Grid-tied solar

   / Grid-tied solar #311  
I still have some issues with the monitoring system (Enphase Envoy) though. My PVs are about 300 ft from the house therefore the signal from inverters is apparently to low for reliable communication. I relocated the monitor but had the power turned off all day so I will know tomorrow if it helped. .

The Enphase system sends the data through the AC wiring from the individual inverters to the monitoring point in the house. 300' does not seem to be excessive. Does Enphase say it is?
 
   / Grid-tied solar #312  
Data monthly, 2 years running. 5KW system. N. Calif foothills, east of Sacramento.

Thanks. There would be significant savings here if I could generate those types of numbers. 5 year payback?
 
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   / Grid-tied solar #313  
Jason, do you get your power from Hydro Quebec? What are your rates $CAN/kWh?

Some states do make it possible to save money on the electric bill, others not so much. I might save a little over a long time period, but that really isn't my main thing. I look at it from the environmental aspect that for roughly break-even dollars, I can eliminate a fossil fuel use. I think solar would be more prevalent if the up-front cost hurdle was not so high. I think there are many people who would do the same as I if it were not for the high hurdle.

Improved efficiency is usually the first thing to focus on. No matter where or what you source your energy from, it takes a whole lot less for an efficient home. I love it when people are inventive about home energy, and different local area conditions provide different solutions.

Dave,
No Quebec Hydro here for us. Nova Scotia Power (Emera) is the only game in town.

Right now, our rates are $0.13336/kWh + $0.00587/kWh "efficiency" surcharge giving an effective rate of ¢13.923/kWh. Then there is a base customer charge of $10.83/mth. We pay a lot for electricity here. One of the highest in North America. And this is subject to frequent change. Not a year goes by when NSP isnt asking for a 6-10% increase. In the last 3 years our rates have gone up about 25%.

Our power generation is quite strange here. It used to be a public utility and when it was privatized there was a provision made that NSP would receive a GUARANTEED rate of return of 9.2% which has since been reduced to 9% because of public outcry. Do you know of any business that has a guarantee that they will earn X amount of profit a year? What do you suppose that does for efficiency?

Currently there is an ongoing scandal with NSP based on a consultant's report that they routinely have been overcharging us for power to the tune of millions and may be in conflict by buying fuel from companies they have a stake in. NSP is doing their best to have the report stifled. Were really getting the shaft here.

I wish it was a free market so I would have Hydro Quebec as an option.

On NSP and small scale renewables, they have Net Metering here. At the end of the year, they will pay out for any kWh extra you generate. You are expected to pay the monthly fee for the whole year and your generator must be sized to your usage, in other words, the best they want you to do is break even (minus the monthly fees) , they dont want you to "make" money.

For larger installs there is a Comfit (community feed in) option, where the community buys a large turbine for example and hydro buys back at a rate. You can make money with this, but this is a huge investment, and as far as I know they aren't taking any more Comfits.
 
   / Grid-tied solar
  • Thread Starter
#314  
Dave,
No Quebec Hydro here for us. Nova Scotia Power (Emera) is the only game in town.

Right now, our rates are $0.13336/kWh + $0.00587/kWh "efficiency" surcharge giving an effective rate of 「13.923/kWh. Then there is a base customer charge of $10.83/mth. We pay a lot for electricity here. One of the highest in North America. And this is subject to frequent change. Not a year goes by when NSP isnt asking for a 6-10% increase. In the last 3 years our rates have gone up about 25%.

Our power generation is quite strange here. It used to be a public utility and when it was privatized there was a provision made that NSP would receive a GUARANTEED rate of return of 9.2% which has since been reduced to 9% because of public outcry. Do you know of any business that has a guarantee that they will earn X amount of profit a year? What do you suppose that does for efficiency?

Currently there is an ongoing scandal with NSP based on a consultant's report that they routinely have been overcharging us for power to the tune of millions and may be in conflict by buying fuel from companies they have a stake in. NSP is doing their best to have the report stifled. Were really getting the shaft here.

I wish it was a free market so I would have Hydro Quebec as an option.

On NSP and small scale renewables, they have Net Metering here. At the end of the year, they will pay out for any kWh extra you generate. You are expected to pay the monthly fee for the whole year and your generator must be sized to your usage, in other words, the best they want you to do is break even (minus the monthly fees) , they dont want you to "make" money.

For larger installs there is a Comfit (community feed in) option, where the community buys a large turbine for example and hydro buys back at a rate. You can make money with this, but this is a huge investment, and as far as I know they aren't taking any more Comfits.

Thanks, I wondered what sort of rates you have. Ours are pretty close to yours, but are separated into two charges:
A base connection fee charge of $9.41/month, which includes the delivery service (lines) charge for the first 100 kWh. then $0.065831 for each kWh above the first 100 kWh.
An electricity supply (generation) charge of $0.074380 for each kWh.

So, the first 100 kWh cost $9.41 + (100 X $0.074380) = $16.85
The remaining kWh cost $0.065831 + $0.07438 = $0.140211 each.

That puts us near the top in the US, like you. We buy some power from Hydro Quebec :p
 
   / Grid-tied solar #315  
T
That puts us near the top in the US, like you. We buy some power from Hydro Quebec :p

I see your rates are close to us. Emera has a large presence in Maine doesnt it? I wonder if that's the common denominator? People here are so sick of NSP and Emera, i swear, we are one more increase away from riots in the streets. People here can barely pay their electric bills, then Emera builds a new, massive, top of the line, $53 million dollar office tower in Halifax on the inside an abandoned generation plant.. they have no clue.

There could be a break in the future once Muskrat Falls (Hydro, by Newfoundland power (Nalcor)) comes on line... but given Emera and NSP's greed I doubt we consumers will see any benefit. Prices wont come down until NSP's monopoly on distribution is broken.
 
   / Grid-tied solar
  • Thread Starter
#316  
I see your rates are close to us. Emera has a large presence in Maine doesnt it? I wonder if that's the common denominator? People here are so sick of NSP and Emera, i swear, we are one more increase away from riots in the streets. People here can barely pay their electric bills, then Emera builds a new, massive, top of the line, $53 million dollar office tower in Halifax on the inside an abandoned generation plant.. they have no clue.

There could be a break in the future once Muskrat Falls (Hydro, by Newfoundland power (Nalcor)) comes on line... but given Emera and NSP's greed I doubt we consumers will see any benefit. Prices wont come down until NSP's monopoly on distribution is broken.

Our area service is provided by Central Maine Power which is owned by a Spanish firm, Iberdrola S.A. Emera owns Bangor Hydro, which serves much of northern Maine.
Emera
 
   / Grid-tied solar #317  
Our area service is provided by Central Maine Power which is owned by a Spanish firm, Iberdrola S.A. Emera owns Bangor Hydro, which serves much of northern Maine.
Emera

I knew they had some holdings in Maine. Thanks for the info.
 
   / Grid-tied solar #318  
The Enphase system sends the data through the AC wiring from the individual inverters to the monitoring point in the house. 300' does not seem to be excessive. Does Enphase say it is?
Apparently there are other factors than distance that affect the communication with the inverters. I couldn't find single outlet in the house that would make the Envoy communicate. Then I put the Envoy to the shop and it started to work as expected. Since there is not Ethernet I had to use Ethernet power line bridge to connect it to home network and Internet.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/h2eX136588 here is a link to my system. So far it didn't produce much power due to fog and overcast.
 
   / Grid-tied solar
  • Thread Starter
#319  
Very cool Ladia. I liked the time-lapse replay of the days output for each panel/inverter when clicking on the arrow. That should make trouble-shooting a breeze.
 
   / Grid-tied solar #320  
Really neat Ladia. I really like how you can drill right down to see each inverter.

Id imagine you can access the system locally without having it hooked to the internet is that correct?
 
 
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