New to Grid Tied Home Solar...

[ultrarunner]

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.

This is my one and only exposure to solar... so the lots to learn...

I do think my first Utility Bill will be revealing... I have tiered service in where a lower amount per kW is paid for the first tier and higher amounts for each successive tier... Time of Use is also an option.

My thought is with a meter that goes both directions tier should be fine.

Another neighbor stopped by to say hello... he said it was quite an event when the system went in and even had a celebration... he remembers seeing the old dumb meter revolving backwards because the arrays were producing more than was being used.

Too bad I don't have any historical Utility Bills to use for comparison.

Not sure what my overall plan is at the moment... Mom is dead set against moving from her home and with her Alzheimer's having familiar surroundings is a big comfort.... new home is not far away... might rent out the home and keep the shop for me...

It has a great finished shop space with 3 overhead garage doors... doors are narrow at 7' 9" wide ;-( which means it won't work for my pickup or service van... interior is 32 wide be 23.5 deep and a 16 by 45 shop that is a pass through from the third garage door with a 6'6" wide double door to the shop which is big enough for my antique cars to access.

 

[ultrarunner]

There are 3 manifolds like this... the entire two acres is irrigated with 3 commercial controllers with booster pump relays on two of them.

I understand that it was simply too expensive to pay the water bill with drought rates in effect... again and only hearsay... there was talk of $900 bi-monthly summer water bills...

I have the irrigation Ball Valve OFF and checked the meter to verify no water flowing.

Part of the higher water account fee is because the home has inside and out fire sprinklers... with an oversized line and 180 pounds water pressure and reducers to lower water pressure for the home.

 

[vern748]

Hi,

Lets see if I can answer some things for you.
"Grid-tied" means you are connected to the main electrical grid. You can make power, but you must have electrical power to do so. If the power goes out, the inverter will "kill" power from the panels. There will still be power being produced by the panels to the inverter.*

"Island -tied" not connected to the main electrical grid. You do not need to be connected to the grid to make power. You can only use as much power as you make.

"Net metering" PG&E pay you $.03-.04 per kWh for your excess. You pay them $.45 +/- per kWh for what you use. This can only be accomplished with a meter that can go both ways. Its a PGE installed item.

Be aware that some plans reconcile at different periods. You may produce an excess most of the year, but run a loss at winter (less sun). You may see no physical $ until late in the year when you are using more then you make. Watch out for how they count your use time and your excess. Read up on TOU time of use schedules. Its PGE plan to undercut the use of solar power.

"Internet" is not generally required by inverters. Some may say you will need it, but its generally used to allow for maintenance of the system. Most installers that service the system will say its "required". Internet is the only way for them to monitor the health of the unit.

"Low output" this is generally at winter time when the sun is no longer optimally aligned to your panels, unless you have solar tracker system. Most panels are secured to the ground at a fixed positing for optimal performance in the summer. Additionally, panels should be cleaned every year. Soap and water only.

A "solar tracker" ( movable structure / device (gimbal) that tracks the sun location and aligns your panels correctly)will increase performance by 20-30%.

"Permits" not generally looking at the panels but the connection to the main service panel. Solar is currently the wild wild west. Will change in the new code release. Whole new section on just solar in the ICC and mechanical codes.

*microInverters excluded

 

[ultrarunner]

Thank you Vern...

Yes... PGE electricity is expensive.

My understanding is I will pay for any excess power I use over what is generated but PGE will not pay me should I generate more than I use since I do not have a power purchase agreement with PGE?

Several neighbors have solar but not a one is customer owned... all are either leased or negotiated price per kW purchase plans.

 

[plowhog]

My understanding is I will pay for any excess power I use over what is generated but PGE will not pay me should I generate more than I use since I do not have a power purchase agreement with PGE?

I described your system to my electrician friend. He has a solar array and Sunny Boy inverter at his home. Based on PGE's belief there is "no solar," he told me your system will offset local usage at the property but you cannot "sell back" any excess power generated by your system. If there is any excess power, of course. This also means you can't "bank" power during some periods and offset from that bank in another period.

But he also recommended investigating if and how you could get the system into compliance. The risk is probably low, but if the utility discovers the "bootleg" system they have the legal right to come and pull your meter. Plus demand that you bring everything into compliance with proper procedures and permitting before they will reinstall it. That would get ugly if you had a tenant at the property-- since if it did happen it could occur without advance warning, and potentially make the property out of power for some time.

btw, PGE just said they are not responsible for the Tubbs fire that burned Napa/Sonoma area. They said they traced the fire origin to a "bootleg" system that was wired at a residential property and worked on by at least two unlicensed persons. They said the fire was caused by the bootleg system-- past their point of termination of delivery of power. It will be interesting to see if that holds up-- there are billions of dollars of damages at stake from that fire.

 

[ultrarunner]

Interesting update to the Tubbs fire... I have seen vacant foreclosed property with speaker wire and nails used to steal power... even called it in and PGE said they could not speak to me unless service was in name... it was a bank owned property I was considering.

Thought crossed my mind the Customer Service Rep might have got it wrong? The meter and the all the signage speaks for itself... plus the arrays are very visible as is the service history and service was on at the time of purchase.

Use to have some PGE contacts but they are not around anymore.

There does seem to be an industry stigma to owning/installing your solar... even more so than being an owner/builder... rumor has it there was a significant State and Federal Tax rebate that paid for much of my system.

Title Company did a lien check and found nothing going back to the Certificate of Occupancy... only a construction loan and later a mortgage.

I wanted to make sure there were no surprise encumbrances with solar at the top of the list as well as Waste Management... garbage service is mandatory and liens are common.

 

[plowhog]

I believe there was a 30% Federal tax credit that expired Dec 31 2018.

I would never install a leased system-- if you investigate it you learn most leased systems are sold at 100% retail cost/no discount. And the provider/lessor has right of approval over a future buyer of your property-- and they can grenade your escrow if they don't like the buyer. I would only install a system I owned and paid in full for.

 

[ultrarunner]

Do you have solar for the new build?

Nevada has a lot of sunny days...

 

[plowhog]

I intend to put it in the CA and NV properties. Eventually. The NV property especially will probably have a high utility bill so there is a good offset there. And the CA property can use solar electric to pump more water to improve the irrigation system.

I was disappointed to not be able to accomplish this before the tax incentives ran out .... but too many irons in the fire. Solar systems are great and I hope you enjoy yours!!! Do you know what kind of panels and the watts per panel you have?

 

[ultrarunner]

I intend to put it in the CA and NV properties. Eventually. The NV property especially will probably have a high utility bill so there is a good offset there. And the CA property can use solar electric to pump more water to improve the irrigation system.

I was disappointed to not be able to accomplish this before the tax incentives ran out .... but too many irons in the fire. Solar systems are great and I hope you enjoy yours!!! Do you know what kind of panels and the watts per panel you have?

USA-California made in Rocklin 165 Watts per panel... here is the rating tag.

The manufacturer is very much alive and well but exited the panel business in 2012... ;-(

I would guess the 20-25 year warranty on power output isn't worth the paper it is written on... there seems to be hundreds manufacturers no longer in business or in the solar business.

Schott Exits the Solar Panel Business
As of 2012, Schott has withdrawn from the crystalline silicon photovoltaic business. Schott no longer produces the solar panels for residential or commercial installations.

http://abcsolar.com/pdf/schott165.pdf