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We originally sized our solar panels to cover about 70% of our electric usage. The idea was to stay in tier one or two at most. That actually worked initially. I think we also cut back on electricity use by changing out old electric bulbs for the newer types like Leds. When we added the leaf we ended up consuming a lot more electricity. In May of 2011 we paid $318 for the previous year plus the typical $1 to $2 monthly service charge. We got the Leaf in May of 2011. In May of 2012 we paid $350 for the year. In May of 2013 we paid $525 for the year. In May of 2014 we paid $230 for the year. In the last year we had both the 2011 Leaf and the Rav4EV (purchased on Jan 24th 2014). So when you look at our electric bill over the last few years we managed to almost charge the cars for free. Our first year bill without any electric vehicle cost us $318. When we got our 2011 Leaf later that month we immediately shifted to the TOU. I think our super off peak usage was about 300 to 350 kwh each month. We often would get a credit during the day because of the solar panels. As was mentioned above you need to keep electric use to a minimum during the day up to 6pm. Otherwise instead of a big credit you will get a big bill. I can tell you there were a number of days where we suffered until 6 pm when we could then turn on the air conditioner. I also should mention that we upgraded the insulation in the attic as well as upgraded our forced air/air conditioning systems. Everything is pretty energy efficient and that makes a big difference. The Rav4EV uses more juice for the same mileage than our Leaf delivered, but it is still working out nicely. So to recap we went from about $2400 per year in electricity to about $200 to $500. The solar panels from SolarCity cost us a one time lease payment of $10,414. We were one of the last homes that used thin film technology panels. They tend to be lower in efficiency but work even when the day is cloudy. Our system consists of 68 panels in three sections. Our solar system is rated at 4.6 kw AC or 5.1 kw DC. I had originally estimated our payback at 4 1/2 to 5 years. If you add the use of an electric car then our payback occurred probably in the 4th year. I could figure out exactly what the Leaf cost us each month with and without the panels but this is seat of the pants guess. This does not cover the savings in gas as we went from $160 month for the Prius to about $40 a month. I also considered a second meter but found the requirements of adding the second panel and connections a real pain and high cost. In the end the current 12 midnight to 6 am is almost as cheap as the second meter, just not as much charging time. Hope this helps.Manny
We originally sized our solar panels to cover about 70% of our electric usage. The idea was to stay in tier one or two at most. That actually worked initially. I think we also cut back on electricity use by changing out old electric bulbs for the newer types like Leds. When we added the leaf we ended up consuming a lot more electricity. In May of 2011 we paid $318 for the previous year plus the typical $1 to $2 monthly service charge. We got the Leaf in May of 2011. In May of 2012 we paid $350 for the year. In May of 2013 we paid $525 for the year. In May of 2014 we paid $230 for the year. In the last year we had both the 2011 Leaf and the Rav4EV (purchased on Jan 24th 2014). So when you look at our electric bill over the last few years we managed to almost charge the cars for free. Our first year bill without any electric vehicle cost us $318. When we got our 2011 Leaf later that month we immediately shifted to the TOU. I think our super off peak usage was about 300 to 350 kwh each month. We often would get a credit during the day because of the solar panels. As was mentioned above you need to keep electric use to a minimum during the day up to 6pm. Otherwise instead of a big credit you will get a big bill. I can tell you there were a number of days where we suffered until 6 pm when we could then turn on the air conditioner. I also should mention that we upgraded the insulation in the attic as well as upgraded our forced air/air conditioning systems. Everything is pretty energy efficient and that makes a big difference. The Rav4EV uses more juice for the same mileage than our Leaf delivered, but it is still working out nicely. So to recap we went from about $2400 per year in electricity to about $200 to $500. The solar panels from SolarCity cost us a one time lease payment of $10,414. We were one of the last homes that used thin film technology panels. They tend to be lower in efficiency but work even when the day is cloudy. Our system consists of 68 panels in three sections. Our solar system is rated at 4.6 kw AC or 5.1 kw DC. I had originally estimated our payback at 4 1/2 to 5 years. If you add the use of an electric car then our payback occurred probably in the 4th year. I could figure out exactly what the Leaf cost us each month with and without the panels but this is seat of the pants guess. This does not cover the savings in gas as we went from $160 month for the Prius to about $40 a month. I also considered a second meter but found the requirements of adding the second panel and connections a real pain and high cost. In the end the current 12 midnight to 6 am is almost as cheap as the second meter, just not as much charging time. Hope this helps.
Manny
