DodgeDeBoulet t1_jck3nzq wrote on March 17, 2023 at 12:32 PM

I'm looking at a proposal for a qty 58 480w QCell panel ground installation with 4 heat pumps right now @ $135K (pre- tax incentives). Financing through Mosaic @ 10.59%, but we're not doing that. Heat pump installation won't start before August and array before October.

Seems a little spendy compared to what some other folks are reporting, and I'm a bit dismayed by the timeline. We haven't signed anything yet, so alternatives welcome.

metalandmeeples t1_jck7vnz wrote on March 17, 2023 at 1:09 PM

Can you separate the solar from the heat pumps? For a solar system that massive, you should be around $2.50/watt (~$70,000) or better before any incentives.

DodgeDeBoulet t1_jckdgef wrote on March 17, 2023 at 1:53 PM

The $2.50/watt is inclusive of trenching (250'), inverters, installation, etc.?

The solar portion alone is $107K in the proposal.

metalandmeeples t1_jckfdqi wrote on March 17, 2023 at 2:07 PM

Ah, so this is a ground and not a roof mount? In that case, yes, there are extra costs to build the structure and do the trenching. We were quoted about a 25% premium for a ground mounted option so that would put you closer to $90k. I'd be very surprised if prices have increased 20% from a year ago.

DodgeDeBoulet t1_jckifih wrote on March 17, 2023 at 2:29 PM

Yes, ground mounted. I'm sure there are houses out there with room for 58 QCells on the roof, but I suspect they're pretty rare in Maine 😁

I imagine there's an impact due to demand caused by the very significant increases in energy costs, along with the inflation we've seen over the last 18 months. Still seems like there's room for improvement on the price, though.

metalandmeeples t1_jckqr6d wrote on March 17, 2023 at 3:24 PM

Yeah, those panels are pretty large. I have 16 on my roof and can only fit 4 more.