Considering DIY

[nilson13]

Hello,

I'm a long time viewer of Will's Youtube Channel, but this is the first time I jump into his forums. Please let me know if I'm posting this in the wrong place or incorrectly.

I'm in the process of purchasing a home in Henderson, NV. It's a 2,800 sqft, 2-story home, built in 2015 and I'm trying to budget around $20k-$25k for a DIY rooftop solar install. I'd like to go the DIY route as the offers I'm getting through energysage, although competitive, still seem quite high (~$54-$63k w/ 10kw batteries, ~$37k-$45k w/o batteries). I tried pricing out the individual components and although it's missing a few things (ie wiring, mounting hardware, permits, etc...), I think I'd be saving well over half by going the DIY route.

I've attached an image of my shopping cart at signature solar, but I'll also list out the major parts I'm considering below:

- EG4 18K Hybrid Inverter
- EG4 PowerPro 14KW battery
- Canadian Solar 12kw pallet (30x 400w CS6R-400MS)
- Tigo TS4-A-O Optimizers (30x)

Can anyone please tell me if I'm missing something in my parts/budget? The total is currently at ~$17k, I'm estimating wiring/mounting hardware to be <$3k and then permits and electrician fees to total <$5k, slotting me at around ~$25k before tax credit for this system. If anyone has thoughts on my initial budget, items selected, tips on finding an electrician, recommended mounting hardware, code/rules in NV, or anything at all, it will be highly appreciated.

Will start digging deeper into the forum for helpful tips/tricks and will update any changes to my initial budget or parts list here. BTW, I was seriously considering adding a SPAN panel, if anyone has that and recommends please let me know. I don't think I can fit that in my $25k budget, but would be interested to know how much you may have paid to install one.

*PS if anyone is in the Henderson, NV area (Whitney Ranch) and would like to give a tour of their setup or just grab a pizza and chat, please feel free to reach out or DM me!

 

[1201]

youll probably need at least 28kwh of batteries for 12kw of pv so I suggest adding another powerpro.

what type of AC do you have? will the 18kpv run them?

also, are you looking for tigo optimizers or rapid shutdown?

 

[nilson13]

youll probably need at least 28kwh of batteries for 12kw of pv so I suggest adding another powerpro.

what type of AC do you have? will the 18kpv run them?

also, are you looking for tigo optimizers or rapid shutdown?

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Yeah, definitely want to add more batteries at some point. Should only be an additional $4k to get to 28kwh, but may wait a year or two before adding since I'm trying to stay under $25k.

Oof, I did not consider that the AC could max out the EG4 18kpv. I was under the impression it could power the average home without issue. We have dual unit central AC, will need to confirm what the specs are on that, great callout!

And yeah, I was interested in the tigo optimizers.

 

[1201]

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Yeah, definitely want to add more batteries at some point. Should only be an additional $4k to get to 28kwh, but may wait a year or two before adding since I'm trying to stay under $25k.

Oof, I did not consider that the AC could max out the EG4 18kpv. I was under the impression it could power the average home without issue. We have dual unit central AC, will need to confirm what the specs are on that, great callout!

And yeah, I was interested in the tigo optimizers.

Do you plan to be grid tied? If you are then there is no need to worry about the ac. The grid will handle the surge. It's only a concern if you are not doing a grid tie system

 

[nilson13]

Do you plan to be grid tied? If you are then there is no need to worry about the ac. The grid will handle the surge. It's only a concern if you are not doing a grid tie system

Ah, yup will still be grid tied.

 

[1201]

Ah, yup will still be grid tied.

Then in that case surge is not really a concern except for grid down situations

 

[BoronSandal]

Compare price to http://projectsolar.com (optional DIY install). They are the best I've found.

And Tesla Solar has a low price guarantee so maybe there's something you can do there