Solar panels to power your LEAF...or other EV and home...

[garygid]

Sure, the net for the month (or even most days) might be "forward" (net usage), but the meter should "go" backward (perhaps in the late morning) when you are generating 4 kW and only using 1 kW. Look then!

 

[mitch672]

Sure, the net for the month (or even most days) might be "forward" (net usage), but the meter should "go" backward (perhaps in the late morning) when you are generating 4 kW and only using 1 kW. Look then!

Gary, my house uses an average of 53KW/day, trust me, it will never spin backwards (once PV is installed, which isn't yet a sure thing, due to possibly moving within 2-5 years). There are 3 AC units running, 3ton, 5ton, and an 18K BTU though the wall unit (off mostly), plus a lot of computers, as many that can be shut down already have been. I'm just a powerhog I need to downsize, the house is way to large for me at this point.. but the housing market is horrific at the moment, and the place is paid for...

 

[garygid]

Well, for "the thrill", turn all the A/C off for a minute or two sometime around max-generation time, and go look at your meter ... going "backwards". You will like it, I suspect!

 

[planet4ever]

Gary, my house uses an average of 53KW/day, trust me, it will never spin backwards

Surely you mean 53kWh per day, not an average of 53kW all day long. 53kWh/day is an average pull of only 2.2kW. Surely there will be some time during the day when your 5kW system will be putting out more power than you are using. If you live in a really hot muggy climate it might not happen this summer. If you use electricity for heating and have cold winters it might not happen then. But wait 'til next spring, and then look at your meter around noontime to feel the joy.

p.s. With all those computers and AC systems I have to wonder. What are you running, a clandestine web farm? :lol:

 

[mitch672]

Gary, my house uses an average of 53KW/day, trust me, it will never spin backwards

Surely you mean 53kWh per day, not an average of 53kW all day long. 53kWh/day is an average pull of only 2.2kW. Surely there will be some time during the day when your 5kW system will be putting out more power than you are using. If you live in a really hot muggy climate it might not happen this summer. If you use electricity for heating and have cold winters it might not happen then. But wait 'til next spring, and then look at your meter around noontime to feel the joy.

p.s. With all those computers and AC systems I have to wonder. What are you running, a clandestine web farm? :lol:

nope, just have a bunch of domain controllers, etc, will be virtuallizing them. 1600-1800KWH/month, average is 53KW/day, higher in the summer. I don't have a PV system yet, I am looking into leasing, or a power purchase agreement, since it makes no sense to spend $30K when the plan is to move within 2-5 years. I am in the middle of upgrading my electrical service to 200A, and we are using a CSED, which has (4) 2 pole breakers on the outside of the house, perfect to tie in a grid tied PV system (interior panel is full and on a generator transfer switch, can't be used for PV tie in), and also to send a new 100A service to the garage. The PV may not happen, the EV will...

CSED: http://www.lowes.com/pd_79498-296-RC816F200C_0_?zipCode=02368&ddkey=http%3ASearchCatalogDisplay&newSearch=true&firstReferURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lowes.com%2Fpd_79498-296-RC816F200C_0_%3FnewSearch%3Dtrue%26catalogId%3D10051%26productId%3D1196613%26Ntt%3Drc816f200c%2B%26N%3D0%26langId%3D-1%26Ns%3Dp_product_price%257C0%26storeId%3D10151%26Ntk%3Di_products%26ddkey%3Dhttp%3ASearchCatalogDisplay&catalogId=10051&productId=1196613&findStoreErrorURL=StoreLocatorDisplayView&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=%5Bcom.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4034f6e67d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%403427267d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4034c6a67d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%4030afa67d%2C+com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%402b6e67d%5D&Ntt=rc816f200c+&N=0&URL=TopCategoriesDisplayView&langId=-1&Ns=p_product_price%7C0&storeId=10151&Ntk=i_products

Solar Leasing: http://www.sunrunhome.com/why-sunrun/compare-sunrun-solar-plans

 

[mwalsh]

It'd be nice if Nissan gave a closer delivery date to those who will be charging from PV. Seems it'd be a GREAT marketing tool. But what do I know.

I'd be fine with that, my panels go up 1st week of July.

That would be cool with me too....incentive to get off my lazy arse and get things going!

 

[palmermd]

Here is an interesting article about powering EV's with solar.

http://evworld.com/currents.cfm?jid=122

 

[DaveEV]

Yeah, I know a bit about schott as they opened a factory here...so I like the idea of using them and helping local jobs...just wondering if anybody has them on their homes, or have heard good vs bad things

I've spoken with a guy in Tuscon with 21 170w Schott panels - had 14 installed with the original Enphase micro-invteters a couple years ago, last year he added 7 more with the newer Enphase micro-inverters and will be adding another 6 of the 225w Schott panels soon. His system performance can be seen here:

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/tL4K292

From what I can tell, the Schott panels seem pretty good and he's happy enough with them that he keeps on buying them.

 

[garygid]

With solar PV, one just needs a giant battery in which to store all that energy.
Maybe a lot of car batteries?

Now, how to get the energy to the cars that are not actually in motion?
Maybe wires ... ?

 

[Gonewild]

Yeah, I know a bit about schott as they opened a factory here...so I like the idea of using them and helping local jobs...just wondering if anybody has them on their homes, or have heard good vs bad things

I've spoken with a guy in Tuscon with 21 170w Schott panels - had 14 installed with the original Enphase micro-invteters a couple years ago, last year he added 7 more with the newer Enphase micro-inverters and will be adding another 6 of the 225w Schott panels soon. His system performance can be seen here:

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/tL4K292

From what I can tell, the Schott panels seem pretty good and he's happy enough with them that he keeps on buying them.

Looks like the tuson pv system is facing east and west. What direction is your panel face?

 

[Gonewild]

With solar PV, one just needs a giant battery in which to store all that energy.
Maybe a lot of car batteries?

Now, how to get the energy to the cars that are not actually in motion?
Maybe wires ... ?

Your don't want battery theres to much losses. The grid is 100%

 

[DaveEV]

I've spoken with a guy in Tuscon with 21 170w Schott panels - had 14 installed with the original Enphase micro-invteters a couple years ago, last year he added 7 more with the newer Enphase micro-inverters and will be adding another 6 of the 225w Schott panels soon. His system performance can be seen here:

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/tL4K292

From what I can tell, the Schott panels seem pretty good and he's happy enough with them that he keeps on buying them.

Looks like the tuson pv system is facing east and west. What direction is your panel face?

The Tuscon system panels are facing due south at 40 degrees. There is some shade that hits some of the panels early morning and late afternoon.

My system is mounted nearly flat, about 4* facing west.

 

[DaveEV]

Your don't want battery theres to much losses. The grid is 100%

Yep, until there is excess renewable power on the grid or insufficient grid capacity to move the power, it will always be more efficient to simply feed the power over the grid and reduce the power output of fossil fuel plants.

 

[AndyH]

Your don't want battery theres to much losses. The grid is 100%

Some (many?) may not want a battery, but some want to be completely off-grid. Others would rather invest in their system rather than pay ~$1000 a foot to bring the grid to them.

 

[garygid]

The grid is far from 100% efficient.
I thought I read 30% losses, but maybe I am not remembering correctly.

Here, they pump water uphill at night to use it during the next day to generate more e's for daytime demand. Not a very efficient process, I suspect.

Lots of energy storage at night, with it being available to feed the grid during the peak times of the day, would lower the peak-generation demands a lot!

Now, considering the high and low TOD rates, how much storage does one need to make some money?

Lets say about four LEAF-size battery packs, or 100 kWh per day. Then, buy TOD power at roughly 10¢ at night and "generate" at about 30¢ (if one gets the full-rate credit) during the peak-rate times of the day.

Then, ignoring losses, we have 20¢ x 100 kWh = $20 a day, or $7200 a year on a (roughly) $50,000 investment.

Well, 14% is not a bad return, but ... Finance at 5% and net 9%, so pay off the equipment in 11 years ... well, maybe not perfect.

Sort of like a slowly-producing "chain-wipe" oil well?

Now, if we could just get the PUs to actually pay us at their "full" TOD rate.

A new business, perhaps?
Use "depleted" (70%) batteries?
Other batteries might be less expensive.
Oh, well, the ramblings of an okd man ...

 

[DaveEV]

Some (many?) may not want a battery, but some want to be completely off-grid. Others would rather invest in their system rather than pay ~$1000 a foot to bring the grid to them.

If you want to be off-grid, you will still pay for it. Batteries (even lead-acid, the most commonly used in off-grid setups) are not cheap, will require replacement every 5 years or so, and you will need about 40% more solar panels to become "neutral". You lose about 20% charging the batteries and 20% discharging them (Lithium batteries usually are much better than lead-acid, in case you are wondering) You may need even more as you will need enough power for the winter when your panels push out about half the power that they do in the summer depending on your electricity usage patterns.

The grid is far from 100% efficient.
I thought I read 30% losses, but maybe I am not remembering correctly.

Grid transmissions losses are usually less than 10% from power plant to your door.

If you are generating excess power with a PV system these days, you are most likely supplying power to your neighbors (unless they all have PV systems) in which case grid losses will be much lower.