From what I've seen the used tesla 24V modules can't be beat on $/kWh.

Anyone working toward off grid
 

Spring maybe in full swing here in Southwestern Ontario. Our home spends most time off grid. A lot of days have been quite overcast but we manage to collect enough power. A few more panels will be installed shortly as we have the room for them. As well the quest for a Tesla pack will continue. Oddly I have seen packs for sale from $16k to $20k but I can purchase a complete lot drivable salvaged Tesla for $24K

To help the case some wind is being explored.

The truck has always gotten its charge at the shop. I finally purchased a portable charge cable for the S10 Electric Truck. Today its saddled up to some solar power at home. With clear blue sky the house batteries are charged by 10:00am. So a little surplus of power today. The car was totally charged yesterday.

Today my father-in-law and I ran errands all morning in the little truck. Charge and repeat.

It can be done

Randen

Any one working toward Off Grid
 

Fellow Eco-renovators

This huge project is nearing completion. The addition of another 3.5 kws of solar panels is complete.
During this summer we have been off the grid for 95% of the time. The pesky 5% seemed to be always a day when some clothes needed washing/drying while the car had been charging with an overcast condition happening after say 2:00 pm. Although the sky is still bright the batteries were loosing ground slowly discharging. After supper had been cooked over the electric cook top by about 11:00 pm and the heat-pump air-conditioner winding down the remaining charge was not sufficient to power us through till morning.

It seemed quite apparent that some additional power in an reduced sunlight condition would help greatly. The consistent household power requirements seem to be up to 3.2 kw. With the additional panels in a lower solar input at 7:00 pm I'm seeing 5.6 kw so the batteries are still full.

Now for the question " does this all make financial sense"???? I need to go back to 2009 when I almost couldn't afford my energy costs. $11000.00 / yr (furnace oil + Electric cost)
We installed solar hot-water heating and Geothermal heating/cooling. The cost for this change was about $32000.00 which reduced my annual energy cost to less than. $5000.00 so in 5 yrs. was my return of investment. I think that this is exceptional !!

For the solar off grid system my cost roughly $35000.00 (batteries, inverter and 14.5 kws of panels) If we may consider that I'm able to supply 90% of my energy costs that puts my Return of investment at <8 years.

But wait, There is More!!!!! I'm driving electric vehicles. I haven't bought gasoline in 3 yrs. and I charge these mostly on sunshine. For accounting purposes which column should I put this??? OK I would spend upwards of $4500.00/yr. on gasoline. Should this be in the cost of transportation column with the cost of the vehicle or used for ROI on the cost of the vehicle. your call

Suffice its an energy cost that's not coming out of my pocket.

One funny incident. I use the electric truck (1998 Chevy S-10 EV) for my business delivering my tools. The capital cost ($4788.00) for the lithium batteries was in the column "vehicle repair & maintenance" was flagged by the accountant. I asked her to compare the previous years fuel cost with the year she was looking at. Ding... ok the company spent $54.00 for fuel this fiscal ( I borrowed a vehicle) Soooo for the for-seeable future you will have no costs for fuel. CORRECT

Randen

Awesome results Randen!

CONGRATS!
I Love the results

Buying gas sucks.

Great Job
 

I've enjoyed mostly lurking through this thread. I have high hope to add some off grid solar (we have 6810w rated grid tied solar) so that I can have backup power when the grid fails.

I love driving electric as well. We have a Bolt, but lack of accessible fast charging infrastructure in the Northeast AL, Eastern TN area means road trips are in our pickup truck. I have hope that either fast charging will expand, or that I can buy the wife a Tesla. Tesla Superchargers are available in the directions we would road trip.

Well my 6.4kW batch of solar panels is still stacked in storage. I'm still wondering how to put them up without the resulting property tax increase robbing me of any energy savings. The idea one of you mentioned about putting them on a trailer seemed like the best approach until about a month ago. My neighbor said the county tracks improvements from an airplane. They photograph a grid pattern of the entire county each year. From the sky a trailer mounted array would still look like a permanent structure. 440 sq.ft. of panels is going to be too much for a trailer. I could get about half of them on the roof of my 5th wheel camper but then I wouldn't be able to move it or sell it.

I've been quite impressed with the two window shakers (about 450W each)that run 24/7 this time of year. Our 2300 sq.ft. home has so much thermal flywheel effect that we are keeping the house between 71F and 78F with a cooling load of less than 900W. My upper limit of comfort is 78F so I'm happy so far. Today will be the first time this summer that I have to fire up a third window unit, and then only if we don't get a thunderstorm this afternoon.

The best thing we did to reduce cooling load is to move almost all our cooking outside on the balcony.

How much do you think it would raise your taxes?
I am glad SC does not do that.

Hard to say but not wanting to find out after the fact. Perhaps what I need to do is talk to the assessor. That in itself poses some risk. I do know my neighbors have been gouged for small DIY projects at several times actual cost.

I bought the lot next door for $12.5K. The next year I cleared some trees and assessment went to $22K, then $24K. This year it went from $24K to $35K in one jump. And this in a declining market.

The Kia plant cost us an initial $1.3 billion plus ongoing taxes from which they are exempt. Our county failed to account for the tax burden of all the secondary infrastructure. Georgia, in general, seems to be suffering from declining revenue because we aren't the only county taking a hit.