Solar Panel Batteries & Additional Panel Installation

For those with solar panels, can you clarify how SoCal Edison presents your monthly bill? Do you see a separate line / section for NEM or solar generation credits or is your bill only showing the net consumption amounts without any breakout for solar? I have been getting mixed messaging on this from SCE - I don’t have a separate line / breakout in my bill. My solar panels were bought as part of a Lennar home purchase through Sunnova.

Thanks
 
I am currently getting quotes for a new 9kW system. Quotes I get are all over the place.
Could you share what companies you went with and whether you would recommend them?
So far I got a quote from Sunpower for 21 M series 425 panels for $45K+ and from Vibe Solar for 22 Qcell 400 panels for $29K before tax credits.
Difference in price is mind boggling and I am sure I'm missing something. Could you guys share your wisdom?
 
Sunpower and Sunrun are very expensive. I got pretty much the same quote from Sunrun, $42k. I guess it's because these are really big companies.

I went with Elevation Solar for my 9.6kW system for $25k, using REC400 + Enphase IQ8M.
 
usctrojancpa said:
I referred Elevation Solar to CalBear after I was referred to Elevation Solar by my friend who got solar installed in the Spring of 2022. I got a quote for 18 REC 400w panels (7.2kW system) and the quote was about $2.70/watt and then I upsized the system to 24 panels (9.6kW system) and the cost went down to $2.60/watt in June 2022 when I put my deposit down on my Taycan. I believe that Tesla was around $2.70/watt back then but the issue with them is they wouldn't give me a good estimate for when the system would be up and running (told me 6-9 months) while Elevation Solar said 3-4 months which they nailed. The lowest price that I got for solar was for my Las Vegas home for a 4kW Tesla system at $2.00/watt back in Sept 2020.
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2020 was the best time to get solar. I did the 4kW system with Tesla too and it was $7,800 before any tax credits. The only problem is now I have a Model X so I should've gotten the 8kW system.
 
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zubs said:
A lot of us on TI used this company
www.infinitysolar.net

Solar Panel Company Orange County - Home Battery Systems - (714) 880-8089 - Infinity Solar, Inc.

Discover clean, renewable energy with Infinity Solar, Inc. - Solar Panel Company Orange County Our experts make solar and home battery systems installation easy with customized solutions. Call us at (714) 880-8089 for a free consultation.
www.infinitysolar.net www.infinitysolar.net

I think they have a $500 referral. But not sure since it's been a long time.
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I believe they still provide the $500, IrvineRes should give them your name when speaking with Tim at Infinity, they should honor it, they gave me $500 last year for a family friend I referred them to up in Pasadena.
 
Thank you everyone for your referrals!
I reached out to Elevation Solar, Infinity Solar, as well as Energysage.
In the end I got more quotes than I could handle :)
I am leaning to go with Solar Optimum who offered Panasonic Evervolt 400 panels with pretty good warranty coverage.
Prices are pretty much the same from vendor to vendor, but for different brand panels.
Elevation solar quoted Qcell panels for the same price as Solar Optimum for Panasonic panels.
Do any of you have strong opinions on which brand panel to go with?
Majority of my quotes were in $25k before tax credits for 22 400w panels.
 
those that have solar already. what type of railing / flashing system did they use? Wondering if they're all the same in the end of the day.
 
I think I way overpurchased my Solar Panels. I have qty: 26 10.kw panels estimated production 16,828 kwh annually. My "settle up" date with SEC is in July and I'm already owed $950 after my May statement. Guess I'll be cranking the AC in summer.
 
aquabliss said:
I think I way overpurchased my Solar Panels. I have qty: 26 10.kw panels estimated production 16,828 kwh annually. My "settle up" date with SEC is in July and I'm already owed $950 after my May statement. Guess I'll be cranking the AC in summer.
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An electric car will eat up that $950 and then some.
 
I think with $950 one would get about $300 back whether cash or applied to future bills.
So best to use up the $950 on electricity.
 
aquabliss said:
Was considering adding a Powerwall 3 but found out I will lose NEM2.0 if I install Powerwall 3. Probably not worth it.
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Bummer. I'd thought about matching some batteries up with my solar but losing NEM 2.0 would really suck. Do you have a source to confirm that SCE customers lose their existing NEM agreement if they add batteries?
 
Does Tesla offer upgrading Tesla Solar existing systems with batteries or do you have to go through a 3rd party installer?

I was considering to do the same but if you lose NEM 2.0 with a battery installation adding a natural gas generator to help with outages seems like the better solution.
 
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