First Solar Build!

[Dima]

Hello everyone,

I was always interested in solar panels and I always came back and looked at them, but yesterday I looked at them all day, and I really wanted to power my whole house from DIY solar panels. I don't have to budget to hire my local solar panel shop and install them. I heard it comes out to about 30-40 Thousand? My house uses an average of 430KWH, minimum being 390 and maximum 510. I came on this forum and found out that it's better not to do that, because of UL not letting my get the panels into the grid and all of that. But I thought about it, maybe I should power one appliance, one that uses alot of watts, like the microwave. The microwave is used when the sun is out, so the batteries should recharge, and we don't use the microwave too much. But from research I heard the microwave is a watt-taking-machine.

Please tell me what I need to do, what other information I should put it and if I can actually pull this off!

Thanks!
Dima

[Sunking]

You are pretty much wasting your time and money. Short of it is if you cannot afford to buy a Grid Teid System, you darn sure cannot afford to take anything off grid battery. Anything you take off grid and put on battery, the electricity is going to cost you some 10 times more than buying it from the POCO.

Give you an example. Let's say your Microwave Oven is a 1000 watt unit and you use it 30 minutes per day. So at 30 minutes if you buy the electricity cost around 5 to 7 cents from the POCO. To run a 1000 watt device you have to use a battery capable of delivering about 1200 watts to power a 1000 watt ac device. This would be the job of an AGM battery. So you are looking at either a 12 volt 200 AH, or 24 volt 100 AH AGM battery. No difference as they cost the same. That Battery will cost you $700 and need replaced in about every 2 to 4 years.

So what you end up doing is you spend $700 on the battery to save yourself $90 on your electric bill in 4 years. You just threw away $600. Did I mention it will take another $400 of panels, charge controllers, and inverter to make it work on top of the battery cost. Then about 4 years down the road you replace the $700 battery at even higher cost.

You cannot win.

[Dima]

So what im getting at, is that you either dont do solar or use $30,000 for it?

[t5800512]

Everyone likes the idea of Solar because Solar energy is free. But the equipment is not. It can be rather expensive even with a DIY project.

First of all, forget batteries. They are expensive, need maintenance, and will have to be replace at least 3 or 4 times over the life of your solar panels. You really can't come out that way.

Look at a grid tied system. You then use your electric utility provider to bank your excess to the grid so that it can be used when you need it. No need for batteries that way.

If the initial outlay is to steep for you, look into leasing. Have a couple installers come out and talk to you about a system and how a lease works. Leasing is a popular option in parts of the country where electric is expensive.

[inetdog]

So what im getting at, is that you either dont do solar or use $30,000 for it?

Basically, yes.

For DIY work solar thermal panels for heating domestic hot water, heating your house, and heating a pool are all much better investments, especially if you are using electricity for heating right now.

If you are using piped natural gas at low cost, then you have to look harder at the numbers.

As long as you do not run your domestic water through the panels themselves, it is possible for a handy DIYer to produce a safe system. But spend some time reading about it first.

[Dima]

Basically, yes.

For DIY work solar thermal panels for heating domestic hot water, heating your house, and heating a pool are all much better investments, especially if you are using electricity for heating right now.

If you are using piped natural gas at low cost, then you have to look harder at the numbers.

As long as you do not run your domestic water through the panels themselves, it is possible for a handy DIYer to produce a safe system. But spend some time reading about it first.

I will look into that, but we do heat our water through gas. Thanks for helping me not waste money

[Sunking]

I will look into that, but we do heat our water through gas. Thanks for helping me not waste money

At least you asked first and listened. Most come here after they bought someting to find out they wasted a lot of money for nothing. Then they get mad and leave without saying thank you.

[Dima]

At least you asked first and listened. Most come here after they bought someting to find out they wasted a lot of money for nothing. Then they get mad and leave without saying thank you.

Trust me, I was pretty mad when i found out i spent a whole day dreaming about powering my house with solar panels for around 2,000 dollars...

Now I'm looking at water heating.

[thastinger]

also keep in mind that you can not tie into the electrical grid with homemade panels, they have to have a UL listed.

[Dima]

Hello everyone,

I was always interested in solar panels and I always came back and looked at them, but yesterday I looked at them all day, and I really wanted to power my whole house from DIY solar panels. I don't have to budget to hire my local solar panel shop and install them. I heard it comes out to about 30-40 Thousand? My house uses an average of 430KWH, minimum being 390 and maximum 510. I came on this forum and found out that it's better not to do that, because of UL not letting my get the panels into the grid and all of that. But I thought about it, maybe I should power one appliance, one that uses alot of watts, like the microwave. The microwave is used when the sun is out, so the batteries should recharge, and we don't use the microwave too much. But from research I heard the microwave is a watt-taking-machine.

Please tell me what I need to do, what other information I should put it and if I can actually pull this off!

Thanks!
Dima

I knew that

[Dima]

How about this, we have a chicken coop. if i want to power a light only at night, about how much will it cost and how much will I need in total? Let alone can I do that?

[Sunking]

How about this, we have a chicken coop. if i want to power a light only at night, about how much will it cost and how much will I need in total? Let alone can I do that?

YOu can certainly do it if you can afford it. As long as it is not part of the home premisses wiring, you have less rules to follow. But the cost do not change much.

YOu have to determine how many watt hours, you will need and design for worse case winter months.

[sdguy]

Here is an enphase system: http://enphase.com/downloads/Home_Po...09_Enphase.pdf
(not cheap) (nor cheep)

a basic light: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago132.html

Of course -- you could just get some landscape solar lights for minimal fuss.

[russ]

Here is an enphase system: http://enphase.com/downloads/Home_Po...09_Enphase.pdf
(not cheap) (nor cheep)

An enphase inverter in a stand alone system? Don't work that way.

[sdguy]

An enphase inverter in a stand alone system? Don't work that way.

Ooops. My bad -- enphase is grid-tie only.
They used the chicken coop as a convenient location to place the arrays.