Salesman trying to sell me a solar panel system

[Carl_NH]

^^^ This - we had shading from trees, and the solar edge optimizers per panel allow each panel to output separately. Out setup is 3 strings 8 panels each, and without the optimizers all the panels in a sting are derated to the shaded one.

The optimizers nor the inverter makes zero noise.

 

[ponytug]

A couple questions regarding inverters.
How electrically noisy are they? My only experience with inverters is with ones typically used with a vehicle and they seem to be all over the place. Some you almost don't know they're running, others forget about trying to listen to a radio within 25' of it, they just obliterate everything. And all shades in between.
Tolerable in a temporary situation, but at a permanent installation that would be a deal breaker for me.

Also, how do the multiple "micro" inverters sync with each other so voltage, frequency and phase are the same from every unit?

Electrically, they are near perfect, as the voltage and phase gets adjusted tens of thousands of times per second. They have to be perfect to be able to reliably export power, in the face of changing house loads and grid voltages. Here, they are better than the local grid. (Long story, but the bottom line was our power quality got a detailed analysis at one point when our solar system was throwing over voltage errors. It turned out to be a grid over voltage issue caused by how our distribution line was configured (set too high by the utility), and exacerbated by multiple solar systems all trying to apply power to the neighborhood during sunny periods that further pushed the grid out of standard values.)

Each microinverter has the "smarts" to track the grid voltage and phase to enable it to apply the solar power as an export.

If the grid dies, microinverters and inverters have no frequency/voltage (waveform) to track so they shut off. If the house has a battery system, the battery controller will cut the connection to the grid and use the batteries to generate an AC waveform that gives power to the house, and a signal that the solar system can track to supply power. If the batteries are full, the battery controller will raise the frequency to 62.5-65Hz and the higher frequencies cause the solar microinverters and inverters to taper (or shut off) their applied power. All designed to be robust, and simple. Different parts of the world have slightly different grid standards and those standards are part of configuring the system.

Acoustically, silent.

Does that answer your question?

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I was approached this week by a solar company. I live in Virginia and our electric bill is rising due to Virginia doing away with coal and nuclear. There are solar farms popping up everywhere. Salesmen said I would save money over the long haul with solar. They own the panels and I would pay a 2.99 percent rate increase every year. Solar panels warrantied for 25 years. Showed me how much cheaper it would be for me over time vs increases by the electric company. I would pay nothing upfront and they would provide all maintenance on the system.

Anyone done anything like this? I am very skeptical about this.

Sorry... anytime someone mentions salesmen, I think of the movie Second Hand Lions...

 

[ponytug]

Sorry... anytime someone mentions salesmen, I think of the movie Second Hand Lions...

Awesome film, with great acting!

 

[John_Mc]

My large inverter is near silent and mounted outside.

The plus of micro inverters is each panel independently produces power and not dependent on others like a string system.

This also helps should there be shading during the day…

It used to be that with a string inverter (multiple panels in series connected to a single large inverter) each panel in the string would only put out as much as the worst panel in that string. So if just one panel was partially shaded, the output of every panel on that string suffered.

The newer technology with string inverters uses optimizers mounted on each panel. These allow each panel in the string to put out their max output even if one is shaded. The optimizers are NOT the same as microinverters: the panels still all feed into a single large string inverter. It's just a bit of technical wizardry to overcome what used to be one of the main shortcomings of using a string inverter.

 

[mikester]

In my area the property tax assessors treat solar panels as extra square footage for your house.

We don't get enough sunshine or wind to make solar or windmills cost effective due to long payback times.

A good general rule of thumb to remember is that it's easier to conserve energy than to make it.

 

[ponytug]

In my area the property tax assessors treat solar panels as extra square footage for your house.

We don't get enough sunshine or wind to make solar or windmills cost effective due to long payback times.

A good general rule of thumb to remember is that it's easier to conserve energy than to make it.

That's creative...I'd be tempted to arrange a meeting in mid January at the panels...

In all seriousness, would a 2,000sqft home with 1,500sq.ft of panels would be assessed at the same rate as the 3,500sq.ft. McMansion down the street?

All the best, Peter

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon bmaverick,

If you live on a farm, look into propane. It stores better, gives better energy density over solar during peak demands and it is fully off-grid. Most natural gas appliances can easily convert to propane too. Propane has a life of 50 years in storage too.

I agree ! If you are going to go solar, by the sounds of what I have heard from other people and people on this thread, it sounds like it’s best to own !

I pre buy my propane every August, I get a good reduction in price and am pretty happy with that
deal ! I am with Ultrarunner, if I ever did do it , it wouldn’t be with someone boring holes in my roof ! It would be out on the field JMO !

 

[dstig1]

I never heard any noise from the micro=inverters on my system. Not sure they were suppose to make noise.

Pretty sure he was talking about RF noise as in radio interference... Not audible sound.

 

[mike69440]

In my area the property tax assessors treat solar panels as extra square footage for your house.

We don't get enough sunshine or wind to make solar or windmills cost effective due to long payback times.

A good general rule of thumb to remember is that it's easier to conserve energy than to make it.

Ah Canada!