DIY solar array 12.5 kw - Page 67

Robaroni · 01-11-18, 10:49 AM

That's very impressive!
We drove the last 7k miles on our new Bolt (May 2017) for free. Once you see the powerful combination of PV and EV it's hard not to think about building up to it like we did.

For those of you who think this is a great way to go I want to say you can do it incrementally. I started with the PV end but there's no reason you can't get a PHEV (plugin electric vehicle) or EV and work toward a PV system.
Even, after more than a decade, I'm looking to increase and diversify my systems.
Once you drive an electric you instantly realize how much better EVs are. There's tremendous convenience of plugging in at home and having a 'full tank' the next morning. Driving is better too, having instant torque, no warm before driving in the winter and no oil changes, spark plugs, tranny shifting, catalytic converter, etc.
Last year Americans wasted 3.9 billion gallons of gas in traffic jams. There's no waste with an EV. Think about all that pollution too.

pinballlooking · 01-11-18, 10:57 AM

I was excited to see you put 7K miles on your Bolt very cool. Even with low gas prices the gasoline savings outpace the power bill savings very quickly.

davidmiller · 01-16-18, 06:44 AM

Way to go man. Solar is a no-brainer! If everything will go as planned, this year I will get my own system and rely less on the grid. I just have to make that initial investment.

pinballlooking · 01-17-18, 12:27 PM

We just had our yearly or every two-year snow. Solar is not doing very well today.

dcveem3 · 01-17-18, 03:17 PM

Great thread...not going to lie, didn't read it all but I will. This is exactly the size of system I think I need, but roof mounted. Of course, I just started researching and need to learn a bunch more as well.

Thanks for the effort of posting your accomplishments!!

Don

pinballlooking · 02-14-18, 12:45 PM

Our system is paid off 4 ½ years. If you only take into account just power savings no others savings.

We made 90 MWh that is $10,175.22 (our power is about .113 cents)
This is ahead of my time estimate when I was designing the system.

Each microinenver made about $192.

It is very exciting system payoff was end October 2017.

We have many more savings. Add in natural gas savings scene we heat with mini splits.
20 K EV miles a year on our Chevy Volt Solar powered. Gasoline savings...

We could not be happier with this system. I am very glad to see others getting great results also. When I was on some other forums they told me I could not do a DIY install for system size that I installed. They were wrong and very short order I increased my system size from 9.2 KW to 12.5 KW.

This forum is so much better where we encourage other DIY projects. There are many good projects on here that have enough info to decide if you want to try it yourself.

where2 · 03-10-18, 07:31 PM

My 4.4kW system January data:
2018: 393 kWh
2017: 438 kWh
2016: 343 kWh
2015: 426 kWh
2014: 384 kWh

My 4.4kW system February data:
2018: 480 kWh
2017: 475 kWh
2016: 439 kWh
2015: 440 kWh
2014: 482 kWh

pinballlooking · 03-12-18, 09:09 PM

12.5 kW array we generated 957 kWh Feb 2017
We used a lot of power this month.
Feb 2017= 1,429 kWh
Feb 2016= 1,304 kWh
Feb 2015= 1,321 kWh
Feb 2014= 1,328 kWh
We have had a lot of rain our Feb was way off this year.

Other solar producers show use your numbers.

pinballlooking · 04-02-18, 10:58 AM

12.5 kW array we generated 1,618 kWh March 2017
We used a lot of power this month.
March 2017= 1,788 kWh
March 2016= 1,777 kWh
March 2015= 1,438 kWh
March 2014= 1,660 kWh

Other solar producers show use your numbers.

NeilBlanchard · 04-02-18, 02:46 PM

I am looking forward to having a thread like this, before long.

01-11-18, 10:57 AM	#662
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,930 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I was excited to see you put 7K miles on your Bolt very cool. Even with low gas prices the gasoline savings outpace the power bill savings very quickly. __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

01-17-18, 12:27 PM	#664
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,930 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	We just had our yearly or every two-year snow. Solar is not doing very well today. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-14-18, 12:45 PM	#666
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,930 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Our system is paid off 4 ½ years. If you only take into account just power savings no others savings. We made 90 MWh that is $10,175.22 (our power is about .113 cents) This is ahead of my time estimate when I was designing the system. Each microinenver made about $192. It is very exciting system payoff was end October 2017. We have many more savings. Add in natural gas savings scene we heat with mini splits. 20 K EV miles a year on our Chevy Volt Solar powered. Gasoline savings... We could not be happier with this system. I am very glad to see others getting great results also. When I was on some other forums they told me I could not do a DIY install for system size that I installed. They were wrong and very short order I increased my system size from 9.2 KW to 12.5 KW. This forum is so much better where we encourage other DIY projects. There are many good projects on here that have enough info to decide if you want to try it yourself. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

03-12-18, 09:09 PM	#668
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,930 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	12.5 kW array we generated 957 kWh Feb 2017 We used a lot of power this month. Feb 2017= 1,429 kWh Feb 2016= 1,304 kWh Feb 2015= 1,321 kWh Feb 2014= 1,328 kWh We have had a lot of rain our Feb was way off this year. Other solar producers show use your numbers. __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

04-02-18, 10:58 AM	#669
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,930 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	12.5 kW array we generated 1,618 kWh March 2017 We used a lot of power this month. March 2017= 1,788 kWh March 2016= 1,777 kWh March 2015= 1,438 kWh March 2014= 1,660 kWh Other solar producers show use your numbers. __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

01-11-18, 10:49 AM	#661
Robaroni Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Delhi, NY Posts: 332 Thanks: 20 Thanked 53 Times in 40 Posts	That's very impressive! We drove the last 7k miles on our new Bolt (May 2017) for free. Once you see the powerful combination of PV and EV it's hard not to think about building up to it like we did. For those of you who think this is a great way to go I want to say you can do it incrementally. I started with the PV end but there's no reason you can't get a PHEV (plugin electric vehicle) or EV and work toward a PV system. Even, after more than a decade, I'm looking to increase and diversify my systems. Once you drive an electric you instantly realize how much better EVs are. There's tremendous convenience of plugging in at home and having a 'full tank' the next morning. Driving is better too, having instant torque, no warm before driving in the winter and no oil changes, spark plugs, tranny shifting, catalytic converter, etc. Last year Americans wasted 3.9 billion gallons of gas in traffic jams. There's no waste with an EV. Think about all that pollution too.

01-16-18, 06:44 AM	#663
davidmiller Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: US and Europe Posts: 7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Way to go man. Solar is a no-brainer! If everything will go as planned, this year I will get my own system and rely less on the grid. I just have to make that initial investment.

01-17-18, 03:17 PM	#665
dcveem3 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA Posts: 19 Thanks: 4 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Great thread...not going to lie, didn't read it all but I will. This is exactly the size of system I think I need, but roof mounted. Of course, I just started researching and need to learn a bunch more as well. Thanks for the effort of posting your accomplishments!! Don

03-10-18, 07:31 PM	#667
where2 DIY Geek Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Sunny Florida Posts: 401 Thanks: 74 Thanked 83 Times in 73 Posts	My 4.4kW system January data: 2018: 393 kWh 2017: 438 kWh 2016: 343 kWh 2015: 426 kWh 2014: 384 kWh My 4.4kW system February data: 2018: 480 kWh 2017: 475 kWh 2016: 439 kWh 2015: 440 kWh 2014: 482 kWh

04-02-18, 02:46 PM	#670
NeilBlanchard Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth Posts: 383 Thanks: 78 Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts	I am looking forward to having a thread like this, before long.