Home solar panels?

[blain]

I've considered solar, but I would only do it having a battery bank and being 100% off the main power grid.

 

[Knight Rider]

My system is pretty complicated but I’m happy so far. It’s a whole house nat gas backup over hybrid solar which feeds the grid and battery back up.

If power goes down, the generator kicks in without any loss of service to the whole house and barn. If nat gas isn’t available or if I choose to disconnect the generator, the batteries and real-time solar supply a sub panel of critical circuits indefinitely.

It was installed last May just in time to grandfather into retail credits from Indiana Michigan Power for the next 10 years. After that the credits are wholesale. After one full year of operation, I ended up with about 2 months worth of juice extra. That balance carries over each month.

My bill each month is just the meter charge and of course the system financing. 20 panels on the barn and 20 on the house all over metal roof.

The home/battery side of the system is EMP hardened. Batteries are lithium iron phosphate. Panels are made(assembled) by a company here in Indiana that employs ex cons. Wellspring out of Shipshewana installed and organized it all.

I’m happy to answer any further questions. Assuming everything keeps working for the next 20 year + estimated life, my finance payment will be my electric bill. That last infrastructure bill also bumped the rebate from 26% to 29% so I took that and paid some bills. Thank you taxpayers.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

My problem is lack of clear southern view. To many tall trees.

 

[duanewade]

We went with solar in 2021, 24 panels on the south side of our chicken coop. I went with the estimate of 120% of my annual consumption and I probably should have shot 150% and a 10 or 12kw battery instead of a 6500kw battery. We got a 24% tax credit so in reality our system ran us around $24k including the new steel roof that we installed with that installer knowing a solar system was going over it.

We feed from the grid when the batteries get low and feed the grid once our batteries get charged. My local REMC did an exceptional job in assisting the installer (Advanced Solar out of Leesburg) with what was needed. It cheaper to go with a low interest HEL if you don't the cash for $30k plus for a whole home system. My ROI will be 12 years. We get paid the same per kw that we feed to the grid as what we pay when pulling from the grid. Our electric bill used to run $180-200 per month, after the increase ($30 to $55) for a two way meter our highest bill might be $60 and typically from March-April through to Sept-Oct we get a credit from the REMC

One of things I've learned to conserve the battery is to pult our two freezers on a timer, on at 7am and off at 7pm and you need to keep them full whether it be with food or cartons/jugs of ice.

I would do it again in a heartbeat but would have done it years earlier.

I am putting in a small hybrid system to power our greenhouse for winter heat and lighting.

 

[Remington 90T]

Brother-in-law was the first to go solar 10 years ago - One panel went bad. can't find a single place that recycles them or even takes them as garbage. I think they have the cart ahead of the horse in this solar race.