Solar mission creep.

[Rednecktek]

Tell me about it! All I wanted was a little more storage space!

Scope creep? More like scope hustle!

 

[Skypower]

Tell me about it! All I wanted was a little more storage space!

Scope creep? More like scope hustle!

Is this scope creep? Single channel to dual?

 

[wattmatters]

lol

Heck, I forgot about getting my 'scope for some troubleshooting. Not to mention all the other tools, soldering workstation, meters...

 

[Skypower]

lol

Heck, I forgot about getting my 'scope for some troubleshooting. Not to mention all the other tools, soldering workstation, meters...

Yeah I’ve filled a couple of pack out boxes with solar related, but my justification was; well if I had to pay someone to do this, it would be so much more and now I got “whatever” for the next time.

 

[Q-Dog]

I started out just wanting to keep the refrigerator cold over night without dragging out the generator, so inverter and batteries only. Then more batteries, and a couple of solar panels to cover for the conversion losses and keep the batteries topped off. Then left the fridge on the inverter full time (because it seemed a shame to let the batteries sit there just waiting for a power outage), so now needed a few more panels.

Our first long power outage showed us where we could improve, so, we added a few more panels. We now had enough solar that we had surplus power during the day and started running an A/C when the batteries were full. Which lead to more batteries, and moving a few more loads to the inverter, and now a full pallet of panels that are waiting for me to get healthy enough to put up a pergola. (I can see doubling our inverter power in the not so distant future.)

Oh, and I have collected most of the bits to put together a portable system on wheels to light up the shed and drag around the yard for places where extension cords don't quite reach.

So, creeping along just fine over here.

 

[Mattb4]

I started out just wanting to keep the refrigerator cold over night without dragging out the generator, ...

Although a bit on the wild side of things one of my push into solar was the idea of keeping a deep freezer operating under a complete grid down scenario. Being able to store meat and other food items for longer periods require preservation efforts, After exploring the traditional smoking, canning, and drying of items it became apparent to me that freezing, if you have the energy to run a freezer, is the most practical.

The various approaches of using DC small freezers and propane fired refrigeration showed that powering a traditional 120vAC deep freeze was a better approach. To do this reliably requires a modest solar setup that can also allow powering other things. Once you start powering other stuff with solar then the dreaded creep shows up.

 

[ricardocello]

Is this scope creep?

That’s o-scope creep! Same idea though.

 

[Ampster]

My first system was 2.8 kWs and I actually had a credit at True Up. Rates and NEM was such that I was a Net consumer because I charged my EV overnight and got credit for solar production during the day. I used the grid as a battery with no cost. The credit balance washed out my consumption and I literally had no cost at True Up. That was NEM 1.0 and four years later I rented that home and moved to a bigger all electric home and leased another EV. I installed 4 kWs on that home but erosion of benefits had already begun.
I won't go through all the iterations about how I got to my existing system but the scope creep was a result of rate changes and further erosion of benefits. I am literally in my fourth set of batteries and my third inverter. Unless there is a major technological breakthrough, I don't see much except adding a few more panels west facing and limiting output so I don't get kicked into NEM 3.0. I have already added 3 kW behind the meter and limit their output.

 

[plympton]

I started out just wanting to keep the refrigerator cold over night without dragging out the generator, so inverter and batteries only...

So, creeping along just fine over here.

That's some major creepin'... and exactly the same journey I'm on! As a matter of fact, I just figured out how to utilize my 2 "extra" solar panels - my BATTERIES (Bluetti B300) have small MPPT's in them! So they get 1 each - aw, cute!

 

[wpns]

Rut Roh. I ordered a bunch of small panels to keep 12V batteries charged, is this the beginning of the end?

 

[Zwy]

Rut Roh. I ordered a bunch of small panels to keep 12V batteries charged, is this the beginning of the end?

You need a monitor on your phone so you can see those big watts rolling in.

You will be hooked once you see that.

 

[wildbillpdx]

Solar Assistant works well. This is from my 4kw system yesterday:

 

[wattmatters]

is this the beginning of the end?

You're not even at the end of the beginning.

 

[wattmatters]

Solar Assistant works well. This is from my 4kw system yesterday:

Nice. The next mission creep is integration with Home Assistant:

Displays are one thing...





Have pages for various things, e.g. water heater which operates using a solar PV diverter:



and in the last couple of days I managed to integrate our EV into Home Assistant, still working on that dashboard:




but automations are another world of fun....

 

[michvhf]

Is this scope creep? Single channel to dual?View attachment 204546View attachment 204544

Scope creep -- lets not go there. I started with a really old Tektronix 535. Then went to a 545B, then all hell broke loose. I sold a couple, gave a couple away and I'm finally down to 11 scopes, all but 3 are Tek ranging from audio to 1GHz samplers with touchscreens. I have more than one of them, was using one as a doorstop for a while.

 

[Zwy]

Scope creep -- lets not go there. I started with a really old Tektronix 535. Then went to a 545B, then all hell broke loose. I sold a couple, gave a couple away and I'm finally down to 11 scopes, all but 3 are Tek ranging from audio to 1GHz samplers with touchscreens. I have more than one of them, was using one as a doorstop for a while.

I thought I was bad owning 4 or is it 5? I have some I haven't seen in a few years. Not as much use anymore but still need one.