Thursday, April 26, 2018

Mountain Mama Is Going Solar!


For quite a while now I've been researching the process of going solar.

To be honest, it felt like a fairly daunting process until I stumbled upon a website called Energy Sage. Prior to that I was really feeling quite overwhelmed by the whole thing - it was far too much information for me to process on my own.

ps...this is not a sponsored post, I just really want to share this with you as I feel their free service is a huge benefit to anyone considering going solar!

From their website:
Get the info you need—without the hassle
EnergySage gathers competitive offers from pre-screened installers. We give you unbiased guidance to help you compare options. You’ll feel confident that you’ve made the right choice. You save time, you save money.

That's exactly what I needed - guidance!

The idea of living off grid is a dream of mine. I don't believe I'll ever be able to be entirely off grid, but isn't it great to be able to be as self sufficient as possible in this day and age?

My home is in a great location to go solar, without a doubt. It sits up on a hill and there's plenty of sunshine. 


Here's a little map of my property I posted a few years back. You can see the house is in a clearing so there's nothing obstructing the sun.

The thought of going solar has been on my mind since I bought the house. I can't believe I'm finally taking the plunge!

What held me back? A few things. Again, I found the whole process rather intimidating. I didn't understand all the technical jargon I was reading, and I needed someone to walk me through the process.

Also, when I looked up the pricing to install the panels it terrified me!

But guess what? When I started doing a serious search and came upon Energy Sage, I realized there are so many options out there that make it a lot easier to go solar.

There are both federal and state/local tax credits available that add up to about 60% of the installation price - that's huge!

There are also rebates available that take off another few thousand dollars.

Plus, there are loans out there that make the whole thing quite affordable. The Green Jobs Green New York (GJGNY) Smart Energy Loan is an unsecured loan subsidized by NYSERDA with financing provided by Energy Finance Solutions (EFS).

The initial quote I got for the loan is at $72/month with no money down. That's half of what my electric bill currently is per month so I'm saving straight away! There is a 'line' fee that is charged by my local utility company to stay connected to the grid but even with that $24 fee per month, my savings will be $45.00 per month (at the current rate of electricity but no doubt that would be going up each year) for a savings of $8,100.00 over the life of the loan. Well I don't know about you but I could certainly use another $8,100.00 in my pocket! Once the loan is paid off I'll be saving about $1500.00 per year at current electric rates. Woo hoo, bring it on!

Via
In addition to the financial savings, there are multiple benefits to going solar:

1. You are helping the environment! That's a biggie. Solar power is a clean source of energy and we all need to do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint, don't you think?

2. Solar panels are a solid investment as they increase your home's value. More financial benefits, yay!

3. You are no longer at the mercy of the electric company! If they raise their rates, it won't affect you...and if there are blackouts, you'll still have power. Win/win!

Those are three good reasons right there to consider going solar, if you haven't already.

I'm still in the initial process and hopefully things will go smoothly....you know I'll keep you updated!

If you have gone solar I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments!

34 comments:

  1. Wow! Good for you! We've thought about it here too - and for our farm it would take a LOT of panels, out in the field, which would be really ugly to look at. Plus, the expense. For a project such as yours- perfect. I commend you for taking the leap!

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    1. They said I will need 28 panels on my roof to provide 100% of my electricity - I'm ok with that, I don't mind them up on the roof! Like you, I wouldn't want them out in a field. I wouldn't mind using wind energy in a field though!

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  2. I have always wanted to do that. I will keep their name. We are planning on moving in about 3 years, so I don' think it would be worth it for us now. We also have a weird shape roof on this house and not sure if it would work. I would love to have it on the next house. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Their service is free and made the process so much easier, Betty - and I was able to do it all online, although they have advisors ready to help via phone as well if that works best for you!

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  3. So happy for you! I will have to look into that company. I would love to go solar!

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    1. It's free and you can do all the research online, Daisy, so you're not losing anything by looking into it! I first started researching ages ago and then about a month ago I stumbled onto Energy Sage and as the quotes started coming in I sat on it for another month mulling it over, but when I ran the numbers it just made sense!

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  4. That sounds wonderful. We are probably under too many trees and shade to go solar. But, I'm very happy for you.

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    1. Yes, perhaps you are. Although if you have one side of the house that gets sun you can still go solar.

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  5. this is so cool! I cant wait to see what you think of them and everything!

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    1. I know, so cool! Your house is probably in a good spot for going solar also - I'll be sure to keep you all updated on the blog as I go through the process! Just sent over my electric bill this morning to get the contract started - this is huge! :)

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  6. I cant wait to follow on this innovative project! It sure would be nice if you could also get aomw sponsorship on the project too, but a tax break is a very good incentive. Be sure to check the new tax code effective 2018. Happy planning!

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    1. I'm not sure that's available to me, Rita - I tried googling it and I'm getting nothing. If you have any info you can send me I'd sure appreciate it!

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  7. My husband priced it out for our home, but with the initial cost, needed repairs and replacement of the panels over the years, which do wear out, it was just cheaper for us to stay with the electric company. The cost savings would take years and years for it to payoff for us. We have also considered going geo-thermal, but that too takes many years to pay for the original investment. We have people in our vicinity that put up a lot of solar panels out in their backyard which destroyed the neighbor's gorgeous mountain views. Guess those type of situations need to be taken into consideration for some people as well. Installing the panels on the roof makes a lot more sense.

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    1. I think the costs have come down considerably in recent years, from the research I've done. For me it definitely makes financial sense as it will save me a lot of money, even with the initial investment. Yes, I don't like those panels that are just out in the middle of a field or such...but the ones on a roof don't bother me a bit. I'd be upset if someone ruined my mountain view!

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  8. A lot of people have been taking advantage of the offers around here, we see the panels popping up on roofs all over town. We had thought about it, too. I will have to keep this information handy. In the meantime, we do have panels on our garage roof to heat our pool. We get lots of sun and the pool gets up to close to 90 degrees by mid summer...no gas, no electric, no cost. Love that! Good luck!

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    1. That is so smart, my friend!!! You are not only creative but a smart cookie as well! I see them popping up in my neck of the woods also, and when we drive to Vermont I see a load of the houses have solar panels. Anything I can do to lower my monthly bills while saving the earth is a good thing!

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  9. You've done your research and I hope it all works out! Our local electric company is looking at a 25% increase. Yikes!

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    1. Yikes, Donna, that's huge!! Wow if that's any indication of trends across the country I think I'm doing this at just the right time for sure!

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  10. Good for you for your part in helping the environment. That's why I haven't put another water feature on my patio. My electricity is going up rapidly and I have it spaced across l2 months.
    Brenda

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    1. I bet you could use a little solar panel to run your water features, Brenda! They sell portable ones on Amazon to power small things like that.

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  11. Great idea and you seem to be in the perfect spot for it all to work. I hope it goes well and you are happy with it!

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    1. They are coming to check out my property on Thursday, AnnMarie - I can't believe I'm finally doing this! Happy Dance!

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  12. That is great. Not feasible for us at our age and doubt if the sub-division would allow it as everything has to look alike. Boo hoo. Hope it all works out for you. Nancy

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    1. That's too bad, Nancy, but I'll keep everyone posted on my progress for sure!

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  13. Living off-grid now for three years, I am thoroughly convinced that solar power is the way to go. Most panels are now guaranteed for at least 20 years, are higher powered, smaller and more efficient, so they just make sense. Being off-grid, our only bug-a-boo in the whole system is in the storage of the power. Luckily, batteries are also starting to get more efficient and last longer (thank you Elon Musk), so we are confident that we will continue living off-grid comfortably for the rest of our lives. Here in California, so many people are installing roof top grid tied systems that the power generated replaces the need for another reservoir, so the extra power generated helps everyone on the grid and reduces the possibility of "brown outs" in the heat of the summer. So...welcome to the light side!

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    1. Mine will still be on grid but apparently my meter will begin to run backwards as soon as they are installed - isn't that amazing, Vickie! I would love to be totally off grid like you....but hey every little bit helps!

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  14. How cool that you are going through with this! I can't wait to hear (and see) all about this as it goes along. It wouldn't be worth it for us to do solar panels here. Our electricity bills aren't that high (our heating system and stove and dryer are gas), plus our house and neighborhood aren't worth doing major improvements on it. We'd never get our money back if we were to sell. Also, we don't know how much longer we're going to stay here. We might move when Brian retires.

    In the meantime, if you want to follow my friend, Deb on IG - she's at wildernest.weaver. She was my neighbor for many years until her husband retired a few years ago and they moved to the mountains of northern WA. It was their dream - they now live off the grid! I have no desire to do that, but I find their way of life very interesting.

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    1. Ooooh thanks for the tip, Melanie, I'm certainly going to check out your friend's site! The assessors are coming to my house on Thursday, I guess I'll know more then! They have to make sure my roof, electrical panel, and property in general are a good fit for the solar panel system....fingers crossed!

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  15. This is SO exciting! I’m sure it will be a great investment for you. Have you heard about roof shingles taking the place of panels? I don’t know if they’re actually used yet or just in the discovery stage, but they’re an interesting option for homeowners who don’t want or can’t have panels due to hoa restrictions. Of course, that doesn’t apply to you. You’re in a perfect location to take advantage of roof panels!

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    1. I did see something about that in my research, Doreen - how exciting, huh?

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  16. DEBBIEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Way to go mountain sister!! My husband and I keep toying with the idea of going solar. I'm going to share this with him. We have a full 8 hours + of sunlight each day, so our location is prime for solar also. Does being closer to the sun make it turbo charged? lol!

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    1. Ha ha I guess we'll find out, won't we Mountain Sister? You would probably need even less panels than me with all that sun and being south of me. I'm excited to get the process started - I signed the papers this weekend and the assessors are coming on Thursday to check out the property - woo hoo!!! I am financing the entire thing, but still saving a ton of $$$ - how cool is that?

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  17. I think that is a wonderful investment in your future, I take advantage of solar energy as often as I can.
    We have far too many trees before we could install solar panels, but my property is lit like a Christmas tree come nightfall, and all the solar lights and gadgets are shining :)
    Hope all goes well with the installation.
    ~Jo

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    1. I have been using solar lights in my landscape for a long time too, Jo - they have come a long way in the past few years, haven't they?

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