Finally want to get solar for the entire home.

Hello,
I decided to get a complete hybrid system for my home.
Where to start? LOL

After getting quotes from door knockers in the mid 40k without battery backups
I checked around and found complete systems for under 20k
I guess, I still will need cables and other items and someone who installs or helps to install.
But there seems to be a long way to get up to 40k

I live in St. Lucie county Florida and FPL is my service provider.
I want a ground mount system.
I have an electrician who said he'll help me, but he needs the system plans, to look at it and give me a quote on what I want him to do.

First question. (I guess, this is step one)
I went to the FPL site and found a net metering agreement pdf to fill out.

It says :
2. Customer Qualification and Fees 2.1. Customer-owned renewable generation shall have a Gross Power Rating that: a) does not exceed 90% of the Customer’s utility distribution service rating; and b) is 10 kW AC or less. Gross Power Rating for the Customer-owned renewable generation is _________________kW AC.

What does this mean? Do I need a transformer of less than 10kw? panel total of less than 10kw? or both?

I checked some complete systems, they often come with 12kw panels etc. and 12kw or even 18kw transformer.
I found a 10kw system on bluepacificsolar so far.

Step 2.
I need to apply for owner permits.
Do I need to first buy the system, or can I get all information needed, to apply for permits first?

Step 3
Find a supplier that makes it easy to order everything I need, including 30kwh battery rack
Looking at bluepacificsolar, signature solar and currentconnected
any others I should look at?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Data said:

Hello,
I decided to get a complete hybrid system for my home.
Where to start? LOL

After getting quotes from door knockers in the mid 40k without battery backups
I checked around and found complete systems for under 20k
I guess, I still will need cables and other items and someone who installs or helps to install.
But there seems to be a long way to get up to 40k

I live in St. Lucie county Florida and FPL is my service provider.
I want a ground mount system.
I have an electrician who said he'll help me, but he needs the system plans, to look at it and give me a quote on what I want him to do.

First question. (I guess, this is step one)
I went to the FPL site and found a net metering agreement pdf to fill out.

It says :
2. Customer Qualification and Fees 2.1. Customer-owned renewable generation shall have a Gross Power Rating that: a) does not exceed 90% of the Customer’s utility distribution service rating; and b) is 10 kW AC or less. Gross Power Rating for the Customer-owned renewable generation is _________________kW AC.

What does this mean? Do I need a transformer of less than 10kw? panel total of less than 10kw? or both?

I checked some complete systems, they often come with 12kw panels etc. and 12kw or even 18kw transformer.
I found a 10kw system on bluepacificsolar so far.

Step 2.
I need to apply for owner permits.
Do I need to first buy the system, or can I get all information needed, to apply for permits first?

Step 3
Find a supplier that makes it easy to order everything I need, including 30kwh battery rack
Looking at bluepacificsolar, signature solar and currentconnected
any others I should look at?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

What is the rate FPL will reimburse you for exported power?

If it’s not 1-1 then a net metering agreement is probably not worth getting regardless of Limitations.

Data said:

Step 3
Find a supplier that makes it easy to order everything I need, including 30kwh battery rack
Looking at bluepacificsolar, signature solar and currentconnected
any others I should look at?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Hi My name is Jessica, I am the Online Engagement Administrator for Signature Solar. I just wanted to leave you my email address incase you decide to use us and need any support! I'm here to help!

You can DM me here or reach out to me at engagement@signaturesolar.com

Nobodybusiness said:

What is the rate FPL will reimburse you for exported power?

Click to expand...

FPL will net meter on a yearly basis, meaning you only pay the for the difference between what you import and what you export in KWH. If you export more in a month, you roll over that credit to next month and it accumulates. If, after a year, you have a net export balance, they then pay you for the excess at wholesale rates, reset your balance, and you start over. If you export less than you use, then you pay for it at the retail rate, as always.

This is among the most generous of utility agreements there is.

Nobodybusiness said:

If it’s not 1-1 then a net metering agreement is probably not worth getting regardless of Limitations.

Click to expand...

The FPL agreement is worth it.

Mike C.

mciholas said:

FPL will net meter on a yearly basis, meaning you only pay the for the difference between what you import and what you export in KWH. If you export more in a month, you roll over that credit to next month and it accumulates. If, after a year, you have a net export balance, they then pay you for the excess at wholesale rates, reset your balance, and you start over. If you export less than you use, then you pay for it at the retail rate, as always.

This is among the most generous of utility agreements there is.


The FPL agreement is worth it.

Mike C.

Click to expand...

Then your getting a 1-1 for usage vs export.
Most aren’t like that.

Seems you are familiar with FPL net metering.

Can you answer his question about the limitations?

Data said:

I decided to get a complete hybrid system for my home.
Where to start? LOL

Click to expand...

I'm deep into getting a house setup with solar, inverter, batteries, and net metering with FPL in Sarasota, FL. The system is 11.7 KW of Canadian Solar CS6R-390MS-HL panels on a concrete tile roof, Amensolar N3H-10K-US inverter (still very new and has some teething issues), two EG4 14.3 KWH wall mount batteries. The status is the inverter and one battery are installed, no PV array (but panels are bought) and no permit has been issued yet. We do not have a contractor and are trying to navigate either finding one or using the homeowner exemption to serve as our own contractor. Finding DIY friendly contractors has been impossible so far.

How much power do you use in a year? Past utility bills are the best source. This will determine if you can fit within the FPL Tier 1 limits (11.7 KW solar array). Tier 1 comes with no application fee, requires no AC disconnect, and requires no insurance. If you cross into Tier 2, then all of those things change.

Do you need battery backup? With the generous FPL net metering plan, you can go without a battery and then your system is all about energy generation and cost savings. But if the power goes out, you have nothing. If you add a battery, then you get backup power for some or perhaps all of your house. Backup was critical for my install since it is for my elderly parents who cannot evacuate in a hurricane due to medical limitations. So they will have 3-4 days of battery power (on critical circuits) and more if the sun shines.

Data said:

After getting quotes from door knockers in the mid 40k without battery backups
I checked around and found complete systems for under 20k

Click to expand...

There are a lot of "misc" stuff that drives up the cost so beware just pricing the big items and thinking you are close to the system price.

Data said:

I guess, I still will need cables and other items and someone who installs or helps to install.

Click to expand...

I have had no luck finding a contractor who will be contractor of record on the permit. The "solar" contractors don't want to do any job they don't sell you overpriced and underperforming equipment, so they won't touch a DIY type like myself. The "electrical" contractors don't want to touch solar in general, they don't understand it very well. The "roofing" guys often have no solar or electrical capability.

This remains the biggest unknown with my project. Right now, the default plan is to present my 83 year old mother as the homeowner to qualify under the homeowner exemption. We have not yet attempted to do this with the county folks but I could see this going badly despite the fact she has two master level engineering sons doing the work and it will be done right.

Data said:

I want a ground mount system.

Click to expand...

Praise the Lord!

That helps cut down on your costs a lot. For one thing, you don't need RSD equipment which adds to about $2K on such a system. For another, there are potentially cheaper ways to mount the array than the approved rail systems for roofs. You may also escape needing a stamped structural plan, though I am not sure about that. A ground mount is a lot easier and safer to install than a roof mount.

My system has to be roof, not enough land and the HOA won't approve a ground mount in any case.

Data said:

I have an electrician who said he'll help me, but he needs the system plans, to look at it and give me a quote on what I want him to do.

Click to expand...

That's more than I can get. Plans are not terribly hard to get but the AHJ requires they be stamped by a PE for both electrical and structural review (for roof mount anyway). I found a place in Tampa that did my plans for $500 for both electrical and structural. I now have stamped plans ready to go face the AHJ with.

You can get electrical plans from FSEC (Florida Solar Energy Center) for $250, also. They don't do structural, but if all you need is electrical, that's a cheap, fast way to go, possibly.

Data said:

First question. (I guess, this is step one)
I went to the FPL site and found a net metering agreement pdf to fill out.

It says :
2. Customer Qualification and Fees 2.1. Customer-owned renewable generation shall have a Gross Power Rating that: a) does not exceed 90% of the Customer’s utility distribution service rating; and b) is 10 kW AC or less. Gross Power Rating for the Customer-owned renewable generation is _________________kW AC.

What does this mean? Do I need a transformer of less than 10kw? panel total of less than 10kw? or both?

Click to expand...

Take the total nameplate rating of your solar panels. Multiply that by 0.85. That is the system AC KW rating per FPL.

In my case, 30 panels of 390 wats is 11.7 KW. Take 85% of that and you get 9.945 KW. That is under the 10 KW AC rating FPL needs for Tier 1 applications.

Note that this method doesn't take into consideration panel orientation so if you have a lot of panels oriented badly due to site constraints, they don't care and you are still limited to the total nameplate rating.

In Sarasota, the 11.7 KW panel system is expected to generate about 18,300 KWH per year. This will cover the house usage and maybe a little extra. A great place to see results is to use the estimator here:

Data said:

I checked some complete systems, they often come with 12kw panels etc. and 12kw or even 18kw transformer.
I found a 10kw system on bluepacificsolar so far.

Click to expand...

You want to stay in Tier 1, so 12 KW system is exactly the wrong size.

Data said:

Step 2.
I need to apply for owner permits.
Do I need to first buy the system, or can I get all information needed, to apply for permits first?

Click to expand...

You can design, plan, and permit without buying anything. This is deal if you do, we kind of jumped the gun and got stuff first, but this was due to wanting some power backup for the coming hurricane season.

Data said:

Step 3
Find a supplier that makes it easy to order everything I need, including 30kwh battery rack
Looking at bluepacificsolar, signature solar and currentconnected
any others I should look at?

Click to expand...

I ended up buying the panels and batteries from Signature Solar, the inverter from Watts247, and lots of other stuff from Amazon, Home Depot, Zoro, and some other electrical supply places. I have yet to buy the racking, RSD boxes, and various other bits. All the little stuff does add up.

Data said:

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Hopefully I saved you some of the terrain I had to trod. If you give more specifics about your situation, you can get more detailed help.

Mike C.

mciholas said:

Do you need battery backup? With the generous FPL net metering plan, you can go without a battery and then your system is all about energy generation and cost savings. But if the power goes out, you have nothing. If you add a battery, then you get backup power for some or perhaps all of your house.

Click to expand...

..hoping I get this right... just to clarify for OP
Getting a whole (or partial) house battery setup, unto itself, does NOT provide grid-down power option.
Going partial I'd think typically involves a critical loads sub-panel (meaning extra cost to create that... depending on cost to setup, may not be a real cost savings... depends)

To be able to use battery and solar PV production when grid is down, a system specifically needs its own grid-forming ability (which typical hybrid inverters have, but there are low-cost options that don't) . I thought as you did that all battery based system would work in grid-down, until I came across a few offerings for grid-tie only inverter/battery systems - which I'm assuming works for TOU optimization, but that rarely has a positive ROI, so not sure why solution actually exists, other than a lower-price point for those not paying attention? but ... ??? oh well... not a market I'd have thought worth pursuing.... but maybe envisioned before prevalence of modern net metering schemes? or situations I'm just not thinking of?)

anyway, just a minor clarification on the above comment

Data said:

After getting quotes from door knockers in the mid 40k without battery backups
I checked around and found complete systems for under 20k
I guess, I still will need cables and other items and someone who installs or helps to install.
But there seems to be a long way to get up to 40k

Click to expand...

Hopefully you've done your due diligence and realize why the door knockers are often best avoided

And system price can really vary depending on mounting setup (roof vs ground, conditions, roof condition, need to trench, etc), main load center condition, etc. My neighbor really wanted roof top solar... but prior owner replaced shingle roof with metal tile roof in a way that means doing anything to roof basically means needing to completely re-roof house
And have you checked out recent copper/wiring prices? as others have mentioned, connecting all the pieces properly can get costly

What I'm suspecting you aren't accounting for is warranty, support, etc. With a DIY type solution, you will tend to be on the hook for any/all configuration issues, troubleshooting, labor for parts replacement, etc. And if system stops working as expected, the onus will be on the owner to identify exact culprit, and then hope either an easy/quick config correction, or a part still under warranty, and readily available.
And then in later years, if Part A goes bad, then current replacement parts may have compatibility issues
And in 15/20 years, if something going one with one or more panels, you ok going up onto roof? if not, you may need to pay someone else ...
In my case, I'm fine going up onto 2nd story concrete Spanish S-Tile roof *today*, but in a decade or more, probably not something I'd look kindly upon.

This is a DIY forum, so answers will skew that way...

Not applicable in OP's case, but roof install (and potential damage) is also something to be aware of (though most solar installers warranty is near worthless in this regard... damage can easily be more than points of penetration... but not reasonable for installers to be responsible for poor condition roof... not a good solution that I'm aware of, other than a really ethical installer.... )

My point being that a quality install, presuming companies still in business, would take care of all of the above for you... for some folks that is worth something, to others it isn't... that is for each person to decide for themselves... there is no right answer.

In my case, my main load center was full. Every other quality installation quote I got had many thousands for panel upgrade, and/or sub-panel setup (and re-wiring) - all labor intensive. I went with 800lb gorilla (so to speak) in residential PV installs that included basic load center work in premium system price. And the premium price ended up being not all that much extra for single-throat-to-choke. In my case, possibly due to massive install overload 1.5 yrs ago, they screwed up (both load center and panels installed speedily, but not to permit as optimized for PV production) ... and then lied about it..., melted PV sub-panel connection breaker.. twice.. hence they haven't been paid a penny yet... but that is whole other story...

True theoretical optimization is PV panels SC to inverter/battery... but there are strong arguments that micro-inverter and AC coupled has its own benefits and which one is truly better depends (situation specific)/is arguable... My current perspective... AC coupling is fine for now. To me, I think the point to re-consider is if/when home EVSE DC charging is an option (ie, PV to house battery to car battery stays DC entire path, no A/C conversion loss). But that may never happen??

Here I am 1.5 yrs later, and with a 2nd story grid-tie PV setup, I'd still go similar single vendor (vs best of breed) approach (primarily due to inspection considerations). Difference today is new net metering scheme means a house battery is essentially required (overdue to being required, due to Public Utility Commission not pushing PoCo to have sufficient grid storage online in time.. but again, side discussion regarding ill-conceived public policy ignoring technical realities.. at the time), and I'd have not chosen same single vendor if battery part of solution.
*IF* I had to do this again (which I might), I'd be inclined to have electrician come out and install Hybrid inverter and whole house battery, with wiring accommodation for adding immediately after. Then I'd separately have solar company come in and install panels, etc. Though depending on inspection consideration, I could easily see situations where solar first would make more sense... just depends.

As for overall system price, 40K could be a great deal... or not... depends on a lot more details of exactly what is involved... but yea, skip the door knockers. Again, depending on your specific house, upgrade dependencies, etc, spending US$5-10K for professional installation is not out of the question... if you can find someone. In my case, by shopping around, I was able to find a premium product for only a small price premium vs other installers, and still not that large a price premium vs DIY approach (in my market, grid-tied)

As for battery, if I understand correctly, you are on a generous net-metering scheme. Strictly from a ROI perspective, a battery in such a net metering scenario tends to make sense when only grid is unreliable, and/or occupant intolerance to handle existing outages. In my case, I have computer AVR UPSes in every bedroom and main TV area (more to protect circuit boards than power during outage), so short outages don't really impact us (no medical equipment, coastal weather so heat/cooling not really important). I do want a whole house battery, but in my case I've decided to wait a bit for the associated technology to settle down/mature a bit more (I'm on a non-curtailment circuit from PoCo in area with very reliable grid)

mciholas said:

In my case, 30 panels of 390 wats is 11.7 KW. Take 85% of that and you get 9.945 KW. That is under the 10 KW AC rating FPL needs for Tier 1 applications.

Click to expand...

first off, thank you so much for all that info.

If I understand this correctly, it goes by panels and not transformer.
that would mean I can do 11.7kW panels and use an 18kw transformer, is that correct?

BTW, my bill says I use 1MW average per month.
So, at around 30KW per day, this system is good for that and than some. I just bought my first electric car and will get a second one by the end of the year. that will add to the usage.
The battery will be mainly for when the grid goes down to save my fish. lol

Mike covered all the main points.
FPL is about the best company in the USA to sell back too.
I went the other way and built a new house totally off grid, officially has 13kw of panels, 3x EG4 PowerPro batteries for 42kwh and EG4 18k inverter.
Unofficially, I have 140kwh of battery, 2x 18k inverters and eventually another 5kw of panels.

Quattrohead said:

Mike covered all the main points.
FPL is about the best company in the USA to sell back too.
I went the other way and built a new house totally off grid, officially has 13kw of panels, 3x EG4 PowerPro batteries for 42kwh and EG4 18k inverter.
Unofficially, I have 140kwh of battery, 2x 18k inverters and eventually another 5kw of panels.

Click to expand...

So you just didn’t report an upgrades you did.

That’s makes sense.

Data said:

first off, thank you so much for all that info.

Click to expand...

I only touched on many issues. There's a lot to this solar thing.

Data said:

If I understand this correctly, it goes by panels and not transformer.
that would mean I can do 11.7kW panels and use an 18kw transformer, is that correct?

Click to expand...

I think you mean "inverter". In reality, what the inverter does is "transform" PV DC into AC, so "transformer" is actually a decent name, but it is taken for AC to AC magnetic transformers. An inverter gets the name from taking DC positive voltage and periodically inverting it to negative to make AC. It is a confusing name.

The FPL Tier 1 criteria is based entirely on the array rating. As long as you are under 11,764 watts total nameplate rating, then you are Tier 1 even if the inverter is capable of much more AC generation.

You also can't be over 90% of your utility connection rating, which is almost never an issue at residential scale.

Data said:

BTW, my bill says I use 1MW average per month.
So, at around 30KW per day, this system is good for that and than some. I just bought my first electric car and will get a second one by the end of the year. that will add to the usage.

Click to expand...

You haven't said much about the array orientation, exposure, tilt, etc, but assuming that is all optimal (south orientation, about 30 degree tilt, no shadows), then you need about an 8 KW array to have neutral energy usage averaged over a year. A ground mount is usually easier to optimize placement than a roof mount.

Given your electric car ambitions, I'd suggest building a 10 KW array. A 10 KW class inverter would work nicely.

Data said:

The battery will be mainly for when the grid goes down to save my fish. lol

Click to expand...

It can do that.

Another reason to have a battery is that someday net metering will change and even grandfathered systems will get dropped from it. If you already have a battery capable system, then you can put your system into a mode where you use your energy locally first (sun during the day, battery at night, only back feed the utility when the battery is full). Any KWH you use locally is 100% off your bill instead of 20-25% wholesale and the battery keeps those KWH for your use.

Mike C.

mciholas said:

Another reason to have a battery is that someday net metering will change and even grandfathered systems will get dropped from it. If you already have a battery capable system, then you can put your system into a mode where you use your energy locally first (sun during the day, battery at night, only back feed the utility when the battery is full). Any KWH you use locally is 100% off your bill instead of 20-25% wholesale and the battery keeps those KWH for your use.

Click to expand...

This is the plan.
The array will be facing south and according to the tilt angle calculator for my zip code is 25 decrees.
from now on I try to remember that I need a inverter.

I spoke to FPL this morning.
Just as you said earlier, they will add all my generated power into an account every month and if I produce more than I use, I'll get a check at the end of the year.
I was told that I need to get the system first and then fill out the application.
The reason is, they will need the manufacturer, and ratings of the panels etc.
I guess I'll start shopping.

I will start a new post with components I'm considering
Thank you all for your help and especially mciholas for the detailed info.

Data said:

The array will be facing south and according to the tilt angle calculator for my zip code is 25 decrees.

Click to expand...

There is a difference between generating the most power and generating the most uniform power during the year.

Often, tilting the array more than optimal results in more power generation in December and less in June, but that evens out the power usage during the year.

You can play with this at the PVwatts website. It lists the expected KWH per month.

Higher angles self clean better and resist hail better, too. I'd go at least 30 degrees just for those reasons.

Data said:

from now on I try to remember that I need a inverter.

Click to expand...

There are a number of choices that run from $2K to $8K.

Data said:

I spoke to FPL this morning.
Just as you said earlier, they will add all my generated power into an account every month and if I produce more than I use, I'll get a check at the end of the year.

Click to expand...

Correct. You get 100% net metering with month to month roll over of any excess, then at your yearly anniversary of operation, they send you a check for your excess and zero out your rollover.

Data said:

I was told that I need to get the system first and then fill out the application.
The reason is, they will need the manufacturer, and ratings of the panels etc.

Click to expand...

This is not true.

You need the system DESIGNED, or at least you need to have chosen your panels, your inverter, and your battery (if any). Once you have tha tinformation, then you can go here:


There is a web interactive form which asks you questions about your system and you. Once you get through the form properly, you then get a status of "pre approved". That is currently where I am, here is my pre approval report excerpt:



Then you get 1 year from the pre approval date to get a permit, do the install, get it inspected, and then ask FPL to activate the net metering.

A reason to do this early is to verify the equipment you have selected will get pre approved. You don't want to find out it isn't. In my case, the inverter was in the FPL list (which was surprising), but the panels were not (which was also surprising). Regardless, we got pre approval in a matter of a few seconds, so it isn't human reviewed, but the website just checks a few things.

Another reason to do this early is that should the law change in Florida (and it was very close last year, bill passed and the governor vetoed it), then your system will be grandfathered on net metering rules based on the application date. So if the net metering rules change before I can finish my install, I already have the application date prior to that change.

A reason to delay is if your are uncertain you can complete the system in a year. You can always abandon the application (tier 1 costs nothing) and redo it if that happens.

Data said:

I guess I'll start shopping.

Click to expand...

Yup, need to match the parts to your needs and budget. This isn't all that straightforward,

One thing to consider is that adding a battery complicates a bunch of things. There are more rules (like smoke detectors, rapid shutdown, UL certs, etc). You may wish to build a system with a battery capable inverter, but put no batteries on it at first and get past the permit, install, inspection, and utility permission steps. Then, after all that is over, you can add a battery or two to the system.

For my system, I have plans for the battery and plan on putting it in and getting it inspected with it in place. But it did create issues during the design, and I expect it might create issues during permit and inspection. If it does, I may just remove the batteries, get past the regulatory hurdles, and then add them back later.

The code, regulations, etc, for solar are excessive and stifling sometimes. The code writers are constantly changing the rules and creating costs and work that do nothing good. Sometimes you just have to work around them to get stuff done. Legal and safe are not the same thing.

Data said:

I will start a new post with components I'm considering
Thank you all for your help and especially mciholas for the detailed info.

Click to expand...

You are welcome. The goal of this forum is to amplify one users experience so that others will find an easier path. Just answering the basic questions helps a lot. For many homeowners, they only do solar once, so we are all newbies.

Mike C.

mciholas said:

Another reason to do this early is that should the law change in Florida (and it was very close last year, bill passed and the governor vetoed it), then your system will be grandfathered on net metering rules based on the application date. So if the net metering rules change before I can finish my install, I already have the application date prior to that change.

Click to expand...

That is great to know, thank you and thanks for the link.
As soon as I decide on a system, I'll get on it right away.

mciholas said:

One thing to consider is that adding a battery complicates a bunch of things

Click to expand...

The number one reason I want to add batteries, I thought that you need the system as it is approved, to get the government tax refund.
30% on an 8k battery is a good chunk I wouldn't want to miss.

Thanks again.

Data said:

The number one reason I want to add batteries, I thought that you need the system as it is approved, to get the government tax refund.

Click to expand...

No, you don't. You just claim the system cost on your taxes and you get the 30% credit. if you get audited, then you produce the invoices showing you bought the equipment and it clearly meets the rules. You do not have to show a permit, plan, or inspection for the credit. Plenty of off grid folks get the credit and don't have of those things.

So you can plan, permit, inspect a system without a battery and then later add one once past the legalities. Technically you are supposed to go through the plan, permit, inspect cycle again for that, but that is up to you. I'm going battery in the plans up front and see how that goes.

Also, Florida excuses you from sales tax on the purchase of qualifying solar products. See this:


You need to file this with the vendor BEFORE you buy from them so they don't charge you sales tax. Sometimes it is hard for them to honor it, then choose another vendor. In my case, most of my stuff was mail order from out of state without sales tax paid on it to begin with.

Lastly, the solar is an improvement to your house and will raise your property value but Florida law says it will not increase your property tax. The added value for solar is exempt from property tax.

Mike C.

OMG Mike,
you're so helpful and have educated me in a huge way.
That is so great to know. Thank you so much.
I'm leaving for europe for a month. whenever time permits, I'll keep on doing research where and what to buy.
I'll be making sure to post a new thread before making a big mistake and buying the wrong components.
After this whole post and your help, I feel so much more confident, that I can pull this off and have solar before the end of the year.

David

mciholas said:

The FPL agreement is worth it.

Mike C.

Click to expand...

I 100% agree with this statement. We don't get a bill at all. How you ask.

Solar provides power for the house throughout the year. All we get is the meter fee about $26.98 a month. FPL gives me a credit in Jan that covers that bill for the year.

I know they do some type of 1 for 1 month to month. Don't really know how that works. I just know what we got going on.

Once I added the two 10T batteries. That started taking up our daily selling back because they use power to keep maintained and charged. I do the self consumption once in a while to cycle the batteries but it does me no good because we are not tiered and all that mess.

I asked Enphase why do the batteries consume so much and there answer use self consumption more. I told them to kiss off that would cost me $26.98 a month. LOL

If I did it over. I love there solar but I would not get batteries for power outage again. I would just go with a generator and not a POS generac either. Probably go diesel.

It is fun to play with there system. I like shutting the power to the house once in a while to play and test the system it does work quite well. If a hurricane comes I'm 100% sure we would never be without power.

Self consumption is kool because if you do use it and let it drain the batteries at night you can really tell where you would be in the morning waiting for the sun to recoop it all.

100% all electric home 2500 sq feet and a 4 ton heat pump with a soft start installed. The only thing not on batteries is the electric stove and I have load controllers on the dryer and water heater.




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kendive said:

Once I added the two 10T batteries. That started taking up our daily selling back because they use power to keep maintained and charged. I do the self consumption once in a while to cycle the batteries but it does me no good because we are not tiered and all that mess.

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The Enphase battery solution is kind of lame. Since they promote microinverters, the panels are AC coupled. To charge the batteries, you then have to convert AC back to DC,, then to use the battery to make AC power, you have to go DC to AC again. 3 major conversions between the solar panel outputs and the actual AC you use, not very efficient and a lot of overhead.

This is why I favor string inverters. DC to the inverter, DC to the battery, only one DC to AC step involved.

kendive said:

If I did it over. I love there solar but I would not get batteries for power outage again. I would just go with a generator and not a POS generac either. Probably go diesel.

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I disagree.

For my parents house, the instant switch over when the grid fails can only be done with batteries. No computer, clock, or device resets.

A generator will mean you are out for at least a minute or two.

Generators are noisy, cost a lot, take regular maintenance, need regular running, and burn expensive fuel.

A decent sized battery bank with a solar array can keep you running for many days if not weeks.

Some microinverter setups won't work grid down, so even when you have a battery, your solar panels won't replenish it with the grid down. A string inverter charges the battery regardless of the grid.

kendive said:

If a hurricane comes I'm 100% sure we would never be without power.

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This was a primary driver to get a battery for my parents. They can't evacuate if a hurricane is coming, so they need reliable power.

Mike C.