All Forum Posts by: Pavel Sakurets
Pavel Sakurets has started 48 posts and replied 316 times.
Post: 900k decision on new construction, need your feedback please
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Thank you again to everyone that was able to provide a feedback.
We chose exterior elevation and now deciding on interior layout.
Assuming the front elevation will look the same for 2 options (2 car garage and 3 car garage) which interior elevation will you choose?
Would you do 3 car and smaller dining and living room or 2 car and bigger dining and family room.
Please share your thoughts
Post: Solar Panels?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Lee, did you mount your panels on the roof?
What is the total area that your 34 panels cover in sq ft?
Post: 900k decision on new construction, need your feedback please
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Originally posted by @Karen Margrave:
@Pavel Sakurets Good choice! After looking at the choices again, I think that is actually my favorite. You want to be careful when you post and ask for opinions, remember that you are the one there, on the ground, and know what you are trying to achieve.
On our San Clemente house I posted about the length of the kitchen island, as I was considering 14'. Everyone thought it was too big, and though 8-10' would be better. I compromised on 12'. However; now that cabinets are going in, I am kicking myself for not staying with the 14, it would have been a huge feature, and worked perfectly!
Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of great advice on here that is very helpful, but sometimes, you just have to stick with your vision!
Agreed 100%
Post: Solar Panels?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Thanks for the clarification, Tanya.
Production of 2500 kwh per year /12 months/8 panels=26.042 kwh per panel per month on average.
Thus to produce 1000 kwh per month, one needs to have 39 panels.
How much space in sq ft does each panel require for installation?
The lowest quote I received to produce 1000 kwh per month to install solar panels was 47k
On average I spend $120/month for electricity, that it would take me $47,000/$120=391 months to pay back for the panels ( assuming I don't move anywhere within 32.6 years).
Yes, electricity goes up in price by 4%/year, still if I use discounting method adjusted to 4%, the payback will be 27 years
Still, not a very good investment in my opinion.
Post: 900k decision on new construction, need your feedback please
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
I decided that would build #4, will post interior elevations for your critique later this week
Post: Solar Panels?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Originally posted by @Tanya F.:
Yes, it is definitely very important improve insulation and take other efficiency measures for your home, BUT there's a problem with your assumptions, your calculations and your units. You are mixing kW and kWh.
To help you understand, here are some real data from nearby Wisconsin. We have 8 panels here in Madison. Last month, each produced about 37 kWh of energy, totaling about 300 kWh for the month of July. Our 8 panel (1.92 kW) system cost about $6000 after incentives a couple of years ago. Our actual annual production has been 2.5 MWh, or at .13 per kWh that's $325 per year or an 18 year payback for the $6000, but that's if electricity prices stay the same (which they won't) . Installation cost per kW has gone down quite a bit since we installed our system. Currently, Minnesota has a 13 year payback for a 5kW system and larger systems have quicker payback.
To produce 1000 kWh of energy in a month, it would be about 3X the size of our system, or about 25 panels (a ~6 kW system).
Read what @Lee S. wrote earlier in this thread. It's about rate of return.
Tanya, I understand that last month (July) produced 37kwh per each panel. What is the average production of each panel per month if you use a full year for your calculation?
Do you have snow on your panels in winter or you remove the snow form the panels?
As far as I know if you have a little bit of snow on the panel, it doesn't produce any power.
You also make an assumption that you will receive a payback within 18 years, however do you take into account R&M?
What is the average economic life of each panel?
Post: Solar Panels?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Sorry, was using my phone when I wrote, a person will need 416 panels to produce 1000 kW per month.
This calculation is based on the assumption that you have 30 sunny days in a month at 12 hours of sun in each day. In reality, I would say sunny days will be 70-80%of the time depending on where one lives at, thus you will need more panels.
When I did a payback calculation a year ago I used $0.13/kW cost.
As a builder I can confirm that one can get much better return if a person builds a very well insulated house, insulates foundation and slab, installs LED lighting than wasting money on solor panels.
The cost of installation and the cost of the panels should be 3 times lower than the cost is now to be attractive for homeowners or builders.
However, I'm building a house now that will have several solor panels that will power up the furnace if there is an interruption of electrical service so people could stay warm in winter in sunny Minnesota
Post: Solar Panels?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Originally posted by @John Gingrich:
If you are not truly familiar with solar, i suggest you do not add posts that include misinformation. There is a lot of bad info on this thread. Here are the facts for solar in CA:
A homeowner with a $150 bill may require about a 6kW solar panel system, depending on their cost of electricity (varies by utility and tier). This system will cost about $20k offsetting about 100% of their bill. The federal government provides a 30% tax credit, so the homeowner gets about $6k back at tax time (not a deduction, an actual credit). So the net cost is $14k. At $150 per month, that may seem like a small number, but that is $1,800 per year and electricity rates increase about 4% annually in CA. Over 20 years, that amounts to about $54k! With solar, the upfront $14k is paid back by year 7 and then the homeowner enjoys free electricity for the next 20+ years. To to recap, a 7 year payback is roughly a 14% return on the invested capital. That is a tax free return because it is simply cost savings so you don't pay taxes on it. In addition, your property value goes up by about 3% or about $15k on average throughout the US due to the ownership of an energy producing asset.
There are several comments about solar being a bad investment. It is an amazing investment and if you can beat a 14% unlevered (even better if you borrow some of the money), tax-free return, then you are investing in a different market than I am. Frankly, if you have a solar suitable roof and are not considering solar, you're behind in the times my friend. Solar makes economic sense, which is why most of the Fortune 500 companies have invested in solar. Solar is cool, solar is sexy, solar gives you independence and enhances both the resale value of your home and cuts the time it takes to sell a home. Here are some references your can review to see how independent studies have supported this concept. https://www.energysage.com/solar/why-go-solar/incr....
Far better investment than granite countertops! Want more info, just ask! John
John, do you have solor panels on your house?
You made a lot of assumptions and forgot to include maintenance and repair costs.
Number 2 do you know how many solor panels you need to produce 1000 kW of electricity?
Last time I checked, each panel in the best case scenario produces 60 watts per hour during a light day. This giving 12 hour day, each panel will produce 720 watts of electricity per day, times 30= 2160 wats, thus to produce 1000 kW of electricity you will need 1000,000 devised by 2160 = 4163 panels to produce enough electricity for a house that uses 1000 kW per month.
Assuming each panel is 3'x3' that produces 60 watts per hour, you will need an area of 36,000 sq ft or more just to mount the panels.
A year ago I calculated a payback at 0% APR to purchase and install panels for my house, assuming nothing breaks and I spend $0 on maintaince, the payback was 27 years
Post: Has anyone built 10-20m houses at St Kitts island?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Thank you guys for your comments. I can send my lead carpenters there to oversee a project and we can ship materials from Miami
Planning to start by the end of the year assuming everything goes well.
The best part is that there are no income taxes in St Kitts :) for individuals, only businesses pay taxes, but if you pay yourself high salary, business shows a very small profit that is taxable :)
Post: Has anyone built 10-20m houses at St Kitts island?
- Investor
- Minneapolis, MN
- Posts 332
- Votes 74
Hi BPs. A week ago I was invited by my friends to St Kitts island, my friends are building a house there. The house that would sell for 2m maybe in the Twin Cities located in a good area, they are building for 20M. The house is 5000 sq ft 2 story without basement, Californian style.
Of course, my friends chose all expensive finishes they could possibly choose, but still even with the cost of land at 2m that they paid for, building a 5000 sq ft house seems too much for me. They told me that there were only 2 builders at St Kitts and they estimated their margins at 30-50%
Please share if anyone built houses in Caribians and what was a typical cost per sq ft to build a super high end house.
I understand that all materials are shipped to St Kitts from Miami and it adds to the costs, but still prices of new construction houses acceed American costs by 10-20 times.
Why?