ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC | reply to tstolze
Re: I've gone and done it ... solar install What's the capacity of your panels (in individual watts)? |
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 tstolzePremium
join:2003-08-08
O Fallon, MO
kudos:1
 ·Charter
 ·CenturyLink
| said by ke4pym:What's the capacity of your panels (in individual watts)?
Manufactured by Solarworld USA, 255 watt panels
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Ofallon, Mo Weather
St. Peters, Mo Weather |
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 Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | reply to ke4pym
Received my electric bill today for Sept 13 through oct 12. 782 kWh. Cost $89.12 including all taxes and fees. Heat pump set to cool at 75 degrees 24/7.
I would be hard for me to "invest in a big loan for solar". At 69 I won't live long enough to even pay it off much less enjoy any savings "if any".
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tstolzePremium
join:2003-08-08
O Fallon, MO
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Charter
·CenturyLink
| said by Jack_in_VA:Received my electric bill today for Sept 13 through oct 12. 782 kWh. Cost $89.12 including all taxes and fees. Heat pump set to cool at 75 degrees 24/7.
I would be hard for me to "invest in a big loan for solar". At 69 I won't live long enough to even pay it off much less enjoy any savings "if any".
I agree at your age the gamble would not be worth it. I will be 45 late in December, the final total on my system after rebates was $11,000. Since May 1 we have not paid for $546 worth of electric not including taxes. As a matter of fact we have produced 350 kWh more than we have used since May 1. The sun is quickly getting to a lower angle and I am seeing a decent drop in production, on the best days I am producing just over 30 kWH, in the summer we were consistently over 45 with the best day at 48 kWh.
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Ofallon, Mo Weather
St. Peters, Mo Weather |
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| reply to ke4pym
Time to get the solar panels installed on the roof! I will post pictures as I can. Not sure if I should keep posting to this thread or start a new one for the pictures. Here's the schedule:
Monday - Installing all roof supports and rail systems.
Tuesday - All interior work. This will consist of roof penetrations into the attic, conduit and wire runs, mounting of disconnects, and connection into the main service panel.
Wednesday - Finish any interior work and begin installing all micro inverters.
Monday after Thanksgiving - Install all solar panels.
Tuesday- Final electrical inspection.
Wednesday- Final building inspection. |
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 natedjElectedPremium
join:2001-06-06
Columbia, SC | reply to ke4pym
I vote for keeping it in this thread. |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | reply to fluffybunny
said by fluffybunny :this is why you should always buy freehold never HOA. asking permission from the HOA or anyone for trivial stuff like solar panels is something to be avoided at all costs. I dont see why people *pay* someone for the privilege of asking permission and getting denied to install something in their back garden.
There is no freehold in the USA. You rent your "land" from the government at all times unless you are in a homeless shelter or prison. |
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Reviews:
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| I take exception to item #4. While shade on one panel means reduced output on the other panels ... IF a string inverter is used. I'm using microinverters. So, shade on one panel means just that one panel's output is reduced. |
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Reviews:
·Suddenlink
| said by ke4pym:I take exception to item #4. While shade on one panel means reduced output on the other panels ... IF a string inverter is used. I'm using microinverters. So, shade on one panel means just that one panel's output is reduced. Read it again, they didn't say that shade on one panel reduced the output of other panels. They said that shade on one CELL reduced the output of all the cells in that array. |
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| said by HarryH3:Read it again, they didn't say that shade on one panel reduced the output of other panels. They said that shade on one CELL reduced the output of all the cells in that array.
"Here's a bonus reason No. 4: Shade. A shadow on a solar array not only knocks out power to that panel, it also shuts down a wide area of panels around it." |
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Reviews:
·Suddenlink
| said by ke4pym:said by HarryH3:Read it again, they didn't say that shade on one panel reduced the output of other panels. They said that shade on one CELL reduced the output of all the cells in that array.
"Here's a bonus reason No. 4: Shade. A shadow on a solar array not only knocks out power to that panel, it also shuts down a wide area of panels around it." Read the NEXT line. The one you quoted appears to be from a clueless reporter "interpreting" what they think they heard. Then comes this quote from a somewhat more reliable source:
"Listen to the National Renewable Energy Laboratories: "the reduction in power from shading half of one cell is equivalent to removing a cell active area 36 times the shadow's actual size."
So yeah, the reporter with an axe to grind seems to have changed the intent of the message by changing one word.  |
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 djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1
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1 edit | reply to ke4pym
I'm at my 1 year anniversary with my solar panels.
The solar company estimated my system would output 8101kWh. It actually output 9504kWh. I have a string inverter, too. 
Shade does affect performance, but they do a site survey and factor in shading into your estimated output before you purchase the system.
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AT&T U-Hearse - RIP Unlimited Internet 1995-2011
Rethink Billable.
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | reply to djrobx
Re: I've gone and done it ... solar install 9504kWh would be about $950 worth of electricity for me. Would not come close to paying the loan payment on the 33,000 system that would only provide at best 1/2 of my requirement.
I keep sharpening the pencil but the results are the same. Except for the wow factor for neighbors the return is just not there. |
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| said by Jack_in_VA:9504kWh would be about $950 worth of electricity for me. Would not come close to paying the loan payment on the 33,000 system that would only provide at best 1/2 of my requirement.
I keep sharpening the pencil but the results are the same. Except for the wow factor for neighbors the return is just not there.
Except, at the end of the day, I'm only paying back ~$12k. |
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| reply to ke4pym
Main roof before. | 
Secondary roof before. | 
Getting to work. | 
Wonder where the joists are? | 
Notice the flashing. Should have a nice water tight seal. |
Today they should finish with the railing system and get most, if not all of the electrical work completed. |
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Reviews:
·AT&T Southeast
1 edit | reply to ke4pym
US trade panel finds harm from China solar panels In solar panel related news from November 7:
US trade panel finds harm from China solar panels
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trade panel found China responsible Wednesday for harming the U.S. solar panel industry, clearing the final hurdle for U.S. attempts to impose steep tariffs on Chinese solar companies.
The U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously that Chinese companies have materially injured U.S. manufacturers, affirming its 2011 vote that launched a yearlong inquiry into low-cost Chinese products that U.S manufacturers blame for putting them on the brink of collapse. (story continues)
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nohup rm -fr /& |
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ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| reply to ke4pym
Re: I've gone and done it ... solar install
From the j-box in the attic to the load center. Only issue with the install so far is here. Would rather have seen a gromit... | 
Ingress into the small roof. Nice and weather tight! Headed to the j-box from there. | 
Micro-inverter. Sunny side up. | 
Micro-inverter. Sunny side down. | 
Load center. From here all strings are combined and sent to the disconnect panel. |
Good progress on the solar install yesterday and today. Small roof has the brackets and rails installed. The rail system on the main roof is complete. Except for the upper right corner. That panel area needs its rails installed.
Interconnection conduit is installed (small roof->attic, big roof->attic, attic->coming down to the meter) and almost all external cabling is pulled.
There are 3 strings of panels. With Enphase microinverters, you can only have 17 inverters on a string. My main roof has 19 panels. So, two strings. The secondary roof is the 3rd.
They will be combined into a junction box, and then into a load center. From the load center, an external disconnect and then from there into my home's panel.
Next week will see the connection of the wiring system to my breaker panel and installation of the panels themselves. Then inspections. The city and county come out twice. Then Duke comes out. Then, eventually Duke comes out again to replace the meter. Then I'll be in business.
Asked a few questions today. Asked if they had any concerns putting about 1000 pounds of weight on the top of the main roof. Nope. They completed engineering work to verify that the roof can handle the weight and that nothing would fly away.
Asked if a surge could hurt the inverters. Fact of the matter is that it can. Though they've never seen it happen (yet). They did have a commercial customer who apparently had lightning strike close and ingressed the system through the grounding system and blew up a string inverter. Oops.
Asked if lead guy was an electrician. No. However, he is licensed by the state to install PV systems. They do have a master electrician who will be on site next week to inspect and verify that everything is connected correctly. |
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guppy_fishPremium
join:2003-12-09
Lakeland, FL
kudos:1 | reply to ke4pym
That "small" roof sure has allot of shade in the picture you posted, If that is typical your wasting money putting solar there
Also, no way that run from the roof is to code, you can't use "flex" more than 6ft to meet NEC rules |
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