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Tips for Buying Solar Power


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Hello I am new to Ajijic (4 Months), I am looking into solar for my home and was wondering what everybody's top 3 tips are when investing in a solar electric system.

I was able to find this very useful link. http://www.energymat...olar-system.php

I am more interested in what the top 3 things you look for when choosing solar power, specifically in Mexico and more specifically Ajijic.

I do not want to hear anything from a solar company (like I have seen in other posts), just from people who have a system installed.

Thanks.

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We looked for an installer with a history...not someone who only has put in a few systems; working relationship with CFE as to new lines and new meters.

We wanted someone who had a proven "Mexican" system...parts availability and price.

We wanted a long guarantee that included parts and labor.

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The technologies are neither good nor bad; they're all very simple and proven.

I wanted components manufactured in North America from well established reputable companies.

I wanted the lowest cost per watt. This is not a technology decision, it's an economic decision.

I wanted a detailed proposal itemizing every component and all work to be done followed by a legal factura.

Our system has been saving us a bundle for 15 months.

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I'm just a homemaker but E Sun installed our system and have a reputation for being the best in town. My understanding is that the owner is the top guy in Mexico for training in solar power. All the staff is very personable & knowledgeable. Their product is top of the line and prices reasonable. They have a great reputation. Happy saving!!!!

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If you want an inexpensive system think about 12 volt. You can find most electronics in 12 volt and if you stay 12 volt you save both money on the system and you don't loose electricity through the converter. It will also help you stay under the high rate with CFE. Would be hard to do the whole house but can be done.

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1. We wanted to get our bill down as close to $0 as possible.

2. We wanted a company that would answer our questions without a big song and dance. In other words, no pressure and that they´d be professional. Sometimes, it´s just a "feeling" you get when you get the sales pitch. How pushy is the salesman/woman? Are you actually being listened to or do you walk out of there feeling confident that you´ll get what you actually need, not what the salesman is trying to unload.

FWIW, we used Esun and were very happy. They went above and beyond expectations. I´m sure others are also good, but this was our personal experience.

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After our pool was on line, our average CFE bill was $2800p or about 875kwh (2009 prices of elect). We put in a solar system in May 2010, with 14-200w panels and currently sitting on a 1963kwh surplus. We had been spending half the year here and half in the US. We are now 7mo here and headed to 8mo here so this surplus will probably decline with the additional time spent here. The 14 panels could have been reduced to 12 but what the heck. Current bills are zero.

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Two posts above endorse eSun. I and many others endorse e2 Energias. eSun's reputation is self-generated. He's been in business here for less than 4 years but his ads say 14. Do your own due diligence. There's a lot of disinformation going around.

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I'm sorry we have to post who we used. I liked Fred's suggestion that we do not. Because now I'm seeing what seem to be misleading comments.

I only know good things about E2 Energias and eSUN Energy. I used one of them for an upgrade to my system when I went from 10 to 22 panels in 2010 and my neighbors used the other. We were/are both very satisfied.

(My first system was installed by a company from San Miguel de Allende in 2008 that is no longer in business) I knew that I was going to upgrade later so I installed a large enough inverter to take care of the upgrade mentioned above.

And Atlas, I don't know how long eSUN Energy has been here lakeside, but not that many years, neither was e2 Energias. What I do know is that when the folks from the company from San Miguel de Allende needed someone close by to update my Inverter in 2008, that they called upon Jsun who is part of eSUN Energy. What I remember is that when he did the work upgrading my inverter, he said he had been in the business for quite a few years before that date. Again, I don't know the name of the company he worked for then, perhaps eSUN. What I remember is that he had his business in Guadalajara when he serviced me lakeside. (Just like, I understand eSUN Energy was doing)

.I say AGAIN. I only know good things about the three energy companies that I know are offering service lakeside. And I know many who have used the two companies mentioned above that were/are happy with both. I understand that two of the three have a presence lakeside

The one (fourth) company which I would strongly not recommend, is no longer in business.

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Bravo, Tom! I posted my comments on why we went solar and am thoroughly happy with the results. I have no dog in Atlas´s fight nor do I have an "interest" in anyone´s success and would love to know how Fred seems to think I do. I merely stated that I was pleased with the results. OMG, shoot me now!

On a more serious note, the way CFE keeps climbing, it´s getting to be a very good idea to go solar, unless you don´t think you´ll outlive the investement. Since our bills were around the 4100 peso mark (and now in the 800s until we´re removed from DAC, then it will be around 200), this will pay itself off very, very quickly...which was the biggest reason of all.

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Tips on Solar Electric systems.

1. If you are not sure how many panels you will need, then ensure that the inverter (you know the thing that change the solar DC power to AC power compatible with the local power) will be large enough to take on the added panels you might need. That way you won't need to get another inverter.

2. Look not only at the power you might need to generate, but at ways you could cut down your usage, CF bulbs, running the pump for less time, keeping items unplugged if they draw too much power when off (phantom electricity).

3. And of course check out the various providers and their recommendations.

Now don’t forget solar hot water. Here are a few tips. 1. Place the panel as close to the major user of hot water as possible (probably your shower or bath)

2. If practical, insulate the hot water pipes between the panel and shower, etc.

3. We have very hard water here. Make sure you protect against the harm the hard water can do to the interior of your panel. There are rods of some sort that you can insert inside your system that will absorb the harmful parts of your heavy water (That was very poorly explained) Perhaps someone else could help by better explaining the problems and solutions associated with hard water

AND BRAG BRAG BRAG, my last electrical bill that came today shows that I owe for the previous 60 days ending on April 20th is only $82 pesos.

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  • 1 month later...

I got my solar system from Esun and am very please with the results. My last bill was 75 pesos. I have had the system for about 8 Months and the highest was 101 pesos. I do watch the usage and use some LED bulbs for night lights, at about 4 watts I can leave a few on 24 x 7 with no worries.

I also have the tube type solar water heater an would like to know more about the anodes mentioned above. Anyone know a little more about where they are in the system?

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  • 2 years later...

Ok now that we know it can save a great amount of Pesos each 60 days

How much is such a system running for ?

And if you produce more solar then you need does CFE buys it from you ?

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BMH,

I have been running a surplus for the entire 5 years since the system was installed. CFE incorrectly read the meter in July of 2010 and billed me $2400p. E-Sun went to bat for me and corrected the situation. CFE wouldn't refund the money but created a credit for me and has debited the small monthly service charge (about $24p) from that credit for the past 5 years. My current surplus is 2084 kwh. There was some speculation that CFE would reset the account annually but that has not been my experience. I think we are on a first name basis with them and they like me! I would get bids from the 2 main co's and my preference would be E-Sun if the bids were close. There are a couple minor entities around and I cannot vouch for them however.

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We were most concerned with reliability and the aesthetics of the system. I felt that STI had the best engineered system. We specified no Chinese made panels. Our system is based on microinverters, each panel having an inverter and each of those inverters reports to an "I Monitor" panel that tells us real time what the output of each panel is, and sends the data to a host server that adds it all up and posts total system output on an hourly, daily and long term historic basis.

We have 18 panels in two locations, one over the garage and one over a part of the house.

Aside from the monitoring, the advantage of this system is that if some of the panels are in shade at times, the rest keep producing and are not affected by the shaded panels. I understand that when one uses a single inverter that this is not the case. Also, the microinverter set up lends itself to splitting the panel location as we did. If one later decides to add more panels, one just installs however many extra panels they want and plugs them into the system. It is very easy to expand when one uses microinverters.

STI has done a number of systems locally but their biggest market by far is around GDL and they've also done quite a number of big industrial installations. They definitely have the experience. They were the only ones at the time we bought that had the microinverters.

I think our largest surplus was a little over 200kWh but this is a big house with pool and two fountains/waterfalls. Our 18 panel system was just about right. It is hard to guage what the overall energy balance will be as we have had exceptional cloudiness here for nearly a year. Still, we find that we can enjoy having plenty of power without getting those big power bills. Usually, we are at the minimum. One month this winter we had to pay for 100kWh.

We have equipped the house to the extent possible for energy saving. That includes CFLs everywhere, even landscape lighting, and one of those new low energy refrigerators.

The energy monitor system is really cool but is overly sensitive IMO to variations in frequency with our rather dirty CFE power. STI tells me that the newest generation of this system will be less sensitive to less than perfect power.

One thing that should not be overlooked is the maintenance aspect. Make sure your system is designed to facilitate maintenance, specifically cleaning. Some times of the year here it is very dusty and you'll want to wash off your panels. If you have a source of softened water adjacent to the system and can access it easily from one side, it makes it easy to keep clean.

Anyone who is installing solar power and who would like to see this system, PM me.

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