South Florida house 6deg and 15deg roof pointing straight South

[tonypsofla]

I'm getting cheap b-panels probably at 25c/watt and self-install, city permit looks like $85+11/panel.
Anyone recommend FPL net-metering? over 10Kwatt comes with $400 fpl application fee, fpl pay retail up to 90% of use.

77" x 39.1" panels:
The 6deg tar roof could fit 26panels
The tile roof part could fit 32panels
~280watt = 16KW, so over the 10KW so a $400 fpl fee, should I keep it under 10KW?

Average monthly usage: 2391 kWh (costing $283)
Plan to trim tall tree to the right so no shade after 9am

Any thoughts? mono or poly panels?

[J.P.M.]

Read "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies" before you go further. a free net download, or ~ $25 for an updated hardcopy at bookstores/Amazon.

SWAG DIY costs ~ $1.50 - $2.00/STC Watt. A system is a lot more than just panels.

You are a candidate for an energy audit. If you're doing this to reduce your electric bill, know that you'll save a lot more by conservation efforts than PV, at least initially. Any system after that will be smaller, easier to construct and less $$ for the same % offset of the post conservation bill. Pay your money, take your

On equipment, you will get what you pay for or less. Buy cheap, buy twice.

Size the system per PVWatts, solar modeling software from NREL. Takes ~~ 20 min. to read the help/info screens and ~ that long to make a few runs and get up to speed. Use 10 % system losses instead of the 14 % default rate.

Did you get off the off grid battery kick ?

[SunEagle]

Let us know how you make out with your local permit office concerning a self install.

I live in Florida and I am still trying to get the facts concerning how much a home owner can do for the install and how much needs to be performed by a solar installer or contractor.

Oh and JPM provided some good info. Buy cheap equipment usually ends up with faster failures so I would not penny pinch the system.