Solar best 4 mult (by Josh [CA]) Jul 10, 2022 11:36 PM
Solar best 4 mult (by Robert J [CA]) Jul 10, 2022 11:46 PM
Solar best 4 mult (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Jul 11, 2022 12:26 AM
Solar best 4 mult (by Richard [MI]) Jul 11, 2022 5:22 AM
Solar best 4 mult (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Jul 11, 2022 7:35 AM
Solar best 4 mult (by Allym [NJ]) Jul 11, 2022 11:59 AM
Solar best 4 mult (by S i d [MO]) Jul 11, 2022 12:46 PM
Solar best 4 mult (by Ken [NY]) Jul 11, 2022 4:25 PM
Solar best 4 mult (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Jul 12, 2022 9:22 AM
Solar best 4 mult (by Josh [CA]) Aug 12, 2022 8:19 PM
Solar best 4 mult (by W [CA]) Aug 12, 2022 10:34 PM
Solar best 4 mult (by Josh [CA]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2022 11:36 PM Message:
There are all kinds of so called deals on going Solar for your personal home and for your multi-dwelling properties. Are any of them worth a darn? Anyone with a positive experience?
--71.9.xxx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2022 11:46 PM Message:
You can use small solar panel hook-up with a lithium battery bank for a multi-family units to power lights, sprinklers and low power consumption devices.
I've also used solar to power a pump for a pool during the day. If there isn't enough sun light, then it switches to the utility power.
--47.156.xx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 12:26 AM Message:
While it is great to care about environment the payback depending on how much is laid out is a long time. Upgrading insulation will significantly reduce energy consumption all year round. If buy the equipment then install then cost is reduced. Solar panels are costing less where with LED lighting a few panels can used for lighting. If used a heat pump water heater then the solar could power as less current is required. --68.69.xxx.xxx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Richard [MI]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 5:22 AM Message:
Unless you plan to hold the property LONG term, say 20+ years I don't think it is worth doing. Any future buyer is likely not going to want to pay you a premium for it.
Yes, prices have come down a bit and the efficiency is getting better.
Considering all the problems going on right now, the equipment could be damaged, possibly stolen, or the area could be in a riot or ???
There are smaller portable arrangements on the market that could handle your personal needs and still be more affordable and travel with you if you had to relocate.
Think of a portable system more as a backup for emergencies or grid failure rather than a main source of power until the current situation stabilizes, if it does. --24.180.xx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 7:35 AM Message:
It wasn't that long ago that our city buses shifted to compressed natural gas because they were clean and good for the environment.
Now the format is shifting to electric for the future of vehicles. I guess that electric might be coming from clean burning coal power plants? I sure wish a format with the correct inter-structure was built to support it.
Instead energy has been politized. Creating charging stations will create jobs - yes it will....and it will also terminate jobs too. We (as a nation and plant) just need to know what direction to head towards. Renewals make sense in many cases, but the payback periods are typically greater than 15 years so, other energy efficiency upgrades make better sense. If you have T12 bulbs for example, shifting to T-8 or even LEDs can pay you back in a few months instead of years. Motion detectors may or may not make sense as the sudden loading of a circuit causes additional wear and tear on bulbs. If you are replacing the bulbs three times more often to save only 20% of the power, motion detectors don't make sense.
Solar might make more sense where you are at than where I am at, especially if you are down in SoCal. Do you have any idea how long the spike in power prices is going to last? The SBDC locally do have energy audit experts though that can help you and provide you local answers.
Where I live, during WW2, before the discovery of radar, near me was selected as one of the largest dynamite production facilities in the US - because of the amount of our cloud cover annually. So here does not make any sense at all and had a 30 year payback period.
Since you are specifically are asking about Multiple Family use, how big is your power bill for that unit? Can you get a payback in less than 4 years, I would consider it. But it is no where near that here --24.101.xxx.xxx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Allym [NJ]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 11:59 AM Message:
So. Cal is one of the few places in the US where I would consider using solar. Here in the Northeast we have a large percentage of cloudy days. I saw a neighbor's home after a tree went through the solar panels and pierced the roof. Walls were saturated and the house was ruined. Holes are made in the roof to attach them and nothing worse than a whole in a roof if a windstorm removes a panel. They are trying to put those windmills off the NJ coats. One good hurricane and all that will be gone. Someone is trying to get some kickbacks to please whoever makes the windmills, China. Best energy for the Northeast is natural gas and electric. A nuclear plant is aging out soon. Not sure what will happen then. SCOTUS made it illegal for the feds to decree any changes to a State's method of creating energy at power plants unless there is legislation behind it. They were going to shut it all down and let us freeze. They have ideas but no actual plans. --108.24.xx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by S i d [MO]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 12:46 PM Message:
Solar means subsidies: it's not good enough to work without taxpayers funding it. Any time you taketh from Uncle Sam, he's going to giveth you some restrictions and provisos. If you go for it, be sure to read all the contracts and fine print. Might not be able to sell for X-years, or if you do, you may owe back some of the subsidy.
Other thoughts: how old is your roof? Who pays for the removal & equipment storage and reinstallation if you have to replace the roof in a few years? Are the solar installation contractors liable if a few years from now the brackets bolted through your roof create leaks and damage the inside? Who maintains the equipment? Would your electrician feel comfy troubleshooting that kind of system when it has problems? How often do you have to replace batteries and solar cells to maintain the rated efficiency?
Solar is kind of an overly complex way of generating electricity that I think should be left to large scale utility companies and for projects that are out in the sticks where it would be economically prohibitive to run transmission lines. It's kind of telling that many utilities across the country do not offer a lot of solar power compared to older, reliable methods that are far cheaper and easier to generate. I can buy solar/wind electricity from our local utility company, but I would have to pay about a 20% premium per kwH over power generated by coal/gas.
--184.4.xx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 4:25 PM Message:
I wouldnt put it on a house whether my personal or a rental.Noone addresses the additional weight or the additional weight of snow that it holds up north but it is a concern of mine on older houses.As Sid said it is not good enough to make it other than with a govt subsidy so that is enough of a reason to stay away to me.I have not bought a house with it on a roof yet but i dont see the average person wanting it so if i bought a house to flip i would want it gone before i sold it so i would want that cost factored in.I have also noticed that i do not know any self employed business people that have it on there house and i do know quite a few govt employees who have it on the house and that alone says a lot to me --74.77.xx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Posted on: Jul 12, 2022 9:22 AM Message:
I don't see any value to a grid tie system and if you have an independent system, that means expensive batteries and a lot of routine maintenance, like daily checking.
For areas like northern California where they turn the power grid off for a week at a time, maybe it would be worth it to have a battery system that runs a few lights and has a designated plug for the refrigerator. But someone has to do the maintenance and I wouldn't trust a tenant to do it.
I wouldn't want panels on a roof, but for an apartment, there might be someplace on the grounds to put them. --76.178.xxx.xxx |
Solar best 4 mult (by Josh [CA]) Posted on: Aug 12, 2022 8:19 PM Message:
Thank you for you responding. I don’t like the roof mount either I would rather have the panels on the ground.
Some things are going to have to change IMO. Electric has been rising. I pay for the outside lighting and the laundry room electric. Bill isn’t much tho. Tenants pay their own electric.
In Tax-A-fornia we are soon to experience a large increase in Water costs. I like most Landlords pay for all the water at my multi-dwelling properties
A large increase in Trash fees. I pay for all trash services.
I realize these rising costs together are going to impact us all.Landlords and Tenants.
I am thinking ahead as I complete major up grades like reposing from the main through out a 4 unit. Do I put in multi sub meters and switch heat water on my dime and install separate meters. Each unit has their own tankless water heater. Each unit has a split level AC / Heater. I have done a new 30 year roof I have done the cement work make over. Much better. Trying to plan ahead and come up with a plan that is the best strategy --71.9.xxx.xx |
Solar best 4 mult (by W [CA]) Posted on: Aug 12, 2022 10:34 PM Message:
Heard the solar company liens your house to ensure payment on the solar system cost. Also, in the event of a fire, very difficult for the fire department to deal with the solar system on the roof. --107.139.xx.xxx |
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