Scattered Sundays

About two weeks ago, someone from our solar installing company came out to do a “hand-off”. He walked us through maintenance, warranty info, and answered all our questions. I understood about 12% of the tech info he shared, but he was super patient with our lack of knowledge.

I had gone into this thinking that our “Super Bowl” of power generation would be from May-early October, and the tech confirmed that. But he dropped a factoid that shocked me. As much as 60-70% of our power generation for THE YEAR will take place in those four months. Bananas!

We’ve had a lot of questions about our experience here and on Instagram. I’m going to do my best here to share how it worked for us, and other things that you should consider. Solar isn’t going to be for everyone, and details vary around the country, but it could be a great fit for many people.

Welcome to my Ted Talk on “So, You’re Thinking About Getting Solar”

Here is the process that we followed. First, I emailed some local companies asking about their process/waitlist/lead time. Second, they had me email them our physical address as well as a copy of our power bill showing usage for the last 12 months.

They used Google Earth to look at our roof, surrounding treeline, etc., to estimate if we would be good candidates for solar. They then provided us with an estimate of how many panels we would need and where they’d go on the roof and the total cost including the estimated federal tax rebate.

Oh, and they also gave us an estimate of how long it would take before the system paid for itself/broke even. This was important for us to figure out if the investment was worth it.

Once we marinated on the idea for a bit, we selected a company that we liked and they came out, climbed on our roof, and took light readings. Based on that, they revised the placement of where the panels would be placed.

From what I understand, most companies will try to create a system for you that will generate 90-100% of your annual power needs. Our local power company does not buy back excess generation, so if we produce more than we need annually, it’s essentially a “gift” to the power company.

Initially, our plan was to save up for our panels so that we could pay for them in cash. But with interest rates going up, plus the supply chain being wonky, we thought that it would be more advantageous for us to start this process sooner rather than later.

The company we worked with recommended a local credit union that issues loans specifically for solar. It was a very easy process and everything was handled online. They offered loans anywhere from 1 to 15 years.

Solar is not cheap and seems out of reach for many families. I think that the industry is doing a real disservice to people by not explaining this next part to everyone. In most cases, if you were to choose a 10-15 year loan for the panels, the monthly loan payment would basically replace your monthly power payment.

Said another way, many people could essentially replace their power bill with a solar loan payment. For most people, a monthly power payment is a forever thing. If done correctly, the solar panels will pay for themselves before the loan is due. After that, (in most cases) it’s essentially free.

Our panels are estimated to pay for themselves in about 10 years and come with a 25-year warranty. The warranty includes (free) replacement if needed, drive time for the techs, troubleshooting, monitoring, and maintenance.

Our system is set up for net metering. This means that during the day, our panels are generating power and sending it to the grid. And when the sun goes down, we’re using power from the grid.

We do not have a battery system, and if the power goes out, we’re in the same boat as everyone else. Battery systems can run you $30-45k in addition to the cost of the panels. Hard pass!!

From May thru early October, our panels will be generating much more than we are using. The value of all that extra energy is “banked” in our account. When the days get shorter and we produce less, we start to draw from that surplus.

All things considered, if everything goes correctly, we will not send a dime to our power company going forward. Fingers crossed! A friend of mine got solar a few years ago and lives in a climate where they use AC a lot. Annually they still owe about $600 a year, but that’s a huge decrease from what they used to pay for power.

Our system went fully online on April 9th. We generated 866.4 kWh in April, despite it being the coldest and third grossest April on record in Seattle in the last 45 years. Unsubscribe!

In the Garden This Week

This is officially the stupidest springs in the history of spring. What in the world is going on?! It’s cold (we had frost this week!!!), grey, gloomy, and so windy. Last Mother’s Day I was out walking in shorts and a tank. This Mother’s Day I was still wearing two layers on my walk.

Listen weather, I understand you’re having big feelings right now, but I have a garden that needs some sun and heat, and some solar panels that want to be generating a crap ton of excess energy to bank for winter. Take a deep breath and get your ish together.

Our lettuce is coming along nicely but SLOWLY due to the lack of heat. Even with a plastic row tunnel, it’s limping along at a snail’s pace. The other seeds I planted are just as confused as the rest of us and have barely sprouted.

I usually plant the sun worshipers (tomatoes, cukes, green beans) on Mother’s Day or when there are 7 days of nighttime temps that are 50F or above. Nope, we’re still rocking 38F-43F for the next 10 days. Rude.

Despite the cold temps, the new strawberry plants are doing well. I see some flowers on the plants, but no baby berries yet. Usually, we’re picking strawberries by late May, but I don’t see that happening this year!

Between replanting the strawberry bed and the cold temps, it’s going to be a berry sad strawberry season. No, YOU SHUT UP.

READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Christine left this five-star review on our Strawberry Waffles {Pin this recipe}:

I made a halved version of these waffles last week because I had a small volume of buttermilk to use up and a new box of strawberries. They were gone before they had even cooled down enough to not burn the roofs of our mouths. I made them again this week because we all wanted more. And it won’t be long before I make them again. Do they freeze well? Couldn’t tell you. Two adults and one 8 year finished off everything over the course of a long, lazy morning. 

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

No Churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream – Homemade no-churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream is an easy and creamy recipe that you’ll want to make over and over again. Four ingredients and just five minutes of hands-on time for an easy and delicious dessert. {Pin this recipe}

Cucumber Mint Water – This refreshing Cucumber Mint Water is so delicious and is made without any added sweeteners. Perfect for parties, barbecues, or for daily hydration, this healthy drink has amazing benefits and a great flavor. {Pin this recipe}

Banana Protein Balls – These healthy no-bake Banana Protein Balls are so tasty! These easy snacks are loaded with dates, cashews, and dried bananas. Mini chocolate chips are an optional but delicious addition. {Pin this recipe}

What are you having this week?