diy solar

diy solar

Planning to reduce electric bill by solar push, no feed back to grid. Daylight hours only.

I am not a lawyer, but as I understand it, Arizona is one of the states that says you cannot be prevented from installing solar panels on property you own. It may be worthwhile to call a solar company and ask them how this applies to property you own on a rented lot. If you own the shed, you may be able to put as many panels as you can fit up there without having to hide them.

"Arizona law protects individual homeowners’ private property rights to solar access by dissolving any local covenant, restriction or condition attached to a property deed that restricts the use of solar energy. This law sustained a legal challenge in 2000."

 
True, but that doesn't mean the utility has to accept you as a grid-tie customer.
 
Peak summer rates:

24.1/kWh on-peak
7.3/kWh off-peak

They pay 2.8/kWh for exported solar... :(

He's talking about total dollar amounts for on peak and off peak kWh amounts.
Thanks, so using 27 cents Kwh and 7 hours of sun to estimate the power production of 1.4Kwh a day from 200 watts of panels would save about $12 a month for 6 or 7 months a year.
$84 max savings for a year not $60 a month.

$235 for equipment so about 3 years pay off using high numbers of 7 hours sun for all 7 months and 27 cents kwh.
 
His plan isn't grid tie, rather zero export.
Issue is whether MH park can prohibit panels on roof.
Then, if large array openly displayed, what hoops they can make him jump through.

But I don't think big PV is such a benefit for him.
Most of the day, power is worth $0.07/kWh, so PV saves him maybe 4.5 cents
Peak rate of $0.24 is 3 hours per summer day, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
It might possible to generate good power then with suitable orientation and tilt.

But how about charging DIY LiFePO4 4s1p 280 Ah from grid off-peak,
then either zero-export from battery on-peak (if possible)
or "UPS" instead, just disconnect inverter (and refrigerator) from grid by means of a timer from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and let battery run 400W swamp cooler. (Requires inverter able to start or at least keep it running.)

Reason to disconnect refrigerator (and similar loads) is so that coasts through peak times.
Swamp cooler is the load intended to run from battery during peak times, using off-peak power for 1/3 the rate.

The small amount of PV he does mount might or might not be sufficient to run swamp cooler during power failures.
 
I only mention the law thing to suggest it may not be impossible to get more panels up on his roof. 200 watts is a bit small for what he wants to run.

I have been experimenting with what I can run with 400 watts of panels into my battery backup. So far with just my refrigerator and a couple of security cameras on the system I can almost maintain the battery charge as long as I have good sun. Solar calculators suggest I need close to 500 watts of panels, and my use so far confirms that. After 3 days of clouds my charger had to run for about 2 hours this morning, but with full sun the system is very close to equilibrium.
 
If this was drawn out or illustrated like a schematic would be much easier for simple people like myself to understand..
I’ve looked into the limiter models but caa as n you guys watch these two videos and give me your opinions.
 
What you posted of your monthly bills was incomprehensible.
No way you are paying $1.11 per Kwh or would save that much from 2 100 watt panels.
How much is your total bill per month?

200 watts panels only generates 1.4Kwh a day and that's mainly in the peak hours.

Ummmh even if you use "free" stimulus money thats still real money that you could have spent on drugs or booze. Haha
 
I promise you my bills are always between 280-500 and all I use is the heater and ac. Now you know why I’m doing this. I’m sick and tired of be screwed!
 
I promise you my bills are always between 280-500 and all I use is the heater and ac. Now you know why I’m doing this. I’m sick and tired of be screwed!

Care to post an image of the bill, showing Wh consumption for various price tiers and times of day?
Heating and cooling are major loads. Is that "A/C" not just swamp cooler?
If your electric bills are several hundred dollars per month, you would seem a good candidate for lots of PV panels.
But some locations have rules to make sure PV is not cost effective. That's where zero-export and controlling when loads operate could benefit.
 
Can’t post it till I get home this error seems to happen whenever I want to see my usage but not when I want to pay. I wonder why m
 

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Can’t post it till I get home this error seems to happen whenever I want to see my usage but not when I want to pay. I wonder why m
I will post my usage and other data tonight when I get off work and can use a laptop over wifi
 
I appreciate everyone’s input thank you! Gotta get back to work right now.
 
I’ve looked into the limiter models but caa as n you guys watch these two videos and give me your opinions.
I’ve looked into the limiter models but caa as n you guys watch these two videos and give me your opinions.

My opinion is that if you are only trying to offset the consumption of a specific 120V appliance, the clamp-sensor GTIL inverters are near-perfect.

I modified an extension cord so that I could place the clamp sensor of the hot wire.

Into the end of that extension cord, I plugged a space heater and the GTIL inverter.

When space heater consumed over 800W, the GTIL put out its max power of 800W and consumption from the grid into that extension cord was reduced by 800W.

When the space heater was adjusted to consume less than 800W, the GTIL reduced output power to match that of the space heater and consumption from the grid into that extension cord was reduced to 0W.

When the space heater was turned off, GTIL output reduced to 0W and there was no export to the grid.

Figuring out the proper way to use this with split-phase 240V is a bit more complicated, but for offsetting self consumption of a specific 120V appliance or even a full 120V branch circuit, these GTILs perform as claimed.
 
No way is he paying $1.11 Kwh in Phoenix.

What is the Average Electric Bill in Phoenix? |
The average electricity rate in Arizona is 12.20 cents per kWh, that's an increase of 4.6% since February of 2017.
@snoobler lives in Arizona
how come this bill says that amount for KWH, or is $1.11 total money for 14 kwh.
All i am trying to do is cut my monthly bill down to about 25 to 30 dollars total a month, ill post another bill when swamp cooler is running next.
 

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I cant go over what my cooler runs at or it might back feed and the utility will see it then im in trouble,

I guess what i should is hook up my kilowatt meter and see what the cooler uses in 24hrs, all i know is when i hooked it up, it uses 222watts on low, and 420 on high, or i should run it for an hour and see what my kwh usage is,and then i can multiply ect to get full usage

I have all LED light bulbs in my house that only use 7-9 watts per bulb, and none are on during the day, i have a electric hot water heater but it doesn't run during the day because its so hot in the summer in my mobile home.

I dont have a heater in my home and i have a 220 electric stove and oven but the oven doesnt work, and in summer we always grill out because trailer is to hot to cook in

alll im trying to do is lower my monthly bill, i dont like posting this because i dont want people feeling sorry for me, but i was a solar installer for 6 years and electrician, then in Sept of 2019, i had a cancer tumor in brain, hurting my balance, surgery went great, put wheel chair in closet after 30 days, i told myself thuis aint happening, im a construction worker and tougher than this, it started with spot in lung, so now been on chemo for year and tumor in lung is about75% gone, so where kicking this shit, and i feel positive and no problems. i cant work anymore and had to take my social security early, and thats all i have to live on, except for a few side jobs, under the table. if i can save just a mere 30 dollars from that $130 a month, that pays for my car insurance, and another savings of $45 a month would pay my interent bill,this why so little actually means a lot, i quit smoking and drinking 14-16 years ago, then i get cancer after LOL. go figure
 
how come this bill says that amount for KWH, or is $1.11 total money for 14 kwh.
All i am trying to do is cut my monthly bill down to about 25 to 30 dollars total a month, ill post another bill when swamp cooler is running next.
14KWh @ $1.11 = 7.9 cent per KHh.
Your total KWh for the month without cooler is 402 KWh @ $31.14, so that comes out to be about 3114/402 = 7.75 cent per KWh.
Your total KWh for the month with cooler is 841 KWh @ $106.70, so that comes out to be about 10670/841 = 12.69 cent per KWh.
You are using 439 KWh (841 KWh - 402 KWh = 439 KWh) more when you have coller running.
So 439 KWh/30 days = 14.63 KWh per day you need to produce from your solar system to keep your bill at aorund $30 range.
 
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Rates of $1.11/kWh certainly make a difference.

With your panels flat, their peak output will be at noon. When the sun is 45 degrees off to one side around 3:00 PM, output will be 0.7x as much.
It would be more optimum if they were aimed around 4:00 PM sun, for peak rates 3:00 to 6:00 PM. (I aimed mine at 2:00 PM for Noon to 6:00 PM peak). But you have to keep the hidden?

Some panels put out 50% more power for a given area than others, so compare size and wattage.

If you do get an inverter and battery to run swamp cooler during the peak hours, that could save money.

PV could help charge it earlier, but isn't necessary. How much do you charge for off-peak power?
Use a timer to turn off fridge during peak. How about water heater, gas or electric?
Actually, i was thinking about a battery because of the grid going down similier to texas, here in az, phoenix area,people come home and crank their ac on and up, so the grid goes down sometimes but is back on in 4-6 hours or less, i have some neighbors that actually get in their cars and drive around just to waste gas to stay cool, thats how desperate they are, if i could just keep my cooler and fridge on that wold be great, fridge only uses 4.25 kwh in 48 hours time. so not much, actually a fridge and freezer can go for 4 hours easily with out electricity. that happens when i switch out peoples main utility panels on their house being an electrician.
 
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