Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - Solar - Does It Make Sense?

Zihuatanejo Ixtapa Troncones Mexico
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I guess I'll find out.

A while ago William Mertz started a thread about solar electricity in the area.

http://www.zihuatanejo.net/tablero/messages/128036.html

A number of people thought it made sense, but I didn't see a lot of people saying they were going to do it. ;-)

I'll let you know how it goes. I have made arrangements to have a 10 panel installation done at my home in Troncones. It should be done by November 23.

I have splurged and I'm having an air conditioner installed in the second bedroom. I don't use the air conditioning in the main bedroom, but renters seem to like air conditioning.

I have found that air conditioning and the swimming pool have increased my CFE bills dramatically (as in 10x). I couldn't justify putting in a second air conditioner previously, but if the solar system works as expected, it should be OK.

I'll post here from time to time to let others know how it is going.

So far, it has been a pleasure to work with William. We have exchanged a number of emails discussing a couple of sizes of installation and pricing. I've put down the 80% deposit of for a 10 panel installation and air conditioner. I'm in to it for a bit over M$106,000 now with just under M$27,000 remaining upon completion.

Feel free to ask me questions as this hopefully unfolds and doesn't unravel. B-)

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www.dreaminmexico.com

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Thanks for offering the information. We are on our first year of electric bills and have already learned a lot. We'd like a pool, but the deciding factor will be what it would do to our CFE bill.

We have installed four AC units, but all are inverter types, used very minimally, and they don't use much electricity.

Please keep us posted!

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one easy way to reduce pool costs is to put your pump on a hardwired timer, I ran mine last season for 45 minutes a day and the water,which is under a roof, stayed clear, albeit a bit chilly for some Mexicans.

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Thanks for offering the information. We are on our first year of electric bills and have already learned a lot. We'd like a pool, but the deciding factor will be what it would do to our CFE bill.

My October 2018 CFE bill is M$3200.

My October 2016 CFE last bill before the pool was completed was M$679.

I’ll see if I can pull up a few more bills to compare some other months.

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www.dreaminmexico.com

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That seems to be a pretty good price. My brother just had it installed at his home in Nevada for 15k

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I guess I'll find out.

A while ago William Mertz started a thread about solar electricity in the area.

http://www.zihuatanejo.net/tablero/messages/128036.html

A number of people thought it made sense, but I didn't see a lot of people saying they were going to do it.

I'll let you know how it goes. I have made arrangements to have a 10 panel installation done at my home in Troncones. It should be done by November 23.

I have splurged and I'm having an air conditioner installed in the second bedroom. I don't use the air conditioning in the main bedroom, but renters seem to like air conditioning.

I have found that air conditioning and the swimming pool have increased my CFE bills dramatically (as in 10x). I couldn't justify putting in a second air conditioner previously, but if the solar system works as expected, it should be OK.

I'll post here from time to time to let others know how it is going.

So far, it has been a pleasure to work with William. We have exchanged a number of emails discussing a couple of sizes of installation and pricing. I've put down the 80% deposit of for a 10 panel installation and air conditioner. I'm in to it for a bit over M$106,000 now with just under M$27,000 remaining upon completion.

Feel free to ask me questions as this hopefully unfolds and doesn't unravel.

Thanks, Ernie! Great info to know and share. It will be interesting to see how much you save on your monthly bills.

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It does seem to make sense on several levels but especially as the buying/install cost seems to be about half the price as in the US/Canada and the cost of electricity is so high in Mexico you are looking at a fast recoup of your investment. I look forward hearing how it is going after the install too...

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I spoke with a year round resident from Playa Blanca who had a great deal of difficulty with the electric utility down there and was receiving very large bills, VERY large bills just after their connection with solar kicked in. Anyone doing this process would naturally have great interest in the billing process anyway but just keep this story in mind. I'm sure it was a short term problem and shouldn't deter anyone from such a great undertaking but the customer had been barking fairly hard at the utility for a bit when she told us this story. We didn't hear the resolution and so take this as it's offered.

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Please be happy always

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I spoke with a year round resident from Playa Blanca who had a great deal of difficulty with the electric utility down there and was receiving very large bills, VERY large bills just after their connection with solar kicked in. Anyone doing this process would naturally have great interest in the billing process anyway but just keep this story in mind. I'm sure it was a short term problem and shouldn't deter anyone from such a great undertaking but the customer had been barking fairly hard at the utility for a bit when she told us this story. We didn't hear the resolution and so take this as it's offered.

Perhaps the time of the incident you refer to was prior to the Reforma Energètica that was passed in el Congreso during Presidente Enrique Peña’s first year in office. I believe the laws used to discourage the private production of energy.

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If it was right after the installation of their system then it was likely because the system was turned on prior to the 2 way meter being installed. The standard meter then reads the energy consumed and the energy produced as the same. The system should not be started other than for a test until after the installation of the 2 way meter. The other possibility is a faulty 2 way meter.

In addition, we, as a company, would have dealt with these issues directly with the CFE instead of leaving it in the hands of customers who have no idea what the problem is and how to right it.

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www.williammertz.photography

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:megusta:

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If it was right after the installation of their system then it was likely because the system was turned on prior to the 2 way meter being installed. The standard meter then reads the energy consumed and the energy produced as the same. The system should not be started other than for a test until after the installation of the 2 way meter. The other possibility is a faulty 2 way meter.

In addition, we, as a company, would have dealt with these issues directly with the CFE instead of leaving it in the hands of customers who have no idea what the problem is and how to right it.

CFE is a joke. There is no working with this company. They were at our facility checking meters and doing maintenance when they arced the system, caused an explosion and several meter banks were destroyed. CFE was so apologetic. But by the time is was over CFE claimed they were never there and we were left to put in an insurance claim. Nice company.....

D

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The first glitch in the process has happened. It appears to be unrelated to me or Solener.

I paid the deposit by PayPal. PayPal confirmed the transfer from my account in Canada.

PayPal has not permitted the release of the pesos into the recipient’s PayPal account until October 29.

I phoned PayPal in Canada. They confirmed that the transfer was made. Understandably they said they could not release any information to me about the recipient’s account. They asked that the recipient contact PayPal at a toll-free number to sort it out.

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www.dreaminmexico.com

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This glitch is resolved.

It appears that PayPal did not release the pesos because there was no confirmation from Solener that they had shipped the product. They hadn’t shipped it because they were using the deposit money to buy the materials.

I ended up confirming in my PayPal account that I had received the purchase. This exposes me to some risk because having confirmed that I received the purchase, the usual PayPal protection is prejudiced.So this is a bit of a step of faith at this point.

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www.dreaminmexico.com

1726 views

We avoid using Paypal. This was done at your request. Normally we work with bank transfers.

Anytime you are making a deposit on something it is "a leap of faith" isn't it? We are not a company that is large enough to purchase the materials in advance. But at the same time being a small company we offer far better customer care, especially in dealing with the CFE, which other companies do not do.

So sorry there were any issues and it is possible there may be more, though we hope everything moves smoothly.

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www.williammertz.photography

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I always expect glitches. Here in Canada some work that was to be done on my deck was delayed for weeks, first because of the shortage of labour and later because of a parts delay.

I heard from someone recently who had some solar installed and the only noticeable awkwardness was with CFE. I’m kind of expecting a similar experience and I’m happy that Solener takes care of the CFE relationship.

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www.dreaminmexico.com

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We added 32 panels about a year and a half ago. We have thee ac units, a pool, and a couple ponds (more pumps). It took about three months for us to get the two way meter and about one year to get rid of the cfe surcharge as “heavy users “. Based on bills before and now, our expense was cut by about 95%. That’s right, 95....we expect it to pay for itself in less than five years.

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