DIY solar array 12.5 kw

[stevehull]

Rob,

I agree that low frequency AC and DC follow the same IR losses. I am comparing something like a "Sunnyboy" (centrally located string inverter), located many feet from the panels where you have a lot of potential loss due to high current DC on the long input lines. High current means fat copper wires ($$). The shorter the distance between the DC source and the inverter makes this loss minimal. The inverter boosts the voltage up to 240 V AC so now the resultant AC current is much less and a far smaller copper wire can handle the total power with virtually no losses. The Enphase are directly under each panel and your Solar edge inverters are just a few feet longer out. Both have minimal high current low voltage DC losses. Not so true with a Sunnyboy . . . . or other centrally located inverter.

I am still on the fence on getting M215s vs M250s. I read on other blogs how some are using 280 watt panels with M215s and getting 250 watts out. Read the attached.

Power One v. Enphase Microinverters - Page 2

Steve

[where2]

Originally Posted by pinballlooking

It was a must for module level monitoring. This just makes it so easy for me to know what to fix it if there is ever an issue. Converting to 240 volts quickly it very convent a lot of use are very comfortable with standard wiring.

Good luck on whatever you decide just remember the Fed tax credit expires and the system has to be inspected and operational before Dec 31 of 2016 to get the tax credit.

I'm with Pinball using the M215's. Mine are attached to an array of 20 Evergreen 220W panels on my second floor roof. Getting from the roof to the ground floor in DC wasn't going to be convenient wire to hide inside a 2x4 wood frame wall. By using two strings of M215 inverters (10 per string), I was able to run 10AWG 3 conductor UF through the walls, along with a 6AWG ground. I've made 154kWh in the last 7 days, and been able to monitor my panels from as far away as Zhuhai, China.

Also keep in mind that the tax credit is a credit not a rebate. In 2013 when I installed my 4.4kW array, I didn't make a huge sum of money. I ended up rolling almost half of my 30% credit into the 2014 tax year to get the remainder of my 30% PV system cost back. (Uncle Sam got a nice interest free loan from me for all of 2014). If you wait until December 31, 2016 to put a system online, there's nothing I have found that says you'll be able to roll any excess credit forward to claim any remainder in 2017. That is why I am pushing to get my second array (4.6kW) online in 2015, because I'm still not making a huge sum of money working, so I may have to roll some credit forward again. My goal is to retire and not have to give my entire retirement check to the tax collector, or the electric utility.

[pinballlooking]

I had solar credit and my Volt credit in the same year. With fed Volt credit you can’t carry over to the next year but solar you can. The state I could only take $3,500 credit each year so I had to carry some credit over.

This month is so solar sweet so far…
1056 KWh so far this month. I love this time of year!

[where2]

Originally Posted by pinballlooking

I love this time of year!

Likewise, I'm 113% of estimated with 362kWh generated this month! Next week marks 2 years since I started my self-install. Your 130% of estimated is Awesome!!

[pinballlooking]

Originally Posted by where2

Likewise, I'm 113% of estimated with 362kWh generated this month! Next week marks 2 years since I started my self-install.

Nice numbers!

It just goes to show a couple Enphase DIY installed systems performing very well year over year.

[gasstingy]

Originally Posted by where2

My goal is to retire and not have to give my entire retirement check to the tax collector, or the electric utility.

This is EXACTLY why I got interested in energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles and even started a garden. It is amazing how one thing leads to another sometimes.

The efficiency part was a lot of fun learning about and as we made progress, we were very pleased to watch our utility bills fall.

The renewable energy had the coolest immediate return as far as I'm concerned. There's absolutely no other improvement we made that could dazzle me like watching that utility meter turn backwards with 700w of solar being generated {even if I did have to turn off almost every breaker in the box to shut everything off to do it}.

The EV is my next major purchase, but we're not quite ready yet.

The garden probably won't save us any money, but something about growing our own food that makes laboring in the garden worth it.

[pinballlooking]

I know the month is not completely over but we just hit 2 MWh so far this month solar power.
We have only made over 2MWh one other month last year. As we sit right now just this month carryover 836 Kwh to heat with over the winter. Add that to last month’s carryover 444 Kwh
Total 1,280 banked to heat with.

Our Average day this month was 69.022kWh

It is exciting to hit 2MWh in one month.






I thought this chart was interesting.
We make about the same amount of power in the spring as we do in the summer.
This is showing a rolling year.

[pinballlooking]

This turned out to be out best month yet. 2,144 KWh solar power generated that is our highest month to date.

Post your solar numbers for May when you get them.

[where2]

Collected 633kWh in May with my 4.4kW array. (113% of predicted)

[pinballlooking]

Originally Posted by where2

Collected 633kWh in May with my 4.4kW array. (113% of predicted)

Excellent numbers!