| re: how large a solar electric system do you need |
|
|
|
|
| posted Mar 25, 2008 3:18:32 PM | To All |
| The article covers off-grid users. For those of us who have ordinary utility connections: depending on your local rules, you may be able to get by with quite a small system. Here in the San Franciso Bay area, if you have PG&E as your provider, you can get credit on your power bill for the power your system generates in excess of your immediate needs. If you install a PV system, you'll be hooked up with a combination of time-of-use and net metering. Time-of-use means that you get charged for or credited for power at a high rate from noon to 6 p.m. (especially high in summer) and a lower rate the rest of the time. Since most of us are away from home during those hours, if you arrange your home power use to be very minimal during the day, you get the most value credited to your electric bill for the daytime power your system generates that you don't use. Then you can use cheaper power at night and in the early morning hours. Since we get about 5 hours of good daylight per day (average) in the Bay Area, you can take your annual kilowatt hours of usage, divide by 5 and divide the result by 365 days to get the maximum Kilowatt rating that you would need for your system. Since PG&E gives favorable rates during the times (day, summer) when your system will make the most power, you can round down to the next lowest whole KW (or even lower, if you prefer not to risk giving any free power to PG&E). I put up a 3KW system on my house, and I expect this year, with a little thrift, to have an annual balance near zero this year (you get charged an $8/month connection fee and only actually pay for your power once a year on the "settle up" date). Since PG&E gave the contractor about a 30% rebate, reducing the price of the system, it only cost $20K, which I was able to finance against the house. |
|
|
|
| Ignore User |
 |  |
Report Post |
|
|
| re: how large a solar electric system do you need |
|
|
|
|
| posted Mar 27, 2008 12:49:03 PM | To All |
Many people think you have to have a large solar system to run a house but I and many off-grid homesteaders have system of less than 500 watts. My system is 250 watts and cost less than $2000.
Edited by: lamar5292 on Mar 27, 2008 12:53:01 PM |
|
|
|
| Ignore User |
| |
Report Post |
|
|
| re: how large a solar electric system do you need |
|
|
|
|
| posted Apr 7, 2008 7:03:13 AM | To lamar5292 |
| Hello, I am new to all of this and your post is the first I have come across that would be realistic price. Would you be able to give me any advice on where to start looking for affordable systems? Thank you in advance! Rayne |
|
|
|
| Ignore User |
| |
Report Post |
|
|
| re: how large a solar electric system do you need |
|
|
|
|
| posted Apr 7, 2008 1:10:45 PM | To Rayne |
| Rayne, That depends on where you live. realgoods.com services California and Colorado. Through Home Depot, you could find a local vendor that will install BP Solar. I used two SF Bay Area companies: skypowersystems.com and lightenergysystems.com. It really depends on how handy you are and what the local rules are. Your state, county or city may have its own incentives and rules for hooking up to the grid. |
|
|
|
| Ignore User |
| |
Report Post |
|
|
[1]
|
