New to Grid Tied Home Solar...

   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar... #102  
They do, we have had a Bosch drier for over 3 years, also made by LG and Samsung and I am sure there are others, no venting to outside as they just produce water which can be emptied or directed to a drain, steam free drying.
Our next set of hotplates will be induction too, much prefer them to gas.
Almost instant heat and precise control.

Oh, sweet! Perhaps I should have said affordable heat-pump clothes dryer, lol. Wish they would have had those more widely available when I bought my generic-style whirpool elec dryer. It sucks down kw as well as many CFM of conditioned air right out the duct (which really messes with my woodstove, too), but, was only $300.

Most of the heat pump dryers I am seeing are pretty small, too. hmmmm.
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar...
  • Thread Starter
#103  
Update...

6 months after my first full year since commissioning I opened today's mail and found a check for $387 and change for the purchase of the excess power generated...

Was beginning to think selling excess power was a myth but happy to have check in hand.

My little 3 array system generated 4,000 kW over what I used... mostly because old habits are hard to break.
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar... #104  
Is that for a month of generating power or is that for a longer period of time? Will you continue to get those checks on a regular basis? Are they considered income that you will have to pay taxes on, or will the cost of the system be a write off or operating expense that will reduce or eliminate that check as taxable income?
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar...
  • Thread Starter
#105  
It was the end of year true-up and covers a full 12 months.

Hard to say going forward... the house has central A/C which is something new to me... Since getting the check I decided to leave the A/C at 75 instead of the 4 days I used it last 12 months.

If my overproduction totals $100 or less it shows up as a credit to offset next month's bill.

Never thought about it as income... but then this is all new to me.

It does bring a smile to my face as far as PGE is concerned...

My natural gas use last month is $6
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar... #106  
You did well. We had our system installed 6 years ago and the first year had a $9 credit which I thought was perfect as we wanted to break even ,then it started creeping up to us owing them $100.00,$200.00, and this year a whopping $600.00. I asked them to check the "smart" meter as our usage hasn't changed but they said it is fine. I called the solar company that did the installation and they said we need another 7 panels to break even. The new panels are, I believe,350 KW compared to the old ones at 250 KW. I could be a little off on those #s as this is all voodoo to me,anyway it should nearly double our out put.
S.D.G.&E. aren't quite as bad as P.G.&E but close. Instead of along with raising rates they also find new "fees" and delivery charges etc. to keep rates going up.
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar... #107  
My sister lives in calif, and her solar system costs her each month. They charge her a use fee to sell excess power back by using their lines. She absolutely regrets installing system.
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar... #108  
I feel sorry, that another old lady got fooled into substituting a good quality hard wired security system for garbage wireless. Just because, the companies are all into lick and stick technology.

My Mom got fooled into giving up her wired BELL phone, and now I have to drive another six hours to get her garbage IP phone working. Modem had been replaced but just dropped off. Worked and now it doesn't again! 85 years old and no way to contact her! The BELL linehad worked flawlessly for decades. Now every time the power goes out, the phone soon follows! Just garbage technology!

As for the solar. If there is a power outage, do you have access to that power?
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar... #109  
No you don't have power with a grid tied system, the power co. doesn't want any power feeding into the lines while they are working on it. There might be an isolation switch system similar to a generator system but I've never seen or heard of one.
 
   / New to Grid Tied Home Solar...
  • Thread Starter
#110  
My components are dated... Circa 2008-09

No power available if grid goes down...

Some Inverters do offer a single powered outlet even if the grid goes down. It's enough for a refrigerator, light and computer if enough sun.

Even generating excess my monthly bill is $10.23 to cover minimum delivery and city tax...
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2016 Chevrolet Impala LT Limited Sedan (A48082)
2016 Chevrolet...
Polecat Swift 206R 20ft Towable Boom Lift (A50322)
Polecat Swift 206R...
Quick Attach Hydro Slide Pallet Forks (A50514)
Quick Attach Hydro...
71059 (A49346)
71059 (A49346)
2014 International Durastar 4300 Terex BT2047 47ft Crane Truck (A50323)
2014 International...
2022 Ford Maverick Crew Cab AWD Pickup Truck (A50323)
2022 Ford Maverick...
 
Top