Annual Solar Production Thru 2015

Annual Solar Production

2015: 2,710 kWh
2014: 2,574 kWh
2013: 2,706 kWh
2012: 2,945 kWh
2011: 2,923 kWh


Average Solar Production by Month:

Month	Average	Median
1	117	119
2	169	182
3	251	252
4	296	295
5	312	326
6	319	316
7	327	324
8	326	327
9	263	261
10	183	189
11	115	118
12	94	90
Total	2,772	2,711

System Specs:
Install Date: January 2011
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Helping my friend Marcia get solar

I haven't done a post in a long while and my blog info is probably out of date, but my friend Marcia wants to get solar panels installed. So I'm going to add a some initial thoughts and links that I just looked up that are kinda helpful (as a refresher to me too).

Actual Solar Production from my system:

We are producing a lot of clean energy and generating above the predicted levels of energy production:
2014 YTD (thru 9/23): 2,196 kWh
2013: 2,706 kWh
2012: 2,945 kWh
2011: 2,923 kWh
Predicted/estimated annual production when installed: 2,781 kWh.

Initial Questions for you:

1. Are you trying to maximize or optimize your solar? Maximize = if you just want to put as much solar on your roof because it's the right thing and you can afford. Optimize = pick the size of your install that gives you the most bang for your buck. If you want to optimize, you will not install more panels than the energy you use. And you might actually only install enough panels to offset your higher tier energy usage. You have to look at your electric bills - that's the first thing the solar installer will ask for, so you should get them ready anyways (12 months).
2. Are you planning on refinancing your mortgage (rates are low)? If so, it makes so much sense to roll up the installation cost into your new mortgage. You are just adding a little more to your mortgage and reducing your electric bill, which turns out to be a wash (so it's like it's free).
3. What's the condition of your roof? Will it need to be replaced soon? If so, you may want to do that along with your install. Again, if you can roll it into your refi, then it's cashflow wash.
4. Do you have a lot of shade? If so, your house might not be a good candidate for solar PV, but have an installer come and evaluate.

Money & Incentives:

• The Federal tax credit of 30% is still in effect until Dec 31, 2016. Solar system must be installed and in operation by that date.
• Most of the California state incentives have already been claimed. The CSI site has the incentive status for the main independent power providers (PGE, SCE, and CSE). Your city/municipality power provider might still have incentives - so checkw ith them directly.
• Most of the solar installers are now offering no money down lease deals. They are just financing the installation for you and you agree to buy power from them at set rates (power purchase arrangements). I haven't looked into these, but if you are planning to refinance your mortgage, then it's probably cheaper for you to roll that up into your refi. That's what I did.

Selecting an Installer:
When picking an installer, you want one that has been around for a long time and will be around for a long time because your salr installation should last 25-30 years. Any issues, you want to be able to call your installer company. Then also look at volume - you want an installer that has done tons of installations, not a newbie. For these reasons, you probably want to go with REC Solar (been around the longest) or Solar City (well funded public company). Verengo is top residential solar installer, but they haven't been around for that long - founded in 2008.

On a personal note, we went with Martifer Solar, which went bankrupt a year or so ago. We haven't had any issues, but when we have to replace the inverter (10 years), we'll have to find somebody new to do it.

Top installers in California based on aggregate residential kWs installed (data from Go Solar California site that tracks the Claifornia Solar Initiative applications):

Quick Google searches:
Top 10 installers listed by Solar America, a solar industry org.
Best and Worst Yelp Reviews of the Top 5 US Solar Installers.

Next Steps:

1. Schedule a few estimates/evals with some solar installers.
2. Check out my Home Buyer's Guide posts for how to evaluate the bids:

Part 1 of 3: A Home Buyer's Guide to Purchasing a Grid-Tied Solar PV System - Getting Started
Part 2 of 3: A Home Buyer's Guide to Purchasing a Grid-Tied Solar PV System - Evaluating Your Quotes

Part 3 of 3: A Home Buyer's Guide to Purchasing a Grid-Tied Solar PV System - Finalizing Your Decision

Annual Solar Production 2011-2014YTD

Annual Solar Production 2011-2014YTD

2014 YTD (thru 9/23): 2,196 kWh
2013: 2,706 kWh
2012: 2,945 kWh
2011: 2,923 kWh

Estimated annual production when installed: 2,781 kWh.

Solar Production thru August 2012

System Installation Date: January 26, 2011

Total Production To Date:
1st Year Actual Production: 2,927 kWh1st Year Actual Savings: $520
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 105%
1st Year Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +213 kWh
Inception To Date (ITD) Production: 5,081.3 kWh
CO2 Saved: 5,080 lbs

Monthly Production (kWh):

2011	2,820.6
1	38.5
2	206.1
3	262.3
4	295.2
5	332.1
6	313.9
7	352.7
8	331.4
9	255.4
10	200.2
11	142.9
12	90.0
2012	2,260.7
1	141.6
2	188.8
3	246.2
4	315.0
5	334.6
6	344.7
7	346.2
8	343.6

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Rants and Rays - Carbon Footprint 1 Year Later

After 1 year with solar, I recalculated my personal carbon footprint. I used the carbon footprint calculator from the US EPA.

With solar, my household of 4 people now has a carbon footprint of 25,103 lbs of CO2 per year (6,276 per household member). This is a reduction of 1,994 lbs of CO2 from the 27,097 lbs of CO2 (6,774 lbs per household member) we used to generate before we had solar PV on our roof.

The results are pretty incredible, but there is still a long way to go. I think reducing our car emissions would make the biggest dent. I just helped my parents get a Prius hybrid, so I'll take some credit there ;).

Year 1 Actual Solar Production Thru January 2012

After 1 full year, our PV system generated 2,927 kWh of electricity which was 5% more than the original system annual estimate of 2,781 kWh. I've only been paying $2-3 in taxes each month (SCE informed me that they would be billing me in May for the balance of usage charges), so our final billing has not been updated. Here is an Excel file of our actual solar production and savings.

Total Production for Year 1 (1/26/2011-1/25/2012):
Production: 2,927 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 105%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +146 kWh
CO2 Saved: 4,829 lbs
Estimated Savings: $539.41

Monthly Production:
January 2012 (1/1-25): 105.98 kWh
December 2011: 90.01 kWh (we lost about 20 kWh of production from Pasadena windstorm power outages)
November 2011: 142.94 kWh
October 2011: 200.17 kWh (we had our house tented, so I estimate we lost about 20 kWh of production)
September 2011: 255.36 kWh
August 2011: 331.44 kWh
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Happy Birthday - Our Solar PV System Is 1 Yr Old

Happy birthday solar PV. Installed January 26, 2011.

Solar Production Thru December 31, 2011

Our solar PV system is now 11 months old and we are on pace to generate 8% more energy than the original system annual estimate. I've only been paying the taxes each month ($2-3), but SCE just sent me a letter informing me that they would be billing me at the end of January for the balance of usage charges.

On December 1, we were hit by hurricane level windstorms in Pasadena, which knocked out the power at our house for 4 days. Since we are grid-tied, my solar PV system went on automatic shutdown until the grid was back up. We lost about 20 kWh of production during those 4 days. If I had a battery backup system, we would have had electricity through the entire mess.

Total Production To Date:
Production: 2,820.6 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 101%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +213 kWh
CO2 Saved: 4,654 lbs
Estimated Savings: $508.00

Monthly Production:
December 2011: 90.01 kWh (per windstorms above, we lost about 20 kWh of production)
November 2011: 142.94 kWh
October 2011: 200.17 kWh (we had our house tented, so I estimate we lost about 20 kWh of production)
September 2011: 255.36 kWh
August 2011: 331.44 kWh
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Solar Production Thru November 30, 2011

Our solar PV system is now 10 months old and we are generating 13% more energy than the original system estimate. I have updated my savings calculator model with the actual solar production to date. I still haven't gotten a real electric bill. I've only been paying the taxes each month ($2-3). I thought they were going to charge me once a quarter, but I guess it will be all at year end.

Total Production To Date:
Production: 2,740 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 98.5%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +306 kWh
CO2 Saved: 4,521 lbs
Estimated Savings: $487.00

Monthly Production:
November 2011: 142.94 kWh
October 2011: 200.17 kWh (we had our house tented, so I estimate we lost about 20 kWh of production)
September 2011: 255.36 kWh
August 2011: 331.44 kWh
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Solar Production Thru October 31, 2011

Our solar PV system is now 9 months old and we are generating 16% more energy than the original system estimate. I have updated my savings calculator model with the actual solar production to date. I still haven't gotten a real electric bill. I've only been paying the taxes each month ($2-3). I thought they were going to charge me once a quarter, but I guess it will be all at year end.

Total Production To Date:
Production: 2,587 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 93%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +360 kWh
CO2 Saved: 4,269 lbs
Estimated Savings: $476.40

Monthly Production:
October 2011: 200.17 kWh (we had our house tented, so I estimate we lost about 20 kWh of production)
September 2011: 255.36 kWh
August 2011: 331.44 kWh
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Solar Production Thru September 30, 2011

Our solar PV system is now 8 months old and we are generating 22% more energy than the original system estimate. I have updated my savings calculator model with the actual solar production to date. I only get an electricity bill once a quarter, so the billing data is based on an estimate.

Total Production To Date:
Production: 2,388 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 86%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +438 kWh
CO2 Saved: 3,939 lbs
Estimated Savings: $441.78

Monthly Production:
September 2011: 255.36 kWh
August 2011: 331.44 kWh
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Solar Production Thru August 31, 2011

We are generating 20% more energy than the original system estimate. I have updated my savings calculator model with the actual solar production to date. I only get an electricity bill once a quarter, so the billing data is based on an estimate.

Total Production To Date:
Production: 2,132 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 77%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +344 kWh
CO2 Saved: 3,560 lbs
Estimated Savings: $393.39

Monthly Production:
August 2011: 331.44 kWh
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Rants and Rays - Carbon Footprint Followup

Following up on a previous post. Here's an even better carbon footprint calculator from the US EPA. It is much more informative. What I like about it is that it provides specific actions/options for reducing your personal carbon footprint.

My household of 4 people has a carbon footprint of 27,097 lbs. of CO2 per year. Per person we generate 6,774 lbs. of CO2 per year. (Based on usage without Solar).




Suggested actions to reduce my carbon footprint:

• Perform regular maintenance on vehicles.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFLs.
• Turn up/down the thermostat during summer/winter by a degree or two.
• Use cold water for laundry.

Vehicle emissions are very high so keeping it maintained or replacing with a more fuel-efficient vehicle saves a lot. Replacing ten 75-Watt incandescent light bulbs with 20-Watt CFLs would save $70/year and reduce carbon footprint by 545 lbs./yr.

Solar Production Thru July 31, 2011

We have generated over 265 kWh more energy than the original system estimate. I have updated my savings calculator model (with charts) with the actual solar production to date. I only get an electricity bill once a quarter, so the billing data is based on an estimate.

Total Production To Date:
Production: 1,801 kWh
Percent of Annual Predicted Production (2,781 kWh): 65%
Actual vs. Predicted Production Better/(Worse): +265 kWh
CO2 Saved: 3,014 lbs
Estimated Savings: $360.20

Monthly Production:
July 2011: 352.72 kWh
June 2011: 313.90 kWh
May 2011: 332.10 kWh
Apr 2011: 295.18 kWh
Mar 2011: 262.25 kWh
Feb 2011: 206.07 kWh
Jan 2011: 38.50 kWh (1/26-1/31)

System Specs:
System Size DC (STC): 2.28 KW
System Size AC: 1.93 KW
System Size AC (California CSI rating): 1.63 KW
Panels: 10 SunPower Serengeti 228 Watt
Inverter: 1 SunPower 3000M (SMA Sunny Boy 3000 re-branded under SunPower)
Estimated Annual Production: 2,781 kWh

Direction: East facing

Rants and Rays - Key Pillars of Energy Management

My personal belief is that there are three main pillars to comprehensive Energy Management as a big component of the solution to Global Warming:

1. Efficiency - "Waste Less" energy
2. Generation - "Make More" clean energy
3. Conservation - "Use Less" energy

Efficiency and Generation are more system/infrastructure changes. These require capital investments, but I believe they are are more easily achievable, since they are just changes to the equipment. For example, you can save electricity by sealing the air leaks in windows with caulking or right-sizing the HVAC unit. You can generate clean energy by adding solar panels.

Unlike the other two pillars, Conservation is dependent almost exclusively on behavioral changes, and thus is very difficult to implement and achieve. However, if our behavior can be changed, the impact and benefit is likely to be much more impactful and longer lasting.

Efficiency and Conservation are generally espoused to the end-user side while Generation is more of a utility priority. However, I believe that with solar the Generation pillar can and will be an important component in the future for the end-user. Per above, the results of Generation are more easily achievable since they are reliant almost entirely on purchase of equipment rather than a change in behavior.