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My Solar Panel System was installed on November 25, 2019. As of today, July 3, 2024, I have had no issues with this SUNPOWER System. I have 24 panels (350 watts) that provide nearly all the yearly power for my house and Tesla Model 3. I can't be happier with how it all worked out.

Here is an Overview of My Experience

After years of thinking about getting solar, in August 2019 we decided to take it a bit more serious and met with a few solar installation companies to get some quotes. I got a quote from two different companies (OC Solar and SUNPOWER by Sun Solar) to put in 24 solar panels on my house, replace my electrical panel, and install a 240 VAC EV Charging Receptacle.

Both solar salesmen met with us at our house. Aaron Dabbs from SUNPOWER by Sun Solar was a no-nonsense, straightforward salesperson, and I appreciated his no-pressure approach. Even though the quote from Aaron was a bit higher than the quote from OC Solar, I decided to go with SUNPOWER by Sun Solar because of the better-looking panels, Aaron's professionalism, and the high reputation and long warranty from SUNPOWER in the industry. I would rather pay a little bit more, have a better experience, and not have to worry about anything going forward.

Signed Proposal

We signed our proposal for the 24 Solar Panels, new Electrical Panel, and 240 VAC EV Charging Receptacle on September 11, 2019. The total cost (Back in 2019) before tax breaks was $31,580, with an estimated Federal Tax Credit of $9,474 for an out the door price (with all things accounted for) of $22,106.

The Electrical Panel Was Replaced First

On November 11, 2019, a young electrician and his apprentice came to our house and replaced our electrical panel. Since I am an Electrical Engineer I was very interested in how this whole process worked, so these two guys put up with my watching, and my questions, and did a great job taking out my old electrical panel and put up the new one.

The stucco wasn't going to be completed until after the panels were installed and commissioned, so they put plastic wrap and duct tape around the panel for what turned out to be a couple of months.

Installation Day!

Finally, the day came, and the installers showed up at 8:00 am and got to work. There were three guys installing the panels, and the electrician and apprentice that replaced my panel there again to install the Dedicated Solar Electrical Panel and the EV Charging Receptacle. Here the installers are on my roof with a chalk line to layout where the panels will be installed.

Electrical Panel and Main Solar Control Box

On the left is my new Main Electrical Panel, with the new Dedicated Solar Electrical Panel, and the Solar System Controller above that.

The Panel Brackets Went Up Quick

The SUNPOWER System is very low profile, and actually pretty simple to install. Once they measured where each frame was going to go, they drilled the holes and mounted the solar panel frame. Here is the progress at 11:30 am, ready to start putting up the panels.

The Solar Panels are Ready to Go Up!

The installers unboxed the panels and put them in a queue to toss them up to the guy on the roof. Yep, he just tossed all twenty-four of them to the guy on the roof - it was a quick and efficient process. Those guys probably get to skip upper-body night at the gym for that day!

SPR-X21-350-BLK-E-AC Solar Panels

These 350-Watt Solar Panels were state of the art in 2019. I am sure the efficiency is even better now in 2024, and a few months after my installation, my brother picked 415-Watt Solar Panels also from SUNPOWER for his house. Those panels were a bit larger in size than the ones I bought shown here.

My New Roof is Starting to Take Shape!

Things are starting to come together. Here is the progress just before noon. The three installers are up on the roof and the electricians are having a quick lunch.

The panels are put on the brackets that are now perfectly measured for my roof. There is a minimum number of holes put in my roof which will lower the chances of any future leaks. If there are any issues you can just unscrew the panel and replace it or take care of any leaks on the roofs with Henry's or something like that. So far I haven't had any need to touch the panels or the roof.

Site Plan

Here is the Site Plan that the City has approved. The trees are not quite in the right spots in regards to my backyard, but it does show accurately how the panels will be placed on my roof. This is what the installers use to locate the panels on my roof. What a strange shaped lot I have my house on!

Almost There - Finishing Touches

The installer standing up is cussing off the brackets to the edge of the solar panels. The brackets are all too long, so the mount them then come back and cut them each to length for a perfect fit.

All the Wiring Is Hidden!

What is great about this installation is that you see the panels, and only the panels. With the low profile mounting, there is very little room beneath the panels and there is absolutely no visible electrical conduit or electrical wires. I looked at my neighbor's house with the exact floorplan as mine, and his solar panels have visible electrical conduit running on his roof down to the solar electrical panel. My wiring run to the electrical panel is below the bottom left panel, in a 'junction box' that is low profile as well to fit between the brackets under the solar panel.

Completely Done at 2:30pm

The installation went flawless. They showed up on time, did there work while putting up with my questions and pictures, and finished the complete installation that day of the Solar Panels, Solar Panel Controller, and EV Charging Plug by 2:30 pm.

Great Looking Black Panels on My Very Visible Roof

I especially wanted the SUNPOWER Black Panels since they are so visible on my roof. I am glad how everything turned out.

I have other Solar related Posts right now and will surely create more solar-related future posts, so just type "Solar" in the Search Box and check them out.

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