New to Grid Tied Home Solar...

[coldsteelva]

Well PG&E is going to have a bit of a problem. They installed a SmartMeter and added the 'runs both ways' sticker, so between that and the prior usage/return, they are going to be hard-pressed to claim there has been no solar there.

This is the main reason I love being in an electric co-op. It's run by ratepayers who are elected by ratepayers and after the proper money is earned to cover debt payments and reserve funding for salaries and maintenance EVERY ratepayer receives an annual rebate credit on their bills. The more usage you had and more money paid in = more money back to you. There are no fat cats getting richer on our backs and no annual begging and pleading to the state for higher rates.

PG&E burns down California and then CA legislature protects them (limits liability) and the liability they do have gets passed right on to the same ratepayers/victims that they just got sued by. Where's the justice?

 

[plowhog]

I am not an electrician, but all I see are manual disconnects. I don't see an automatic transfer switch. Again, my first concern would be that your system not backfeed high voltage into the power lines during a power failure. That has the potential to kill a power company lineman who otherwise thinks the lines are de-energized. That is one of the first safety issues the utility looks at if they are involved in the permitting.

 

[ultrarunner]

Well PG&E is going to have a bit of a problem. They installed a SmartMeter and added the 'runs both ways' sticker, so between that and the prior usage/return, they are going to be hard-pressed to claim there has been no solar there.

This is the main reason I love being in an electric co-op. It's run by ratepayers who are elected by ratepayers and after the proper money is earned to cover debt payments and reserve funding for salaries and maintenance EVERY ratepayer receives an annual rebate credit on their bills. The more usage you had and more money paid in = more money back to you. There are no fat cats getting richer on our backs and no annual begging and pleading to the state for higher rates.

PG&E burns down California and then CA legislature protects them (limits liability) and the liability they do have gets passed right on to the same ratepayers/victims that they just got sued by. Where's the justice?

I did ask PGE to look up the current account when I requested service in my name and was told that information was not available to me... nothing as to rate plan, typical usage, etc... the person said she does not have that information as she only handles new service requests... which is odd because she said my address does not have solar... how would she know if no information is available?

 

[ultrarunner]

I am not an electrician, but all I see are manual disconnects. I don't see an automatic transfer switch. Again, my first concern would be that your system not backfeed high voltage into the power lines during a power failure. That has the potential to kill a power company lineman who otherwise thinks the lines are de-energized. That is one of the first safety issues the utility looks at if they are involved in the permitting.

No firm answer except the Sunny Boy offers back feed protection... the inverter is some distance from the home... I know significant trenching was done for underground conduit and the solar will not work without utility power...

I wonder what I would need to do to add my little Winco Generator and transfer switch?


On a separate note... I disconnected power from the alarm panel... both the battery and transformer to kill the shop alarm as I was not able to find any other solution... no remote or active key pads or hidden switch... reached out to the family and they were also stumped... miles of hard wire in place to every window, door, utility enclosure, mailbox, hall, crawl space etc...

 

[ultrarunner]

Any idea on how a January day total of 15 kW production on a 6 kW system rates... clear winter sky conditions

 

[NorTracNY]

That sounds reasonable. When the days are longer, you'll get significantly more.

For my system, the inverter also protects the lineman. If the power to my system goes down, the system will not put energy on it.

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^ This is my understanding... utility power required for solar to operate.

Lots of new things to learn and discover...

Poking around with an assortment of keys I was able to get everything open... found a decent looking Honda Mower in the "Garden" shed... found an old Back Pack Echo Blower and Chain Saw in the Wood Shed... also a gas operated antique cement mixer and electric pressure washer... assortment of extension ladders padlocked together.

Tons of audio cable everywhere... all I am doing for now is coiling it neatly.

Here is a picture of the wall switches at the front door, one of the 3 irrigation manifolds and a shot of the kWh from the Invertor.

 

[Jim Nelson]

Any idea on how a January day total of 15 kW production on a 6 kW system rates... clear winter sky conditions

Our system is, I think, 3.7 kw and in Dec. this year put out any where from 2.5 to 15.5 kWh. So far this Jan we have been over 15 every day. This time of year our sun exposure is limited because our house is on a North facing hillside and there is a small grove of oak trees that shade our system until near 9:00 am. The most surprising seasonal change I've noticed is hot days in the summer seem to decrease the output a little. I does fine until it gets 100 F or more then it drops. Up through the 90's it does well.
Ours is a roof top array and as I understand it with remote placed arrays like yours, you lose power through the longer range of wiring.

 

[JasperFrank]

The Sunny Boys have Island Protection and Grid Power sensing. They shut off if the grid goes down and they also go down if there is another Home Power system on the grid, "Islanding." At least that what the literature says.

 

[plowhog]

Yes I spoke to an electrician today that has Sunny Boy at his home. He said basically the same thing.

Ultrarunner, that is a TON of irrigation valves. Looks like some irrigation maintenance workload to me!!!