Wanting to get a basic system up and running DIY - Need planning and equipment advice

[Cowdog360]

Hello all,

I have a new construction 3 year old home in WA state. The HOA does allow for solar, and Washington does allow for Net Metering/grid export. Our power is so cheap here that anything other than DIY has a crazy long ROI (like 17+ years).

So here are my goals:

• Hybrid system with grid tie to provide battery backup to a critical load panel.
• Critical load panel would have a few 15A circuits in the home for the fridge/freezers, mechanical closet, furnace blower motor. Possibly include the heat pump.
• A small amount of solar, probably 5kwh to start out with, most likely roof mount.
  I don't really care about exporting power back to the grid. I can most likely use all the solar I generate in a day on a critical load panel.
  10-15kwh of battery

What I have:

• I use about 50kwh/day on average in electricity. Home has gas furnance AND heat pump, heat pump water heater, EV charger, and basic appliances. I don't need to use this system intially to offset the EV or heatpump.
• have a pretty open top roof that is west facing, so that's probably ideal. I'm not sure the best way to mount panels without swiss-cheesing the roof too much (topspeed mounts).

What I don't know:

• I wanted to keep costs down and make it feasible for me to get things going by end of year for the tax credit.
• Originally I was thinking of a pair of the Eco-Worthy LFP rack batteries, and an EG4 6000. However, it looks like I should probably splurge and get at least a Flexboss 18K. Can I get by without adding a gridboss to a basic setup (and perhaps just add it later)?
• How do I move circuits to a critical load panel, splicing or do I need to pull all the wiring and re-run it?
• If I installed a CLP, inverter, batteries and say just two solar panels on a lower roof by end of year, is that "operational" enough to get the credit, and I could worry about the main solar array next year?
  
  Originally I wanted to keep the purchase cost of the whole system under $5000, but I'm realizing that might be a pretty big ask for 10 400W panels, racking, inverter, and batteries.
  
  Attached are pics of the home and various things. I plan to move the big rack of tubs off the garage wall making room for equipment.
  Thanks!
  

 

[chrisski]

Before spending, use a solar calculator based off your seasonal needs using power bills. One is in my signature block.

Depending on goals, the same system in AZ could be 1/3 rd the cost because of awesome solar production on AZ versus needing more panels to cover long cloudy periods in rainy Washington state.

I can’t discuss permitting and inspections, that’s why I had an installer do the house. I would have spent two years getting my build right hod I tried myself. Just the building portion would take me a few weeks.

How do I move circuits to a critical load panel, splicing or do I need to pull all the wiring and re-run it?

My installer added a sub panel and removed the wires from the main circuit breakers and attached wires from each circuit moved to the new circuit breaker in the subpanel.

The wires are easy enough to shuffle around Kidd a mistake is made in moving one.

Originally I wanted to keep the purchase cost of the whole system under $5000, but I'm realizing that might be a pretty big ask for 10 400W panels, racking, inverter, and batteries.

I think you’ll be at three times that. Wiring and conduit was not cheap. Some savings happen if you don’t need to tool up.

Permitted racking with engineering stamps can be pricey.

 

[SunDave]

So here are my goals:

• Hybrid system with grid tie to provide battery backup to a critical load panel.
• Critical load panel would have a few 15A circuits in the home for the fridge/freezers, mechanical closet, furnace blower motor. Possibly include the heat pump.
• A small amount of solar, probably 5kwh to start out with, most likely roof mount.
  I don't really care about exporting power back to the grid. I can most likely use all the solar I generate in a day on a critical load panel.
  10-15kwh of battery

Some things to think about having been in your position a few years back

• I started out wanting to run a few things, and now run nearly everything on the inverter with battery backup
• You can do a critical load panel, or with the right devices, you can back up a 200 amp panel without the subpanel. The Flexboss line doesn't have that ability with one device, but Flexboss/Gridboss combo, or 18kpv does, if you stick with EG4. There are other brands that have 200 amp passthrough as well.
• Even if you are not exporting power to the grid, you may still need permission to operate from your power company for a Hybrid inverter. Whether you want to take the chance of them seeing the feedback on your meter and "catching" you is up to you.
• This stuff is not cheap. It makes sense to have a solid plan, with future contingencies built in before purchasing anything. Most of the posts about regret, or fights to make things work are from members that purchased before considering the long term plan. Basically a panic buy.
• In order to get a tax credit, you have to do more than get things started by the end of the year, it has to be installed, working, and possibly inspected (check the wording on the tax credit carefully). You can take the credit with a system like you propose with just a few panels. There is no minimum spec that I noticed.
• Like you guessed, $5,000 for a 5kW system with battery and a large enough inverter to be capable of backup, racking, wiring, conduit, and misc. is not likely.