New Guy, Whole house solar DIY

[Tooshort]

Good Afternoon All,

TLDR
5.2 acres, approx 12kwh system, 100% Sunlight.
Is this Kit im buying good outside of mounting solution?
Am i getting myself way in over my head?
What things should i plan for that a more experienced solar installer would know
any other help at all.

Below are pictures of, the house,


I just wanted to reach out and see if I can get some advice as a noobie / first timer. Ive never built anything solar except for a gate using Ghost Controls, which was automatic with a built in solar controller.

Essentially what I would like is for anyone to weigh in on where I may have shortfall in my understanding and or any opinions / help that would help me get a better understanding of what has to be done before I purchase my build and start working with electricians to get grid tied.

Outside of that, I have done a lot of work here and there and im quite familiar with electrical. I have built custom bikes on my own and done a lot of lighting on vehicles. Also done a lot of labor in my time so im not afraid of the work. Im a Signal Officer in the Army, and have dealt with a lot of electric / devices

The kit I am looking at is

https://shopsolarkits.com/collectio...lar-power-system-whk-2?variant=39583507382412

From what I can tell, the kit is pretty solid, I really like the SOL-ARK setup / functionality. I like the battery functionality as well. This is something that has never been offered by any of the companies that I have spoke with to get solar installed. They always say that its too expensive and almost as much if not more than their whole kit. (23K) for 8kwh system)

After researching and knowing that its mostly just labor that they are charging for I decided that id be better off doing it myself (As always)

So here goes, Heres the plan with pics

I want to have a ground mount system I was thinking in area 1 or 2.



I have 5.2 acres with about 4.5 of them being cleared so great sunlight all day, Im in Coastal Georgia (zone 2) based off the calculator the solar salesman gave meI need about 13kwh to run my whole house with little to no supplementation from the power company. I have a pole barn approx. 100m from the main house as shown

It has a 2 – 4 gauge wire run underground already ( was like that when I got the house) and I used it to hook my well up to the main house instead of having a separate meter on the pole.






I was thinking that I may be able to hook the panels up through this but im thinking that’s less likely the more and more I read. Initially I had planned to have the inverter and batteries in the shed next to the pole barn. From what I understand this will not be possible as the inverter needs to be tied into the main next to the breaker. was planning on putting the inverter next to the breaker boxes here.









Another option is to put the panels on top of the pole barn, while saving space, and facing south, I find this option unfavorable as they aren’t as accessible or easily installed.

I plan on doing the whole install myself, except for the main line connection once everything is installed. I don’t want to deal with live power grid. I think I will need to get in contact with the county / power company in order to get grid tied but that’s something im going to find out when I have the electrician come out and take a look.

I guess i just need help seeing if im crazy, if this system will work, what things i should plan for now, prior to installation. and lastly i guess a good mounting solution

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Good Afternoon All,

TLDR
5.2 acres, approx 12kwh system, 100% Sunlight.

Nope.

12kW system
10.6kWh storage (about 1/3 the average U.S. household daily consumption)
4kW Solar (in great sun, can produce about 2/3 the average U.S. household daily consumption)

kW is POWER.
kWh is ENERGY (storage/power used for a time period)

Is this Kit im buying good outside of mounting solution?

IMHO, no. Mostly because I doubt you understand what you've getting or what you need.

Am i getting myself way in over my head?

Probably.

What things should i plan for that a more experienced solar installer would know
any other help at all.

Below are pictures of, the house,


I just wanted to reach out and see if I can get some advice as a noobie / first timer. Ive never built anything solar except for a gate using Ghost Controls, which was automatic with a built in solar controller.

Essentially what I would like is for anyone to weigh in on where I may have shortfall in my understanding and or any opinions / help that would help me get a better understanding of what has to be done before I purchase my build and start working with electricians to get grid tied.

Outside of that, I have done a lot of work here and there and im quite familiar with electrical. I have built custom bikes on my own and done a lot of lighting on vehicles. Also done a lot of labor in my time so im not afraid of the work. Im a Signal Officer in the Army, and have dealt with a lot of electric / devices

The kit I am looking at is

https://shopsolarkits.com/collectio...lar-power-system-whk-2?variant=39583507382412

From what I can tell, the kit is pretty solid, I really like the SOL-ARK setup / functionality. I like the battery functionality as well. This is something that has never been offered by any of the companies that I have spoke with to get solar installed. They always say that its too expensive and almost as much if not more than their whole kit. (23K) for 8kwh system)

Given how few components you're getting, you should price them individually.

After researching and knowing that its mostly just labor that they are charging for I decided that id be better off doing it myself (As always)

So here goes, Heres the plan with pics

I want to have a ground mount system I was thinking in area 1 or 2.View attachment 72460

Whichever one allows your array to face due South.

I have 5.2 acres with about 4.5 of them being cleared so great sunlight all day, Im in Coastal Georgia (zone 2) based off the calculator the solar salesman gave meI need about 13kwh to run my whole house with little to no supplementation from the power company. I have a pole barn approx. 100m from the main house as shown

I doubt that. He probably meant 13kW, which would produce about 65kWh on a great solar day - about 2X what the average American household consumes, and likely more realistic for a large property.

You need to check your power bill and look at your monthly kWh consumption before you do anything else.

View attachment 72467 It has a 2 – 4 gauge wire run underground already ( was like that when I got the house) and I used it to hook my well up to the main house instead of having a separate meter on the pole.
View attachment 72466View attachment 72468 View attachment 72470I was thinking that I may be able to hook the panels up through this but im thinking that’s less likely the more and more I read. Initially I had planned to have the inverter and batteries in the shed next to the pole barn. From what I understand this will not be possible as the inverter needs to be tied into the main next to the breaker.View attachment 72461was planning on putting the inverter next to the breaker boxes here.

View attachment 72462View attachment 72463View attachment 72464View attachment 72465

Another option is to put the panels on top of the pole barn, while saving space, and facing south, I find this option unfavorable as they aren’t as accessible or easily installed.

You will need to see if NEC2017 applies to you in this situation. Since it's a barn, it might not. If it does, you need an optimizer that also shuts down each individual panel. This will add about $60 to each panel.

Ground mount FTW.

I plan on doing the whole install myself, except for the main line connection once everything is installed. I don’t want to deal with live power grid. I think I will need to get in contact with the county / power company in order to get grid tied but that’s something im going to find out when I have the electrician come out and take a look.

I guess i just need help seeing if im crazy, if this system will work, what things i should plan for now, prior to installation. and lastly i guess a good mounting solution

At the moment, you are crazy. You need to take a step back and determine what your actual needs are with your monthly power bill and determine how much you want to try to replace. Once you do that, you might still be crazy, but you will be armed with the most important piece of information about the project.

 

[Tooshort]

So,

At the moment, you are crazy. You need to take a step back and determine what your actual needs are with your monthly power bill and determine how much you want to try to replace. Once you do that, you might still be crazy, but you will be armed with the most important piece of information about the project.

Yeah, I should have put my bill amounts on here as well, he was quoting me a 8kw system. but it wouldnt get me 100% there, only 74% Solution

I use about 35 to 65 kwh a day my monthly is between 950(DEC) and 2100(AUG) . ill update with exact figures when i get back.

This is absolutely the kind of feedback i need. I really do appreciate it @sunshine_eggo

 

[Bluedog225]

I used to advise my clients “tell me what you are going to do, not what you did.”

Glad you are open to the feedback. Good start but lots to learn before you start buying stuff. I’ve changed my plans a dozen times based on feedback here.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

So, the kit you've selected could produce about 16-24kWh daily.

Here's what PVWatts says for a 1kW system at 33° tilt facing due South in Crescent, GA:



Note that these results are averages and they take into account local weather over something like the last 30 years, e.g., for July 17th, it looks at all July 17ths it has on record, computes the average and then picks the actual July 17th closest to that average and uses it in results.

To make 950kWh in December, you'd need (950/95) = 10kW solar panels
To make 2100kWh in Aug, you'd need (2100/128) = 16.4kW solar panels

Now you can do the math yourself. Again, those AC Energy numbers are monthly kWh/1000W of panels. Your 4kW kit would produce 25-40% of your needs based on the extremes.

You would need your daily consumption in battery storage to power your home for 24 hours without charging.

You can download HOURLY data from PVWatts into a spreadsheet. It will show you several instances where average weather may cause your solar to underperform substantially where you won't meet your daily needs for more than a few days at a stretch.

As it stands, the kit you've chosen will allow you to offset only a small amount of your usage, and your running in a grid-down situation would only allow you several hours of normal operation before the lights go out.

 

[Tooshort]

I see where im making the mistake, I need more panels for sure. That makes sense. I for some reason didnt realize it wasnt giving enough panels to produce 12kw.

So my last 12 months of bills were (In kWh)
Jan 1481
Feb 1216
Mar 1103
Apr 1238
May 1040
June 1650
July 1890
Aug 2190
Sep 2041
Oct 1758
Nov 1057
Dec 995


Attached is the PVwatts I just did, with 13KW system.

so my main problem with that kit would be that i only have 4KW in panels. Thanks, for some reason i didnt pick that up. Makes sense why it was a bit cheaper now. So I would need to effectively triple my panels

 

[Tooshort]

Given how few components you're getting, you should price them individually.

Absolutely, Now that your saying it, I can see how much im missing. Is there a company that actually makes decent kits? from what i read on here, most people price individually instead.

Whichever one allows your array to face due South.

all 3 positions have clear southern LOS and would get 100% Sunlight all day

I doubt that. He probably meant 13kW, which would produce about 65kWh on a great solar day - about 2X what the average American household consumes, and likely more realistic for a large property.

Yeah, i looked over the paperwork again, he quoted me 23k for a 8.36 KW system with no battery backup and, to be honest, what seems to be a pretty sad inverter from fronius. But im not expert, It just seemed pretty featureless

 

[Tooshort]

What its sounding like, is I should start with my well, and eventually upscale to the whole house..... Man, im glad I got on this site.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

Absolutely, Now that your saying it, I can see how much im missing. Is there a company that actually makes decent kits? from what i read on here, most people price individually instead.


all 3 positions have clear southern LOS and would get 100% Sunlight all day


Yeah, i looked over the paperwork again, he quoted me 23k for a 8.36 KW system with no battery backup and, to be honest, what seems to be a pretty sad inverter from fronius. But im not expert, It just seemed pretty featureless

Lack of features on the Fronius inverter?
They may have a nickname… Frownius

 

[Tooshort]

Now, Second follow up question than. Have any of you ever heard of someone upscaling off of RPS Watersecure 12KW system? This all started because i wanted to for sure have my well covered. But I though I would look into a full house kit instead. Would I be able to Upscale off a system like the RPS 12KW system? or should I just go with an inverter like the Sol-ark from the start?

 

[kromc5]

So,

Yeah, I should have put my bill amounts on here as well, he was quoting me a 8kw system. but it wouldnt get me 100% there, only 74% Solution

I use about 35 to 65 kwh a day my monthly is between 950(DEC) and 2100(AUG) . ill update with exact figures when i get back.

This is absolutely the kind of feedback i need. I really do appreciate it @sunshine_eggo

Just to give you and a few ideas, my daily usage is similiar to yours the max I have seen so far is 81kwh for a day. My system is probally over built but cloudy days can cut pv by 80% or more. I'm at 80 500wat panels for whole house offgrid. I started out slowly working on one breaker panel at a time and finding what was needed to do the loads and get the batteries charged. If ever day was sunny then 48 500w panels actually charge/run everything just fine in the winter for my house. Iron ridge is what I used the ground mounts and have an aswome system configurator with full pdf printout and windloads. Iron ridge does roof mounts as well. So far the max I have ever produced was 91kwh in a day but only becuase I had 4 days of very cloudy weather and brought the banks way down.

 

[iamrich]

Is this Grid assist, backfeeding the grid, or off grid?

 

[Tooshort]

grid assist, backfeeding optional

 

[Tooshort]

Just to give you and a few ideas, my daily usage is similiar to yours the max I have seen so far is 81kwh for a day. My system is probally over built but cloudy days can cut pv by 80% or more. I'm at 80 500wat panels for whole house offgrid. I started out slowly working on one breaker panel at a time and finding what was needed to do the loads and get the batteries charged. If ever day was sunny then 48 500w panels actually charge/run everything just fine in the winter for my house. Iron ridge is what I used the ground mounts and have an aswome system configurator with full pdf printout and windloads. Iron ridge does roof mounts as well. So far the max I have ever produced was 91kwh in a day but only becuase I had 4 days of very cloudy weather and brought the banks way down.

Man, you sound like you got it set. sounds like quite a hefty setup

 

[Porch]

Just a few comments.
1) It's far more cost effective to save power, then to generate it. Adding insulation, changing out the single AC to split units, converting to gas appliances, double pane windows, etc are all things that will save you money in the long run, and once you figure in the cost of a battery, the short run too.
2) Solar panels are cheap. Most of the cost is in the shipping and mounting. If you have the physical room to mount them, plan for far more panels then you need. https://sunelec.com/solar-panels/
3)Talk to an electrician on inverter sizing and wiring if you are going with off-grid or battery backup. Both options will require planning and wiring to your existing electrical panels. This needs to be done to code and safely.

 

[Tooshort]

Just a few comments.
1) It's far more cost effective to save power, then to generate it. Adding insulation, changing out the single AC to split units, converting to gas appliances, double pane windows, etc are all things that will save you money in the long run, and once you figure in the cost of a battery, the short run too.
2) Solar panels are cheap. Most of the cost is in the shipping and mounting. If you have the physical room to mount them, plan for far more panels then you need. https://sunelec.com/solar-panels/
3)Talk to an electrician on inverter sizing and wiring if you are going with off-grid or battery backup. Both options will require planning and wiring to your existing electrical panels. This needs to be done to code and safely.

Absolutely, Unfortunately this home is extremely energy efficient, double pane windows, and all spray foam insulation. I dont have any gas option. I have a single AC system but there are other things i could improve upon like closing the shades throughout the day and using the heat / AC less.

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

I see where im making the mistake, I need more panels for sure. That makes sense. I for some reason didnt realize it wasnt giving enough panels to produce 12kw.

So my last 12 months of bills were (In kWh)
Jan 1481
Feb 1216
Mar 1103
Apr 1238
May 1040
June 1650
July 1890
Aug 2190
Sep 2041
Oct 1758
Nov 1057
Dec 995

View attachment 72480
Attached is the PVwatts I just did, with 13KW system.

so my main problem with that kit would be that i only have 4KW in panels. Thanks, for some reason i didnt pick that up. Makes sense why it was a bit cheaper now. So I would need to effectively triple my panels

Off-Grid (or Hybrid) System: I power everything in the house (cooktop, oven, dryer, computers, heat-pumps, etc) except the spa and the goal is to use all that I can bring in thru the panels. Since I'm off-grid, I cannot push excess back to the grid BUT I'm also free of power company involvement.

PV: Yes - I have a 12.8kw PV array and produced 18,000kwh (PV wise) in 2020. This produces 80kwh/day max in spring/early-summer and 17kwh/day in dead-winter. I'm matched well so that I get 24hrs/day solar operation in spring/early-summer... but only 5.3hrs/day of home operation in dead-winter - e.g. 20-25% of spring/summer. **If I increase capability for winter then I have unconsumed power in spring being off-grid... its worth considering what you want out of your system.

Consumption: After losses (mostly inverter) I consumed 15,000kwh of the 18,000kwh coming in. My consumption profile ranges from 2100kw/hour in winter to 4500kw/hour in late (hot) summer. 600w of that is 24/7 computer equipment

Battery: IF your goal is to consume all you produce you have to have enough battery to use the excess power generated during the day to power your house at night and be ready to store the excess the next day. If the battery is too small, you charge up 100% and then the excess is wasted unless you're hybrid / push power out to the grid OR have alternative power dump options.

I'm off-grid and have an 81kwh DIY battery bank and averaged 38% DOD (depth of discharge) to be able to consume all of the 18,000kwh produced. So I 'could have' gotten by with 80% DOD on a 40kwh battery bank. IF you go off-grid with a 13kw PV array and have =< my consumption, then you'll need a 40kwh battery bank.

 

[iamrich]

Absolutely, Unfortunately this home is extremely energy efficient, double pane windows, and all spray foam insulation. I dont have any gas option. I have a single AC system but there are other things i could improve upon like closing the shades throughout the day and using the heat / AC less.

You actually have a pretty reasonable electrical usage.

Is your goal:
1 Save Money
2 Go Green
3 Reliable power (grid goes down)

At $200-300 a month, it's going to take quite a while to get ROI, but if #2 and or 3 is your objective, then that really doesn't matter as much.

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

You actually have a pretty reasonable electrical usage.

Is your goal:
1 Save Money
2 Go Green
3 Reliable power (grid goes down)

At $200-300 a month, it's going to take quite a while to get ROI, but if #2 and or 3 is your objective, then that really doesn't matter as much.

In Oregon, my power is only 11c/kwh. At that rate my off-grid system is running a 24.015year rate of return 'at the moment' If you go off-grid w/battery etc as apposed to straight grid-tie, then it's more difficult to actually save $. However, prices are surely going to go up?

 

[iamrich]

In Oregon, my power is only 11c/kwh. At that rate my off-grid system is running a 24.015year rate of return 'at the moment' If you go off-grid w/battery etc as apposed to straight grid-tie, then it's more difficult to actually save $. However, prices are surely going to go up?

LOL! My system is currently at 51.9 years... But it was really fun to build and prevented me from having to hook into the grid, so totally worth it and someday I am actually going to power some real items off it other than a 5w porch light.

As to the prices going up, I don't know. Every good solar salesman will tell you that, but when I moved to Texas in 2006 the price for power was $.10/kwh. Now 15 years later the prices have sky rocketed up to $.10/kwh... Kind of a hard sale, unless you have another motive (green, reliability, hobby/fun, avoiding grid, etc.)