Solar power

[SAWMAN]

EVERYONE needs to check with their ins co re. a "WIND MITIGATION TEST" . About 10 years ago it cost me $100. Guy got up in attic to ensure roof was put on with certain length nails, clips,screws,etc,etc. IIRC.
It was,engineering report to me,to my ins co,my ins dropped by HALF. ( at that time,Farm Bureau) Great deal !! Check it out !! ---- SAWMAN

 

[MarkS]

I do need to get at least one solar panel that can put 12 DC out to charge car batteries to charge my phones and such. Tractor generator is not functioning and charge batteries will keep that running. One needs needs a way of shielding some of that incase we get solar storms or a nuclear emf blast intended to knock out electronics. My tractor once cranked since it is an older diesel does not really need electronics to run. Just needs a battery to start or maybe I jack it up and spin its wheel with the clutch safety lockout wired over. But it still needs fuel.

My buddy put a small solar panel from Harbor Freight on his pontoon boat/camper to keep the batteries charged. He could stay camped on the water for days and not kill the batteries. The panel would put out a small charge on moonlit nights.


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[SAWMAN]

Got a buddy in Maine that was talked into a power generating wind turbine. 6ft 4 bladded prop.
After all the (yeah right) energy saving deductions,both state and federal,and cost+ install,he figures he will break even in 15 years or so.
SHIT !! HE IS AS OLD AS I AM !! ---- SAWMAN

 

[Bay Ranger]

Looked into it with Meraki. Deal breaker for me was that the panels can o way provide electricty to my house if the power grid is down. That plus the fact that my roof is 16+ years old ond that when I need a new roof (hurricane or otherwise) taking the panels off and put back on would be under my "nickle". That plus the break even point will likely be beyond my expected life span.

Finally, don't believe that the solar panels increase the value of the house and can be recovered if you sell the house I believe that it is like a swimming pool. it only increases the value if the person that wants to buy the house wants it.

 

[Daezee]

If some one is thinking of going solar, you need to check with your electricity provider to see how they treat any excess power that flows back into the grid. For example: I'm with a rural electric cooperative. They are exempt from many state rules. They pay me monthly for power going back into the grid at their wholesale price (about 1/3rd of what they charge retail). Gulf Power keeps track of power going back on a 1 for 1 basis. I.e., Put back 100 kWh and when you use 100 kWh from the grid, you use up the credit first (it's like your meter spins forwards and backwards). Excess credits at the end of the year and they pay you. Gulf Power's way is MUCH better (3 times better) than the EREC I have to be with. The net effect of Gulf Power is that for any excess you receive the full retail price in value with Gulf Power acting like a storage battery for your excess.

So, for me, it's better to use up my solar power rather than it going back into the grid. Thus we use the dish washer, clothes washer, clothes drier, etc (mold bullets) during the day when the sun "powers" them. To put it another way: Say I use 20 kWh doing a load of clothes and dishes during a sunny day. I pay nothing for electricity as my solar panels are supplying enough for that (my meter stands still) (solar hot water is free). So one day I don't wash until night time. My solar puts 20 kWh back into the grid during the day and I get the wholesale rate ($.05) for 20 kWh off my next electric bill (20 x $.05 = $1). I wash at night and use 20 kWh from the grid and have to pay retail rate (20 x $.15 = $3) (hot water is free...storage tank larger than typical water heater tank).

For 2 years I had it great. My meter ran forwards and backwards so I got the full retail price in value with EREC acting like a big battery. One month showed we used no electricity, but we got a bill for $25. I called. Oh, we charge all customers $25 per month regardless of usage...it goes to pay for keeping up rural power lines and is hidden in the bill, not a separate line item. Although I'd called EREC and the solar company had called and the county building inspector had called and told them of the installation, they did nothing about our system. Came the day that Florida had money to pay me from their program to encourage solar and I needed the EREC's signature that they "approved" my solar. Said the manager over such things, we never approved your system; no one notified me of the installation. I said multiple people notified EREC, including the solar company's engineer talking to your engineer about the system. Said the manager, we dropped the ball. Normally we charge $50 for inspection and to install a smart meter to keep track of electricity going back into the grid and approval. There will be no $50 charge and a smart meter will be installed immediately. He signed approved and the state sent a check, a little over $10,000 (not taxable, not categorized as income).

I feel things are better now with more home solar systems, so electricity providers have much more experience in what to do.

I used to monitor the system like a person obsessed (not unusual for a new solar system owner). One experiment on a hot sunny day was to spray the panels with water to see the effect of cooling the panels (more efficient). For about 12-15 minutes the power output went up about 10%. Another was to wash the dirty panels...power went up about 5%, thus they are now washed every 1-2 years instead of going more years with only the rain washing them. Our system is in the 5 1/2 kW size (don't feel like looking the exact number up). Now they are 10 kW or more due to more efficient panels. I think my daughter's is around 30 kW with battery backup.

Done to save money? NO. We just felt it was a good thing for US to do. No regrets.

 

[AR-AK]

It sounds like this is going to be ok, how long have you had your system Daezee ? What type of maintenance is required? I know absolutely nothing about it. So any information or ideas you guys give me definitely helps.

 

[Daezee]

Installed May 2009. Vacuum out the air intakes of the inverter every couple of months...a few minutes job. Wash panels as needed for build up of dirt. If panels coated with pollen in spring and no rain, spray with garden hose to rinse pollen off.

 

[B52]

I had Solar Panels installed 3 years ago. Pay off is about 9 years after the $7700 FED rebait and a static 2017 electric price. Compass Solar did all the engineering. They were the same guys that installed Daezee's system. Each panel has it's own inverter. They have a 30 year 100% life cycle and have great efficiency. I have 10,000 wat system that generates enough power to offset the meter cost for 2-3 months at the start of each year. I have a standby generator and a cutoff switch. If the power company is out I'm on gen power only. I could have the gen set-up to work in tandem with the panels when Gulf Power is down but haven't done it. Ivan was the last long term power problem so I'm in no rush.

What is this about cleaning the panels? I have never done anything. I have tried to wash (Sprayed with garden hose) the panels when they are covered with pollen. That did nothing since it had baked on and didn't have an impact on the power generation. They were effectively cleaned by heavy seasonal rain.

South facing is the best direction for the panels. All of my panels face south on a steep pitch roof. West is the second direction with east the least optimal.

 

[M60Gunner]

I started way smaller lol. Two panels, a 40 amp charge controller, an inverter and two 100ah gel cell batteries. Plan to expand to more panels in the near future. Learning as I go.

 

[SAWMAN]

Can you wash off baked on pine tree pollen with a garden hose or the rain ??
They do not reccomend they be cleaned by a company using some kind of chemical that will most likely harm your plants ?? --- SAWMAN

 

[Duckyou]

Can you wash off baked on pine tree pollen with a garden hose or the rain ??
They do not reccomend they be cleaned by a company using some kind of chemical that will most likely harm your plants ?? --- SAWMAN

check the auto parts store. Many of the products that are safe for car finishes (paint, glass, etc) should be safe on panels.

 

[B52]

When I spray the panels from the ground to remove the pine pollen. It largely does nothing. If I could get up there to use a brush I'm sure that would work. By the way the panels are strong enough to walk on and weigh about 40 lbs each. The pollen doesn't hurt the pane's ability to generate power. I get a power boost when they are cooled with the water from the hose. My theory about why the heavy rain cleans the panels: I believe it's just volume and length of time from the rain vs my garden hose.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

just a thought, rainx em. Gonna build a shooting house an add solar.

 

[SAWMAN]

B52, is it the cooling effect from the water or the slight magnification of the light passing through the water ??
Sorry sir . . . just a thought. ---- SAWMAN

 

[FrankT]

The tax rebates never mean anything to me as they are against what you owe not like found $$ I pay no taxes so it helps me none, sorta like the golf cart rebates