Posted: 10/5/2012 6:18:29 PM EDT
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Anyone got a solar system? Any basic info that a newbie should know?
Is it seperate or tied in to the grid? What kinda cost? Savings? Output? I want to see pics of your setup and learn about solar. If one wanted to learn about solar systems and building their own panels what is one of the better forums devoted to this type of stuff? What I'm considering is building my own panels and tieing them into the grid to lower my power bill. Then as money allows add a battery bank for emergency power. |
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I've installed solar for 5 years now, commercially and residentially.
You probably wont be able to build your own panels. If your not an electrician, you definitely should not try to do a grid-tie (line side tap). You need lots of sun exposure and little shade. Grid tied and battery backup are both options. Grid tied is much cheaper. Costs etc are largely variable based on location. KY, I have no idea, up here, averaging ~$0.21 a watt. CT is dead, no funding. MA, systems are paying themselves off in 3 years, great funding. If your serious about solar, break out the check book. It is an industry where you DEFINITELY get what you paid for. Pay a lot, get a lot. Pay shit, get shit. |
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Anyone got a solar system? .....YES...Any basic info that a newbie should know? Is it seperate or tied in to the grid? BOTH, GRID tie 2760 Watts, BATTERY 4100 WATTS What kinda cost? Savings? Output? 6800 WATTS RATED, Peak output about 20 percent higher. I want to see pics of your setup and learn about solar. try search, I have thrown pics up here several times. If one wanted to learn about solar systems and building their own panels what is one of the better forums devoted to this type of stuff? www.backwoodssolar.com has a nice catalog available, very informative. ... also try here: http://www.solar-electric.com/ What I'm considering is building my own panels and tieing them into the grid to lower my power bill. Then as money allows add a battery bank for emergency power. You will NOT be connecting home made panels to the grid, that is crazy talk. Commercial, US manufactured UL listed PV modules are in the $1.25 per rated watt price range. chinese shit is less than a dollar a watt.. take your pick. |
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Some thoughts:
- Start by auditing your power consumption, collecting nameplate data, data with a Kill-a-Watt meter, etc. Determine where you can reduce demand, things like LED and CFL lighting, more efficient appliances, more insulation, etc. Once you've reduced everything you can you have a better idea of your total energy consumption which determines the solar PV array size you would ultimately need to provide full solar power. Also measure and analyze the peak loads as this determines the inverter capacity needed. - Avoid house roof mount installations if you can, they give a lot of potential for roof leak problems. If you have the room consider building an A-frame shed, where you can mount the panels on one side facing south, and put your eventual battery bank inside where it is isolated and can be vented properly (hydrogen venting when charging). Probably room for yard tools as well. This also puts the panels where you can work on them from ground level vs. up 15' or more. Be sure to mount the panels a good distance off the shed roof surface to allow good ventilation, high temperatures reduce panel output. - Spend the money up front on a good modular expandable inverter and charge controller system. Go with an MPPT system it will improve production like 20%. - Get high quality panels, fewer to start if need be, and add panels over time. Low quality panels will give you problems in short order. |
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Thanks for the replys so far.
I'm wondering why its crazy talk to tie homemade polycrystalline panels into the grid? As far as I have researched they are more efficient than the harbor freight systems. And any power being made is gonna cut back on my bill. If I were to tie them into the system I would feffinately get some help from an electrician, but I want to do as much of the work on this project as I can. I can solder and have pretty much all the tools I assume I would need. I have a perfect location for the panels on the ground. EDIT. Okay I did some reading on the backwoods solar website and system components typically must be UL rated to be insurance covered. So that is probably why tieing homemade panels into the grid "is crazy" |
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Thanks for the replys so far. I'm wondering why its crazy talk to tie homemade polycrystalline panels into the grid? As far as I have researched they are more efficient than the harbor freight systems. And any power being made is gonna cut back on my bill. If I were to tie them into the system I would feffinately get some help from an electrician, but I want to do as much of the work on this project as I can. I can solder and have pretty much all the tools I assume I would need. I have a perfect location for the panels on the ground. EDIT. Okay I did some reading on the backwoods solar website and system components typically must be UL rated to be insurance covered. So that is probably why tieing homemade panels into the grid "is crazy" As I was reading your reply all I could think to myself was, "Good luck getting that UL listed". That said, there are entirely practical uses for what you have in mind. A guy in my very own town built his own "panels" and battery bank, he has an open house every year. He uses it to supplement his low draw items like his garage door opener, some lights, smoke and CO alarms etc. It would appear you have reading comprehension skills, so I would go ahead and say you can definitely handle it. |
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Quoted: when did the federal 30% rebate go away. everything i have seen its still in effect. End of 2014, IIRC. The fed rebate still isn't enough to get an ROI on a battery-based system. Grid-tied, maybe. Many states in the NE have/had state level discounts that were equally as generous as the fed tax breaks. Here in IN, we have nada, which is one of the reasons we still use line power at the SliceStead... |
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when did the federal 30% rebate go away. everything i have seen its still in effect. End of 2014, IIRC. The fed rebate still isn't enough to get an ROI on a battery-based system. Grid-tied, maybe. Many states in the NE have/had state level discounts that were equally as generous as the fed tax breaks. Here in IN, we have nada, which is one of the reasons we still use line power at the SliceStead... we are in the same boat here in Va. no state rebates and only the 30% fed. of course the problem is where is that 30% coming from? that would be every tax payer in the US. i would rather see a better plan out there like a tax brake for the next 10 or 20 years instead of others paying for my solar. i will have a small solar setup for my ham shack and then as i can afford it i will start building a system over time. im not worried about rebates that come from the taxes of others. |
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This is quickly looking to be much more expensive than its worth. According to some basic calculations on the backwoods solar website in order to cut my bill in half would cost in the $14,000 range! Now I dont know if that includes labor or not. if you are even remotely thinking of going with solar you need to be proactive NOW. replace all your lights with LED's, have the most efficient appliances you can buy and reduce your usage by adjusting your HVAC system to run warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. it requires a real lifestyle change to make it affordable. |
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9.4 KW grid tied system....forget it, the Republicans killed the rebates and SERCs here and now only corporations can put them up. As much as I hate Jersey (no offense), I miss the "Jersey dash for cash". Your programs were so incredible and effective, NJ was literally putting installation companies to work from all over the country. One night we were sitting in the hotel bar down there in Edison and it turned out we were shooting the shit with a crew from Oregon that was working right down the street too. I did nearly 10 of your Stop & Shops in the area and a handful of schools. Then I got shuffled up to VT. 
I was shocked and sorry to hear the funding dried up. We went through it here in CT too. Put a lot of good, hardworking guys out of work. I'll never forgive Jodi Rell, that bitch. . .  
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I was shocked and sorry to hear the funding dried up. We went through it here in CT too. Put a lot of good, hardworking guys out of work. I'll never forgive Jodi Rell, that bitch. . .
When the polititions get involved it goes to shit. Part of the reason is the utilities don't want to build new plants. That is a big expediture of funds. Around here the infrastructure is crumbling. They have to replace old wires and such. Atlantic City Electric didn't pay a penny for my installation. They also are the highest rate in the area. They buy back my surplus for 4 cents a KW and resell it for 13.4 cents. During the day when use is higher it saves them money and at nite they have the capacity to generate enough. Don;t fool yourself it is to their advantage to have us install solar. Capital funds are low and they do not think ahead. As for the workers, they get the shit end of the stick. They will get laid off, the local guy I used sold out his company to a Regional right before Christie...he is sitting large. |
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I was shocked and sorry to hear the funding dried up. We went through it here in CT too. Put a lot of good, hardworking guys out of work. I'll never forgive Jodi Rell, that bitch. . .
When the polititions get involved it goes to shit. Part of the reason is the utilities don't want to build new plants. That is a big expediture of funds. Around here the infrastructure is crumbling. They have to replace old wires and such. Atlantic City Electric didn't pay a penny for my installation. They also are the highest rate in the area. They buy back my surplus for 4 cents a KW and resell it for 13.4 cents. During the day when use is higher it saves them money and at nite they have the capacity to generate enough. Don;t fool yourself it is to their advantage to have us install solar. Capital funds are low and they do not think ahead. As for the workers, they get the shit end of the stick. They will get laid off, the local guy I used sold out his company to a Regional right before Christie...he is sitting large. Yep. Its near impossible to keep a company afloat without investors. Its near impossible to tell an investor what ACTUALLY needs to be done. . . The company I worked for down there has changed hands and names twice since I left them. Most of the industry is just built to sell now. . . . Solar will be to the whole countries advantage (someday hopefully), if the chumps upstairs can just get it together. Its not an end-all, but its one hell of a supplement. Good for you for getting it in at the right time! |
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Just doing the math, solar doesn't work well without someone else footing the bill (tax credits). Grid power is just too cheap in most places.
This is a survival forum, and a system designed to enhance the quality of life during a long term blackout can be built for $500-3K As far as DIY- It's a cool science project, but you can now buy UL listed panels for less than $1/watt. What would it cost for you to build them? IMO, at the price of panels now, no one should be buying the harbor freight panels unless the $200 or so is ALL they ever plan to spend on a system. But even that would allow you to keep a deep cycle battery charged for a few light tasks, such as operating a few LED lights, charging some batteries and electronic devices. |
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This is a survival forum, and a system designed to enhance the quality of life during a long term blackout can be built for $500-3K That is the key here. If solar is expensive I wonder just how expensive that generator that almost never gets used is. For some reason every time solar is brought up all of the sudden it is an ROI discussion. When the power goes out for an extended period all of the suddenly that solar cost really doesn't matter. I know at my house when this happens I flip a couple transfer switches and the power is back on with no genny involved. Yeah it was expensive but just like all that other "survival" gear that people buy it's more of an insurance purchase than anything else. jmho ymmv 
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there are two kinds of survival situations. One the one so many people live for...SHTF. Then the it gets crappy but not close to SHTF. I see the latter as the most likely. The more solar systems that go up, the less we need to buy from other countries. Yea I know that nuclear is wonderful....well at the oyster creek plant..it is leaking. It is a safe level according to the AEC...but they sleep with the indusry and downgrade the levels all the time. And BTW it is a very heavily subsidized industry. Solar and wind are two reasonable alternatives, and they are reachable, but they need a push to develop the industry. Is that no different than the land givaways that the railroads received?
Yes you can build a solar backup system for a few thousand. Get the origional book by Joel Davidson. He lived in Arkansas and used a 12V System. Well for a few years. He told me, we had a few beers together and a few other of his friends like Ted Behr the dome guy. He nows is working on developing large scale solar grid tied systems as he realized it was the way to go. |
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there are two kinds of survival situations. One the one so many people live for...SHTF. Then the it gets crappy but not close to SHTF. I see the latter as the most likely. The more solar systems that go up, the less we need to buy from other countries. Yea I know that nuclear is wonderful....well at the oyster creek plant..it is leaking. It is a safe level according to the AEC...but they sleep with the indusry and downgrade the levels all the time. And BTW it is a very heavily subsidized industry. Solar and wind are two reasonable alternatives, and they are reachable, but they need a push to develop the industry. Is that no different than the land givaways that the railroads received? Yes you can build a solar backup system for a few thousand. Get the origional book by Joel Davidson. He lived in Arkansas and used a 12V System. Well for a few years. He told me, we had a few beers together and a few other of his friends like Ted Behr the dome guy. He nows is working on developing large scale solar grid tied systems as he realized it was the way to go. You get it! 
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