Yep, another noob seeking advice.

[poconoman]

Ok, here's the deal. I have a weekend home and during the week, it's not used, obviously. What I was thinking is to install one panel Mitsubishi PV-MF170EB3 and a grid inverter, no batteries and hopefully the meter will go backwards. I want to do this DIY, I have some basic some elec, handyman skills. One day I'll be there full time, but for now, I'd like to start with one panel. If I have a decent plan, what grid inverter would suit the Mitsu and how would I go with installation.

ANY advice is well appreciated.

Thanks

[Mike90250]

If your place has a digital meter, it does not have a "backwards" it just counts what goes through it, in or out, so you will be paying to give them electricity

[Sunking]

If your place has a digital meter, it does not have a "backwards" it just counts what goes through it, in or out, so you will be paying to give them electricity

Ditto, cha-ching electric company. Plus if you do not have a contract, when the POCO finds it, they disconnect your service.

[Naptown]

You will need to have the system permitted, inspected and certified and sign an interconnection agreement with the POCO.
That said you can do some or all of the work depending on the AHJ and their rules. You will need to check with them as to how much you can do yourself. I believe in PA a system will have to be professionally installed to qualify for state rebates but again check with the state. I assume you live in PA from your screen name.
Now for a system the Mitsubishi is a good panel but only having one to start you are pretty much limited to an Enphase inverter. Check the compatibility of the Enphase with your particular module. This can be done at the Enphase website. The downside to a one module install is when you go to add on you will have to buy more of the trunk cable and replace what you buy initially but up to 16 more modules can be added to the infrastructure you will have installed for the one module.

[poconoman]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Does Enphase eliminate the need of a grid inverter?

[Naptown]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Does Enphase eliminate the need of a grid inverter?

That is a grid tie inverter but for one panel. if you want to add more you will need to add more inverters.

[poconoman]

That is a grid tie inverter but for one panel. if you want to add more you will need to add more inverters.

Ah, so one Enphase per panel. BTW, how much does each Enphase cost? Is it cost effective compared to a conventional grid inverter?

[Naptown]

yes they are more expensive about 30% more per watt depending on the module size ( Smaller wattage module = higher inverter costs.
However with one module you really don't have much choice. It would take 8-10 modules to get a string inverter to even start.

[s.xavier]

take a look at this thread on micro inverters and central inverters

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?4911-Micro-vs.-Central-Intverter-Study

in general

central:
inexpensive
one point of failure (inverter side)
difficult to maintain solar panels (depends on the user)

micro:
more expensive
more possible failure points
easier to maintain solar panels (depends on the user)

There are more differences between the two but the above is just an outline. take a look at the above thread and shout if yah have any other questions

[Crumb]

You will need to have the system permitted, inspected and certified and sign an interconnection agreement with the POCO.
That said you can do some or all of the work depending on the AHJ and their rules. You will need to check with them as to how much you can do yourself. I believe in PA a system will have to be professionally installed to qualify for state rebates but again check with the state. I assume you live in PA from your screen name.
Now for a system the Mitsubishi is a good panel but only having one to start you are pretty much limited to an Enphase inverter. Check the compatibility of the Enphase with your particular module. This can be done at the Enphase website. The downside to a one module install is when you go to add on you will have to buy more of the trunk cable and replace what you buy initially but up to 16 more modules can be added to the infrastructure you will have installed for the one module.

You might get lucky:
Some areas let the homeowner do all the work on anything they want, so long as professional (or equivalent) planning/draftsmanship is done, submitted, approved- AND they win a permit AND they do the work 100% to code AND the inspectors are exceptionally tough on the inspection. (The words I heard are "intensive proctology" - they don't trust the homeowners.) Freedom, yes - but these places are willing to do 0% handholding and instruction. You either have to know what you are doing in the first place or be very, very good at learning.

Good luck hiring a contractor on your own work that has been red-tagged, too. Basically these rules are for retired tradesman who want to remodel their own homes or whatever, and are in a good position to do it themselves. I looked into it once for a different project. I appreciate the freedom, but it is of little value to Joe Homeowner.

[Mike90250]

difficult to /easy to maintain solar panels (depends on the user)

how does the inverter type affect the cleaning of the panels. Get a hose with a good nozzle, rinse in the AM, before the dew dries. Just 10 miinutes, as needed.

[s.xavier]

yup... comes down to knowing what yah doing... people expect the world and willing to pay 0.99 cents for it