Solar Panels

[HPBoats83]

Has anybody done any solar work to their house at all whether it be for the whole house or just the pool. What has your experience been? Who did it and how does it work?

[Xlration Marine]

http://www.southwestpv.com/Home_Power.htm

[HokeySon]

Has anybody done any solar work to their house at all whether it be for the whole house or just the pool. What has your experience been? Who did it and how does it work?
you mean just water or electricity?
I did two PV electricity sets myself. I put up a grid tie in at my home and a stand alone on my river place. It is not very hard. The grid tie was high voltage though, so it was dangerous I guess -- that's what they all kept telling me when they found out I wanted to do it myself. The stand alone was even easier as I did it without a permit and so didn't have to do all the calculations and crap.
It was worth it. It is cool to see the meter spinning backwards. Payback is still a ways away, but I just like the idea of making electricity from the sun.
Oh yeah, the stand alone system was so nice someone stole the whole thing. They also stole the panels I was going to use to buiild a water heating system so I was never able to do that.

[scooooter7]

I like the kind that rotates with the sun. A company in Covina (I think) has one on display.

[YeLLowBoaT]

Do you have any electric bill? A credit? I'm interested.
All that depends on the size of your system and how much sun it gets ( even a small amount of shade destorys the effentcy of solar panels.)
A average home will need 3-4k KW system to run... and remember your not producing power if the sun is not shining...
The smaller systems tend to cut your bill in half and run about 15k. The larger systems tend to cut it down to very little and cost about 25k. if you start adding things like preheating water for your water heater, add on another 5k, but you will save alot on heating water( can also be set up to heat water for heating as well)

[Wheeler]

I use solar at my ranch house, 2,880 watts and I will be adding another 1,440 watts in the near future. This system works ok at the present time, will run two swamp coolers, plasma tv, washer dryer and I will be able to operate the ac. when I am finished.

[Tom Brown]

I did two PV electricity sets myself. I put up a grid tie in at my home and a stand alone on my river place.
From now on, I'm going to call you Stephen Hawking.

[Legal Chemistry]

I use solar at my ranch house, 2,880 watts and I will be adding another 1,440 watts in the near future. This system works ok at the present time, will run two swamp coolers, plasma tv, washer dryer and I will be able to operate the ac. when I am finished.
Keep in mind those damned plasmas suck up juice! I changed from a plasma 50" to 50" LCD, 680 watts vs. 180 watts.

[Wheeler]

Keep in mind those damned plasmas suck up juice! I changed from a plasma 50" to 50" LCD, 680 watts vs. 180 watts.
Thanks for the info..
Good thing I left the LCD at the river house, since I have to pay for electricity there. :(
When I remodel or rebuild the river house, I will go solar, about a 5kw system. :D

[socalmoney]

Here is a company that installs solar and you pay them a contract rate based on the average rate for your utility during the prior year. You can lock that rate in for 25 years. No upfront costs. I thought it was an interesting concept. If energy increases 20% 30%, that would be money in your pocket.
http://renu.citizenre.com/

[Jyruiz]

Keep in mind those damned plasmas suck up juice! I changed from a plasma 50" to 50" LCD, 680 watts vs. 180 watts.
The 680 watts is a total output, no way would the plasma use that much in normal viewing. The only time an LCD uses less power than a plasma, is if both are showing an all white picture, otherwise, there is very little difference if both are setup (contrast, brightness, power saving) properly. Of course, I am talking about name brand plasmas, and plasmas that are not older than 3 to 4 years tops. Sometimes the plasma even uses less power than an LCD depending on what you are watching.

[Sleek-Jet]

The grid tie was high voltage though, so it was dangerous I guess -- that's what they all kept telling me when they found out I wanted to do it myself.
The dangerous part comes in if you have no way of isolating your panels from the incomming service during an outage. Your panels will back feed the transformer which in turn will charge the high voltage distribution lines. I'm sure you had to put some sort of automatic disconnect in that would isolate you in case the source side power was lost on your service.
Lineman don't like to be electrocuted... they are funny that way.

[WYRD]

We just installed a complete 15kw system to run the office. It works very well and used to spin the meter backwards..............until SCE installed a NET Meter:mad: :mad:
Its not too complicated but is still very pricey upfront like it was said before its just kinda cool to make power from the sun. Next month we are installing a wind generator and battery storage banks as well:)

[WYRD]

The dangerous part comes in if you have no way of isolating your panels from the incomming service during an outage. Your panels will back feed the transformer which in turn will charge the high voltage distribution lines. I'm sure you had to put some sort of automatic disconnect in that would isolate you in case the source side power was lost on your service.
Lineman don't like to be electrocuted... they are funny that way.
It needs power to make power, the inverter runs of of a 240v supply breaker. If that looses power the inverters will not operate so you are just left with DC voltage;)

[Sleek-Jet]

It needs power to make power, the inverter runs of of a 240v supply breaker. If that looses power the inverters will not operate so you are just left with DC voltage;)
We require an auto disconnect. Just like if there was a generator sitting there.

[Sleek-Jet]

We just installed a complete 15kw system to run the office. It works very well and used to spin the meter backwards..............until SCE installed a NET Meter:mad: :mad:
The NET meter is because they have to purchase the power from you. There's got to be a record so it all balances out on the spreadsheets.

[WYRD]

We require an auto disconnect. Just like if there was a generator sitting there.
That would be a transfer switch, because the generator is considered a completly seperate power source. Solar panels operate in conjunction with the grid power, at least every one I have seen

[Sleek-Jet]

That would be a transfer switch, because the generator is considered a completly seperate power source. Solar panels operate in conjunction with the grid power, at least every one I have seen
It's a safety issue... different utilities have different installation standards I'm sure, but that is what we require.

[WYRD]

The NET meter is because they have to purchase the power from you. There's got to be a record so it all balances out on the spreadsheets.
but they buy it for what they produce it for which is far cheaper that what they sell it to me for.
I.E.
take the month of July for example
say I used 100kwh of power but my solar produced 100kwh of power you would think I would have a zero bill right? wrong and here is why
they sell me 100kwh at .20/kwh for a bill of $ 20
they give me credit for the 100kwh at .10 for a credit of $10
for a total bill of $ 10 even though I made the same amount of power that I used....

[Sleek-Jet]

but they buy it for what they produce it for which is far cheaper that what they sell it to me for.
I.E.
take the month of July for example
say I used 100kwh of power but my solar produced 100kwh of power you would think I would have a zero bill right? wrong and here is why
they sell me 100kwh at .20/kwh for a bill of $ 20
they give me credit for the 100kwh at .10 for a credit of $10
for a total bill of $ 10 even though I made the same amount of power that I used....
That's all in the rate terriff... and that's pretty much standard for co-generation sites. You still have to buy the power you use from SCE, because they have the francise to serve you, even if you generate the power you use. There are places that do a zero-sum solar system, but they are few and far between. The only way to get away from the NET meter is to go entirely solar and/or battery and pull the service.
If you want to change that, next time they go in for a rate increase, show up at the public hearings.
Look on the bright side, at least they aren't charging you to take the power and then sell it back to you.

[Dave C]

come one now.. this is Kalifornia... give it some time and they will... ;)
Look on the bright side, at least they aren't charging you to take the power and then sell it back to you.

[Dave C]

I had a neighbor that does this for a living give me some good info.
So I ran some #'s. Given todays rates that charge more if you use more power (i.e. tiered rates based on usage) .... if you use alot of electricity (i.e. over $300 a month) then the return on your investment is quicker because of the tiered rates. Your savings would first come off the highest tier you are paying, so on, so forth.
Plus it would insulate you against future rate hikes, which IMHO are imminent.
If I had to run an friggen A/C or pool heater all friggen day like you poor fawkers I would buy them. :eek:
But I don't own an A/C or a pool cuz I don't need them because our weather is perfect and your's sucks ;) :devil: :D :D

[Wheeler]

We require an auto disconnect. Just like if there was a generator sitting there.
You are correct, a PV/Utility disconnect which is either built into the grid tie inverter or an external disconnect is required.
Ps. your location states, east AJO is this KAJO as in Corona airport?

[BadKachina]

our weather is perfect on your's sucks ;) :devil: :D :D
LMAO, this is so true....:D

[BajaMike]

Solar electical is great......we have a place in Palm Desert and it cuts cost about 50% in the summer and rolls the meter back in the spring and fall.
We're going to solar pool heating in Aug, so mom can "expand her swimming season". I understand you can even use the solor pool heaters to cool the pool in the summer....:idea:
:D