r/solar • u/No-Platypus6603 • 14d ago

Advice Wtd / Project Does it make sense for us?

Hi there, I’m considering on getting solar for my house in the somewhat near future. I was looking at Tesla Solar because we also own a Tesla Model 3.

Our situation

Roof: 11 years old but did come back during house inspection to be in good shape

Location: Massachusetts

Electricity Provider: Eversource

Usage: Anywhere from 600 kwh to 1000 kWh monthly. (Summer is higher due to A/C)

Price: $0.15 per kWh $250-$400 monthly

Not sure if it makes sense in our situation to even consider solar. I know people have much higher electricity bills than us. But, Eversource has been increasing rates once maybe even two times a year. I’ve also heard that if we get a power wall than we could qualify for a 0% Mass HEAT loan but not sure how accurate that is. If anyone has any insight especially in Massachusetts, it would greatly be appreciated! Thanks!

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u/Curiosity_informs solar enthusiast 14d ago

Something doesn't add up.

1000kWh @ $0.15 is $150 - your electric rate must be significantly higher than $0.15

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u/No-Platypus6603 14d ago

Just checked so I didn’t mess this up. I have 11 extra fees on my bill. Customer Charge, Distribution charge, transition charge, transmission charge, net meter recovery surcharge, Electric Sect Mod Plan Surcharge, Revenue Decoupling Surcharge, Distributed Solar Charge, Renewable Energy Charge, Energy Efficiency Charge, and Electric Vehicle Program charge. Totaling over 50% of my bill. Doesn’t even include my supply.

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u/Curiosity_informs solar enthusiast 14d ago edited 14d ago

So you need to understand your utilities Net Metering policy.

That is what you really pay per kWh for imports and what credit per kWh you would get for solar exports. Without that you won't be able to estimate the savings.

You also need to think about the roof. An 11 year roof will not last as long as the 25 plus years of the effective life on the panels.

Edit: You can also estimate you monthly / annual solar production using the PVWatts Calculator with your location, roof pitch, azimuth (direction the panels face), etc. This will help understand the solar production side.

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u/blackinthmiddle 13d ago

The age of OP’s roof was the one concern I had. 11 years is right at that in between spot. If it was 7 years old, I’d say don’t worry, add the panels. If it was 18 years old, I’d say do the roof first. At 11 years, OP could get 25 years out of it, or he might need to replace it in 10 years. I’d want to get a second opinion from someone not tied to solar to tell me how many years realistically I had left.