New to Grid Tied Home Solar...

[ultrarunner]

Boosted output 15% by giving the panels a good wash and cutting back encroaching late afternoon branches.

That said it seems I hit the wall around 60% or 4 kW from 6 kW twelve year old panels..

 

[NorTracNY]

My panels continue to fail to meet their guaranteed minimums. I just got my largest check yet from the solar manufacturer. I'm still extremely glad I went with the panels. My bill is ~$325/year with the VAST majority being the cost just to be connected to the grid. I am 8 years in an making money with my initial investment. I'm all for alternative energies, but I don't think it's right to taxpayers the way this was done.

 

[ericm979]

The federal government gives $20 Billion of our money to the oil companies each year. I'm ok with a tiny fraction of that going to encourage much cleaner solar power.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm coming at it a little different in that I bought a home with an unfinished system... all the major components purchased circa 2008...

The sellers nephew had planned to take them but I made it part of my offer and completing the grid tie system was my priority.

Have to say I enjoy tracking production and receiving 375+/- over production check was a nice surprise... if course the monthly meter fee and taxes being subtracted leaves me with a net gain of $250 +/-

Home is very consistent with everything basically off averaging 130 Watts per hour... transformers, night lights and such...

So far February is my best production month... this year and last.

60% efficiency is mediocre but I can live with it if it doesn't get worse... plan to meter each of the three arrays for output...

 

[grsthegreat]

I'm coming at it a little different in that I bought a home with an unfinished system... all the major components purchased circa 2008...

The sellers nephew had planned to take them but I made it part of my offer and completing the grid tie system was my priority.

Have to say I enjoy tracking production and receiving 375+/- over production check was a nice surprise... if course the monthly meter fee and taxes being subtracted leaves me with a net gain of $250 +/-

Home is very consistent with everything basically off averaging 130 Watts per hour... transformers, night lights and such...

So far February is my best production month... this year and last.

60% efficiency is mediocre but I can live with it if it doesn't get worse... plan to meter each of the three arrays for output...

losing nearly half of outpot since 2008.... i thought that those panels are supposed to last 30 years?

 

[ultrarunner]

losing nearly half of outpot since 2008.... i thought that those panels are supposed to last 30 years?

The panels are German SCHOTT-165 with 25 year 80% power warranty period but in 2012 production ceased.

 

[grsthegreat]

Thats what i truly hate about long warranties. Always way outlast companies.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thats what i truly hate about long warranties. Always way outlast companies.

Yep... has happened to me

I was just reading about LG solar panels and the author made a point going with a market leader across many segments is warranty security.

 

[Grumpycat]

The federal government gives $20 Billion of our money to the oil companies each year. I'm ok with a tiny fraction of that going to encourage much cleaner solar power.

No they don't. Oil haters claim deductions for cost of materials and capital investments is a "government giveaway." Much of the production of oil doesn't meet the patterns our ignorant lawmakers define in the tax code. A lot of things fall under long term depreciation but are quickly consumed.

No business is taxed on the materials necessary to produce their product. Thats like taxing farmers for fertilizer. So rather than simplify the tax code our government makes it more complex with tens of thousands of pages of tax exceptions. The oil industry is a small part of those exemptions.

 

[ultrarunner]

With the heat wave by SF standards I did something I very rarely do and that was turn on the A/C at 74 with 102 outside...

Even with my daily 20-24 kWh surplus I used 41 Friday and 39 Saturday grid kWh so at .33 cents per kWh the AC added $13 to $14 per day to electric bill...