Anyone Have Solar on his House?
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I've been off grid 15 years now here in Colorado. I did all my own set-up at a cost of about $15k for my equipment. Now the equipment is better and cheaper. I also have a Honda 7000 EU generator which get's used when we get a few gray days (which is very rare) or when I run big power tools. That genny ran me $4k. I also have a back-up genny, a little Honda EU2000. My solar panels are on the ground, never made sense to me to put them on the roof (snow?) Four lithium ion batteries are the powerhouse and worth the money. They are fully charged by 11am and just chug along. Solar installer prices are very high here and it's not that difficult to do it yourself (and up to codes)
My choice to go solar was easy. The local electric company quoted my $38k to run power to me. The only upgrade I did was go from lead-acid batteries to the Lith-ion ones a few years back. The ROI sometimes looks bleak but there's also something to say to be non-reliant to the power companies. Is is any "cleaner." IMO, no. not really. I tell people to start small and build up as you go and DIY . Unless you're rich.
My choice to go solar was easy. The local electric company quoted my $38k to run power to me. The only upgrade I did was go from lead-acid batteries to the Lith-ion ones a few years back. The ROI sometimes looks bleak but there's also something to say to be non-reliant to the power companies. Is is any "cleaner." IMO, no. not really. I tell people to start small and build up as you go and DIY . Unless you're rich.
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There's a house near me that just had a Tesla solar roof installed. It's gorgeous.
It's also well North of $100,000.
It's also well North of $100,000.
If you're rich you can have a solar set-up that acts just as good (if not better) than being on the grid.
The term "off-grid" has many meanings....myself I am quite comfortable and have all the luxuries of "on-grid." Although I am always aware of how much energy I consume. I run the basics, lights, water pump, TV, pellet stove, small furnace, laptop/router, surveillance cameras, juice machine, etc. I also have a compost toilet and a non-electric stove/oven that runs on propane only - and a fridge that runs solely off propane. My preference for the best heat is still my trusty wood stove. And I have plenty of free wood on my land.
The term "off-grid" has many meanings....myself I am quite comfortable and have all the luxuries of "on-grid." Although I am always aware of how much energy I consume. I run the basics, lights, water pump, TV, pellet stove, small furnace, laptop/router, surveillance cameras, juice machine, etc. I also have a compost toilet and a non-electric stove/oven that runs on propane only - and a fridge that runs solely off propane. My preference for the best heat is still my trusty wood stove. And I have plenty of free wood on my land.
Yep. the closest real town is about a 45 minute drive. 90 minutes to a big city and a 2 hour drive to crappy Denver.
I have a small self-sufficient 27 acre ranch with farm animals and greenhouses. I call it homesteading and not "prepper." My log cabin is a modest 800 square feet and perfect, built it myself.
well at my work we have a fleet of electric cars run on solar exclusively. About 10 cars or so. Not connected to the grid either. So I assume if it can handle those vehicles in PA all year round then almost anywhere else in the country should have an even better time with it. And only met one or two people who claim they've saved a ton of money with them on their house. They've gone from oh my Gosh that house has solar panels to you expect to see at least one or two in most neighborhoods (not too many in mine, Park Forest and it's an appropriate name.
I am almost certain no useful car yet can run directly off solar.
Do you mean the cars are charged from batteries that are charged by a solar farm?
I think if someone lives in a region blessed with much strong sunlight, it would perhaps be a crime not to take advantage of that sunshine assuming you have the wherewithal to get the panels fitted.
Our reliance on fossil fuels that are slowly dwindling (and currently rocketing up pricewise) needs to be countered, and solar panels I reckon should almost be obligatory for every household.
Regards,
Jay.
Our reliance on fossil fuels that are slowly dwindling (and currently rocketing up pricewise) needs to be countered, and solar panels I reckon should almost be obligatory for every household.
Regards,
Jay.
Started down this path about six months ago. Steep learning curve for me. Every company I've "dealt" (tried to deal) with has been as opaque as split pea soup. Customer service is absolutely NOT part of the solar industry's business model!!! So, I got a little information here, and a little information there, tried to make sense of the technical information available on the inter webs, and gradually got a sense of what was reasonable to expect and important to do when 'going' solar.
Early on, I had to come to terms with the notion that there were reasons in addition to economics that were part of the decision making. While I saw the whole affair as a place to park dollars as a hedge against inflation, my wife saw it more as a quality of life issue. I couldn't see her point at all when setting out on this path, but have come to appreciate the fact that solar power is more than just a way to "invest/save" money. More important to her were the benefits of reliability to our electrical supply, the social/moral aspects of using the sun rather than fossil fuel to power our little world, and the potential value of generating our own power should social upheaval get even closer to our lives than it already has. My neighbor, who has a Tesla solar system in/on his house, said the other day that "the day may come when we will look like the smartest people in the world." And, he's not a negative guy.
After months (!) of doing the twisted tango with the company that is represented at Costco (Sun Run), I realized the packaged/bundled deals from Tesla were very inexpensive and much higher in value than other choices. It was necessary to include storage, a.k.a. battery backup, in order to realize my wife's hopes for the project. And, the Tesla Power Wall is the best thing going in the area of storage at this time. The Power Wall has many other features that make it a clear choice to me: Multiple MPPT inputs, ability to 'program' how/when it gets and gives up power, its ability to proactively change modes when it gets weather alerts, and the data that it puts out about usage, generation, and storage level. Living in the Southwest -- and according to my wife's aspirations for going solar -- it was necessary to run the WHOLE house off the back up system. And, since the Tesla Power Wall is expandable it looked even better to me. Our HVAC is totally D.C. motor configured -- so every motor is 'soft-start' making the possibility of running the AC off the solar system possible. The Tesla system (two Power Walls) will run our 'world' for 7+ days (infinitely) independent of any power from the grid. How it does this is/was part of the learning curve.
I agree with the last post that there seemed to be a moral imperative on us to install solar since we live in a location with high angle sun virtually every day of the year. And, our system is 'big' enough to operate an electric vehicle in addition to the house should that day ever arrive in our lives.
Don't be in a hurry because there's a lot to learn and nobody will promise anything in terms of project time line. Supply chain issues make that impossible. Tax incentives may, or may not expire at the end of this (2022) year. But, one imagines they will be extended as they have been in recent years. So, if you're thinking about solar, my advice is to get busy and start learning without buying anything until you are comfortable that you understand exactly what you'll be getting.
Early on, I had to come to terms with the notion that there were reasons in addition to economics that were part of the decision making. While I saw the whole affair as a place to park dollars as a hedge against inflation, my wife saw it more as a quality of life issue. I couldn't see her point at all when setting out on this path, but have come to appreciate the fact that solar power is more than just a way to "invest/save" money. More important to her were the benefits of reliability to our electrical supply, the social/moral aspects of using the sun rather than fossil fuel to power our little world, and the potential value of generating our own power should social upheaval get even closer to our lives than it already has. My neighbor, who has a Tesla solar system in/on his house, said the other day that "the day may come when we will look like the smartest people in the world." And, he's not a negative guy.
After months (!) of doing the twisted tango with the company that is represented at Costco (Sun Run), I realized the packaged/bundled deals from Tesla were very inexpensive and much higher in value than other choices. It was necessary to include storage, a.k.a. battery backup, in order to realize my wife's hopes for the project. And, the Tesla Power Wall is the best thing going in the area of storage at this time. The Power Wall has many other features that make it a clear choice to me: Multiple MPPT inputs, ability to 'program' how/when it gets and gives up power, its ability to proactively change modes when it gets weather alerts, and the data that it puts out about usage, generation, and storage level. Living in the Southwest -- and according to my wife's aspirations for going solar -- it was necessary to run the WHOLE house off the back up system. And, since the Tesla Power Wall is expandable it looked even better to me. Our HVAC is totally D.C. motor configured -- so every motor is 'soft-start' making the possibility of running the AC off the solar system possible. The Tesla system (two Power Walls) will run our 'world' for 7+ days (infinitely) independent of any power from the grid. How it does this is/was part of the learning curve.
I agree with the last post that there seemed to be a moral imperative on us to install solar since we live in a location with high angle sun virtually every day of the year. And, our system is 'big' enough to operate an electric vehicle in addition to the house should that day ever arrive in our lives.
Don't be in a hurry because there's a lot to learn and nobody will promise anything in terms of project time line. Supply chain issues make that impossible. Tax incentives may, or may not expire at the end of this (2022) year. But, one imagines they will be extended as they have been in recent years. So, if you're thinking about solar, my advice is to get busy and start learning without buying anything until you are comfortable that you understand exactly what you'll be getting.
I mentioned a house nearby that had just installed a full roof Tesla panels, at a cost of over $100,000. Super looking, and I presume you'd deduct the cost of a regular roof.
Desert SW! You get intense sun and heat! Country or city?
The ideal would be full sun and moderate temperatures year round. (So you have little heating or a/c costs.) I don't know where or if those place exist.
Desert SW! You get intense sun and heat! Country or city?
The ideal would be full sun and moderate temperatures year round. (So you have little heating or a/c costs.) I don't know where or if those place exist.
You know I am not precisely sure what makes a solar farm or not. But there is a small set up of solar panels that are set up kind of like a billboard with a slight angle. That I think is hooked up to a battery but I can't actually say for sure. And there is a charger for each car to connect to. They get used pretty much any day there is work going on. You know I bet there is an article or two that has more detail somewhere.
So, no solar panels on the vehicles, or at least not enough to power the car/truck.... and I guess a solar "farm" can be any size bigger than a breadbox....
Here's my rooftop panel layout:
I went with a company that had Panasonic HIT panels.
A subcontractor for the company I work for is a Tesla installer. I can tell you the failure rate for Tesla panels is rather high and their performance isn't as good as the Panasonic HIT panels.
I went with a company that had Panasonic HIT panels.
A subcontractor for the company I work for is a Tesla installer. I can tell you the failure rate for Tesla panels is rather high and their performance isn't as good as the Panasonic HIT panels.
Solar boils down to power per unit area. Even under perfect sun conditions at high noon a car simply doesn't have enough square foot area for panels to be viable for the average amount a person drives. Not even close.
Indirectly, panels can be added to a home roof and a car charger installed to possibly be viable for maybe as much as 600 miles/month. Possibly more.
