Convert from grid-tied to battery

[rjbuckley]

I have two GT Inverters. One has a 3KW string, and the other a 5KW string. I am getting tired of having to buy at night and rainy days. If I convert the 3KW system to batteries, can I have the best of both worlds? I want to use all I make to run the house and charge the batteries. At night I want to use all I can from the battery system, and not supply the grid. I own everything. I think I can cancel net-metering whenever I want. Suggestions?

 

[rjbuckley]

Of course I still want the grid to be my big battery....

 

[45North]

Quick math tells me that my original investment of $30K in solar divided by roughly $40 a month in power savings... I'll have to live to be 120 years old to at least break even.

Actually, it's a lot worse than that: At the end of the day all you've done is recoup your original investment but you should also consider the "opportunity cost" of lost income you could have had from other ways of investing that original $30K.

Edit: Or as the man once said "I spent half the money on hookers and drugs, and the rest I just blew"

 

[rjbuckley]

It's more than $40 a month that you save correct? That's just what you sell. in my case I consume everything that I make, so my savings is that consumption as well. The that factors into my lifetime cost of the system

 

[nosys70]

yes , if you sell only for 40$, it means you eat all the rest.
putting battery will need to add more panels and controller because you will not be able to charge battery.
not a good deal for you

 

[rjbuckley]

Something doesn't sound right. You should get a Sense monitor. Very reasonable. VERY informative. You can see what you are using, what you are making, and what devices are using the most power.

 

[rjbuckley]

The other lesson I learned in CT is that I pay a delivery charge and a generation charge. I can never have a zero bill. That was disappointing...

 

[Directorsusa]

Sounds like you use more electricity than you make every month. Why not subscribe to the cheaper rate plan since you are never really selling back to the power company? You use everything you make. Even if you do make more than you consume a couple months out of the year - let them have it and save the rest of the year. Can it not work like that?

 

[MisterSandals]

what Enphase reports to our power provider each month.

Wait, what?
Why does the power provider need to know?
Doesn’t the power providers meter tell them all they need to know?