of the estimated generation of the Solar System during this six year period.
It has come to our attention that due to:
Over estimated 1st year production.
The Solar System may not meet the guaranteed estimated generation. You have the right to waive this production guarantee and may do so by signing below. Doing so will not impact any other terms of your agreement including your right take ownership of the system as of the sixth anniversary of the System Start Date.
Name:
Date:
My average usage is 900 kWh/month. Max 1200. I want to do it but my utility is fairly inexpensive, around $0.125/kWh all in. I have a phev that gets 45 miles per day, max 14 kWh/day. I only use gasoline for long road trips, a few times per year. The utility offers 1:1 net metering but will not purchase more than I use, excess credits are zeroed once a year. I'm just not sure if it's worth it to install rooftop solar.
For homeowners who have considered solar, what was the biggest concern: upfront cost, installation, battery storage, roof space, or something else?
I’d be interested to hear what made you decide for or against solar.
I have a 5kwh solar panel setup. I have noticed a drop of 50% in production in one year? Is this normal? I contacted the company and they suggested it is dirty panels. Can dirty panels cause a drop in 50%?
contacted a solar panel seller i saw on FB and he's quoting me 5 JaSolar panels of 715W with a huawei inverter(3Kw) (HWI-SUN20003KTL-L1)
i was asking the chatbot bout it and it told me its kinda weird to pair those 715w panels with a 3Kw inverter since it losses some energy
initially the guy send me the quote for 605W panels but when i told him that he had say it would be 715W he said it was a mistake and send me a new one just switching the 605 for 715
Thinking of putting a solar flood light at our gate to avoid running wiring and adding to the bill. I keep reading mixed things great in summer, useless in monsoon, dead in a year. For people who've actually used one: does it genuinely last the night? How badly does a cloudy week hit it? How often do you clean the panel? Just want realistic expectations before buying.
Figured I’d share this for anyone in Texas with solar/batteries who is shopping electricity plans.
I’m on Direct Energy’s Twelve Hour Power plan. My free period is 9 PM–9 AM, and my EFL specifically states that both the energy charge and TDU delivery charges are $0 during those 12 hours.
For some context, we’re a family of 5 in a ~3,200 sq. ft. home, and we are definitely not energy-conscious. Almost everything in the house is electric except the stove. We run the AC normally, charge EVs, run appliances, etc. I shift the loads I can into the free period.
I’ve had free nights for about a year and haven’t had an electric bill over $33. In one recent 32-day period, I used roughly 1,570 kWh just during the free hours.
Most of what I actually end up paying for is usage that falls outside the free window, particularly when our routine changes on weekends. During the week, I try to let the solar + Powerwalls handle as much of the paid period as possible.
Obviously, this won’t produce a $33 bill for everyone. The daytime rate is expensive, so you need to look at your own usage and read the EFL. But if you have solar/batteries or can shift a large percentage of your consumption into the free window, your bill can potentially be extremely cheap.
If anyone wants to check it out, Direct has a Refer-A-Friend program where we both receive a $50 bill credit. Full disclosure: I get $50 as well if you use my referral.
Referral code: LXO4MIG
Hi everyone. I want to share an article that I found about the real reason for California's high electric rates. It's not their distributed solar energy. That is probably keeping their rates lower than they are presently. DER's (distributed energy resources, such as residential rooftop solar) are happening around the country and around the world. California has so much energy, they pay Arizona to take some of it off their hands, in order to balance their system. In the last couple of years, they have invested heavily in BESS (battery energy storage systems), which will help to resolve this dilemma. One of California's legislators is actually considering introducing a bill that would give 2 hours of free electricity each day to low-income residents. It is modelled after what has happened in Australia, where, due to their buildout of solar energy, they now get 3 hours of free electricity each day. That's right, free electricity to charge your EV, run your dryer or dishwasher, or whatever you want. You will be seeing more DER's in the future; the day of the utility and the grid as we know it now will be history. Here's the article: California's electric bills,
and check out the website Arizona Corporation Commission,
and look at different pages in the menu to get all the energy news you can handle.
https://viewmycard.io/ryanalan
Came to my door offering a lower electricity bill of being a fixed rate of $200 while eliminating my current electric company's cost. Along with tree removal and equipment install free. Has anyone encountered him before? Too good to be true?
Hi,
I want to learn fundamentals related to solar PV design system, such as PV sizing, selection of batteries, system modelling, including CAD design
which software would you recommend for beginners, PVsyst, HOMER, also if you could suggest any website, YouTube channel for building a practical project
I would really appreciate that
Thanks
Im having trouble, I messed up and now regretting getting solar.
Most install-day advice focuses on the panels and roof work. The questions that seem just as important are much more practical: who needs access, what happens if the crew finds a problem, and what should be completed before everyone leaves?
Here is the checklist I would use before a residential solar installation.
Before the crew arrives
Questions for the start-of-day walkthrough
Before the crew leaves
Ask for a walkthrough of the installed equipment and any areas that were accessed.
Confirm that the work area has been cleaned and that gates, doors, and attic access points are secure.
Ask whether photos or installation records will be available.
Confirm the next step, which may be an inspection, correction, utility review, or permission to operate.
A finished installation does not always mean the system can be turned on immediately. Local inspection and utility approval may still be required, so the final conversation should include both the physical work and the remaining administrative steps.
For people who have already gone through an installation, what did you wish you had asked before the crew arrived? Did anything small make the day easier or prevent a later problem?
Disclosure: I work on solar-related content. I am not describing my own installation or reviewing a crew.
when i started Solenery a few years ago i thought the biggest challenge would be the technology side of things. getting the platform right, making sure the solar data was accurate for canadian addresses, building out the incentive matching properly.
turns out none of that was the hard part.
the hard part is something i keep running into every week when i talk to homeowners. and its not what i expected.
its that people feel completely alone in this decision. like there's no neutral place to go figure out if solar actually makes sense for THEIR house, their bill, their city. every piece of information they find is either from an installer who wants to sell them something or a government website thats six months out of date.
i talked to a woman in barrie last month who got three quotes. one installer told her she qualifies for the federal greener homes loan. that program closed in october 2025. another told her the payback is 14 years. another said 7. all three gave her different system sizes for the same house.
she gave up. just completely gave up and decided to do nothing.
that story genuinely bothers me because she was the exact person who would have benefited from going solar. her bill was over $200 a month, south facing roof, good sun exposure. the math actually worked for her situation.
i think about her a lot honestly. and i think there are thousands of people like her across ontario, bc, alberta who are in the same spot. the rates keep going up, november is going to bring another adjustment, and people are sitting paralyzed because they don't know who to trust.
i built solenery specifically so people could get a clear picture before talking to anyone with a financial interest in the outcome. free, no installer connection, just your address and an honest look at what the numbers actually are.
but even with that i keep wondering what else is missing. what would have actually helped that woman in barrie make a decision she felt good about?
genuinely curious what people here think. if you've been on the fence about solar or any clean energy upgrade what was the thing that made it feel impossible to move forward?