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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We used SolarCity in D.C. to put panels on our rowhouse in Petworth. The panels cover most of the flat portion of the roof (the biggest part of the roof, by far), except an area where our A/C parts sit. Our house faces east, and we're the end unit on the north of our row; there are no trees or other obstructions, so we get really good sun. The system is a 4.31 kWh system.

We did a fully prepaid, 20-year lease, which cost $6,200. The D.C. REIP program paid SolarCity $5,730 in incentives (we installed in 2011, before the incentive got cut). After SolarCity accounted for taxes on that grant, our cost was $1,800, which works out (obviously) to only $90 a year, which we easily make up in savings. Last year, we generated about 60 percent of the electricity we used (our heat and hot water is gas). My last Pepco bill, for instance, was only $23, though we ran the A/C a fair amount when it got hot and muggy. In May, the bill was $6.

SolarCity is the owner of the panels, so we didn't get the federal tax incentives and don't sell the SREC credits they generate. But financially, the lease worked out better than the purchase option, especially since they passed on the D.C. grant savings to us. I believe that's because the feds give better tax incentives to businesses than to individuals for solar.

The D.C. Solar Google group is a good resource for additional information and questions. Good luck![/quote]

Wow!  $1800?  I had no idea you could ever do this for so little.  Sucks that the incentive was cut - we should totally be making it affordable for people to do this.  [/quote]

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