Grid tie complete system
 

I'm interested in a grid tied system. I'm just a DIY'er, so I don't know enough about this to put a system together myself.

Can anyone recommend an outfit that sells a complete package? Thanks

Ok, I'll bite. I had a quote done by "Mr. Solar" Solar Panels for Sale for Your Home & Business when I was building my second solar array. I even paid tham a nominal amount to have the blueprints they were working from drawn up so I could see all the details. In the end, I wound up spending a little extra to hire a local guy to design and order the parts for the system I chose.

I decided the extra money would be well spent to have a solar trained person who would come and help if I had a problem. Since everything eventually has problems, I feel it is money well spent.

If you really want to DIY, read a few of the threads related to others building their own on this site, or on the Build It Solar website. BuildItSolar: Solar energy projects for Do It Yourselfers to save money and reduce pollution

Regardless of which way you choose, you can save some money by doing whatever part of the work you are willing/able to do. I didn't want to pay someone to assemble my racking system, or install two dozen solar panels and align them when I was sure I could do that myself. Same with trenching and running counduit for the electrical part of the install.

Mark

If you go with micro inverters its quite easy. Each panel has its own inverter, it converts the dc output from the panel into 240 vac. You can tie together up to 17 enphase 215 micro inverters onto one 20 amp double pole breaker in your breaker panel. Thats its in a nutshell. The rest is fine details like local code requirements, disconnect between breaker and inverters, and rack mounting. The racks can cost as much as the panels or you can save good money improvising. Here's a build thread for my small dyi array. Cost was around $3k. Payback looks like about 10 years before any tax credits. In the past month which has been very cloudy I generated about $30 worth of juice not on my power bill.http://ecorenovator.org/forum/solar-...ase-usage.html

How big of a system are you looking at? If you just want a few hundred watts to get started, there are inverters that just plug in.

Thanks for all the advice. Not sure what I want to do just yet.

Look over these well documented installs. Keep in mind that cost is way down and if you shop around you can get payback times down. My payback time is 5-5 ½ years and that is if power cost does not increase during that time.

Designing and Installing a Grid-Tie PV System

Doug's New 4.6 KW micro inverter DIY Grid Tied PV Array

At first I looked at complete packages but they were never complete for my install.
I used more supports on the racking than the bare min....

Have you made any decisions Mark?

Kinda just decided against it.

Need a new meter. Need a licensed electrician to install it. Permit, inspections, etc.

Not sure I'd ever get my money back on the deal. My electric bill is pretty low as it is. Also probably won't live in the house long enough to get the return.

Going back and forth on this still.

Any experience or opinions on this place?

Micro Inverter Solar Panel Kits - Buy Solar Panel Kits with Micro Inverter

I did not buy a kit from them but I did order 40 panels micro inverters and racking from them. It went well. There smaller stuff was expensive so grounding straps ... I just ordered on ebay.
Later I bought more micro inverters from them they did very good with that order.