$2,492
$24,200
23.9%
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Best investment you can make...(**but be careful of who you contract with**)
$2,492
$24,200
23.9%
Property
- Owner:
- Roy
- Type:
- Residential
- Address:
- Acushnet, MA 02743
- Size:
- 2,732 sq ft
Technology
- Type:
- Solar PV
- Installed:
- October 2015
- Size of System:
- 8.1 kW
- Purposes:
- To generate electricity
Financial Details
- Gross Cost of System:
- $36,000
- Value of Tax Credits:
- $10,800
- Net Cost of System:
- $24,200
- Annual Savings:
- $2,492
- Annual Revenue:
- $3,297
- Own or Lease:
- Cash Purchase
Professionals & Suppliers
- Installers:
- United Solar Associates
What You Need to Know
Description:
Ground mounted system
Maintenance Requirements:
Keep area surrounding pv system clear of grass and brush...monitor system online with an app provided by solar company. That's it...seriously there isn't much to do.
Efficiency or Sustainability Improvements:
LED lighting...
My Motivation:
1. Replace my electric bill (which would go on as long as I live here) with a short term home equity loan to pay for solar. Cost of loan is almost identical with monthly electricity bill...but, loan has a fixed term and once paid off I will no longer have a monthly charge. Have had no electricity bill since system went online in late January 2016. 2. Environmental benefit was also a driving motivator.
Advice:
Research,research,research...get multiple quotes, ask questions of proposals and challenge assumptions presented to you by solar companies. By getting multiple quotes (some through EnergySage,others from calling local companies) I was able to save over $12K on installation. Also if you can afford to purchase system outright it is far more beneficial financially than leasing. When you own system you receive all tax credits as well as future srecs...not lease company.
Experience with Installer:
**UPDATED July,2019**. United Solar Associates, under the ownership of Dan McGrath, is NOT A COMPANY TO CONTRACT YOUR SOLAR needs with. Lack of honesty, unethical business practices and non compliance of contractual terms/obligations. On April 2nd of this year (2019), my PV system stopped producing. I had to call/text/email USA a total of six times before finally getting someone to come down to have troubleshoot (April 19th). The inverter needed a new part & was ordered. Company lied to me about arrival of new part, telling me it hadn’t arrived when I had received shipment details via UPS that it was delivered and signed for by USA. New part installed (May 7th) but inverter had additional problems and had to be replaced (May 23rd). Afterwards system was back up n running smoothly after almost two months of non production. In my contract with Dan McGrath/USA, there is a clause for compensation for lost production (you can read it on their EnergySage webpage. As per contract I sent a registered letter (June 14)marked “attention:warranty claim” to fulfill my obligation under contract terms. One month later (July 16,2019) I received the registered letter I sent stamped “returned to sender, unclaimed “. Original review: Positive...a few bumps in the process but nothing that good (2 way) communication didn't solve. From my initial meeting with Lucas (salesperson), to Dan (owner) and the installation crew everyone was honest, respectful, and forthright, which was appreciated.
Additional Notes:
System sits quietly and relatively unobtrusive about a hundred feet from our home on the ground. After almost a full year of production we have had no problems with its operation, no maintenance issues and am very pleased at its performance.
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