Solar System Install and Performance

[ABMax24]

I managed to get the demo account for my new ECU-R up and running. You can see all that stats per panel and per array on my roof. If you go to the sections tab at the top it has a help section to show what all the sections do. I wish it would show more info, my installer can see dc voltage and amperage per panel, grid voltage and frequency and amps out to the grid. For some reason they have decided to dumb it down for the homeowner.

Here's the link: https://www.apsystemsema.com/ema/intoDemoUser.action?id=000000006a4e6868016a66c53f4221be

 

[win]

https://stopthesethings.com/2019/05...torage-wont-save-intermittent-wind-solar/amp/

Good read

 

[jhurkot]

https://stopthesethings.com/2019/05...torage-wont-save-intermittent-wind-solar/amp/

Good read

Lol stopthesethings.com. Absolutely hilarious!! YES STOP THE SUN IMMEDIATELY!

 

[ABMax24]

If people are looking for information about what is done in other countries there is lot of videos on Youtube and Netflix that are decent. Anyone opposed to renewable energy would probably find them biased but I think they present about as balanced a perspective as is possible these days.

Islands of the Future on Netlfix. I like episodes 2,4 and 5. 2 shows an isolated island that uses pumped hydro storage to combat the cyclic nature of wind power. 4 shows an island where citizens have bought into co-ops that have installed wind turbines both for renewable energy and for profit of shareholders, as well as district heating fuel by waste straw from farming. 5 shows iceland and the geothermal and hydro power stations.


Here's a Youtube video on the Swedish incineration of garbage, getting rid of landfills, producing electricity, and providing district heating at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caw-969W-D4

 

[DRD]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calg...ant-mothballed-medicine-hat-1.5137428?cmp=rss

 

[jhurkot]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calg...ant-mothballed-medicine-hat-1.5137428?cmp=rss

Should have just used PV modules instead of thermal.

 

[win]

Should have just used PV modules instead of thermal.

Lol still a lot of wasted tax money
PV or thermal

 

[ABMax24]

Figure I'll post a quick update.

Everything in our system is working as designed, we are now well past peak solar production but have done very well considering the sad excuse for a summer we have had. On the best day (which occurred on May 19) we generated 21kwh and produced between 410 and 415kwh each month for May, June and July.

Here is our yearly totals, we have so far made just shy of 2200kwh this year, and have 700kwh more to go for the year to meet the 2899kwh predicted by the SAM simulator.

 

[sledn]

So, isn't the 2899kwh total annual Generation at $.10/kwh = to about $300 of power produced for the year ?

 

[jhurkot]

So, isn't the 2899kwh total annual Generation at $.10/kwh = to about $300 of power produced for the year ?

Sorta. Generated solar that you use yourself and displace power from the grid will be the best value. If you generate 1kwh and use it yourself then you saved 15-20 cents by not having to purchase it from the grid. If you sell that kWh to the grid you will only earn 6-8cents. This is why battery storage will become very appealing once the cost is more reasonable.

 

[ABMax24]

So, isn't the 2899kwh total annual Generation at $.10/kwh = to about $300 of power produced for the year ?

Yes but that's not what I get paid, my retailer pays/charges me $.185/kwh in the summer and $.065/kwh in the winter for electricity. This also doesn't include the money saved in transmission is distribution fees from self-consuming some of the power I generate.

I plan on doing a year over year comparison of my electric bills at the end of the year to see how it all adds up.

 

[ABMax24]

Figure I might as well post an update. I'm 2 months away from having these for 2 years now. I haven't had any issues with the system at all so far, the sun shines, my panels create electricity, the excess energy is sold to the grid, my power bill goes down.

In the last year I paid $672.47 for electricity, or $56.04 per month average. Prior to installing the panels I was averaging $101/month for 2018. So I am saving about $540 per year with the panels, or at my current savings about 12 years total to pay off the $6500 after rebate costs.

At my current usage my 3kw system is actually about 10% oversized and produces about 2700kwh/year, which is low for an ideal 3kw system at this latitude but to be expected given its fixed pitch due to being roof mounted and 60% of my panels face west or east.

I've honestly almost forgot that I have them, they don't require maintenance, they don't hinder or impair my life in any way, my power bills are just lower, particularly in the summer. I'd do it all over again and if we eventually make the move to an acreage I'll probably install panels there too, except this time on a ground mount so snow could be cleared off of them, with a small battery backup to ride out power outages.

Here's my output for 2019:



And to date for 2020:

 

[sirkdev]

Thats great, I'm glad to hear it's working well for you. What was your installation cost and projected maintenence costs to make it payout?

 

[ABMax24]

Thats great, I'm glad to hear it's working well for you. What was your installation cost and projected maintenence costs to make it payout?

Roughly $9200 all in for the complete 3kw system, permits, materials, labour etc. I also received the now terminated rebate from the Alberta Government at $0.90/watt for $2700 so my out of pocket costs were about $6500.

At time of install I was anticipating a ROI of 18 years, that appears to be more like 12 now, and this will get shorter as electricity prices go up.

I'm not really expecting any maintenance costs with the system, the only things that can fail are the panels or the inverters and both have 25 year warranties. The most likely component to fail are the inverters, right now I think they are about $350 each (I have 5 of them installed) and I could replace one myself if for some reason it wasn't covered under warranty. Otherwise I will probably give the panels a wash for the first time this spring or summer at the same time I clean the chimney for my woodstove, but if I don't get to it that's okay, the rain does a pretty good job keeping the panels clean.

 

[sirkdev]

Awesome!

 

[Crustyolddude]

Roughly $9200 all in for the complete 3kw system, permits, materials, labour etc. I also received the now terminated rebate from the Alberta Government at $0.90/watt for $2700 so my out of pocket costs were about $6500.

At time of install I was anticipating a ROI of 18 years, that appears to be more like 12 now, and this will get shorter as electricity prices go up.

I'm not really expecting any maintenance costs with the system, the only things that can fail are the panels or the inverters and both have 25 year warranties. The most likely component to fail are the inverters, right now I think they are about $350 each (I have 5 of them installed) and I could replace one myself if for some reason it wasn't covered under warranty. Otherwise I will probably give the panels a wash for the first time this spring or summer at the same time I clean the chimney for my woodstove, but if I don't get to it that's okay, the rain does a pretty good job keeping the panels clean.

I have had 3kw system since 2007. Then price of system was approx $100.00/watt. My system when all fee in was $27,000.00 no rebate back then. Transmission fees have been biggest creep for expenditures. I think I would like to add additional 3kw to system for 6kw system. Go battery storage , off grid system. The solar systems now less than half of which I paid 2007. If there are rebates, I will utilize them. Overall, need to watch squirrels chewing lines, and cleaning snow off panels. My current system is made out of Germany. It’s a good system. Not sure quality of chinese manufactured panels, inverters.

 

[Annacassandra]

Figure I might as well post an update. I'm 2 months away from having these for 2 years now. I haven't had any issues with the system at all so far, the sun shines, my panels create electricity, the excess energy is sold to the grid, my power bill goes down.

In the last year I paid $672.47 for electricity, or $56.04 per month average. Prior to installing the panels I was averaging $101/month for 2018. So I am saving about $540 per year with the panels, or at my current savings about 12 years total to pay off the $6500 after rebate costs.

At my current usage my 3kw system is actually about 10% oversized and produces about 2700kwh/year, which is low for an ideal 3kw system at this latitude but to be expected given its fixed pitch due to being roof mounted and 60% of my panels face west or east.

I've honestly almost forgot that I have them, they don't require maintenance, they don't hinder or impair my life in any way, my power bills are just lower, particularly in the summer. I'd do it all over again and if we eventually make the move to an acreage I'll probably install panels there too, except this time on a ground mount so snow could be cleared off of them, with a small battery backup to ride out power outages.

Here's my output for 2019:

View attachment 230120

And to date for 2020:

View attachment 230121

Your consumption seems low for the average home- is the solar only running part of you home's load?
The best you can hope for with a 3kW fixed angle system is about 3600kWh per year in Grande Prairie (I work for the Utility and have been working on solar projects so I've done the research/math) so the fact that you're getting about 2700kW is pretty good you're only losing about 25%- especially since you said not all panels are ideally oriented. We've been doing a few projects with solar streetlights and our losses have been closer to 60-70% but we are charging and discharging a battery to operate the light so charging is limited by the capacity of the battery along with additional heat losses.

 

[Bogger]

Wow your place is efficient.... my monthly consumption ranges from 1000 - 2700 kw/hr I'm running about 10x your usage.

 

[ABMax24]

Our house is extremely efficient electrically compared to most, every heating appliance that could run on natural gas does, gas stove, gas dryer, gas unit heater in garage, condensing gas furnace, condensing gas on demand water heater, gas BBQ. All lighting in our house is LED, all appliances are less than 4 years old and are all fairly efficient. We live in town so no well pump, pressure pump, yard lights, septic pump etc to pull power either. We don't leave anything on un-necessarily either, lights and electronics are shut off when we leave the room.

At the time of install we were one of the smallest systems our installer had done, and the smallest to cover 100% of annual usage.

 

[ABMax24]

I have had 3kw system since 2007. Then price of system was approx $100.00/watt. My system when all fee in was $27,000.00 no rebate back then. Transmission fees have been biggest creep for expenditures. I think I would like to add additional 3kw to system for 6kw system. Go battery storage , off grid system. The solar systems now less than half of which I paid 2007. If there are rebates, I will utilize them. Overall, need to watch squirrels chewing lines, and cleaning snow off panels. My current system is made out of Germany. It’s a good system. Not sure quality of chinese manufactured panels, inverters.

I don't clean snow off my panels, I'm not climbing 35ft to the peak of my roof for a few percent more energy per year. lol. Squirrels aren't an issue for me in town either.

I hear you on Chinese made components though, so far everything I've read on my Trina Solar panels though have been good, but I'm more concerned about my APSystems Inverters, there are definitely reports of failures, last I heard my installer has replaced around a dozen of them already on warranty.

Solar components are becoming much like computers though, every year there seems to be something better coming out at a lower price. Honestly I see that being the reason to replace old systems, when new tech will do it more efficiently with less area taken up, not because the old stuff quits working.