Re:Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful
by 1123581321 on Sunday July 11, 2021 @12:28AM
(#27798480)
Nice. I wanted to do this but I wasn’t able to do enough of the labor myself, and in my state DIY is looking like it may get deprioritized out of receiving renewable energy credits. In exchange for paying the markup on the panels I’m getting all the paperwork done right and paying a reasonable rate for the electrical and installation work. It’s a bummer, though, similar to when I conclude I have to pay for auto maintenance work instead of saving money.
Re:Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful
by jmartrican on Sunday July 11, 2021 @12:18AM
(#27798435)
Any guides on how to go about doing what you mentioned?
Re:Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful
by turtlebits on Sunday July 11, 2021 @02:08PM
(#27803175)
This is the specific off grid inverter I'm using - SPF 3000TL LVM-ES. You essentially place it between your loads and grid and it will intelligently switch to grid when your solar output is too low and your battery voltage is at a certain threshold.
Re:Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful
by TedDoesntTalk on Sunday July 11, 2021 @12:10AM
(#27798410)
I thought panels had a 20 or 25 year life span with reduced wattage each year. Is that true? How old are the panels you bought?
Re:Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful
by jeffbee on Sunday July 11, 2021 @12:18AM
(#27798439)
Modern panels lose less than ½% per year. If you bought 20-year-old panels today you should expect to get 90% of their nameplate capacity still.
Re:Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful
by bserge on Sunday July 11, 2021 @01:15AM
(#27798621)
25 years until they drop below 80% efficiency afaik (newer ones are even better).
But 80% is still rather decent for home use especially if you have space for more of them. Buy dirt cheap, use for another 10-20 years.
I just bought 5kW of used solar panels for $1k shipped to my door. You can get new panels for around double that ($0.27/watt). My 3kW inverter + charge controller (can run w/o battery) was $750.
The inverter powers a critical loads panel, which switches to grid when solar isn't available. I setup the panel, I had an electrician move my critical loads and connect my inverter.
That said, this is not the standard grid-tie setup, but it works for me. The advantage for me is price and the ability to add a battery later.