BigAl
Gone But Not Forgotten
I seem to have a little trouble understanding all this . I have a solar home in a Panama where we get 300 inches of rain a year . Lots of cloudy days .
It is a 5 bedroom 3 bath 7500 sq ft home . It runs on a 2500 watt solar system. I have 12 days of backup from the batteries in case of bad weather . I also have a wind turbine that is basically not needed . The system works perfectly . It has been installed for 8 years with no changes made .
Let me ask a question : Did you guys design your own system or have a solar pro do the calc's ? Most quality dealers will do a solar evaluation of your needs and the area you are in to get the most out of your system . Many also hold Day Classes so you can become very comfortable with solar System .
I strongly recommend anyone thinking of going solar to take one of these classes . The solar industry is discovering new ways everyday to make the systems more efficient . A system 10 years old is not like the systems of today .
With that being said I would not hesitate to install another solar system in the future .
A good system is not cheap and if you already have grid power the cost will never be recovered for installing a back up solar system even if you sell power back to the utility company .
Also consider that when converting DC battery power to AC you will lose about 20% . So make sure you add extra Solar wattage for the decrease .
Also go for the most efficient electric Refrigerator you can buy or go with a gas unit , I use 2 gas units set up side by side in my place , Dryer is gas , Hot water is gas , Stove is gas . Water system is 24 volt DC .
Good luck ! JMO
It is a 5 bedroom 3 bath 7500 sq ft home . It runs on a 2500 watt solar system. I have 12 days of backup from the batteries in case of bad weather . I also have a wind turbine that is basically not needed . The system works perfectly . It has been installed for 8 years with no changes made .
Let me ask a question : Did you guys design your own system or have a solar pro do the calc's ? Most quality dealers will do a solar evaluation of your needs and the area you are in to get the most out of your system . Many also hold Day Classes so you can become very comfortable with solar System .
I strongly recommend anyone thinking of going solar to take one of these classes . The solar industry is discovering new ways everyday to make the systems more efficient . A system 10 years old is not like the systems of today .
With that being said I would not hesitate to install another solar system in the future .
A good system is not cheap and if you already have grid power the cost will never be recovered for installing a back up solar system even if you sell power back to the utility company .
Also consider that when converting DC battery power to AC you will lose about 20% . So make sure you add extra Solar wattage for the decrease .
Also go for the most efficient electric Refrigerator you can buy or go with a gas unit , I use 2 gas units set up side by side in my place , Dryer is gas , Hot water is gas , Stove is gas . Water system is 24 volt DC .
Good luck ! JMO