Questions on a Whole Home Solar Project

[MatthewRM]

I appreciate in advance all the help. I know I will need a lot of it as I get started.

INITIAL PLAN: DIY install a whole home solar system which would cover 100% of my electricity needs, as well as provide for the use of an EV as a daily driver (70 miles daily).

INFORMATION: We have a 3,500sqft farmhouse on 5 acres. The home was built 4 years ago. I live approx. 33 miles from work, so I commute 65-70 miles each day. I have the ability to mount on the roof of my home as well as a 40x30 pole barn. I also have the ability to install a ground mount. In general, I am leaning towards the ground mount option. I will include a picture of my property layout to help with seeing the situation.

The red line in the picture is the approx. distance from my garage to (what I believe) to be the best solar panel ground mount location (in feet). I hope this gives as appropriate scale for the picture.

Right now, the only knowledge I have is from watching Will's videos on YouTube. I'm not sure if that made me predisposed to the EG4 equipment or if it just happens to be the best option for me but that is the equipment I'm leaning towards.

I would love to reach out and get some advice to start this planning process, I have a total project budget of 25-30K.

I'm ready to provide any more information that will be needed, I know for a fact I haven't given everything to make the best decisions, but I am standing by to provide, and answer follow on questions.

I am looking specifically for advice on system components, and advantageous companies to purchase from. As well as splitting the entire DIY project into three or four phases so I can tackle them one at a time.

Thanks again for looking over this project, even in its infancy.

 

[Q-Dog]

Pull out your utility bills and figure out how much power you use. Important to know how many kWh you use each month. Yes, all 4 years you have been in this house if possible.

 

[Quattrohead]

First question is permits and inspections or not?
I see you are in Georgia so you should be in a very good spot for solar energy.
List your electrical energy hog appliances and your kilowatt hours of energy use per month for the whole year, then I'm sure the whole of the interwebs would love to advise you haha

 

[Solar Guppy]

I would love to reach out and get some advice to start this planning process, I have a total project budget of 25-30K.

When your making a plan, such as 100% grid replacement, that is the requirement, the cost / budget will be whatever is need to meet that requirement, not 100% replacement AND total project budget of 25-30K.

 

[Supervstech]

Welcome to the forum!

Location looks ideal, layout options are huge.

Figure you are going to need EV charger, you have 70miles estimated, i would double that to be sure you have storage ability.
What ev? Range of one vs the other is a large sway in storage needs.

Charging at night or in the daytime hours? Big difference.

Lets see some numbers? Before you buy A SINGLE THING, lets see usage, and build a full plan.

You might end up needing ALL three placement options.

 

[MatthewRM]

First question is permits and inspections or not?
I see you are in Georgia so you should be in a very good spot for solar energy.
List your electrical energy hog appliances and your kilowatt hours of energy use per month for the whole year, then I'm sure the whole of the interwebs would love to advise you haha

My current understanding is I will have to apply for a grid tied permit from Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC). This is just for the ability to perform the grid tie in. other than that i do not believe any other permits will be required.

 

[MatthewRM]

When your making a plan, such as 100% grid replacement, that is the requirement, the cost / budget will be whatever is need to meet that requirement, not 100% replacement AND total project budget of 25-30K.

I certainly understand that whatever "the plan" is will dictate the cost, but I wanted to include some type of budget desire in the planning phase. That would allow me to receive recommendations on equipment, used panels, or flash sales, that could assist in meeting the overall goal and might affect my ability to maintain budget. I also thought it might be helpful to limit wild system recommendations that would be outside the practical governing limitations of my fiscal ability.

 

[Solar Guppy]

My current understanding is I will have to apply for a grid tied permit from Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC). This is just for the ability to perform the grid tie in. other than that i do not believe any other permits will be required.

It seems you may need electrical permits and possibly mechanical for panel mounting ( Google Gemini AI )

"In Waverly, Georgia, electrical permits are obtained through the Bremer County Building, Zoning & Sanitation Department. The City of Waverly contracts with Bremer County for building inspection and enforcement.
In general, a permit is required for any new installation or repair of electrical, plumbing, gas, or mechanical systems in Georgia. Minor repairs may be exempt from this requirement, as determined by the Building Official."

 

[TechRider]

I recently did something similar, I built an 18kW PV system using a Sol-Ark 15k. I've got about 90kWh of battery as well. My design goal was to max out the PV of the 15k for what I could fit on my roof. My project ended up coming in just under $45k. I was nearly 100% DIY for the whole thing as well. (I paid an electrician to install the giant knife switch my POCO required but that was it.)

There are so many options, you'll find people that love one vendor and a group that hates the same vendor. I went with Sol-Ark because I liked what the unit did and I had a friend that had one for a year and didn't have any issues with it. I've not had any issues either. I probably could have saved money going with a different option but I'm happy with my decision.

Picking out the panels was probably the hardest part for me. I'm not sure why, probably because I felt like that was the area I had the least knowledge. Looking at your picture, I'd go ground mount with bifacials.

For the batteries, I went down the DIY route. I'm glad I did because I was only a little over the cost of a commercial 5kWh battery for 3x the capacity.

As others have said, get your numbers. During the spring/summer/fall, I was about 90-95% off grid. Right now, in good ole winter time Ohio, I'm down to like 25-30%.

 

[Solar Guppy]

I certainly understand that whatever "the plan" is will dictate the cost, but I wanted to include some type of budget desire in the planning phase. That would allow me to receive recommendations on equipment, used panels, or flash sales, that could assist in meeting the overall goal and might affect my ability to maintain budget. I also thought it might be helpful to limit wild system recommendations that would be outside the practical governing limitations of my fiscal ability.

Quick feedback:

Used panels are not a savings for permitted systems primarily due to the increased size requires more certified racking which can easily exceed the cost of the solar panels being mounted.

Gridtie systems will be limited by what your electrical provider will allow for the grid connection, start there ( search your provider online or call ) as it is highly unlikely they will approve a system large enough to offset 100% of system demand with solar.

So start with our annual usage, then research your electric provider rules, then the permit requirements for your county.

 

[MatthewRM]

It seems you may need electrical permits and possibly mechanical for panel mounting ( Google Gemini AI )

"In Waverly, Georgia, electrical permits are obtained through the Bremer County Building, Zoning & Sanitation Department. The City of Waverly contracts with Bremer County for building inspection and enforcement.
In general, a permit is required for any new installation or repair of electrical, plumbing, gas, or mechanical systems in Georgia. Minor repairs may be exempt from this requirement, as determined by the Building Official."

As I get closer to performing the actual install and have all the system details, I will certainly speak with the county planning department to ensure I meet required wickets. I know for a fact the Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC) will have to approve the system specs and grid tie. That permit process is streamlined through their website and should be minimal cost (~$150.00).

 

[MatthewRM]

Quick feedback:

Used panels are not a savings for permitted systems primarily due to the increased size requires more certified racking which can easily exceed the cost of the solar panels being mounted.

Gridtie systems will be limited by what your electrical provider will allow for the grid connection, start there ( search your provider online or call ) as it is highly unlikely they will approve a system large enough to offset 100% of system demand with solar.

So start with our annual usage, then research your electric provider rules, then the permit requirements for your county.

That is good advice, and I appreciate hearing that. It's helpful to understand the reasons "why" behind the advice to not waste my time with used panels.

 

[Solar Guppy]

As I get closer to performing the actual install and have all the system details, I will certainly speak with the county planning department to ensure I meet required wickets. I know for a fact the Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC) will have to approve the system specs and grid tie. That permit process is streamlined through their website and should be minimal cost (~$150.00).

You will be doing more than speaking with them, GA is under NEC2020 with 1/1/2025 expected to be NEC2023 which is where the codes come from that the local building departments enforce.

Have you ever pulled a permit or electrical work?
What your looking at will require permits, PE signed off plans ect

 

[MatthewRM]

You will be doing more than speaking with them, GA is under NEC2020 with 1/1/2025 expected to be NEC2023 which is where the codes come from that the local building departments enforce.

Have you ever pulled a permit or electrical work?
What your looking at will require permits, PE signed off plans ect

The only permitting I have pulled is associated with the construction of the home and the pole barn. I have never done any electrical permitting, nor have I ever submitted "PE signed off plans". That is one of the reasons I was happy to see the EG4 equipment came with engineer certified specs to submit to the power company. At least in my mind that was a benefit.

 

[MatthewRM]

Pull out your utility bills and figure out how much power you use. Important to know how many kWh you use each month. Yes, all 4 years you have been in this house if possible.

Attached is a two year power use history. This is as far back as my member account would let me pull up.

Significant appliances in the home are minimal;
Fridge
Washer/Dryer
Oven
Chest freezer
2 AC units (upstairs/downstairs)
Well Pump
Septic Pump

 

[Solar Guppy]

The only permitting I have pulled is associated with the construction of the home and the pole barn. I have never done any electrical permitting, nor have I ever submitted "PE signed off plans". That is one of the reasons I was happy to see the EG4 equipment came with engineer certified specs to submit to the power company. At least in my mind that was a benefit.

The Electric company approval has nothing to do with the solar system beyond approval to connect to their grid, they will want the approved permit information from the building department. From planning point, all you need from the utility is what is the system size allowed to then plan and build, and once approved by your county, THEN the power company has to give their approval to operate.

What you did for your home build is exact same process for a solar system and you will need electrical and mechanical permits. PE is short for professional engineer ( state licensed ) which will preform and sign off on the panel mounting meets wind code and if attached to a building that the structure can support the loads.

For gridtie, your looking at UL1741 / IEEE 1547 approval on the device, which any main stream inverter will have, nothing special about EG4

 

[Q-Dog]

Looks like your lowest average daily usage was 30 kWh for this house in Nov 2023, yet Nov of this year is more like 41 kWh per day. Any idea why such a large difference? If you want to be your own power company you need to be aware of such things, or overbuild to the point where it won't matter. And you don't have the budget to overbuild.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

Without even speaking to all the complexities of trying to DIY a grid-tied system without being a knowledgeable electrician and being able to navigate permitting...

What is your intent when you say "cover 100% of my electricity needs" - Are you wanting to build a system that would let you, more or less indefinitely, run off battery power? Or do you just want to offset all of your electrical costs with the utility?

The latter might be doable (you'll probably still pay money each month as a part of a net energy agreement, depending where you live)- the former is a big ask with that level of electrical usage. You will need a big array and a whole lot of batteries.

Not to be negative, just wanting to throw it out there that you'll need to do calculations on all of this to size the system properly.

On the bright side, I think with a larger property with open space, a ground mount totally makes sense. It's nice peace of mind for many people to not have solar panels on their roof.

 

[TM48]

And don't forget about the 30% tax credit. Hopefully they won't change it for next year. I could be wrong but I don't think used equipment qualifies.

 

[Quattrohead]

Significant appliances in the home are minimal;
Fridge
Washer/Dryer
Oven
Chest freezer
2 AC units (upstairs/downstairs)
Well Pump
Septic Pump

These are your heavy hitters. Your monthly usage however is reasonable, better than mine in Florida.
You are looking at 2 inverters for sure.

I know for a fact the Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC) will have to approve the system specs and grid tie.

You should not require anything from them IF you don't plan to push power back to the grid. Watch your language with them here, just think of your inverters as a bloody great big battery charger.

I just completed our home here in Florida, 100% off grid with EG4 18kpv inverters and PowerPro batteries. I might of done a "full" install and got it inspected, then added more batteries after !!!

 

[MatthewRM]

Looks like your lowest average daily usage was 30 kWh for this house in Nov 2023, yet Nov of this year is more like 41 kWh per day. Any idea why such a large difference? If you want to be your own power company you need to be aware of such things, or overbuild to the point where it won't matter. And you don't have the budget to overbuild.

I had a family living in an RV plugged in at certain times. That would explain those types of fluctuations.

 

[MatthewRM]

These are your heavy hitters. Your monthly usage however is reasonable, better than mine in Florida.
You are looking at 2 inverters for sure.

You should not require anything from them IF you don't plan to push power back to the grid. Watch your language with them here, just think of your inverters as a bloody great big battery charger.

I just completed our home here in Florida, 100% off grid with EG4 18kpv inverters and PowerPro batteries. I might of done a "full" install and got it inspected, then added more batteries after !!!

I think my power company "buys back" at .03 cents and sells at .13 cents. Is your recommendation, based on the price for sell back that I just build an off grid system and never attempt to "sell back"?

 

[MatthewRM]

Without even speaking to all the complexities of trying to DIY a grid-tied system without being a knowledgeable electrician and being able to navigate permitting...

What is your intent when you say "cover 100% of my electricity needs" - Are you wanting to build a system that would let you, more or less indefinitely, run off battery power? Or do you just want to offset all of your electrical costs with the utility?

The latter might be doable (you'll probably still pay money each month as a part of a net energy agreement, depending where you live)- the former is a big ask with that level of electrical usage. You will need a big array and a whole lot of batteries.

Not to be negative, just wanting to throw it out there that you'll need to do calculations on all of this to size the system properly.

On the bright side, I think with a larger property with open space, a ground mount totally makes sense. It's nice peace of mind for many people to not have solar panels on their roof.

I think the dream goal would be able to produce and store all I need for the house and an EV. I just haven't fully thought through if that is even attainable with my usage levels.

I am happy to hear your opinion on the ground array, I have whatever space is needed for that install. I can do a single or even two rows of ground mounts if I end up needing 30+ panels.

 

[Philip53]

@MatthewRM, I have not heard any mention of a possible generator scenario. If you decide to forego all of the permitting and grid tie issues, you could very easily do an off-grid system that would power your essential needs, when you lose grid power, or, to simply reduce grid usage by connecting those certain loads permanently to your PV system. And, by adding a generator to your plan, when grid power has been lost, you could use the genset, depending upon the size, to power your entire house, or a portion thereof to provide A/C, heat or washing machine use.

This would be a simpler system to DIY yourself, and much cheaper than trying to erase your entire power bill with PV only (especially with the terrible .03 cents utility buyback). I have done this on my home, 10PV panels with an Xantrex/Schneider XW6048 inverter, 460ah lithium batteries and a 12kw generator. With your double A/C units and larger house you would need at least a 17kw generator.

Good luck, and luck improves with more knowledge.

 

[yabert]

as well as provide for the use of an EV as a daily driver

The good thing with an EV, is it can be use to transfer energy from somewhere (job, neighbors, fast charger nearby) to your home battery.
That can allow to dish the generator system if this situation of low energy at home only happen few time a year.