I had a major problem: I live on a street with no natural gas so there was no easy generator option for back up power in the event of an FPL outage. If you live in SoFL long enough, chances are you're going to live through a prolonged, hurricane caused power outage be it one night or two weeks. I needed a solution!
First, I got a quote from a propane company which included buying a tank, burying said tank, power connections, generator, and tank replenishment. Those were not inconsequential costs, probably because until recently there were really no other viable options. Frustrated, I started to research solar power (this is the Sunshine State after all). Solar, as I have come to find out, is a game changer!
While Solar is not "cheap" the economics are more compelling than I initially thought. My sales person, Liz, really spent a lot of time helping me run through all the math. And here's where it gets good...
Everyone talks about the "payback" of solar as the difference between the power company providing power vs going solar. It's a dated argument! Here's what Liz helped me understand:
- Solar provides power during the day offsetting part of your utility bill
- FPL has Peak Periods meaning on sunny days you're not using "expensive" power
- during the evenings, power is cheaper and my house demand is lower
- FPL has "net-metering" which means that if your solar panels produce MORE than your house consumes, you actually are a power provider for FPL. Rather than paying for power consumed you're getting paid for power produced! Not only are you not spending money but you're actually making money on sunny days!
- currently (2020/2021) there is a 26% direct tax credit against the purchase/installation of solar + batteries reducing your expenditure
As Liz and I did the math, the "Payback" became much shorter! The cost of solar - the power returned to the grid - the propane tank/generator is now closer to seven years!
And I haven't even touched on the real benefit: the power outage. Goldin sells Tesla's Powerwalls. Liz helped me compute my nighttime needs, and with just a little bit of sun i can power my house and charge my batteries during an outage. The Powerwalls supply the power for the AC, Fridge, Freezer and fans throughout the night!
One last thing: the Powerwalls make almost no noise! So you have quiet nighttime power!
As to the installation from Goldin, I have to give a special shout-out to Salko and Edwin. These gentlemen were awesome. They let me know, step by step, what they were doing and why. They were meticulous in their work and there was nary a scrap or a nail throughout the process.
In short: I would recommend Solar Power as a means for back up power. I would HIGHLY recommend Goldin Solar to do the work on your house.
* Liz did a great job throughout the process including being the liaison if i had questions post-sale.
* Yesenia was my project manager and made the process and permits effortless on my behalf.
* Salko and Edwin were first rate and did an awesome job throughout the installation and left me their contact info if i had post installation issues (none 45 days later).
I hope this helps you as I can appreciate this is not a small investment.
My favorite guilty pleasure of this project: since my wife and I both work from home we can keep the house much cooler at no cost during the day!
Good luck with your decision. I hope this helped.... read more