DIY solar array 12.5 kw

[Vern2]

Here is my last year on 9.2k, from Sunpower. Still waiting for the upgrade to 11.6k

[pinballlooking]

We installed Enphase microinverters in April 4/12 9.2kw. Then we upgraded 8/15 to 12.5 kw. the total for 2013 is 12,124.12 KWH or 12.1 MW
Man you sure get great sun there. My 12.5kw system should make about what your 9.2 system makes AZ is a great place for solar power.

[Robaroni]

Wow, you guys are really making power!

This summer when my wind and microhydro go in I'm hoping to even out my winter power which is pretty bad. Also this will be my first year with both systems in and I'm exited about how much my PV arrays will do during our long summer hours.

Rob

[pinballlooking]

Rob post an image of you 2013 solar year.

I have made so many changes this year that I still don’t know if we are at or close to netzero.

I need to carry more solar to the winter to cover my heating. The mini splits should help me do this. I won’t know until next year at this time if I need to add a little more solar or I am good.
I would really like to netzero or very close to it.

Mark

[Vern2]

Pinball,

Do you suppliment your solar with natural gas? I'm total electric. With a shop and a 5 ton heat pump, some months I don't make it.

I do watch the lights, that is if their turned on or off and no one's in the room. But I leave things pluged in like battery chargers, with their little green light lit. Also I turned off the 30,000 gallion pool, kids are gone. I have a couple out buildings I'd like lights in and access to a 110v outlet for battery charging.

I heard of DC charging for electric cars. That could be a cheaper way of charging from solar, bypassing the inverter, don't know.

[pinballlooking]

We have natural gas heat and hot water. The hot water project is here.
Takagi T-H3-DV with 0.95 energy factor.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/renova...er-heater.html

I had no way to heat with electric so I put in a single zone Mini split 27 seer and a duel zone mini split 21 seer. That has cut my natural gas usage way down. The kid’s rooms still need heat and if it gets in the teens I do not use the duel zone unit.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/geothe...t-install.html

We have a pool also I put in this pump last year. It is 240v and uses a fraction of the power that we were using the year before. Yes it was a self-install. It uses 160watts on low and that is the speed we use.

My old pump cost over $100 a month to run this one is about $5 a month to run.


I would never be truly netzero but I would like to be closer than I am right now.


DC charging is interesting but 240 charging is cheaper. The chargers prices are much lower than they were.

I have parts the build my own 240 volt charger
open-evse - Open Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) - Google Project Hosting

[Robaroni]

PB,
This is halfway before my 4.2KW system went intertie (end of August) so this year should be better.(the 4.2 system doesn't show up on this chart either so basically this is a 6.44KW yearly summation) Also the roof modules are east/west. (I can't complain, it was a free grant) but may move them off the roof to a south facing position at some point. Once the snow covers them I either have to get on the roof and brush them off or wait for a warm spell and thaw.
With all this I am net zero but I'm not heating fully so it's not really fair. Once the windmills and microhydro go in and I get the mini-split I'll really see where I stand.

Vern,
DC charging won't give you that much more as the new inverters are running 95% plus efficiency. Saving on the cost of an inverter might help but don't you still need them to run the house?

Rob

[pinballlooking]

Wow snow in the south. It has been a couple years since we have seen this and it is not good for solar power.

[Daox]

Eh, a little sunshine would melt that in no time.

[pinballlooking]

We made 1,202 KWH so far this month so we are ok. But we used all that and another 580 KWH very cold month.

It is going to be 60 degrees on Friday.