Northwest Orange County Home - Solar PV and EV Charging
Owners of a home in Northwest Orange County desired a solar PV installed on their residence.
GOALS
Reduce electricity costs associated with a multi-generational family living unit
Maximize Return on Investment with a custom panel design
Utilize the maximum number of American-made parts
Support the charging needs of a recently-purchased Electric Vehicle
In designing the system, Optimus prioritized the owner’s desires for ROI and aesthetics. The final system design turned out to be a smaller system than was theoretically available for the home, because it maximized their return on investment and looked best on the home. All racking systems and modules chosen were 100% US- manufactured. This allowed for more confidence in quality control, personal relationships with suppliers and competitive pricing.
An additional 30 modules could have been added to the west-facing roof, but due to the south roof face having little to no shade, the decision to only utilize this area allowed a system payback in less than 8 years. All-black panels, junction boxes, feet and racking systems were used for the solar PV element to tie into the roof color and provide a uniform appearance.
American-manufactured panels and racking systems were used in order to:
Ensure the highest-quality systemavailable
Ensure availability of parts now and in thefuture
Ensure the system was warranted not only by Optimus Solar, but by manufacturers for 25+ years
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
This system will return the initial investment in under 8 years while providing for long-term cash flows for the owners and an investment in the local economy and environment. It returned $180 in its first month of operation, $10 more than predicted. All components came warrantied for 25 years, and 30 years on the power production represented by the panel manufacturer. All components and labor are warrantied for the duration of the system payback period, meaning that this payback is guaranteed as there will be no further out-of-pocket expenses for the owners at a minimum through the first 8 years. Additionally, by coupling this with their electric vehicle, the owner’s reduced their per mile costs of driving by >80%.
This system came with power production tracking included for 25 years, allowing the owners to see in real-time what the system produces. This accountability is critical to solar transparency. The system was added to their homeowner’s policy at no additional charge, providing peace of mind.
Case study written for purposes of local comparison and product quality representation. The owner was not paid in connection with this case study, and chose to participate due to their satisfaction with the quality of the installation, service and performance.