Any Solar guys in here?

[atc007]

Little,big,off the grid. Anyone? I'm very seriously probably going off the grid. Just wondering opinions of anyone that's played with it. What kind of set up,batteries or direct etc...

[just ben]

you have enough energy underneath you that sun would be going backwards.

[tri again]

Little,big,off the grid. Anyone? I'm very seriously probably going off the grid. Just wondering opinions of anyone that's played with it. What kind of set up,batteries or direct etc...

Good for you.
We have sun all summer but almost none in winter, but seasonal creeks to spin generators.

Still procrastinating but got the creek ready and gen on standby.

I hear that sub servicable forklift batteries are a good deal. Wicked heavy and can be had for scrap prices.
Not enough to run a lift but enuf to run lights and lower amperage stuff.

I'd start with the power company as they have grant $ that they need to disperse. Maybe even solar for 0% interest loans.
Lots of conventional appliances and rebates from the power co. and there is tons of 12 volt stuff in the RV arena. Inverters are getting cheaper and more efficient.

I gotta check out the neighbor's setup.
When the power goes out, some backup kicks in, DROP BLOCKS from sending homemade power into the lines in case the power company has to fix 'dead' lines.
...or a way to sell power back to the power company.

Don't you have some creeks with a good vertical drop?

I promise I'll stay motivated and keep you posted as thngs appear.

[atc007]

you have enough energy underneath you that sun would be going backwards.

???? lol
I think I know what you mean. But NO way for it to be used. 1st,,it's still in the developmental stage,2nd, there is no nat gas lines out here. With no plans to be anywhere in the future. So,it's here,but WE can't use it.. It's The American way !!

Tri, I appreciate it. I DO have one very nice downhill run on a crick,,with a nice 30+? ft waterfall. But,,, with this sh!tty weather anymore,it's dry WAY more then wet . But nonetheless,a VERY good option for temporary outputs.. I remember it being hashed over here before,and I never got that project off the ground. State wise,our rebate is currently .75 per KW cash rebate,and federally a 30% tax credit,,which amounts to very little there. I want a 20000,,time is way against me as far as the State money,which is going away Jan 1st.

[just ben]

I know you said you had gas wells on your property, without gas lines out there where does it go?

[86T3]

The guy i used to work for couldnt get power ran to his property in FL so he built a solar system. I dont remember any of the specifics anymore but he has 5 panels sets with 8 panels on each set. The inverter/ charge controller was incredibley expensive. ($30k+?) He ran 6 volt batteries tied together into 48 volt groups. I think he has 3 or 4 groups now. The unit makes enough power that he can run a welder off it now but it dpes have a generator backup for when the panels cant make enough power. I should clarify, the system can support a welder but idk if thats just running off the sun or if it discharges so the generator has to.come on. He has a PILE of money into it but he s said the prices have come down a bit since they started making components in, you guessed it, China. If i were you id do some research and see if there is even enough sunlight where you live to make it worthwhile. There are a lot of small windmills going up around here, that seems like its a better way to go.

[Bren_downe]

My parents built an off the grid house in 2000. I currently live in that house. Our drive way is about 1500 feet long and it would have been about 30k to run power down here. I think they got a setup from New England solar for about 12k. 12 panels and I think 48 batteries and inverter. Later they bought a generator. Everything in this house is super efficient, gas fridge LED lights, gas range gas dryer and K1 hot water heater. But the big problem is in winter we only get about 6-4 hours of good sun, and that's if it's nice out. So the generator had to run every nigt to keep the batteries charged. With the price of propane goin up it made more sense to hook up to the grid. Now my electric bill is about 40$ a month instead of 200 or so for propane.

[atc007]

Thanx guys! Believe me,if I had access to Natural gas. I wouldn't be typing!! Swinehart showed me how awesome it is. But I don't The wells are here Ben. Not fracked,no pipeline,they were just tying up leases. Which simply translates into , no money,and no gas. And when they do hook up to the line. The gas goes into the Millenium pipeline. NYC from what I've heard.. The American way . None for us,we'll pay the taxes,they TAKE the taxes,and royalties from the output,, from the landowner,township and County.....Then distribute it to Pittsburg and Philly The American way .. Anyhow. T3 thanx,, Windmills aren't there yet. My neighbor had a $35000 that they put 150% effort into making work. It never even broke even. I'm with you on the theory! But here,,,and we have TONS of wind,,it just isn't viable yet. Sun?? No problem, I had a solar survey done and it verified what I knew. I'm good, 7 AM- 3 :30PM. Bren, how many KW is your system? I'm hearing $30000 ish for a 20K system,and that's after around $14000 rebate.. And yes, solar has gotten SLIGHTLY cheaper,but I will not use China stuff. just the whole damn principle,won't do it. I can't stand the thought of " hiring" a job done either. I am a do it yourselfer. But with the time constraints,and the pricing I've found on line. It's a no brainer. I am digging the holes if I go forward. The rest will be professionally done.

[Bren_downe]

007 ill talk to my father tomorrow and try and get some exact figures for you, when they went on the grid they sold off they setup, so I can't get a look at anymore.
Another thing to think about when your going solar, say goodbye to anything that heats electricly. No more toaster, coffee pot, iron, hair dryer or range. You probably already know this but thought I'd throw it out there if anyone else is interested.

[kb0nly]

The problem is the panels are still running around $2 a watt, good quality 200w panels are just a smidge under $400 the last time i bought one for a customer. Yeah you can get some cheaper units from overseas, but you get what you pay for. I would want around 15k, thats $30k just for the panels, figure another $10-15k for the hardware, wiring, inverter, battery bank, etc. Could go grid tie for the first few, they make inverters now that will run both battery and grid tie, then buy batteries and establish the backup supply as a guy can spend that extra money. The damn battery bank is big money, and you don't get a lifetime out of those batteries either.

I have researched it til i was sick of reading over stuff. I figure the build i would need here would be roughly $42k and it would take me a lifetime to pay for them in savings. If i was lucky i could pay off the system in savings in roughly 37 years. Problem is these systems don't go 37 years without needing repairs and replacements so every year you put more into it. Long term you just don't save enough. Now if your goal is to go off grid then thats different, but if your just merely trying to save costs over paying the full cost of your utility bill its not worth it, yet... Prices need to change a lot yet.

Where i live i am surrounded, literally, by wind farms. We have the largest concentration of wind power in the midwest here on our Buffalo Ridge. They keep building more each year. From where i live i can look out of town on a clear night and see dozens and dozens of little red lights on the top of the towers. Problem is none of that power directly affects or feeds us. It all goes on transmission lines out of state to be sold in other markets. So we don't see any benefit from it.

I am thinking if i did anything it would be a grid tie solar setup, maybe smaller around 5k to offset the cost of stuff i do, like watching tv every evening and the few appliances that run on and off during the day. I did the math with a grid tie 5k setup even at 50% output i would save 15-20% on my monthly bill. Doesnt sound like a lot but we are fairly cheap yet here, 10.5 cents per kWh. The next step would be to add another 5k in wind power, there is a reason why i have so many of them around me as we see a high average of wind producing days here. In the last week i had maybe one calm afternoon that wouldnt have produced power.

I'm right there with ya Bill... I wanna move forward with energy savings and generating some of my own power, just cant afford it yet and not certain where to start at the current prices. For now i have changed my house over to LED lighting with a couple CCFL lights that are going when they die. Just changing all my bulbs saved $15 a month average. And that will pay for itself in about six months compared to other changes. Led tubes in place of flourescent lighting, more efficient, brighter, last longer. Led track lighting, led bulbs.. I have done it all here.

[atc007]

Great stuff. I pay 14.2 cents a KW. Sell back would be 7.1 cents. Not worth it. I know you do not size it dreaming of selling any. What a pity too.. I'll look into wind more ..

[kb0nly]

We don't have net metering here, so i can't sell back at all period. The only thing i could hope to accomplish is generating enough power to slow down or stop my meter from counting, but it will never spin backwards to net. Sucks but thats how the company is here. So basically anything i plan will be enough to supply myself to offset usage. If you can net meter, even at 7.1 cents, and you had a big enough install to make the power company pay you then it could pay off quicker. Problem is most of the companies around here that offer net metering only apply what you sell them to a negative account balance. So if you sell say $200 in a month through net metering then have some low generation or high usage days and you use say $50 of grid then they just subtract from your accrued credit balance. They never actually cut you a check for the remaining $150 balance.

I have heard of people cancelling their account every couple years to force them into refunding the balance, but then you have to pay the reconnect fee and start over. Its only a matter of time before they close that loophole as well.

[atc007]

Yeah, I have net metering here. You also sell your carbon credits at the end of the year. That is around $1200 now,,used to be $5- 6 grand! They expect it to be in a few more years. I priced one turbine today,,10KW ,100ft tower, $65000,,he recommended solar. No moving parts,payoff in 6-7 years.. I don't believe that.. 100ft turbine.. LOTS and lots f moving parts! I am really starting to realize my local guy is giving me one HECK of a deal from the rest of the pricing I'm hearing.. He is literally cheaper than I can buy the parts and start racing my head against the wall and DIY ! Gotta go through and make sure he is using all the good stuff,which I am sure he is.