Got Busted by Electrical Power Police..Now Need help with Permits

[Larry185]

You're looking at about $15k minimum to make it grid tied and fully permitted.

No, those Chinese inverters on Amazon aren't UL listed, and will most likely burn down your house.

sorry for the late response. Got the permits and approvals from Power company. All is well and unit is up and running. I will see if I can attach a link to this reply.

 

[Larry185]

sorry for the late response. Got the permits and approvals from Power company. All is well and unit is up and running. I will see if I can attach a link to this reply.. I have posted a youtube video. Hope the link works. I am now working on a experimental wind generator with a treadmill more. Just getting some video's started and uploaded..

 

[Larry185]

Hang on. There are several authorities that offer "Listing" service. These are UL, ETL, and CSA. All can provide a mark that says the word "Listed", and they are all acceptable in the US and by utility companies. TUV on the other hand can test a product for compliance to UL1741, but to my knowledge, they cannot offer the mark with the word "Listed" unless they are a partner affiliated directly with UL in that laboratory, and that is when you get into issues with the AHJ or the Utility. Some care, some don't and there is a wide misunderstanding about it because it doesn't say "Listed" unless it is the UL mark evaluated by a TUV/UL Laboratory. At least, that's how it was when I was doing it 14 years ago.

The Hoymiles inverters I sell are Listed by CSA, they bear the mark "cUS Listed" and comply with UL1741 and FCC, and they are on the CEC approved list in California. They start at $147 at 350W for a single, $206 for a dual at 700W, or $299 for the Quad at 1500W, or $0.21/Watt AC. A 5kW Sol-Ark is around $5k, or $1/Watt AC, so that's definitely not the starting cost for grid-tied anymore. I can provide a permit plan set with an engineering stamp and a design review is $1079, and where I live, the permit, utility, and NCUC fees add up to less than $300. So that $15k estimate is highly dependent on where you live. My Enphase system with the battery and a ground mount ballasted rack was close to $15k, but if I had known about Hoymiles at the time, it would've been about $7k with the battery. My bad for not doing enough research.

got her passed and up and running..about 4 months ago..here is a short video..
The 2 panels that we have been testing really don't put out a lot, but we do see that the bill reflects we are producing some electricity and it offsets what we are paying

 

[42OhmsPA]

sorry for the late response. Got the permits and approvals from Power company. All is well and unit is up and running. I will see if I can attach a link to this reply.

Welcome back. I bet @Cyanlite will be eating his words. Looks like it was well under 15k spent.

 

[Larry185]

Welcome back. I bet @Cyanlite will be eating his words. Looks like it was well under 15k spent.

I didn't have a ton of money invested in them, Used panels $90 each, micro inverters $109 each, wiring maybe around $50, disconnect $39,used scrap metal $25, Connectors $20, Breaker for breaker Box $12,..all on a budget. a few extra $$$ for odds and ends..Great project for testing. May put about 20 of them up on my shop to help offset my electrical cost..being I purchased an ole Victor 1640 lathe and a vertical mill to help turn some parts for a wind generator project I'm working on and a few toys to tinker with. Will try to get some video's togethernow that I have that project in the beginning stage. Machining my adapter to fit a 5-blade hub to a 2.25 HP Treadmill motor shaft that is 1/2". Just posted a video of that , that will come out on youtube next week

 

[ImAnIdiotPleaseBePatient]

The power lines are not publicly owned. At the very least it's trespassing on lines owned by a corporation. The Federal and State Utility Commission have all the power of a superior court to enforce rules and regulations. Connecting your inverter to their power lines without an agreement is prohibited, but I suggest you ask a laywer about that statute sht.

Excuse me sir. Your magnetic fields interacted with our magnetic fields outside of your domecile. We also have reports of your electrons entering our territory. We have fired a warning shot over the bow. Pray we don't unleash the might of the power company armed forces and disconnect your meter :|