Residential Solar Panels
- Thread starter VTXCyRyD
- Start date
A little, and there are ways to know if they ALL are working. I dont know because 1 source never would show me, even after I paid for it.
I'm quite interested in the idea of solar + whole home backup but can't justify a standalone battery. My plan is to wait a few years until more there are more EVs with vehicle-to-grid functionality on the market.
For example, the F150 Lightning includes this feature (if you get their home integration system) which would let you power your home for 3 days without power. Add in solar, and you could likely do significant periods completely off-grid.
For example, the F150 Lightning includes this feature (if you get their home integration system) which would let you power your home for 3 days without power. Add in solar, and you could likely do significant periods completely off-grid.
Yes, I am doing this, and you simply can't justify the battery backup from a financial standpoint. It's way more expensive and less capable than a temporary gasoline generator, even adding in maintenance and gasoline costs over time. It's more expensive and less capable than a permanent natural gas generator as well, although not by as much.
I am doing it just as a "want" I suppose. I don't want to mess with upkeep and hassle of a gasoline generator. And I am somewhat concerned about the future reliability/cost of both natural gas and electric. Not concerned to the extent that I am stockpiling coffee, cigs and ammo, but to the extent I am buying the battery LOL. And once it is wired in, it will be easy to add capacity to it when (if) batteries get cheaper down the road. And/or using a vehicle battery for it as you mention.
The F150 Lightning (and maybe another Ford vehicle or 2) is the only thing I've seen with an ability to power a home for multiple days. To me, that is the golden goose for battery storage.
I have had this experience. Hail. Panels were fine, the shingles were not. Insurance company paid to have panels removed and put back on. All I had to pay was the deductible. Wasn't bad.
They never gave you access to power output? Ours uses Solar Edge and it shows panel production by panel at any time and keeps the data. If panels are not producing it kicks out a report to the entity we had install and they check it. Have never had them have to. They have called me a couple times because our WIFI was not working so it wasn't communicating with the inverter. I just did a reboot. I do clean the panels off in the winter when I can.
Depends on your electricity consumption and your current utility pricing. If you have electric throughout the house and Alliant is your provider your payback will be quicker. If you have kids that leave **** on all the time, payback even quicker.
Salesman dumped me like a $2 hooker once he got his last check. Should have held money I guess. They had panels ready so they got most of their money, then it was always excuse after excuse why they couldn’t get the rest.
Just have to have the disconnect from the grid so power doesn't feed back into when someone is trying to work on the grid to restore power.
There are fewer subsides now, the cost of everything has gone up, and they are 90% more efficient than they were 10 years ago.
Batteries also serve to feed power into your home during the evenings or low light days. I know people always think they are there in event power goes out, but it is also to cover any nighttime usage and low light days where production from sun doesn't meet your needs. In theory helps reduce the size of the system needed, but still with those more costly and a longer payback.
Not powered up yet, but panels are on the garage now. They face west, but there wasn't quite enough room on the house and didn't want to build a structure for them at this time.
Thinking it should be up and running in September sometime.
Thinking it should be up and running in September sometime.
I have had my panels on for a month and still not powering. It takes time to get all the ducks in a row once the panels are in place. I just got everything wired last week. Now going to have to wait a couple more for the city and MidAmerican green light the final phase and witness the power generation. I am going through 1 Source as well.
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So they did the panel install and you did the wiring yourself? what was the cost savings on that?
Think he means the wiring just got done, not necessary they did it. 1 source outsources a lot so that delays stuff.
