5th day of no sun

[glandpuck]

It really makes a LOT more sense once you actually look at the word...

Poly - Many, More than One
Ticks - Blood sucking parasites, members of the Arachnid family

Politics!

Exactly right. Over my lifetime I have seen the family unit go from being the beneficiary of a national policy to provide abundant electricity at very low affordable prices, to now being the target of big utility corporations and mega equipment manufacturer's incessantly lobbying in every state for higher and higher rates to support their mega grid expansions adding hundreds of billions in wealth to these corporations all resulting in the draining of the homeowner's or renters or businessman's wallets and negatively impacting lifestyles.

 

[Zwy]

If you have grid power available why not use it instead of suffering. It's cheaper than fuel to run a generator.

We aren't suffering in the least.

Test to see how long battery bank lasts with consecutive days of no sun and to ensure inverters automatically switch to grid. Today was another day with no sun but inverters switched and charged bank to about 30%. One more test was to see how well cells stay balanced at 3.0V and below.

 

[Zwy]

The truth is that Conservation is FAR cheaper than generation & storage. In the USA you now have the IRA program which includes a LOT of goodies to improve you home efficiency. A Large amount of people have no idea about it at all. I dug into it to help my GF (lives in Illinois caring for her elderly parents) and holy cow we discovered a LOT.

I'm well aware of what it is in the IRA and have been taking full advantage of it. Possibly more 2 heat pumps in the house next year and I'm trying to decide if I install a gasification wood boiler. Heat pump in the shop to replace the 2 ton window unit I have to install and pull out every year that is extra cooling capacity for the 2 ton central air handler air conditioner. House might get a heat pump dryer.

Currently looking at solar for the shop to at least run lighting and office. Shop is 15% tax credit first year with a full years depreciation, then depreciate the rest over the next X years.

Probably switching my golf cart to LFP and use that battery in the winter for supplemental battery in the house. I've debated adding another 4Kw array to the house.

Like farmers around here say, if the government is handing out money, take it. You are paying for it anyway with your tax dollars.

 

[Zwy]

Same here...expecting two more days of dense clouds.

Hopefully it isn't like last December with endless periods of no sun. I'd like to cut the heating bill this year to see where I intend to use a wood boiler.

Switched over to grid yesterday. Charged the batteries up to 25% for backup if needed.

I wasn't too concerned about grid outage yet. It's when the big storms hit.

Winter is coming!

I'm never ready for winter.

 

[Zapper77]

Hopefully it isn't like last December with endless periods of no sun. I'd like to cut the heating bill this year to see where I intend to use a wood boiler.



I wasn't too concerned about grid outage yet. It's when the big storms hit.

I'm never ready for winter.

Dec 2022 was something like 21 days of dense clouds.

 

[Subdood]

Today we've had dense clouds with on and off rain. I checked my PV voltage and it never got up to normal operating voltage (~350VDC/3.6kW array), more like 90-100V all day. Never seen anything like this before since I installed the system last spring. But living the Ohio River temperate rain forest region such weather is to be expected.

This has me wanting to pull the trigger on getting those server rack batteries more than ever. Just have to figure out a way to convince the boss..

 

[OffGridForGood]

Just have to figure out a way to convince the boss.

Ya all need a three day utility outage...that was a green light to expand our system!

We had three days of clouds, then a partly sunny day yesterday.
Today it was sunny all morning, my Official Solar Tester sees that change in the weather - asks hey am I good to go with a load in the wash and then the electric dryer? - Yup good to go!

She really is getting into this solar routine now, I never imagined my wife would adjust her normal routine to the available solar - but here we are! She is into it.

 

[Zapper77]

.
Today it was sunny all morning, my Official Solar Tester sees that change in the weather - asks hey am I good to go with a load in the wash and then the electric dryer? - Yup good to go!

She really is getting into this solar routine now, I never imagined my wife would adjust her normal routine to the available solar - but here we are! She is into it.

Nice, want to trade?

 

[Batavian]

Today we've had dense clouds with on and off rain. I checked my PV voltage and it never got up to normal operating voltage (~350VDC/3.6kW array), more like 90-100V all day. Never seen anything like this before since I installed the system last spring. But living the Ohio River temperate rain forest region such weather is to be expected.

This has me wanting to pull the trigger on getting those server rack batteries more than ever. Just have to figure out a way to convince the boss..

Have you checked to see if your inverter is hanging up in the 90v range? Verified with a meter? One of my 6500s hang up at 90v until voltage gets very high around 300v. If you have a disconnect on your PV you can cycle that and see if your voltage and output increases. I have latest firmware that is supposed to fix this, I will be calling Signature Solar soon to get fixed.

 

[Dave911]

Thank Goodness my remaining lifespan isn't that long...

Hmmm.... never thought about the positives of a shorter life!

 

[pollenface]

We aren't suffering in the least.

Test to see how long battery bank lasts with consecutive days of no sun and to ensure inverters automatically switch to grid.

Ah awesome ?

 

[Subdood]

Have you checked to see if your inverter is hanging up in the 90v range? Verified with a meter? One of my 6500s hang up at 90v until voltage gets very high around 300v. If you have a disconnect on your PV you can cycle that and see if your voltage and output increases. I have latest firmware that is supposed to fix this, I will be calling Signature Solar soon to get fixed.

Thanks I'll check it out. I just have one 6500 running my 120V critical loads. I do have an IMO disconnect for my array. I think it's because it was so cloudy/rainy yesterday. It's still like that this morning with the same conditions. I'm at work but can monitor it via WatchPower. Supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so it should be okay then.

I've never updated the firmware since I got the unit last October. It's been working fine, so I'm hesitant to "update" it, if you know what I mean..

 

[Subdood]

Ya all need a three day utility outage...that was a green light to expand our system!

We had three days of clouds, then a partly sunny day yesterday.
Today it was sunny all morning, my Official Solar Tester sees that change in the weather - asks hey am I good to go with a load in the wash and then the electric dryer? - Yup good to go!

She really is getting into this solar routine now, I never imagined my wife would adjust her normal routine to the available solar - but here we are! She is into it.

You're lucky. We had an outage a couple weeks ago in the middle of the night for about 3 hours. I heard her get up and fumble around for a battery powered light, along with muffled curses. When we got up the next morning I not so subtly suggested, "you know if we had a battery you wouldn't have even noticed the power going out". She didn't seem moved. It's happened other times and I dropped the same hints but she doesn't seem to be interested. Plus she uses a CPAP, so I'm sure that would change her mind, but nope.

She wants me to fix up the chicken coop which I kinda promised her I'd do last year in exchange for the solar system, but I haven't finished it. I cleaned up all the gnarly brush around it and cleaned it out, but it still needs new nesting boxes and I have to build a new fenced in run. So I'm kinda stuck until I do that job.

I've been out of work for over a year until this month. So now that I have a job, I'm wanting to pick up one or two of the Lifepower4 batts from Sig Solar, since they're on sale, plus they have free shipping until Nov 4th.

 

[Zwy]

Sun out today with some clouds. Still manged to move from 18% battery to 71% as of 3:41 PM and it is still charging over 4000W and running all loads in house. I kicked the heat pump back on at noon. 37.4Kwh of battery charging and loads.

Should be close to 80% battery by sundown but I'll wager the wife runs a few loads of laundry.

One more 280Ah battery and I could have probably made the 6 days of no sun and ran the heat pump the whole time.

 

[Kenny_]

Sun out today with some clouds. Still manged to move from 18% battery to 71% as of 3:41 PM and it is still charging over 4000W and running all loads in house. I kicked the heat pump back on at noon. 37.4Kwh of battery charging and loads.

Should be close to 80% battery by sundown but I'll wager the wife runs a few loads of laundry.

One more 280Ah battery and I could have probably made the 6 days of no sun and ran the heat pump the whole time.

Excellent!!
Mo' Bat!

 

[Zwy]

Not bad, 47.7Kwh off PV today and it was partly cloudy.

 

[Zapper77]

Not bad, 47.7Kwh off PV today and it was partly cloudy.

 

[Zwy]

I had 3 days in a row the battery charged under 1 Kwh. Worst day was 0.2 Kwh.

 

[timselectric]

I'm rolling into the 5th day of rain, myself.
Wednesdays forecast is partly cloudy. I don't think that I will make it. lol

 

[TOU47]

Many Cities, Counties, Municipalities in the U.S.

I wonder if this still holds true if it is a property that has never had grid tied power?

I know in my area, SW Colorado, they are up to $55k to bring it to my building site which made it an easy decision to go 100% off-grid. In phase 3.2 of 4 of my off-grid solar with 5.4kw PV; it been great so far. Like the OP needed a boost here h there last winter. Hoping to avoid that this winter... we shall see.

 

[TOU47]

I'm rolling into the 5th day of rain, myself.
Wednesdays forecast is partly cloudy. I don't think that I will make it. lol

Growing up in Western Oregon & having lived in SW Washington for many years (100 days of precipitation & 200 days of overcast) ...& having seen houses with solar on them I often wonder how affective they are there???

I.E. The year I decided to move away to Utah (300 days of sun or partial sun) & subsequently SW Colorado (same) We had 21 days of 24/7 precipitation. It was then followed up with another 3 weeks of overcast. Zero direct sunlight. No regrets.

 

[Quattrohead]

October report, lowest 13kwh, highest 44kwh for a total excluding today of 962kwh.
This is from around 11kwh of panels strewn around my back yard.
Sorry

 

[Zapper77]

October report, lowest 13kwh, highest 44kwh for a total excluding today of 962kwh.
This is from around 11kwh of panels strewn around my back yard.
Sorry

Oct 2023 9 kW ground mount

Highest day 40.5 lowest 5.2
Total 711 kWh (limited by consumption)
Grid 83 kWh (60 during the last 5 days)

 

[timselectric]

I actually went to grid this morning.
And then the sun came out. 1kwh of grid was used.
I could have made it stay off grid, as I still had capacity left. But I just let it do what I have set it to do. It's good to test the system operations, occasionally.

 

[timselectric]

October for me. 23.7 kw roof mounted. (East/west)
Lowest daily production 11.3 kwh
Highest daily production 72.8 kwh
Total for the month 1097.6 kwh so far. (Half a day left lol)