tmprof
New Member
I'll try to keep this short and to the point
Total Newbie, never had solar anything on my house. I live in Houston Texas, new(er) neighborhood with very short trees, nothing blocking roof. I am an avid DIY and do a lot of carpentry work (I've shingled a few houses..etc) I also have dabbled in some electrical (added a 240 sub breaker box for a hot tub). I want to install solar myself without hiring some turnkey solution.
So on to the details:
My average kWh per day is around 60 (even with the 105+ temps!) and my 30 day usage is 1.712kwh

This will be a grid tie system, but I am not planning on net metering in the beginning. I want to start small and start with just inverter and battery backup. After I feel comfortable with that, I'll purchase solar panels locally and install them at a later date.
For the inverter, I want to start with the EG4 18Kpv + the 30kWh Lithium Powerwall. I understand that this will probably not be enough to power my house and I'll add a 2nd full rack later. So here are my beginner questions!
1. Permits....what will I need to just install the grid tie + battery backup? My thoughts is that I'll get the inverter installed on the wall and hire an electrician to move the lines from the meter to the inverter and then back to my existing breaker box (which is 100A). I keep hearing about online wizards that can step you through the permit process, but I haven't found a link (I don't mind hiring someone to do the permitting either if it's reasonable). Does anyone know of someone in the Houston Area I could contact?
2. Does the 18KPV need optimizers or micro inverters for the panels? I can get Canadian solar 385-400 watt mono panels locally. I was planning on getting 4 to start with and install them above my hot tub. That way I can get comfortable with the mounting setup and wiring back to the inverter.
That's it for now. I'm sure I'm missing some very obvious things but I appreciate any help you can provide.
-Troy

So on to the details:
My average kWh per day is around 60 (even with the 105+ temps!) and my 30 day usage is 1.712kwh

This will be a grid tie system, but I am not planning on net metering in the beginning. I want to start small and start with just inverter and battery backup. After I feel comfortable with that, I'll purchase solar panels locally and install them at a later date.
For the inverter, I want to start with the EG4 18Kpv + the 30kWh Lithium Powerwall. I understand that this will probably not be enough to power my house and I'll add a 2nd full rack later. So here are my beginner questions!
1. Permits....what will I need to just install the grid tie + battery backup? My thoughts is that I'll get the inverter installed on the wall and hire an electrician to move the lines from the meter to the inverter and then back to my existing breaker box (which is 100A). I keep hearing about online wizards that can step you through the permit process, but I haven't found a link (I don't mind hiring someone to do the permitting either if it's reasonable). Does anyone know of someone in the Houston Area I could contact?
2. Does the 18KPV need optimizers or micro inverters for the panels? I can get Canadian solar 385-400 watt mono panels locally. I was planning on getting 4 to start with and install them above my hot tub. That way I can get comfortable with the mounting setup and wiring back to the inverter.
That's it for now. I'm sure I'm missing some very obvious things but I appreciate any help you can provide.
-Troy
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