Thinking of Going Solar

Has anyone else ever installed solar panels on their home to compensate for their power consumption?

My local electric Co-Op sent out a letter offering a $1500 cash compensation for up to 600 people per county who would install a 2500 Watt or larger solar collection system that is capable of feeding back to the meter. The federal government is offering up to a 30% tax break as well with qualifying systems. I did some math and with hours of light per year, then compensated for lack to no light in winter "Due to snow load" I would be making $1154.34 a year if I used no power at all in my home. My bill averages out to be $124.59 a month or $1494.72 a year, so I would only owe $340.38 a year in electric.

I found this company https://www.anapode.com/products/2500w_2_5kw_Complete_Solar_Panel_Module_Kit_DIY offering a setup that qualifies for $5603.30, and it includes almost everything needed.

With the $1500.00 from the electric company, the roughly $1154.34 in energy saving's and the minimum of around $1100.00 in tax breaks it will pay for itself within second year.

Anyone know the difference between a good and bad solar panel system? And on a scale of 1 to 10 how much of a pain in the ass are they?

Thanks!

Install pain in the ass factor => 10
Post install pain in the ass factor =< 1

Sharp makes the best panels imo.

Note plan your system. If one cell on a chain is shaded it acts as a resistor and kills the output of that whole chain.

Don't skimp on the gridtie inverter, you do get what you pay gor.

Nothing wrong with getting off the Grid so to speak, But I got to LOL , Your electric company giving you a deal Money in your Pocket , Only 600 home per county, Wow sounds real good ,Act Now .don't loose out on this deal.

Really the letter from your power company should have read like this r should I say lets read between the big greedy power Co lines.

So we have figured out if we give 600 homes per county we cover $1,500 to go solar ,We wont have to spend Millions of dollars to build a new power plant to keep up with the power consumption in the area we cover ,there fore not effecting our profits ,So we can keep our pockets fat with cash.

If you want to know the truth about solar. Please CLICK HERE

i've looked into it but it's always the battery bank that changes my mind. storing the electricity requires a battery bank unless you are just going straight to line which really does't save you all that much. the batteries are expensive and need to be changed a lot. just my opinion. i'm no expert on it though either but i did do some significant research into it for one of my homes in Cali.

Here in Australia, solar power is quite popular with about every 5th house on my street having it (but not me)

The way it works for most people here is as follows. Any unused power during the day that your system generates gets feed back into the grid and you get paid (credited) per unit that you produce.
The catch is that the power companies here charge you about 35cents per unit that you use from the grid (at night etc.) but only pay you around 10 cents per unit for any unused power that your system feeds back in.

My Neighbour has had a Solar setup for a couple of years now and he documents his power usage/savings daily. I had a chat to him about it recently and he said that its great if you can utilise all the "free power" your system will be generating while the sun is up during the day. He works from home and tells me he uses as much power as he can leaving the zircon on "all day, every day" to avoid having any excess power from his system. If not, he would be getting paid a dismal amount for the power his system is generating back into the grid while the power company on sells his power to other customers at 3x the price he would get for it.

Not too sure if this scenario of getting underpaid for for power is localised to Australia or how it works for the rest of the world but at the end of the day solar power works to give what is essentially "free power".

The problem is the "free power" only lasts as long as the sun in up and about so you need to utilise the free power while it is being generated.

I would love to be "off grid" someday, storing the excess power generated during the day in highly efficient batteries and not having to rely on the power companies to sell me power in a way that only benefits their profitability and doesn't take into consideration the environment etc....

But unfortunately these batteries are still being developed and are not an economically viable option at the moment.

ScoobyDoobyDoo said:

i've looked into it but it's always the battery bank that changes my mind. storing the electricity requires a battery bank unless you are just going straight to line which really does't save you all that much. the batteries are expensive and need to be changed a lot. just my opinion. i'm no expert on it though either but i did do some significant research into it for one of my homes in Cali.

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Gridtie doesn't need battery reserve as the grid supplies makeup power. Why would you need solar? You steal your power from what you've said before in the electrical thread.

SnapsProvolone said:

Install pain in the ass factor => 10
Post install pain in the ass factor =< 1

Sharp makes the best panels imo.

Note plan your system. If one cell on a chain is shaded it acts as a resistor and kills the output of that whole chain.

Don't skimp on the gridtie inverter, you do get what you pay gor.

Click to expand...

I called a specialist from Sharp today and you are right about their products. He transferred me to a sales representative that said delivered to my door every part I need for a 3000 watt SunSnap system for $7,400.00 I know it's a few grand over what I was originally considering but it's a hell of a lot better of a system.
So if all goes well with my meeting with my electric Co-Op next week I will be the proud owner of a solar assisted home.
I think this is set up for the exact reasons jrainman said, they just need a little more cash to line their pockets, but if I can save money at their expense I am all for it.

Here is the system I am looking into now.

[h=2]Start saving on solar energy in a snap.[/h]SunSnap is a new power generating solar appliance with a flexible and scalable design that allows homeowners to start saving with solar immediately and expand their PV system over time. SunSnap is easy to buy, quick to install, simple to operate and backed by a brand that's recognized globally as a leader in solar energy innovation for over 50 years. The SunSnap system includes1: an elegant black solar module, a high efficiency microinverter, and an innovative mounting system.

SunSnap is the easy, cost-effective way to go solar right now. You can instantly see lower electric bills, achieve energy independence and do your part for the environment.
[h=2]Surprisingly simple.[/h]The secret to the system is that each module functions as an individual appliance. Enjoy a dramatically lower entry cost by starting with a system that's as small as one SunSnap module, and simply add modules over time to reach your energy-saving goals.
[h=2]A snap to install, literally.[/h]Our new frame design and module mounting scheme drastically reduces installation hassles. Everything from the positioning, to the mounting, to the wiring has been streamlined and simplified, so it all comes together quickly and easily, substantially reducing labor costs.

25-Year Limited Warranty on Power Output	Low Parts Count
Shade Tolerance	Faster Installation
Lifetime Monitoring2	Stealth Appearance
Increased Safety	Portrait & Landscape
Scalable	Array Leveling

Click to expand...

http://www.sharpusa.com/SolarElectricity/SolarForResidential/SunSnap.aspx

Most likely your co-op simply needs more peak power. They are probably trying to reduce their dependency on other producers for distribution reasons. Either way it's good for you.

SnapsProvolone said:

Most likely your co-op simply needs more peak power. They are probably trying to reduce their dependency on other producers for distribution reasons. Either way it's good for you.

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Thanks for turning me on to Sharp, they seem like the best out there!

No problem. As a licensed master electrician I have a little experience with PV arrays. more than i like to admit.

I've wired a lot of their 240 watt modules on the job, like the look of the new 300 watt module specs.

SnapsProvolone said:

Gridtie doesn't need battery reserve as the grid supplies makeup power. Why would you need solar? You steal your power from what you've said before in the electrical thread.

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like i said, for one of my homes in Cali. unfortunately you have the memory of a goldfish and forgot that i steal power on my properties in Costa Rica only. nice try though...keep flaming on.

I have no problem flaming a nigger rich thief.

In the long term it would save you money to some extent but you will have to pay a lot for the solar panels themselves so I would stick with regular lighting without solar panels although solar panels do have advantages such as; your electricity provider cannot keep track of how much electricity you are using and when you are using it.

ilyaas123 said:

In the long term it would save you money to some extent but you will have to pay a lot for the solar panels themselves so I would stick with regular lighting without solar panels although solar panels do have advantages such as; your electricity provider cannot keep track of how much electricity you are using and when you are using it.

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Depends. Many AHJ's require seperate metering / service for feeding power into the grid. Depends on the situation, definitely done where customer pays retail and gets paid wholesale.

Hes also calculated his system will pay for itself in short order.

SnapsProvolone said:

I have no problem flaming a nigger rich thief.

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thus proving my point you are an uneducated backwoods hick. thank you. flame on.

I have 3 rooms growing right now, and in a month I will be running all three in flower. Cutting down on power consumption is a must, and tricking the electric company into thinking I use less power is even better.