Trying to see if this is even possible - mobile home park doesn't allow solar panels

[bassplayer]

Hi everyone... I have a mobile home and the management company says 'no way' to installing solar panels on the roof. BUT they said they would allow me to put some panels on my 8' x 12' shed. According to my electric bill, my normal monthly usage (when not using a/c) is 160kvh average and with a/c in the summer it's approx 272kvh.

What I'm trying to figure out is if I can get enough panels on the shed to run my home without using a/c I'm looking online and see that they are coming out with some high wattage panels now and just thought I'd throw it out there and see if I might have a shot at this.

Thank you for any responses (and it's appreciated if they are not too technical, as I'm new at this.

 

[Ampster]

I not know where you are located but in California there is the Solar Rights Act which limits how much HOAs can restrict solar. I do not know how it applies to Mobile homes because that is an landlord tenant situation and I don't even know if you are in California. That is why it is useful to put some general location information in your profile so that comments can be more relevant.

In terms of calculating the output go to PVWatts and run a simulation based on how many panels you can get on your shed.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Hi everyone... I have a mobile home and the management company says 'no way' to installing solar panels on the roof. BUT they said they would allow me to put some panels on my 8' x 12' shed. According to my electric bill, my normal monthly usage (when not using a/c) is 160kvh average and with a/c in the summer it's approx 272kvh.

What I'm trying to figure out is if I can get enough panels on the shed to run my home without using a/c I'm looking online and see that they are coming out with some high wattage panels now and just thought I'd throw it out there and see if I might have a shot at this.

Thank you for any responses (and it's appreciated if they are not too technical, as I'm new at this.

I would be uncertain as to the viability of installing solar panels on a mobile home roof as well as a shed. They need to be able to structurally support the panels and handle any wind loads.

I assume you mean 160kWh and 272kWh, respectively.

160kWh/30 = 5.3kWh/day
272kWh/30 = 9.1kWh/day

These are VERY small numbers. I use 2X the power in my RV when using the A/C.

Back of the envelope:

8'x12' = 96sqft = 9 sq meters. 1000W/sq-m @ 20% efficiency = 1800W, i.e., you could possibly get 1800W of panels on your shed roof.

Assuming the array would be optimally oriented to the south and tilted favorable to your location, with sunrise to sunset exposure, 1800W would likely yeild about (1.8kW * 3h) 5.4kWh/day in the Winter months and (1.8kW * 5h) 9.9kWh/day in the Summer months.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I not know where you are located but in California there is the Solar Rights Act which limits how much HOAs can restrict solar. I do not know how it applies to Mobile homes because that is an landlord tenant situation and I don't even know if you are in California. That is why it is useful to put some general location information in your profile so that comments can be more relevant.

In terms of calculating the output go to PVWatts and run a simulation based on how many panels you can get on your shed.

Around here Mobile home parks are OWNED by the park. You effectively lease a space. Laws concerning apartment rentals would seem to be more applicable.

 

[Ampster]

Around here Mobile home parks are OWNED by the park.

Yes, that would be a landlord tenant situation as to the space where the mobile home is parked. The ownership of the actual mobile home may vary. I also agree that the roof structure may not be sufficient to support the uplift from wind.

 

[bassplayer]

I would be uncertain as to the viability of installing solar panels on a mobile home roof as well as a shed. They need to be able to structurally support the panels and handle any wind loads.

I assume you mean 160kWh and 272kWh, respectively.

160kWh/30 = 5.3kWh/day
272kWh/30 = 9.1kWh/day

These are VERY small numbers. I use 2X the power in my RV when using the A/C.

Back of the envelope:

8'x12' = 96sqft = 9 sq meters. 1000W/sq-m @ 20% efficiency = 1800W, i.e., you could possibly get 1800W of panels on your shed roof.

Assuming the array would be optimally oriented to the south and tilted favorable to your location, with sunrise to sunset exposure, 1800W would likely yeild about (1.8kW * 3h) 5.4kWh/day in the Winter months and (1.8kW * 5h) 9.9kWh/day in the Summer months.

Hey thanks so much for getting those numbers back to me. Sorry about the typo on the kWh! So there's one thing that is really confusing to me. Would those numbers apply to an on-demand type of solar configuration ? My idea is to connect the solar panels to some a sub-panel that I could use during daylight hours and then back to the grid for evenings. I'm in Orange County, CA and we get a ton of sunlight. Thx again

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I would be uncertain as to the viability of installing solar panels on a mobile home roof as well as a shed. They need to be able to structurally support the panels and handle any wind loads.

I assume you mean 160kWh and 272kWh, respectively.

160kWh/30 = 5.3kWh/day
272kWh/30 = 9.1kWh/day

These are VERY small numbers. I use 2X the power in my RV when using the A/C.

Back of the envelope:

8'x12' = 96sqft = 9 sq meters. 1000W/sq-m @ 20% efficiency = 1800W, i.e., you could possibly get 1800W of panels on your shed roof.

Assuming the array would be optimally oriented to the south and tilted favorable to your location, with sunrise to sunset exposure, 1800W would likely yeild about (1.8kW * 3h) 5.4kWh/day in the Winter months and (1.8kW * 5h) 9.9kWh/day in the Summer months.

Bro, you got a borg implant or something? I love the way you can rattle off the numbers so quickly

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

So having lived in a mobile home when I was in school and the family was very very poor, I can say that unless the construction of mobile homes has drastically changed to the point they use 2x4" or larger in the roof joists that there is no way a trailer roof can handle the load. I had to repair the ceiling of a trailer form the inside and saw that the "joists" are made of preformed 1x2 and or 2x2's. my brother tried to walk across the roof and cracked half of them there is literally nothing structural there to bolt to.

Improvise adapt and overcome!

better off to put them on a shed or a ground mount. how many parking spaces you have? take a cheap flat trailer and build off of it and simply park it in a spare parking space. that combined with the ones on your shed should be more than enough to greatly reduce if not eliminate your power bill.

Consider the AIO units that do not require battery's. plug only your Air conditioner and a plug in line from grid to the inverter and then program the AIO to favor solar. it runs off of grid via the plug until the solar is producing enough to power the a/c unit, and when the sun drop it goes back to grid. no battery's very little wiring to do to meet code, and if you make everything plug in and unpluggable it might even not need to meet any special code other than the plugs wiring itself. (check with a local electrician please as all places are different.)

good luck.

 

[JRH]

Bro, you got a borg implant or something? I love the way you can rattle off the numbers so quickly

VULCAN…

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

it all fun and games until somebody gets zapped nd ends up giving themselves a numbie on purpose.... you just always calculate this shit out faster than anybody else. it take me days to run the the calcs... that might be due to inebriation after work, that might be due to a calcified brain.... not sure which.

so many calcs to run through and not nearly enough beer. woe is me