7.2KW system in San Diego - would love input

[MoJ]

Update... we've had the roof re-done as part of the project and installation starts this coming Friday (!!).

[J.P.M.]

Update... we've had the roof re-done as part of the project and installation starts this coming Friday (!!).

That took a while. What's up w/ the 2 month delay ?

[MoJ]

Yup - took 2 months to get the schedules between roofer and solar installers in sync - and we lost a week due to T-giving, and another week due to rain (in SD!!!). The City of SD was actually really quick on approving permits (less than 10 days).

[J.P.M.]

Yup - took 2 months to get the schedules between roofer and solar installers in sync - and we lost a week due to T-giving, and another week due to rain (in SD!!!). The City of SD was actually really quick on approving permits (less than 10 days).

Thank you. Suggest you find a safe, comfortable spot on the roof and sit and watch. Your money, your house.Trust but verify.

[MoJ]

Almost there ... re-roofing, rails, panels, and strings all done. One more day to get it all connected and ready for inspection! This is two systems - mine (7.29Kw) and neighbor (4.23Kw) - all same panels and it looks AMAZING. The waiting is the worst part. I think that 5 or maybe even all 6 of our condo owners are going to end up installing (we have another entire roof for the other 4 systems).

[MoJ]

and the process so far!

[solar pete]

Howdy are those panels mounted flat onto the roof? If so who's idea was that

[MoJ]

solar pete - they are mounted flat because we have to maximize real estate - I have 5 other neighbors and 5 f the 6 of us are putting panels up so can't do it with a tilt. I figure we're losing about 10% efficiency using just the roof pitch as our tilt but it lets everyone get the most space for their panels.

[MoJ]

So we're into week #2 of full production... nice seeing net consumption negative this time of year!

Thought I'd share a few "lessons learned"

- SGDE is a #@)(* about exact matching billing address to permit address - we have a unit # and our building was split into 2 addresses at some point and it caused almost a month's delay,
- Rainforest Automation EAGLE monitoring device is THE BOMB. Not only does it let you see your meter from anywhere, but you get instant usage, consumption, and it uploads into PVOutput.
- Speaking of which, PVOUTPUT is absolutely amazing. Great way to track and compare.
- Lastly, Fronius' push data. Trying to set-up for pushing data to PVOutput tool all of 90 seconds to do, but a day of research figuring how to log into the damn thing (quick answer: you have to plug in directly or do it on it's own private WiFi AP).

Can't wait to see my 1st month's bill in March and begin to actually see how well this all performs ROI-wise.

[solar pete]

solar pete - they are mounted flat because we have to maximize real estate - I have 5 other neighbors and 5 f the 6 of us are putting panels up so can't do it with a tilt. I figure we're losing about 10% efficiency using just the roof pitch as our tilt but it lets everyone get the most space for their panels.

Howdy Moj and thanks for popping in with an update, the reason I was asking if they were flat is that panels have drainage holes and need a minimum slope (this differs with brands) in oder for water to drain out of the frame. I think as long as you have about 5 degree slope you should be fine, sounds like its all working so well done sir.

[MoJ]

Oh yeah - when we had the torrential rains the other week I was up there with an umbrella watching it all drain

[sensij]

If you are on PVOutput.org and in SDG&E territory, have you considered joining Team San Diego? Lots of good local data to compare against if you'd like.

[Sparta_SC]

Hi all. Amazing how much I've learned here in the last month - I've gone from "maybe next year" to "gotta get moving NOW" in less than a month, thanks to the rapidly approaching NetMetering 1 cap.

I've gotten several quotes - all from folks with great references. I've got a large flat roof that faces south and can handle about 26-27 panels. The primary contenders are:

1. 7,020 kW - 26 Axitec 270M panels with Fronius 6.0-1 inverter - $23.9k = $3.41/w
2. 7,500 kW - 25 LG 300W panels with LG inverter - $23.1k = $3.07/w
3. 6,900 kW - 22 LG 315W panels with Fronius 7.6-1 inverter - $25.9k = $3.74/w

Couple of questions -

1. The $/W on these seem higher than many of you are getting ... do I need to keep shopping or am I in the ballpark?

2. If I have a 7,020-7,290 kW system (maybe squeeze in another panel if we can)... will the Fronius 6.0-1 be enough to handle or do we need to go with the 7.6-1? The current subpanel can handle 30A from the 6.0-1 but would probably need to be upgraded to handle >40A from the 7-6.1. I'm being told that at 80% efficiency, the 6.0-1 is more than adequate.

Thanks in advance!!!!

hi,
are these quotes including the 30% ITC rebate?

[sunnyguy]

hi,
are these quotes including the 30% ITC rebate?

No, definitely not.

[MoJ]

No- those were all pre-tax credit - final cash price. I went with #1