400kwh for air conditioning for one month

[Trukinbear]

But then I'm not on Solar Power to save money, but to save my mother's life (she's on a respirator). The county using old maps overlayed the GIS map over it but off by 150 yards, so when they did that my yard became a protected wetland (isn't wet) and I can't have electricity in an effort to discourage me from living on my long paid for and current on taxes property. I tried to move by I haven't had rent or mortgage since 1981 and nobody will rent to me. The county says I'm homeless

 

[Hedges]

If you paid for all those Sunny Islands in your avatar how can your cost be 5 cents a kilowatt?

I figure $0.05/kWh for PV panels that cost me $0.35/W and grid tie Sunny Boy inverters that cost $0.10/W. Add another $0.50 or all other items.
Cost of GT system is $1/watt, produces 20 kWh/W over 10 years, $0.05/kWh

Better than what I put in 15 years ago, which has amortized out to $0.20/kWh after rebates.

Those four Sunny Islands cost me $5000, half a pallet of eight I purchased. 20 kWh battery cost me another $5000. Balance of system another couple $grand.
I have to be creative in my accounting treatment to tell myself things were a smart investment.

But I do think the grid-tie PV comes out to $0.05/kWh. Battery system adds 100% to 150% on top of that, just for the satisfaction of operating through power failures.

 

[Trukinbear]

I figure $0.05/kWh for PV panels that cost me $0.35/W and grid tie Sunny Boy inverters that cost $0.10/W. Add another $0.50 or all other items.
Cost of GT system is $1/watt, produces 20 kWh/W over 10 years, $0.05/kWh

I think your accounting is more creative than mine - I have to use the method that reflects what it actually does to my bank balance.
Rebates and incentives - don't get me started there, only people who don't NEED solar can get those - I'm not allowed to purchase electricity like most people, and I don't make enough money to owe income taxes - I didn't get a dime.

 

[Freep]

I'm curious, have you spent any time doing a thermal survey? You might be able to bring that A/C cost down with some additional insulation.

 

[Trukinbear]

Sounds about right, my Sunny Island was about $1200, and so were my charge controllers (ea). My 15kWh/D would cost about $81/mo if I could buy it - less than that since we're all old and handicapped, more like $60/mo. My system eats about $300 month now in maintenance and diesel fuel - I didn't take that cost into count on my above break-even point. I believe my break-even point is never.

 

[Trukinbear]

I figure $0.05/kWh for PV panels that cost me $0.35/W and grid tie Sunny Boy inverters that cost $0.10/W. Add another $0.50 or all other items.
Cost of GT system is $1/watt, produces 20 kWh/W over 10 years, $0.05/kWh

Curious how much sun you get? We only have on average 180 days of sun, and we're far enough North and situated in a NE-SW box canyon so even when we have the sun in the winter, it isn't much or for very long - 3-4hrs max. Because we can't grid-tie our oversized system wastes a lot of potential energy in the Summer so we can make some of what we need in the Winter and not burn so much diesel. It isn't hot or cold here so we have no seasonal energy usage pattern 60-70 Summer, 50-60 in the Winter so my mini-split heat pump is mostly used to dehumidify us in the rainy season, no heating or cooling needs. I'd kill (not really I'm a Quaker) for the ability to grid-tie, I did build my system so that that was capable should the county ever get their heads out of their asses and let a bunch of old sick and disabled people buy power. We have a brand new pole and service entrance, passed a $650 electrical inspection, and an inspection by Pacific power only to be denied by an inspector that has never done more than drive by because he's looking at an old map with GIS data overlayed off by 150 yards - it says I live in the middle of a river (some 200 yards behind me).

 

[Hedges]

Curious how much sun you get? We only have on average 180 days of sun, and we're far enough North and situated in a NE-SW box canyon so even when we have the sun in the winter, it isn't much or for very long - 3-4hrs max. Because we can't grid-tie our oversized system wastes a lot of potential energy in the Summer so we can make some of what we need in the Winter and not burn so much diesel. It isn't hot or cold here so we have no seasonal energy usage pattern 60-70 Summer, 50-60 in the Winter so my mini-split heat pump is mostly used to dehumidify us in the rainy season, no heating or cooling needs. I'd kill (not really I'm a Quaker) for the ability to grid-tie, I did build my system so that that was capable should the county ever get their heads out of their asses and let a bunch of old sick and disabled people buy power. We have a brand new pole and service entrance, passed a $650 electrical inspection, and an inspection by Pacific power only to be denied by an inspector that has never done more than drive by because he's looking at an old map with GIS data overlayed off by 150 yards - it says I live in the middle of a river (some 200 yards behind me).

Have a stream? Can you put in hydro?

San Jose, I'm using the 5.5 hours effective average sun around the year figure.
15 years ago it was CEC rebate 50% of total, up to about $4 or $5/watt on-grid only.
Now we get 30% (reduced this year to 26%) use it or lose it Federal credit, so on grid doesn't matter.
Over the years my taxes have been everything between zero and six figure. (mostly AMT which helped make some later years zero.) And the reason I owed that is the reason I could get house, oversized PV system, other things I've done. Now, taxes have settled down to about the cost of a shiny new pickup every year. At least, when I'm employed. Newest car we have is two decades old, others are a decade older than me. In just 9 more years I'm eligible for full Social Security Benefits! The same year SS has paid out the last of its "surplus" and will cut benefits to "pay as you go". Not that the surplus ever existed, because Congress spent it as it came in.

 

[Trukinbear]

Have a stream? Can you put in hydro?

San Jose, I'm using the 5.5 hours effective average sun around the year figure.

I wasn't aware SJ got that much sun, but then I never spent much time below the hospital at Stanford... wasn't very sunny but it was winter and all. We're about 380 miles north of you three miles from the coast - still in California. The 'river' my home is supposedly in is a seasonal wash that does feed into a river two miles down, and a mile before the mouth of the river - but it isn't water year-round, and it's a protected wetland (like my front yard supposedly up on 12' of rip rap) so I can do little more than walk in my back yard. Trust me, I've thought about it as it flows in the season when we have little rain, and the wind just swirls in our box canyon so even our Vertical Axis turbine didn't do much. I'd never get away with it, even considered mounting it to a trailer or something but the 'river' can go from 20' wide to 300' wide in a day with a good storm.

 

[TheeBigGuy]

That's going to depend on the panels you choose to use. The smart choice is large 250-350w panels that are typically 40-50v each panel. Several panels are connected in series (the voltage adds, typically 2-3) several series groups are connected in parallel (the current adds).

Based on your question it would apear as if you have plently of reading/learning to do in your future before you attempt a project on this scale.

Thank you I keep forgetting parallel and series together... I have 10 250 watt panels ready to do just this..