DIY in Austin - Impossible?

[Cliffs]

Hi - I have been researching DIY, and it seems for folks that live in Austin, this is maybe impossible. I'm hoping I'm wrong and you all can show me the path.

Austin Energy (local utility) requires a city permit of type Electrical Permit - Auxiliary Power. This permit is only issued to licensed electricians. There is a permit type called "Homestead", and reading its definition, it seems like Solar should be in scope, but Austin Energy is super clear in all of their documentation that to grid tie, ALL installs must have a permit of type Electrical Permit - Auxiliary Power.

Am I stuck? Has anyone navigated this successfully?

 

[JakAHearts]

Is it worth being on grid backfeed and net metering? My electric company has a policy but their rates are expensive in the evening and never equate to 1 to 1 buy back so batteries (off grid with grid backup) seems a better option anyway. My company also has "peak days" like weekends and holidays where having batteries makes even more sense.

 

[pvgirl]

You may be able to only hire an electrician to do the final interconnection, and still do most of the work your self.

 

[Cliffs]

Is it worth being on grid backfeed and net metering? My electric company has a policy but their rates are expensive in the evening and never equate to 1 to 1 buy back so batteries (off grid with grid backup) seems a better option anyway. My company also has "peak days" like weekends and holidays where having batteries makes even more sense.

Net metering is not a thing in Austin and doing a grid tie without authorization will also get your service canceled and some fines etc.

 

[Cliffs]

You may be able to only hire an electrician to do the final interconnection, and still do most of the work your self.

Yeah, looking into this. Kind of painful.

 

[EJansen]

Net metering is not a thing in Austin and doing a grid tie without authorization will also get your service canceled and some fines etc.

Another consideration, though not as common, is to have the grid and have solar, but just not grid tie. In my case, I have a an off-grid panel that feeds my major loads (Servers, AC Units, Welding / Cutting equipment, Freezers, Sump Pump, etc) where that panel is fed from my EG4 18Kpv inverter. The 18Kpv has 10kw of panels sending power to it / my 40Kwh battery bank and is set up to where the inverter can pull power from the grid to charge batteries if needed but can't back feed to the grid, or if it did even for a couple of milliseconds, it would back feed to other loads in the house.

 

[1201]

Hi - I have been researching DIY, and it seems for folks that live in Austin, this is maybe impossible. I'm hoping I'm wrong and you all can show me the path.

Austin Energy (local utility) requires a city permit of type Electrical Permit - Auxiliary Power. This permit is only issued to licensed electricians. There is a permit type called "Homestead", and reading its definition, it seems like Solar should be in scope, but Austin Energy is super clear in all of their documentation that to grid tie, ALL installs must have a permit of type Electrical Permit - Auxiliary Power.

Am I stuck? Has anyone navigated this successfully?

So do a permitted 1kw system and then do your diy add on later after you've received the blessing of the poco

 

[Cliffs]

So do a permitted 1kw system and then do your diy add on later after you've received the blessing of the poco

What's the advantage to doing a permitted 1 kW system, rather than just doing the full size system with the permit?

 

[1201]

What's the advantage to doing a permitted 1 kW system, rather than just doing the full size system with the permit?

I assume you would have to pay the electrician a lot less for a 1 or 2 or system vs a 12 or 16kw system?

 

[k490]

Hi - I have been researching DIY, and it seems for folks that live in Austin, this is maybe impossible. I'm hoping I'm wrong and you all can show me the path.

Austin Energy (local utility) requires a city permit of type Electrical Permit - Auxiliary Power. This permit is only issued to licensed electricians. There is a permit type called "Homestead", and reading its definition, it seems like Solar should be in scope, but Austin Energy is super clear in all of their documentation that to grid tie, ALL installs must have a permit of type Electrical Permit - Auxiliary Power.

Am I stuck? Has anyone navigated this successfull

Did you speak to anyone or just looking at internet websites? I found same type of permit said only a contractor later I called found out I could submit a plan and get a permit in my city. That other permit was where an inspector could issue the permit on the spot after a contractor installed it.

Problem is with DIY most newer homes are in HOA's they require permitting to be submitted to them also. You do anything in view of neighbors they turn you into the HOA.

 

[Vigo]

Any form of grid tie anywhere is going to require permits and licensed electricians. That is all good and right considering the hazards on both ends, so the problem is not the requirements, it is WANTING grid tie at all. Do whatever it takes to install a ‘generator’ connection on your house (transfer switch, some boxes, blah blah) and then use an ‘off grid’ solar system as your ‘generator’. Or just do an off grid system, permit nothing, and transition whatever loads you intend to power to it.

Keep in mind as long as you dont feed back to the grid there is nothing stopping you from powering your ‘off grid’ loads with the grid via hooking your grid connection to an off grid inverter’s ac input. It is essentially an ‘appliance’ at that point, yet the grid will ‘pass through’ and continue powering all the same things it did before, but now the consumption will be offset by solar and backed up by batteries in case of grid failure.

 

[k490]

That's exactly what I'm doing because 15kw worth of DIY battery cost me $1600 where a 15k UL certified battery would cost over $25000. Using an off grid reliance controls Generator transfer switch. I picked the one that didn't have a twist lock plug.

This kind of brings up something seemed like my city has no problem if the solar system is a portable system. If you had a box trailer that could hold 30 panels inside a bunch of DIY batteries, Inverter, and mini-split unit all you did was connect an extension cord up with some heavy wire to a transfer switch not much the city, or utility could do. Not everyone has room I have seen trailers with folding solar panels that fold out also.

 

[teal95]

I'm MI my locality also required me to have a licensed electrician pull the permit. Fortunately I have an established connection with an electrician who would pull the permit for me. I did most of the work with him keeping an eye on me. We powered it up 2 days ago and once I finish a few connections I'll have him check it over one more time and then get it inspected.