Solar Power for our home

[Cutie Pie #2]

Here's our solar powered system we just got installed on our home. It's cost's $25,000 but we will be getting Government grants of $7000 and renewable energy credit's up to $3700 for the first 5 years then it drops to about $1000 every year or till they run out of credits. It's going to save us big when it comes to electric bills we will only have to pay $200 a year for electric. Here's some pictures of it.
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We get 3 meters.
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Computer control it switches back to regular power at night or when it's not enough sun to power the house.
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[1NZYaris1]

that is awsome :thumbup: , i would love to do that .
but as i no longer own a house , i guess i will just keep dreaming .:redface:
congrates and enjoy :drinking:

[BailOut]

Congratulations on making such a sound long term investment! :clap:

Did you folks consider going off the grid at all before making the decision to go with a grid tied system?

[IllusionX]

can it run on both power at the same time?

[CTScott]

Very nice! We are planning on adding a solar voltaic system to our house withing the next couple of years.

[cali yaris]

In California, you don't get any of the credits if you don't tie to the grid.

Cutie Pie, here they do systems by the percentage of your usage you want the system to handle, 50% 70% 90% etc. You are not allowed to install a system (and get all the credits) that makes more than you needed last year, on average.

How does it work there, and from your $200/year number, did you do a 90% system?

[SailDesign]

Argh! I wish I had a roof that pitched Southwards.....

[Cutie Pie #2]

In California, you don't get any of the credits if you don't tie to the grid.

Cutie Pie, here they do systems by the percentage of your usage you want the system to handle, 50% 70% 90% etc. You are not allowed to install a system (and get all the credits) that makes more than you needed last year, on average.

How does it work there, and from your $200/year number, did you do a 90% system?

Our system is a 90% system and it is still on grid for when the sun goes down or we go over the solar usage then regular power grid takes over it's all automatic, we do nothing just have to make sure there's always a green light on the computer so we know that it's taking power from the sun and not the grid. There's also a battery that will produce about 2 hours of power once the sun goes down. I'll keep you guys informed of how it works once we got our first few bills.

[goliath1812]

That is excellent. Something I want to do on my next house... hopefully the price will drop on these setups in the next 5 years or so.

[CTScott]

Our system is a 90% system and it is still on grid for when the sun goes down or we go over the solar usage then regular power grid takes over it's all automatic, we do nothing just have to make sure there's always a green light on the computer so we know that it's taking power from the sun and not the grid. There's also a battery that will produce about 2 hours of power once the sun goes down. I'll keep you guys informed of how it works once we got our first few bills.

What's the KW rating for your system?

[Cutie Pie #2]

What's the KW rating for your system?

Not sure what it is, All I know is it will power everything in our house during the day light hours without use of grid.

[YarisPR]

I wish this has LIKE button lije Fb :biggrin:

[127.0.0.1]

Not sure what it is, All I know is it will power everything in our house during the day light hours without use of grid.

where is your big bank of batteries, or does excess all go to the grid ?

[Cutie Pie #2]

where is your big bank of batteries, or does excess all go to the grid ?


We have not gotten the bank of batteries yet they will go in the craw space near the system computer, getting soon there on back order till June. For now it will go back to the grid once sun is down.

[Cosmonaut]

KW is Kilo watt

[yarisitis]

That's pretty awesome to think that for the price of a new car (which most people only keep for a couple of years) you can get a solar power system that will save you so much money for a really long time. It still boggles my mind why this isn't happening more, not only with regular people but with businesses and everything else pretty much.

Don't you get paid by the power company for extra power you produce that gets sent to the grid?

[nemelek]

The advances in technology and the lower production cost have made systems more affordable.

[Cutie Pie #2]

That's pretty awesome to think that for the price of a new car (which most people only keep for a couple of years) you can get a solar power system that will save you so much money for a really long time. It still boggles my mind why this isn't happening more, not only with regular people but with businesses and everything else pretty much.

Don't you get paid by the power company for extra power you produce that gets sent to the grid?

Yes, in credits so you will have no money due instead the credits will pay for the power that is used. So if you produce power from the solar all summer long during the winter or when you used power off the grid the credits will be put towards the electric bills. It also has a warranty for 25 years and that includes labor also, what car would ever have that. So yeah I don't mind paying that much for something that will last pretty long, longer and most cars.

[zachryboles]

quick question..... ive seen tons of these installed but i dont see any griding for panel protection..... is there any panel protection at all? if not go talk to your insurance and make sure they will cover that if there is damage.

[Cutie Pie #2]

quick question..... ive seen tons of these installed but i dont see any griding for panel protection..... is there any panel protection at all? if not go talk to your insurance and make sure they will cover that if there is damage.

Didn't think of that, I will have to look in to that, thanks!

[why?]

nice! That is one massive system. If I read it right you wouldn't get anything from the government if you went with a system that kept you off the grid 24/7?

[cali yaris]

There's also a battery that will produce about 2 hours of power once the sun goes down.

We don't get to do that and get the credits/rebates/incentives in California. If you add a storage system here, you're on your own.

[Cutie Pie #2]

nice! That is one massive system. If I read it right you wouldn't get anything from the government if you went with a system that kept you off the grid 24/7?

Yes we wouldn't get any thing from the government if it was totally off grid but our system has a battery backup, but the system therefore it only has enough power for a little less then 2 hours of use once the sun goes down or if the power goes off because a storm at night we can use it for back up to power our house, we can also set it just have it go to the grid system instead, that set up is ok with were we live because it's temporary backup power and it can be changed back to grid power.

[why?]

that is so weird. you'd think they'd want you to be able to go off the grid completely with the brownouts they seem to get every summer.