Conversations about your/my setup

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
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Keith Myers wrote: On my

Keith Myers wrote:

On my best days during long summer days I have occassionally broken 80kWh of generation from my combined two systems.  The big one is on a ground mount and the smaller, later installed one is on the garage roof.

I generate about 20MWh a year of power from 11.2 kW of capacity.  I consume 30MWh of power so I pay for a net 10MWh of power every year.  About 5500W constant 24/7 load.

I would need to install an additional 80kW more of panels to make enough excess power during the day to recharge about 30kWh of battery storage for night use to finally make net zero usage.

How much money did it cost to buy all those panels, and how much do you save a year not buying grid power?

In Scotland, I worked out it about pays for itself (in 20 years) which is the useful life of panels anyway.  So it's something I'd only do if there was no grid power!

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Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519667131
RAC: 16156

Hey check this out!  300W off

Hey check this out!  300W off something the size of a sheet of paper!  And only £40!  I've sent him a rude message offering to buy it, test it, return it to him, then report him for making shit up.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403617439964

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Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
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Peter Hucker wrote:Keith

Peter Hucker wrote:

Keith Myers wrote:

On my best days during long summer days I have occassionally broken 80kWh of generation from my combined two systems.  The big one is on a ground mount and the smaller, later installed one is on the garage roof.

I generate about 20MWh a year of power from 11.2 kW of capacity.  I consume 30MWh of power so I pay for a net 10MWh of power every year.  About 5500W constant 24/7 load.

I would need to install an additional 80kW more of panels to make enough excess power during the day to recharge about 30kWh of battery storage for night use to finally make net zero usage.

How much money did it cost to buy all those panels, and how much do you save a year not buying grid power?

In Scotland, I worked out it about pays for itself (in 20 years) which is the useful life of panels anyway.  So it's something I'd only do if there was no grid power!

I paid $26K for the ground mount system.  It paid itself off in 6 years. I've saved around $29K in the past 8 years or around $3650 a year if I didn't have the solar.

The panels are rated for 25 years.

[Edit]

When I sized the system back in 2013 for two BOINC computers and a Chevy Volt series-hybrid electric car I got it right since I didn't owe the power company a dime for the first two years.  Only when I kept adding computers did the balance shift in the favor of the power company.

 

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519667131
RAC: 16156

Keith Myers wrote: When I

Keith Myers wrote:

When I sized the system back in 2013 for two BOINC computers and a Chevy Volt series-hybrid electric car I got it right since I didn't owe the power company a dime for the first two years.  Only when I kept adding computers did the balance shift in the favor of the power company.

I just made some calculations here, and in Scottish "sun", I could get paid back in 10 years, that's buying 2nd hand panels, fitting them myself, and making my own mounts.  But that doesn't include the cost of batteries and invertors.  Pass.

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Zalster
Zalster
Joined: 26 Nov 13
Posts: 3117
Credit: 4050672230
RAC: 0

Keith Myers wrote: Yes, it

Keith Myers wrote:

Yes, it is real easy to clean the ground mount array with a window washer 12' extensible pole and two sided scrub/microfiber mop head.  Just walk along the front of the array.  Bottom to Top.

It is much harder climbing a ladder up onto the roof of the garage to clean the panels mounted there. They are on the west side of the garage, the structure behind the ground mount in the picture.

I get about 5% extra daily production on each array after a cleaning so it is worth it.  I normally have to clean them every 3-4 weeks depending on the amount of dust or fire smoke or ash gets deposited.

I saw a sun tracking system outside of town by a machinist and the support tower and the rack has to be very susbstantial because of the sail wind loading they have to endure.  He had 3 towers each supporting a 3 X 3 array.

have to get ladder out and use a water hose with that window cleaner attachment to get the dust off them. Has to be done before the sun hits them so I don’t crack them when I wash them. Thanks Keith. Another thing have to do now 

Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
Posts: 5014
Credit: 18905774869
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I've been lucky so far this

I've been lucky so far this year as far as maintenance.  Had enough all day drizzles every couple of weeks to keep them clean so far.  I've only had to wash them for real once so far.  Normal when the pecan tree dusts them green with pollen from the catkins every spring bloom.

 

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519667131
RAC: 16156

I saw a house round here with

I saw a house round here with solar panels which looked like this:

When I spoke to her, she was not aware that light didn't go through dirt.

It would seem stupidity isn't always confined to America.

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mikey
mikey
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 12770
Credit: 1852923792
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Peter Hucker wrote:I saw a

Peter Hucker wrote:

I saw a house round here with solar panels which looked like this:

When I spoke to her, she was not aware that light didn't go through dirt.

It would seem stupidity isn't always confined to America.

Just remember 99% of American Families came from somewhere else and ALOT of them have their roots in Europe as a whole and what is now called Scotland, Ireland and England. Smile cousin!!! rotfl

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 838
Credit: 519667131
RAC: 16156

mikey wrote:Just remember

mikey wrote:

Just remember 99% of American Families came from somewhere else and ALOT of them have their roots in Europe as a whole and what is now called Scotland, Ireland and England. Smile cousin!!! rotfl

Actually I think you'll find it's [insert something even this forum would ban me for] where the morons come from, not the UK.

P.S. Feel like having a shot in the Boinc Pentathlon?  The Scottish Boinc Team is traditionally 4th place, USA is 2nd:

https://www.seti-germany.de/boinc_pentathlon/archive/

I've prewarned Krzysztof to make sure the Universe server is full of tasks.  He does have SSDs now.

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mikey
mikey
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 12770
Credit: 1852923792
RAC: 918935

Peter Hucker of the Scottish

Peter Hucker of the Scottish Boinc Team wrote:

mikey wrote:

Just remember 99% of American Families came from somewhere else and ALOT of them have their roots in Europe as a whole and what is now called Scotland, Ireland and England. Smile cousin!!! rotfl

Actually I think you'll find it's [insert something even this forum would ban me for] where the morons come from, not the UK.

P.S. Feel like having a shot in the Boinc Pentathlon?  The Scottish Boinc Team is traditionally 4th place, USA is 2nd:

https://www.seti-germany.de/boinc_pentathlon/archive/

I've prewarned Krzysztof to make sure the Universe server is full of tasks.  He does have SSDs now.

They have 76 Teams participating now, that's very good!! Make it 77 if they approve my Team!!

Peter do you know what the 1st place is? Is it Universe?

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