Our solar production

[DaveEV]

Either the connector is loose or the maximizer is defective. Tigo is scheduling my installer to come out and repair it. It goes out daily once it hits a certain wattage.

How many Tigo failures have you had? I haven't heard of many installs but have heard of a decent number of failures...

On topic - my system produced nearly 5.2 MWh in 2011 - good for about 19k LEAF miles for me / year.

 

[Boomer23]

My system produced 8,556 kWh in 2011.

5.16 kW DC, 24 Sunpower 215 panels, mounted on 20 degree roof, facing a few degrees west of south in Irvine, CA. Slight winter shading from some tall trees a few lots away. System is 5 years old. This year's production was the best full year yet.

We ended the 2010-11 net metering year with a 2,200 kWh surplus, enough to drive our LEAF about 7,000 solar miles on top of powering our home completely with solar. We would have bettered that total in 2011-12, but we had our kids move in temporarily, for the last 6 months of the year. Two extra adults and a baby, with the extra laundry, cooking, dishwashing, etc, killed that surplus. But due to TOU rates and charging the LEAF after midnight for 8,300 miles since new, we are still on track to end the net metering year at the end of February with a bill that I'm estimating will be close to $100 for the year to run our entire household and drive the LEAF about 10,000 miles. Not too shabby.

 

[Yanquetino]

I really appreciate visiting this thread and rubbing elbows with others who have installed solar arrays to power their homes and Leafs. Whenever I address these issues in more "generic" forums, a whole contingency of petrolpuppets always starts sniping at EVs, renewable energy, subsidies, tax incentives. etc. It makes me wonder if the oil industry isn't paying trolls to "search and destroy" on the internet --but I try to resist the tendency to become a conspiracy theorist. :?

For example, the other day, in response to my letter-to-the-editor, a naysayer ridiculed the surplus my solar array puts into the grid by arguing that after the sun goes down at night I am using coal-generated electricity. Here is what I responded, in case it ever helps the rest of you to counter these types of attacks:

Sigh.... c'mon: I never said that the very SAME electrons I put into the grid in the day are the ones I pull out of the grid at night. Please do NOT put words in my mouth.

Obviously, the excess electricity I generate in the day ends up being used... by others, by you, by your workplace, by the neighbor down the street, by... whomever. But those are at least a few electrons that Rocky Mountain Power did NOT have to produce by burning coal or natural gas. Very few? Sure. Maybe they don't even keep one lump of coal out of the furnace every day to adjust for my tiny reduction in demand. But still... if we ALL put more power into the grid than we use during the day, the lumps of coal would add up: just think what a positive affect that could have on utility emissions.

At night, sure: I am pulling a smaller number of electrons from the grid that have been generated elsewhere --probably with coal, possibly with natural gas, perhaps even by renewables like wind, geothermal, or hydroelectric --which will only proliferate with time.

I don't see the point. Over a 24-hour period, Rocky Mountain Power and I have swapped electrons that we each generated separately using our own sources. So what? Would you rather that I didn't put my surplus zero-emission electrons into the grid? Let's just keep burning lumps of coal instead, both night AND day? Just trying to do my small part to build a better world. I hope others, including you, will join in that effort so that the effect won't be so minuscule, but rather significant. How 'bout it?

 

[gbarry42]

I agree that if you try to talk about a kilogram or two of coal that are saved using your installation, the nay-sayers will just roll their eyes. But turn it around, tell 'em you just got an EV, don't mention the solar, and gee, one vehicle charging isn't going to effect the ecology, and these same guys will go ballistic about how you are using more fossil fuels and overtaxing the poor grid, and so on. Suddenly that same energy is very important!

 

[turbo2ltr]

Mine did 1.641MWh last year. But I only turned the system on at the very end of sept.

 

[travisty]

My system got turned on Sept 9, 2011.

Last year I produced 2,573.69 kWh.

If only i had a Leaf to use that energy

Any day now!

 

[SilverLeaf]

Either the connector is loose or the maximizer is defective. Tigo is scheduling my installer to come out and repair it. It goes out daily once it hits a certain wattage.

How many Tigo failures have you had? I haven't heard of many installs but have heard of a decent number of failures...

I have 24 Tigo Maximizers and this is the second failure. The first was a defective unit in the original install. This is a unit that apparently has become defective. They are very receptive to support calls and are quick to resolve any issues. They are also extremely responsive to requests for software mods, which really impresses me.

 

[N952JL]

I have 48 Evergreen 210 on four single axis tracking systems. They track east to west and have a 30 degree tilt.

Since going online 2 July 2010 they have generated 23.2 mWh (mega) and saved 35,897 lbs of CO2. (according to Sunnyboy (SMA)). Not enough to power the 4,500 sq ft of house during the summer airconditioning season or Winter heating season, but four months of the year I have no power bill.

 

[Aeolus]

It makes me wonder if the oil industry isn't paying trolls to "search and destroy" on the internet --but I try to resist the tendency to become a conspiracy theorist.

The oil industry doesn't have to pay the individual trolls. They have bought and paid for a robust propaganda infrastructure over decades that broadcasts their slant through non-profit think tanks, media networks, wire services and politicians.

There will always be proud dittoheads anxious to regurgitate the day's talking points.

 

[sparky]

Has anyone upgraded their original system?
I have a 5.52 kW system and am so happy with my production that I am planning to add an additional 920 or 1,380 watts to the system. My inverter is s 7kW unit, so I have available capacity.
I planned to replace 100 percent of my On-Peak usage, and that's what I am getting.
I now plan to move some off-peak usage to on-peak and have that covered as well.
Any personal experience with system upgrades will be greatly appreciated.
My original installer will be performing the upgrade.

I am preparing to do my second upgrade. My original system was 2.7kW and designed to get me down to Tier 2 from Tier 4. When I upgraded 2 yrs ago, I added 6 panels of a higher power level on a separate roof plane. I used Enphase microinverters for those so there's no issue with matching or strings. I have shading issues with any added panels so the Enphase help avoid dragging down an entire string when one panel has some shade. I've set aside $2500 of the $5000 LEAF rebate I got from the state to do my next upgrade (seems like a good way to maximize the value of the rebate).
Solar is sooo cheap now!
For that $2500, with just the Federal 30% tax credit, I can install 1.6 kW of panels + Enphase inverters. That's $1.67 / W, which I can't believe we got down to so quickly.

I'm extremely jealous of mwalsh's, Boomer23's and others' annual energy numbers (I admit to PV envy... PVNV?).
My shading issue limits me to about 1300 Wh per panel Watt, annual, instead of the 1600 or more I've seen posted here. But the PV cost is getting so low that I think it's reasonable to add panels to my roof areas that get lots of shade Nov-Feb since the micro-inverters shield the rest of my system from shading effects. Plus, with the self install, my payback time is pretty short; ~ 6 yrs.

I find it very hard to explain to others how great it feels to drive around on sunlight that falls on my roof and is silently converted into horsepower. It just seems like a freakin' miracle. I don't proselytize but I do mention how great the PV -> EV combo is. I usually just get blank stares in response to my giddy gushing. Seems like folks here seem to get it though. I just don't know why it's such a hard sell elsewhere.

 

[Aeolus]

I find it very hard to explain to others how great it feels to drive around on sunlight that falls on my roof and is silently converted into horsepower. It just seems like a freakin' miracle. I don't proselytize but I do mention how great the PV -> EV combo is. I usually just get blank stares in response to my giddy gushing. Seems like folks here seem to get it though. I just don't know why it's such a hard sell elsewhere.

Although I have not received my formal permission to operate letter from Edison, so I am just "testing" my new system, I can't get over the amazing fact that my car is now powered by fresh, clean, pure California sunshine, only minimally processed by storage on SCE's grid until midnight, when they want me to reclaim the electrons they borrowed (and they pay me an extraordinary daily interest rate).

Not to mention that I sometimes get primo parking spots, free parking and free electricity when I go places.

I just feel like I somehow beat the whole damn system every time I drive out of my garage.

 

[mwalsh]

I just got my "reimbursement" statement from SCE. I'm rather disappointed to say that I only received $31.48 for 1238 kWh of over-generation, so only around $0.025 per kWh. I think I was hoping for at least $0.08 per. Though, TBH, I don't think any of us really knew what to expect. Did we?

When I get back to working full-time (if ever) I won't have much in the way of excess generation, so it becomes moot point. But I may just change to rolling over my excess. It seems like the more sensible way now.

 

[DaveEV]

My shading issue limits me to about 1300 Wh per panel Watt, annual, instead of the 1600 or more I've seen posted here. But the PV cost is getting so low that I think it's reasonable to add panels to my roof areas that get lots of shade Nov-Feb since the micro-inverters shield the rest of my system from shading effects. Plus, with the self install, my payback time is pretty short; ~ 6 yrs.

Very nice - have any documentation of your installations and planned upgrades? Eventually I'd like to add another 1.5-2 kW to my system as with the LEAF (and potentially another EV) I would need another 3 MWh / year to cover demand.

I just got my "reimbursement" statement from SCE. I'm rather disappointed to say that I only received $31.48 for 1238 kWh of over-generation, so only around $0.025 per kWh. I think I was hoping for at least $0.08 per. Though, TBH, I don't think any of us really knew what to expect. Did we?

I think that some of your over generation was probably eaten up by minimum billing charges, no?

Payment for over production should be credited at the average day ahead wholesale rate which is around $0.04 / kWh (at least in SDG&E territory).

 

[TNleaf]

<snip> I've set aside $2500 of the $5000 LEAF rebate I got from the state to do my next upgrade (seems like a good way to maximize the value of the rebate).
Solar is sooo cheap now!
For that $2500, with just the Federal 30% tax credit, I can install 1.6 kW of panels + Enphase inverters. That's $1.67 / W, which I can't believe we got down to so quickly.

Geez, such a good price. Would the $1.67 / W include installation? Or just the panels + inverters?

I still have some shopping around to do here in TN for installing solar panels on my home.

Here are two different quotes I received from a TN based installer. Also, a HUGE important note is that these quotes DO NOT include the inverters, as I will be supplying those for the system.

28 x Sunpower 240 panels  = 6,720 Watts
$35,521 installed
Fed Tax Credit - $10,356
TVA Incentive - $1,000
Total: $24,126
$/W = $3.59/ W

24 X Sharp NU-240F1 panels = 5,760 Watts
$24,168 installed
Fed Tax Credit - $6,950
TVA Incentive - $1,000
Total: $16,218
$/W = $2.82/ W

Keep in mind, NEITHER quote includes the cost of the inverters, but BOTH include panels, installation, paperwork etc.

Any suggestions? Anyone know of a company that does work near TN? I'd love to get a quote that didn't make me feel like I'd be getting ripped off.

 

[Aeolus]

Any suggestions? Anyone know of a company that does work near TN? I'd love to get a quote that didn't make me feel like I'd be getting ripped off.

Shop around, and make sure you get references from existing customers.

I found very large price differences from different companies for products that were very, very similar and I have found some people who are not satisfied at all with the installation they received. (Roof leaks, unresponsive scheduling, problems with building inspectors, improper processing of paperwork with utility, et cetera.)

This article confirms some of the price differences between vendors. http://runonsun.com/~runons5/blogs/blog1.php/solecon/state-of-solar-california-part3

Here in Socal, it seems like some of the fast talkers and scam artists have moved from real estate, asbestos removal and mold remediation into solar.

 

[sparky]

Geez, such a good price. Would the $1.67 / W include installation? Or just the panels + inverters?
I still have some shopping around to do here in TN for installing solar panels on my home.

Here are two different quotes I received from a TN based installer. Also, a HUGE important note is that these quotes DO NOT include the inverters, as I will be supplying those for the system.

28 x Sunpower 240 panels  = 6,720 Watts
$35,521 installed
Fed Tax Credit - $10,356
TVA Incentive - $1,000
Total: $24,126
$/W = $3.59/ W

24 X Sharp NU-240F1 panels = 5,760 Watts
$24,168 installed
Fed Tax Credit - $6,950
TVA Incentive - $1,000
Total: $16,218
$/W = $2.82/ W

Keep in mind, NEITHER quote includes the cost of the inverters, but BOTH include panels, installation, paperwork etc.

Any suggestions? Anyone know of a company that does work near TN? I'd love to get a quote that didn't make me feel like I'd be getting ripped off.

No inverters? Really? That seems like half an install then. How can they test your system?

My $1.67 / W is without installation cost because I'm installing myself with unskilled (teenage son) labor. The mounts are already in place from my original job; it's cheap to add extra mounts when you're doing the initial install. I'll probably go with the Enphase 215 inverters and possibly the CSI-240W or perhaps the Sharp 240W. In the past, I've used Affordable-Solar in N.M. for my PV stuff. Great prices and good to work with. I might use them again.
Aeolus comment is a good one: Get references from other homeowners who have recently installed. I don't recommend doing a self-install. I did mine because I'm comfortable doing home electrical work, I have an 80 yr old Spanish house with tile roof, and my power company was very supportive with the permitting process. When I initially looked for an installer it became clear that few had both the required electrical and roofing experience for my job. Even though the panels can't be seen from the street, I didn't like the installers' plans to change the roof tile out etc. So, it evolved into a summer project for me and two of my kids. But roofing and electrical work are among the more dangerous home construction tasks (we used harnesses, never worked alone, etc.) so, not something I recommend.

The prices difference in your above quote could just come from the type of panels:
Sunpower are beautiful, highly efficient and expensive.
Sharp are among the best value in $ / W. But they're larger since the efficiency runs about 14.5% to Sunpower's 18-19%.
If you have limited roof area that gets good sun, higher efficiency panels can get you better bang for the buck.
Good luck with the install, let us know how it goes.

 

[TNleaf]

No inverters? Really? That seems like half an install then. How can they test your system?

The system WILL have inverters, just that the price on the quote is without the cost of the inverters since I am supplying it.

You do make a good point about the panel types, and that is a reason that I have a quote for a system with Sharp and one with SunPower. Also, the installation cost is another factor of difference.

Anyone else have experience working with a company that did the install and everything?

I think at the end of the day, the cheapest ($/W) system in TN will be the smallest (above 500W). The reason I say that is TVA gives $1,000 for systems 500W up to 50kW once grid connected. Since the amount given by TVA doesn't scale, the smaller system will inherently have the best $/W value. Besides, I just need a 4kW system to offset nearly 100% of my electricity bill.

I appreciate any feedback/personal experience. Thanks!

 

[HighDesertDriver]

My $1.67 / W is without installation cost because I'm installing myself with unskilled (teenage son) labor.

Not all states award incentives for owner-installed systems. Some, like California, only provide incentives for grid-tied installations completed by "qualified" electricians. The safe approach is to assume nothing and check before committing; state incentives are sometimes greater than the cost of the hired labor.

 

[N952JL]

My $1.67 / W is without installation cost because I'm installing myself with unskilled (teenage son) labor.

Not all states award incentives for owner-installed systems. Some, like California, only provide incentives for grid-tied installations completed by "qualified" electricians. The safe approach is to assume nothing and check before committing; state incentives are sometimes greater than the cost of the hired labor.

You may not need a "qualified" electricians to do the complete install. Most "qualified" electricians do not know anything about installing solar. In my install the only thing I needed the electrician for was the final connection to the meter, via a cut off switch. The only permit needed was the permit to interface the inverters to the meter for grid tie in. And a "qualified" electrician was needed for that.

 

[sparky]

My $1.67 / W is without installation cost because I'm installing myself with unskilled (teenage son) labor.

Not all states award incentives for owner-installed systems. Some, like California, only provide incentives for grid-tied installations completed by "qualified" electricians. The safe approach is to assume nothing and check before committing; state incentives are sometimes greater than the cost of the hired labor.

California has no requirement that the work be done by an electrician in order to receive the incentive.
But, your right to recommend checking with the permitting authority about what's permissible. For my upgrade, I had to keep the panels 3 ft or more from any roof edge per a new fire reg. My local power company and inspector were very helpful and as a result I did not need an electrician for any portion of any of the work.