Reliant's Solar Solutions

[amarksa]

Reliant has announced their new Solar plans.

How does it compare to the others?

[Matthew Jones]

How does it compare to the others?

Its kind of a sham. Your better buying the panels even if you have to go to the bank, Unless you have little to no income.

In North Carolina under the NC Green plan you get about 19 - 23 cents per kilowatts hour for sell all configuration, like they are talking about. The Federal Government return in Tax Credits, 1/3 of your equipment cost and the State returns 1/3 of you equipment cost.
So your system for 10kw install costs 38,000. 8k is labor. You get 10k back from the federal over a 2 year period, and 10k back from the state over a 5 year period. On the 2nd or 3rd year the Feds give you another tax credit for depreciation cost that is 50 percent of the system value at that time.
Everything over a 5 year period end up being about 80% of the cost. Paid for in TAX credits. Basically you owe no taxes for 3 - 5 years.

Now all you paid for 10kw is $6000. Your average bill is 200 dollars a month. You cover that plus your producing at a higher rate and you make $1000 every year extra. Your paid off in about 3-4 years or maybe a little more if you use the bank. But after that, your power is free and you turn a little profit every year.

But under lease your still paying. WHY??? Would you want to do that.

The only answer is you have little to no income and you would not get the tax credits. But in that case you probably shouldn't buy any solar anyway.

Matt

[amarksa]

Is there a difference in price form going to traditional energy to solar leasing, though?

As you said, for people that couldn't afford to buy a solar system, does this work as a "gateway" system?

[Matthew Jones]

Its just a trade off one company taking you for a ride on the wire and the other taking you for ride from your roof.

Of course from your roof your getting solar energy. Your also not supporting the traditional power company.

Just read the fine print real well. Alot of these lease companies have shaky terms.

Matt

[amarksa]

Its just a trade off one company taking you for a ride on the wire and the other taking you for ride from your roof.

Of course from your roof your getting solar energy. Your also not supporting the traditional power company.

Just read the fine print real well. Alot of these lease companies have shaky terms.

Matt

I've been happy with them as a traditional provider, just the bill has been really high. I don't know if I have 6k or so to pay to own a dish, and just trying to research all of my options.

They do claim they have a buyback plan, so energy that I don't use, I get paid for. How does that work?