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diy solar

How frequently does your solar system need attention?

@S610 as the house has not been built yet, how do you plan to do a power audit to determine total power needed?
 
@S610 as the house has not been built yet, how do you plan to do a power audit to determine total power needed?
I don’t see that as a concern. She knows what she’s putting in, her present usage, and probably has a calculator on her phone. I’d guess for myself anyways that figuring it out isn’t much of an obstacle and one should overbuild a bit anyways. The chance of being “short” seems small to me.
 
Actually that is the plan! In fact I will probably record the vital bits in case I do have to replace a failed part. The installer won't like it but we can work something out.

This house is being built from the ground up in a tiny Southern town 200 miles from where I live now. I am a retirement aged female with NO construction/electrical experience! The builders already think I'm an odd/eccentric for wanting an off-grid passive cooled house; if I threw in "Oh by the way...I'm going to install part of the solar myself" I would never get a decent GC or electrician to take on the rest of the job!

In fact if they agreed to let someone like me do it they obviously have very poor judgement and I wouldn't trust them to build a quality house. :)
May I make a suggestion. Since you are in the building stage, have a meter/main combination panel(pictured) and a separate distribution panel. This will allow for a manual transfer switch later with much less hassle. Your electrician/contractor won’t like it …..too bad.98648AB9-D124-4789-A1A2-A78F047C92E4.png
 
I kept trying to write up responses to all the ways that this thread (efforts to be "hands off", full services done by someone else, etc.), could run into grief, but there's just too much jumping around in any given thread ... and this one is hitting many pages now.

Perhaps this new thread, with all the wording up front, would help (or not) ...

diysolarforum.com/threads/the-state-of-being-in-our-solar-journey.62244

Not trying to scare anybody, as I got to off-grid just fine, and many others did as well ... but, there were horror stories, support issues, etc., and after 10 years of being off-grid in a rural environment, I came around to the fact that it is very hands-on, very diy, lots of effort involved, many wrong turns to get to the right path, stuff breaks, and nobody will come out and help you (if you're rural).

Please comment on the separate thread ... it's bound to help folks really understand everything involved ...

Note that it's off-grid commentary mostly ... I don't really get into AHJ's, codes, electricians, etc. ... whole 'nuther thread.
 
That also meets code.
The code now requires a main disconnect on the outside of the home.

when I upgraded to breakers in this small house back in 1995, the city required an outside disconnect which has been a blessing for when I started solar. (Previously the house circuits - ALL OF THEM - ran on 4 fuses. Yes just 4. Built in 1930. Circuits were first upgraded from Knob and Tubes, to romex, then the panel was installed)

But I installed that system before I started solar.

Before solar, the disconnect ran the SER to a 12 space main house panel (TOO small btw I later learned - should have been at least a 24 space).

As I began solar, I saw I needed a GRID main house panel (MHP) AND a Critical Loads Panel (CLP), allowing for equipment between the two
In my case I had to run a 60 amp circuit from the MHP DOWN to the basement where I had space to put in the CLP, inverters, batteries etc.

Then I added a CLP-2 just below the MHP. CLP-2 was powered by a 60 amp circuit from CLP, in order to connect the older circuits on to the CLP.

If I were building a house now, I would install the MHP with a small number of grid circuits and nearby install the main CLP. The house loads would land on the CLP mostly. My aims are for a whole house CLP

Retro fitting my DC coupled solar was difficult but I had to do that CLP in the basement where there was room to work the solar in

BTW, my 60 amp circuit from MHP to CLP is being upgraded to 100 amp, in prep for the DUAL XW Pro.
The CLP disconnect is currently 70 amp, but I have the 100 amp panel disconnect ready to install into the CLP, once the wires are upgraded

Again should have done it right the first time.
 
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I don’t see that as a concern. She knows what she’s putting in, her present usage, and probably has a calculator on her phone. I’d guess for myself anyways that figuring it out isn’t much of an obstacle and one should overbuild a bit anyways. The chance of being “short” seems small to me.
I have some reservations about this.
Her proposed new house is 1000 sq ft. this does not allow a lot of room on the roof for panels but if she has plenty of property a ground mount would take care of that. if her location allows ground mount. If space is limited she might need to buy newer (newest) high output panels to make the required amount of power. if she is buying all new appliances then she can ensure that all of them are in the low power consumption range. there are ways to mitigate the size of the panel system.

hence at least a scratch it out on paper and then oversize as much as practical. though i think that storage will be her biggest concern. we offgridders tend to be willing to accept certain limitations that non offgridders will not.
 
In response to @Mattb4 comment once I decided to go with off grid rather than the grid tied system I 've had for years, I haven't found anyone willing to do that.
All the companies want to do grid tied packages only. I have only been actively looking for someone for a few months, so I will find someone but there isn't much activity with off grid solar yet in my very rural area.
 
In response to @Mattb4 comment once I decided to go with off grid rather than the grid tied system I 've had for years, I haven't found anyone willing to do that.
All the companies want to do grid tied packages only. I have only been actively looking for someone for a few months, so I will find someone but there isn't much activity with off grid solar yet in my very rural area.
Diy, or a local electrician.
Most of the "solar installers" are interested in the fast money. (Easy, simple)
 
Diy, or a local electrician.
Most of the "solar installers" are interested in the fast money. (Easy, simple)
I believe it's about money mostly, but also the unhappy customers that want grid level power at way less than the grid. The big franchises are sucking up the easily repeated ,grid tied, rooftop mount solar business.
 
Yup, it's quick profits.
Throw some panels on the roof. Run a conduit down the side of the house. Throw up a disconnect and inverter. Run a circuit into the main panel, and put it on a breaker.
Write up the invoice..... done.
 
Yup, it's quick profits.
Throw some panels on the roof. Run a conduit down the side of the house. Throw up a disconnect and inverter. Run a circuit into the main panel, and put it on a breaker.
Write up the invoice..... done.
i hope the conversion on my real house is easier... its got 8.5 kw of panels and once the payoff form the grid tie drops i will convert it to a grid assist battery backup model. biggest issue for me will be the automatic transfer switch which is mandated for all grid ties of any sort here... that will be at least 3k.
 
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