Zwy
Emperor Of Solar
DIY isn't for everyone, I spent about 1.5 years from when I first ordered items until I completely finished but I did some improvements to my basement in the process as the inverters and batteries would be located there. Plus in summer I don't get much time to work on my projects.
I would DIY an off grid type system given the current climate for grid tie systems. California enacts NEM 3.0 in April, here in Timbuktu, Iowa the local rural electric coop is now playing games with current grid tie systems. I had a farmer tell me the other day he received a letter from the coop concerning his net metering agreement. He called them and was told he will receive a one time payment on this settlement date for his excess and he can only bank 2000Kwh now. Anything over on the bank they get for free and no payout at settlement. He usually banked a large number of Kwh to cut his drying costs for his corn crop. This is now the 3rd change in about 10 years. My brother put up a 17Kw wind generator and when he put it up, he received $0.10/Kwh. There was a merger between coops and the contracts were thrown out, he was forced to go net metering and a limit on his bank of 2000Kwh. He now builds up his bank and shuts his system down until he draws the bank back down. The farmer will be switching his house to radiant floor heat with electric boiler setup and add heat pumps to garage and shop, anything he can do to use up excess.
Things are changing and not for the betterment of the homeowner, farmer, business, etc that invested in a grid tie system. It's the reason I went with off grid for my house. I still have a meter on my property and still have usage. My shop is on the property and it will remain on the grid. I wanted a system where if I retire someday I won't have to pay an electric bill for my house and I can shift some heating with LP gas to heat pumps run by solar in spring and fall.
The problem is the utilities get to change the rules when they see a benefit to their bottom line. Doesn't matter if it is a rural coop or a utility with investors, everyone employed there from the administrator to the linemen or the investors, all want an increase in wages, benefits and dividends so they will squeeze the grid tie operators as they are the minority at this stage. What I have noticed is the people who think they are in charge push for green energy but only in ways they can profit from it. No different than the installers that quoted your system, they want rules and regs so they can be the sole providers and profit from it.
I would DIY an off grid type system given the current climate for grid tie systems. California enacts NEM 3.0 in April, here in Timbuktu, Iowa the local rural electric coop is now playing games with current grid tie systems. I had a farmer tell me the other day he received a letter from the coop concerning his net metering agreement. He called them and was told he will receive a one time payment on this settlement date for his excess and he can only bank 2000Kwh now. Anything over on the bank they get for free and no payout at settlement. He usually banked a large number of Kwh to cut his drying costs for his corn crop. This is now the 3rd change in about 10 years. My brother put up a 17Kw wind generator and when he put it up, he received $0.10/Kwh. There was a merger between coops and the contracts were thrown out, he was forced to go net metering and a limit on his bank of 2000Kwh. He now builds up his bank and shuts his system down until he draws the bank back down. The farmer will be switching his house to radiant floor heat with electric boiler setup and add heat pumps to garage and shop, anything he can do to use up excess.
Things are changing and not for the betterment of the homeowner, farmer, business, etc that invested in a grid tie system. It's the reason I went with off grid for my house. I still have a meter on my property and still have usage. My shop is on the property and it will remain on the grid. I wanted a system where if I retire someday I won't have to pay an electric bill for my house and I can shift some heating with LP gas to heat pumps run by solar in spring and fall.
The problem is the utilities get to change the rules when they see a benefit to their bottom line. Doesn't matter if it is a rural coop or a utility with investors, everyone employed there from the administrator to the linemen or the investors, all want an increase in wages, benefits and dividends so they will squeeze the grid tie operators as they are the minority at this stage. What I have noticed is the people who think they are in charge push for green energy but only in ways they can profit from it. No different than the installers that quoted your system, they want rules and regs so they can be the sole providers and profit from it.