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Solar panel talk

3,950 Views | 42 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by AgLA06
BrokeAssAggie
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With all the ERCOT stuff going on a friend said. "Oh this will make solar panels more popular". It was my understanding if you have panels you feed the grid then it comes back to your house? Even if you were off the grid and powered by solar I would assume you would need a **** ton of panels and storage to run your home for several days?
texag06ish
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AG
My neighbor just installed a Tesla system. According to the snapshot from the app they sent me today, they were completely off the power grid and had their batteries 100% charged. They told me a full battery would run the house for a week.

It was all $33M for a system that would power a 3,000 SF house.
MaxPower
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Correct. You could probably wire it such that you can feed the grid or flip a switch to power your house when the grid is down, though no one installs enough to power their entire house during peak demand. I had my house spec'ed out and would have had to cover half my roof to come close to 100%.

If you are going off grid then you'd need a battery for storage so you can overpower on solar during the day, store some and use it at night.
Wodanaz
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AG
Gotta be in the Austin market to get any kind of ROI on $33M solar.
BrokeAssAggie
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texag06ish said:

My neighbor just installed a Tesla system. According to the snapshot from the app they sent me today, they were completely off the power grid and had their batteries 100% charged. They told me a full battery would run the house for a week.

It was all $33M for a system that would power a 3,000 SF house.


So what do you do when it rains for 2 weeks straight like last month.
texag06ish
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AG
Don't know. Not my system.

To clarify, I think being "off the grid" was only temporary due to the charge level of the battery and the amount of solar power being generated. I'm sure there is a transfer switch that controls this.
texag06ish
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AG
I don't think they care about ROI but that's just a guess.
Mr. Lahey
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AG
My neighbor is bleeding heart greenie and just had one installed. Battery at full charge will power their house for ~9 days. Cost was around 30k. I'd rather spend half that and get a NG generator, but then again I'm just a dumb redneck.
texag06ish
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AG
I looked last night and unless installing the transfer switch is really expensive, it's less than half.
oklaunion
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OEag11 said:

My neighbor is bleeding heart greenie and just had one installed. Battery at full charge will power their house for ~9 days. Cost was around 30k. I'd rather spend half that and get a NG generator, but then again I'm just a dumb redneck.
You are fortunate to have NG available. Some of us have to live with propane as our generator's fuel source.
cavscout96
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AG
Still cheaper than solar

Also,not going to be scarce during the next snowpacalypse...
cavscout96
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AG
DP
will.mcg
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AG
Transfer switch will run anywhere from $750-$3000 depending on brand & manual or auto. Installation on a new build for the switch was $600. I would imagine it will be much more on an existing home.
Bradley.Kohr.II
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AG
Are there any good, vertical windmills? Our place gets quite a bit of wind, and could use a windbreak - and wind with solar might be pretty decent.
normaleagle05
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AG
cavscout96 said:

Still cheaper than solar

Also,not going to be scarce during the next snowpacalypse...

Our NG was scarce during the last snowpacalypse. What do you think will be different next time?
chaca5151
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My wife and I went with solar, and we are completely off-grid, no we are not Austin Liberals or anything it just worked for our situation. Plus it was cheaper than letting a power company run poles (30k) which we didn't want, and it was too expensive to bury the line in the texas hill country.

I love the company we hired because they helped so much after the original company screwed us, we ended up getting our 30% back which was nice.

Our total solar system with 24 panels and 24 batteries cost right at 75k plus another 18k for a 24kw generator with both of them we were able to get 30% back. The solar company put the panels on the roof and built a 10x10 shed to hold the equipment and batteries, I got to pick the size and since I wanted a little bigger shed I'd pay the difference which was only $200 (they ended up not making me pay). It works perfectly because I'm able to store all my tools in the shed that I was going to put anyway.

It's been great so far even during snowvid we were still generating power, during those two weeks of rain I think our gen came on 3 times. You have to regulate how you do things with solar since my wife works from how she does all the cleaning during peak sun hours. This is the first summer with our full system but so far both a/c's run with no issues.

I would question the tesla powerwall lasting for 9 days which seems odd, they must not be running any A/C.




Not everyone gets the same version of me. One person might tell you I have an amazing beautiful soul. Another might tell you I’m a cold-hearted a$$^ole. Believe them both. I don’t treat people badly. I treat them accordingly - unknown
DeWrecking Crew
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chaca5151 said:

My wife and I went with solar, and we are completely off-grid, no we are not Austin Liberals or anything it just worked for our situation. Plus it was cheaper than letting a power company run poles (30k) which we didn't want, and it was too expensive to bury the line in the texas hill country.

I love the company we hired because they helped so much after the original company screwed us, we ended up getting our 30% back which was nice.

Our total solar system with 24 panels and 24 batteries cost right at 75k plus another 18k for a 24kw generator with both of them we were able to get 30% back. The solar company put the panels on the roof and built a 10x10 shed to hold the equipment and batteries, I got to pick the size and since I wanted a little bigger shed I'd pay the difference which was only $200 (they ended up not making me pay). It works perfectly because I'm able to store all my tools in the shed that I was going to put anyway.

It's been great so far even during snowvid we were still generating power, during those two weeks of rain I think our gen came on 3 times. You have to regulate how you do things with solar since my wife works from how she does all the cleaning during peak sun hours. This is the first summer with our full system but so far both a/c's run with no issues.

I would question the tesla powerwall lasting for 9 days which seems odd, they must not be running any A/C.







WowI love the idea of being "off grid", but if I'm understanding you correctly you essentially paid $63K extra to be off grid, so you prepaid about 15 years worth of electricity. That's assuming there's no interest payments associated with that cost outlay. Is there any additional maintenance costs during those 15 years? Battery replacement, etc. What is the expected lifetime of an installation like this. By my math, it would have to be over 40 years, because if you just invested that $65K now in something like s 401k, with a 3% return YOY in 30 years, it would net you about $90K. So the original cash outlay is 15 years worth of traditional power, and the cash value of money is costing you another 20 years worth of traditional power. It's just real hard to make the math work unless you can sell your "extra" power.
longeryak
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Wodanaz said:

Gotta be in the Austin market to get any kind of ROI on $33M solar.
In finance circles M stands for milli aka one thousand.
AgLA06
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AG
longeryak said:

Wodanaz said:

Gotta be in the Austin market to get any kind of ROI on $33M solar.
In finance circles M stands for milli aka one thousand.


That is almost 15 years of electricity payments for me in Houston.
FamousAgg
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longeryak said:

Wodanaz said:

Gotta be in the Austin market to get any kind of ROI on $33M solar.
In finance circles M stands for milli aka one thousand.


In the scientific/engineering world, "Milli" is 1/1000 (10^-3) not one thousand. "Kilo" is x1000 (10^3).

The finance world is always doing things backwards
FamousAgg
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Regarding the ERCOT fears, this summer appears to be pretty normal so far. They are being very proactive in their messaging, asking people to conserve. If it weren't for the freeze this wouldn't even be on the news. This is pretty much a standard June day, hot temperatures and of course the wind doesn't put out during the heat of the day
Waterski02
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AG
I'm of the school of thought in strength in numbers. Not every home or business is a fit for solar, but if folks would commit to 10-25% of their power from solar, the grid would be greatly Improved most of the time.
Guy who works for me generates extra power nearly every month off his grid tied system in the mountains of CO.

goatchze
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AG
chaca5151 said:

My wife and I went with solar, and we are completely off-grid, no we are not Austin Liberals or anything it just worked for our situation. Plus it was cheaper than letting a power company run poles (30k) which we didn't want, and it was too expensive to bury the line in the texas hill country.

I love the company we hired because they helped so much after the original company screwed us, we ended up getting our 30% back which was nice.

Our total solar system with 24 panels and 24 batteries cost right at 75k plus another 18k for a 24kw generator with both of them we were able to get 30% back. The solar company put the panels on the roof and built a 10x10 shed to hold the equipment and batteries, I got to pick the size and since I wanted a little bigger shed I'd pay the difference which was only $200 (they ended up not making me pay). It works perfectly because I'm able to store all my tools in the shed that I was going to put anyway.

It's been great so far even during snowvid we were still generating power, during those two weeks of rain I think our gen came on 3 times. You have to regulate how you do things with solar since my wife works from how she does all the cleaning during peak sun hours. This is the first summer with our full system but so far both a/c's run with no issues.

I would question the tesla powerwall lasting for 9 days which seems odd, they must not be running any A/C.






I'm no math wiz, but...
Prince_Ahmed
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DeWrecking Crew said:

chaca5151 said:

My wife and I went with solar, and we are completely off-grid, no we are not Austin Liberals or anything it just worked for our situation. Plus it was cheaper than letting a power company run poles (30k) which we didn't want, and it was too expensive to bury the line in the texas hill country.

I love the company we hired because they helped so much after the original company screwed us, we ended up getting our 30% back which was nice.

Our total solar system with 24 panels and 24 batteries cost right at 75k plus another 18k for a 24kw generator with both of them we were able to get 30% back. The solar company put the panels on the roof and built a 10x10 shed to hold the equipment and batteries, I got to pick the size and since I wanted a little bigger shed I'd pay the difference which was only $200 (they ended up not making me pay). It works perfectly because I'm able to store all my tools in the shed that I was going to put anyway.

It's been great so far even during snowvid we were still generating power, during those two weeks of rain I think our gen came on 3 times. You have to regulate how you do things with solar since my wife works from how she does all the cleaning during peak sun hours. This is the first summer with our full system but so far both a/c's run with no issues.

I would question the tesla powerwall lasting for 9 days which seems odd, they must not be running any A/C.







WowI love the idea of being "off grid", but if I'm understanding you correctly you essentially paid $63K extra to be off grid, so you prepaid about 15 years worth of electricity. That's assuming there's no interest payments associated with that cost outlay. Is there any additional maintenance costs during those 15 years? Battery replacement, etc. What is the expected lifetime of an installation like this. By my math, it would have to be over 40 years, because if you just invested that $65K now in something like s 401k, with a 3% return YOY in 30 years, it would net you about $90K. So the original cash outlay is 15 years worth of traditional power, and the cash value of money is costing you another 20 years worth of traditional power. It's just real hard to make the math work unless you can sell your "extra" power.
If you're paying an average of $350/month for electricity ($63,000/15/12) you've got problems, or a 6000+ square foot house ...
DeWrecking Crew
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Prince_Ahmed said:

DeWrecking Crew said:

chaca5151 said:

My wife and I went with solar, and we are completely off-grid, no we are not Austin Liberals or anything it just worked for our situation. Plus it was cheaper than letting a power company run poles (30k) which we didn't want, and it was too expensive to bury the line in the texas hill country.

I love the company we hired because they helped so much after the original company screwed us, we ended up getting our 30% back which was nice.

Our total solar system with 24 panels and 24 batteries cost right at 75k plus another 18k for a 24kw generator with both of them we were able to get 30% back. The solar company put the panels on the roof and built a 10x10 shed to hold the equipment and batteries, I got to pick the size and since I wanted a little bigger shed I'd pay the difference which was only $200 (they ended up not making me pay). It works perfectly because I'm able to store all my tools in the shed that I was going to put anyway.

It's been great so far even during snowvid we were still generating power, during those two weeks of rain I think our gen came on 3 times. You have to regulate how you do things with solar since my wife works from how she does all the cleaning during peak sun hours. This is the first summer with our full system but so far both a/c's run with no issues.

I would question the tesla powerwall lasting for 9 days which seems odd, they must not be running any A/C.







WowI love the idea of being "off grid", but if I'm understanding you correctly you essentially paid $63K extra to be off grid, so you prepaid about 15 years worth of electricity. That's assuming there's no interest payments associated with that cost outlay. Is there any additional maintenance costs during those 15 years? Battery replacement, etc. What is the expected lifetime of an installation like this. By my math, it would have to be over 40 years, because if you just invested that $65K now in something like s 401k, with a 3% return YOY in 30 years, it would net you about $90K. So the original cash outlay is 15 years worth of traditional power, and the cash value of money is costing you another 20 years worth of traditional power. It's just real hard to make the math work unless you can sell your "extra" power.
If you're paying an average of $350/month for electricity ($63,000/15/12) you've got problems, or a 6000+ square foot house ...


I was giving him a best case scenario in trying to make the math close to working. But my bills do run close to $300, I've got a modest house with 2 ACs and a 3000 sqft shop. So, if you talk to people with pools $350 isn't out of the question
Bradley.Kohr.II
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AG
In manufacturing, M is for 1000 as well.
DriftwoodAg
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AG
Bradley.Kohr.II said:

In manufacturing, M is for 1000 as well.
I would assume this is for the roman numeral
dsvogel05
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AG
Correct.
Cen-Tex
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AG
Saw a 5th wheel RV last month that was outfitted w/2 large solar panels on the roof. The couple said they were from California. Looked odd not being plugged into the electrical pedestal like the rest of us.

BTW- 'M' is the head of MI6 in the Bond movies.
malenurse
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AG
MaxPower said:

Correct. You could probably wire it such that you can feed the grid or flip a switch to power your house when the grid is down, though no one installs enough to power their entire house during peak demand. I had my house spec'ed out and would have had to cover half my roof to come close to 100%.

If you are going off grid then you'd need a battery for storage so you can overpower on solar during the day, store some and use it at night.
Most neighborhood HOAs will not approve this.
Bird Poo
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AG
My next home will have a separate array on the ground. Putting them on the roof is an unnecessary expense if you have the land. Easier to maintain, etc.
Waterski02
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AG
I think, but not sure, there are Federal laws on solar that basically say an HOA can't stop you from putting the up. Kinda like a satellite dish if I recall, they can maybe give some suggestions but can't say no.
chaca5151
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DeWrecking Crew said:

chaca5151 said:

My wife and I went with solar, and we are completely off-grid, no we are not Austin Liberals or anything it just worked for our situation. Plus it was cheaper than letting a power company run poles (30k) which we didn't want, and it was too expensive to bury the line in the texas hill country.

I love the company we hired because they helped so much after the original company screwed us, we ended up getting our 30% back which was nice.

Our total solar system with 24 panels and 24 batteries cost right at 75k plus another 18k for a 24kw generator with both of them we were able to get 30% back. The solar company put the panels on the roof and built a 10x10 shed to hold the equipment and batteries, I got to pick the size and since I wanted a little bigger shed I'd pay the difference which was only $200 (they ended up not making me pay). It works perfectly because I'm able to store all my tools in the shed that I was going to put anyway.

It's been great so far even during snowvid we were still generating power, during those two weeks of rain I think our gen came on 3 times. You have to regulate how you do things with solar since my wife works from how she does all the cleaning during peak sun hours. This is the first summer with our full system but so far both a/c's run with no issues.

I would question the tesla powerwall lasting for 9 days which seems odd, they must not be running any A/C.







WowI love the idea of being "off grid", but if I'm understanding you correctly you essentially paid $63K extra to be off grid, so you prepaid about 15 years worth of electricity. That's assuming there's no interest payments associated with that cost outlay. Is there any additional maintenance costs during those 15 years? Battery replacement, etc. What is the expected lifetime of an installation like this. By my math, it would have to be over 40 years, because if you just invested that $65K now in something like s 401k, with a 3% return YOY in 30 years, it would net you about $90K. So the original cash outlay is 15 years worth of traditional power, and the cash value of money is costing you another 20 years worth of traditional power. It's just real hard to make the math work unless you can sell your "extra" power.

Sorry let me clarify a few things; yes, the total cost is $63K when all is said and done (we can pay the loan off half the time). The cost to run polls was $30k, but that doesn't include clearing almost 1/4 of land for the poles (they required a clean line of slight for the pole, but I refused to cut down big and old oak trees). This is our forever home on 9 acres, and currently living in our guest house, we plan on building our custom home in 5 years.

The batteries are good for 15 years, but we were told if you don't run them down past halfway, they will last well past 15 years (from the actual battery company). So in 15 to 20 years, I'll probably transition to lithium-ion since the technology will come around and hopefully be a little cheaper if I need to.

As far as selling the extra power is not a concern because when our actual home is built, it will use that power and our shop. The cost was based on $200 per month for the next 15 years, and we do have 2 a/c units, which is just for the guest house.

Most people can't stomach the upfront cost of $63k understandable, and it was the same with our water well. I would spend $35k on crappy ass water; instead, we built a 30k gal rain collection tank for $27k.

It's not for everyone, but it was the best for us, and we are pleased with our decision, especially since we haven't lost any power due to snow, government power shut off, or someone running into a pole, or a storm knocking out power, which all have been a common this year.
Not everyone gets the same version of me. One person might tell you I have an amazing beautiful soul. Another might tell you I’m a cold-hearted a$$^ole. Believe them both. I don’t treat people badly. I treat them accordingly - unknown
Bradley.Kohr.II
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AG
Chaca, I don't know how much they add, but what about putting some sailboat sized windmills up?
chaca5151
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Bradley.Kohr.II said:

Chaca, I don't know how much they add, but what about putting some sailboat sized windmills up?

It's been about two years since I last looked into windmills as another add-on to our solar, but from what I remember, the cost of a windmill was pretty expensive compared to how much power you get from them. The wind constantly blows where we live, so it has crossed my mind, but it's like having a trickle charge on your batteries, from what I remember. Maybe one day if I can do it myself, but right now, it's not feasible for us.

Honestly, I would add a PTO generator to my house before windmills just for another security blanket should something happen to my big generator.

Again I haven't looked into it in a long time, so they could be more efficient and cost-effective
Not everyone gets the same version of me. One person might tell you I have an amazing beautiful soul. Another might tell you I’m a cold-hearted a$$^ole. Believe them both. I don’t treat people badly. I treat them accordingly - unknown
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