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diy solar

Well, it was as bad as expected

Pickuptrck

NV owner builder
Joined
Nov 7, 2020
Messages
32
Location
Winnemucca NV
We own a 10 and a 20 acre parcel in north Nevada. Power line runs right across the front property line. I ballpark budgetted what I thought would be a ridiculously high fee for a power pole, transformer and a 'few feet' of overhead aluminum line and a pinch of 2/0 copper.

As the title eluded, it was as bad as expected. $15,000 for 2 poles, transformer, a couple guy wires and 475' of 'ol sparky cable with a final connection of 2/0 to the final pole and meter base...And to boot, after that, I get my first bill within 30 days. Aren't they sweet.

I realize it's an economy problem, after living in Oklahoma where they sink a pole and spool some wire for free with a 12 month minimum use contract, I took a seat while reading that email. To be fair, they were helpful. That didn't help it hurt any less.

Well, that seals it. So much for the easy way of living. Full off grid it is for a couple of years. 48v inverter (brand as-yet undecided), 16s LiFePo4 prismatic cell pack, bulk used 325w panels it is. Now that I have that, I'll finish the power needs survey Snoobler recommended as the doubt to direction is over and I need to dig in. Moving from a full electric past to propane heating and cooling will be an adjustment. Retirement will be fun... We love a challenge ?
 

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Not surprised. My East neighbor is on grid about 1/4 mile away. My West neighbor has been off-grid for 25 years. I didn't even bother to ask as the power company in the area is noted for its poor reliability and billing inconsistencies.

High efficiency mini-split heat pumps may allow you to avoid propane. A cheap indoor kerosene heater can provide backup heat in extreme cases.

Good luck!
 
The issue is, a decent whole house size system will run you most of that $15k. At which point you'll still be limited and still require backup generator etc. There will be those on the forums that argue that you could get away with a $5k-8K system and sure, you could if your willing to make the power consumption limits. However most people I know that are used to living on grid get tired of skimping by on power after a year or 2.

The 15K of grid gives you "unlimited" power with "unlimited" expansion for shops or whatever power hungry hobbies come along. A 10-15K solar system still only outputs 10-15kw even after your demands grow.
 
The 15K of grid gives you "unlimited" power with "unlimited" expansion for shops or whatever power hungry hobbies come along. A 10-15K solar system still only outputs 10-15kw even after your demands grow.

And an unlimited lifetime supply of ever increasing monthly bills ?
 
$15K seems high, but I've never had to put in a grid tie. I would relish a solar project like that. My wife would be on the other end of that sentiment with a big, "No way!" She lost her sense of adventure years ago. :(

Good luck with your project.
 
A cheap indoor kerosene heater can provide backup heat in extreme cases.
I use a vented kero heater in my garage. 40K BTU, only uses 340W @120VAC to ignite, 80W nominal running. Draws air from the outside, vents exhaust to the outside. Had it for well over 20 years. I have a Monitor 441, but that's no longer made. Less than $1000 for an incredible amount of heat.

https://www.warmthforless.com/monitor.kerosene.html
 
That $15k system can probably put out 5kW of PV, 25 kWh/day.
If power costs $0.20/kWh (varies almost 10:1 across the country), that's $5/day, $1800/year.
Not paying utility bills for a few years you can afford to expand as you go.
I price AC coupled PV at $0.025/kWh to $0.05/kWh. Batteries are what's expensive so keep to a minimum.
If you don't mind running A/C, well pump, workshop etc. while the sun shines I think off-grid can be pretty economical.
Only question is how to stay warm at night and in the winter.
 
Sounds very cheap to me. In Australia my quote for a grid connection was just over 300k AUD. Needless to say not many grid connected farms where i live.
 
We own a 10 and a 20 acre parcel in north Nevada. Power line runs right across the front property line. I ballpark budgeted what I thought would be a ridiculously high fee for a power pole, transformer and a 'few feet' of overhead aluminum line and a pinch of 2/0 copper.
yup dad retired few years back, out in Northern Nevada - Reno area.. a bit off grid, nothing out there, but maybe some stray cell signals in the winter when it snows.. so he called Nevada Power... some $45k for them to sink 4-7 poles out to his place. Nope, no credit for future use either . so he went solar... I was ignorant of solar then, and so was he, so he ponied up for a solar system for power.
 
Not surprised. My East neighbor is on grid about 1/4 mile away. My West neighbor has been off-grid for 25 years. I didn't even bother to ask as the power company in the area is noted for its poor reliability and billing inconsistencies.

High efficiency mini-split heat pumps may allow you to avoid propane. A cheap indoor kerosene heater can provide backup heat in extreme cases.

Good luck!
Thank you for the heat pump recommendation. I've used mini splits in many deployed sites I've been to, never needed heat though in those spots so I'll drive into that research. The SEER ratings most advertise are amazing.
 
yup dad retired few years back, out in Northern Nevada - Reno area.. a bit off grid, nothing out there, but maybe some stray cell signals in the winter when it snows.. so he called Nevada Power... some $45k for them to sink 4-7 poles out to his place. Nope, no credit for future use either . so he went solar... I was ignorant of solar then, and so was he, so he ponied up for a solar system for power.
Great info. This will be a mobile home full rebuild before the 'forever home' so that's very good info as the 20 acre lot we truly want to brick build on is likely on the 7 pole distance based on this quote.
 
Sounds very cheap to me. In Australia my quote for a grid connection was just over 300k AUD. Needless to say not many grid connected farms where i live.
Whew. Well best of luck to you guys ? At those rates a multi-MW Cummins generator almost looks attractive.
 
That $15k system can probably put out 5kW of PV, 25 kWh/day.
If power costs $0.20/kWh (varies almost 10:1 across the country), that's $5/day, $1800/year.
Not paying utility bills for a few years you can afford to expand as you go.
I price AC coupled PV at $0.025/kWh to $0.05/kWh. Batteries are what's expensive so keep to a minimum.
If you don't mind running A/C, well pump, workshop etc. while the sun shines I think off-grid can be pretty economical.
Only question is how to stay warm at night and in the winter.
My wife and I have done our share of night shift, sun up work time to sun down tv and couch time would be welcome. Many mandatory AC outrage times in my career. While they were NOT desirable, tent city on generators mandated them for the greater good during unit rotations. I definitely have no intention of letting heat I've paid to make escape through cheapo insulation. I plan to pack the walls and use underfloor heat if possible to employ solar heat/fresnel lense collection potential.
 
And an unlimited lifetime supply of ever increasing monthly bills ?
Exactly. As a rugrat, my grandma saying how the movies and a coke ran a nickel .. Well, they're starting to make sense to me in an adjusted gross income kinda way where I gripe about it being $60 for the same trip
 
$15K seems high, but I've never had to put in a grid tie. I would relish a solar project like that. My wife would be on the other end of that sentiment with a big, "No way!" She lost her sense of adventure years ago. :(

Good luck with your project.
Start small. The roof is big, she'll never notice a panel ? then brag how the power bill has miraculously dropped month by month.
 
15K for two poles & a transformer... so the "run" isn't that long being only two poles.

"Hydro" wanted $55,000 to bring grid power just under 3/4 km to my place. Poles, Transformer upgrade (down the road) and "they insisted running it through the forest which would require cutting a path for it !... End result, I'm 100% offgrid solar powered for LESS than HALF and that is at prices from 5 years ago when I started setting up the solar.

WIth your being in the USA and having access to a big market of new, used solar gear if you carefully plan it and shop it, for $15K you can build a pretty sweet system that will generate & store ample power. If you are Power Frugal and use efficient equipment / appliances etc, you'd be surprised. You are also in Nevada so your Solar Generation Capability is GOOD (when was the last time you have 6' of snow on the ground ? or no sun for a week or two ? (bright overcast days are not great for solar generation).

PS, some folks (power hogs) use 20kWh a day and complain... Frugals can make do comfortably with 3kWh a day without losing anything...
BTW: I'm deep north so I have to deal with everything that comes with that... cold, low sun hour days in winter etc... I rarely if ever go over 2.5kWh a day usage.... as of this week I have a total of 33kWh of useable storage including my Lead & LFP battery banks. (I started with lead 5 yrs ago because anything Lithium was Ludicrously Insane then). Energy-efficient appliances & devices are natural because saving energy is far cheaper than generation & storage. Using passive tech to heat / cool a home and other similar techniques can cut energy usage drastically.
 
At $15k initial outlay, there’s no question I would go solar. I’m pricing out a 5.92kw system now for ~$4,500 after the 26% tax credit (no battery). If I triple my components, that’s 17.76kw for $13,500. Then add 32 280Ah DIY LiFePo4 with BMS for $4k:

17.76kw with ~26kw of storage for $17,500
 
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At $15k initial outlay, there’s no question I would go solar. I’m pricing out a 5.92kw system now for ~$4,500 after the 26% tax credit (no battery). If I triple my components, that’s 17.76kw for $13,500. Then add 32 280Ah DIY LiFePo4 with BMS for $4k:

17.76kw with ~26kw of storage for $17,500
Isn't it amazing ! and that gives you FREEDOM & INDEPENDENCE ! and no monthly Hostage Fees to BigPower Co. That feels GREAT BTW !

Careful & cautious shopping can likely knock that down somewhat too.
Checkout https://store.santansolar.com/product-category/solar-panels/
 
Isn't it amazing ! and that gives you FREEDOM & INDEPENDENCE ! and no monthly Hostage Fees to BigPower Co. That feels GREAT BTW !

Careful & cautious shopping can likely knock that down somewhat too.
Checkout https://store.santansolar.com/product-category/solar-panels/
Yep, I’m using Santan Solar! 16 of the 370watt Phono panels for $140 each. Here are the project cost numbers I have so far. I need to price wiring, screws, and bracket costs. What else am I missing in this excel sheet?
 

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15K for two poles & a transformer... so the "run" isn't that long being only two poles.

"Hydro" wanted $55,000 to bring grid power just under 3/4 km to my place. Poles, Transformer upgrade (down the road) and "they insisted running it through the forest which would require cutting a path for it !... End result, I'm 100% offgrid solar powered for LESS than HALF and that is at prices from 5 years ago when I started setting up the solar.

WIth your being in the USA and having access to a big market of new, used solar gear if you carefully plan it and shop it, for $15K you can build a pretty sweet system that will generate & store ample power. If you are Power Frugal and use efficient equipment / appliances etc, you'd be surprised. You are also in Nevada so your Solar Generation Capability is GOOD (when was the last time you have 6' of snow on the ground ? or no sun for a week or two ? (bright overcast days are not great for solar generation).

PS, some folks (power hogs) use 20kWh a day and complain... Frugals can make do comfortably with 3kWh a day without losing anything...
BTW: I'm deep north so I have to deal with everything that comes with that... cold, low sun hour days in winter etc... I rarely if ever go over 2.5kWh a day usage.... as of this week I have a total of 33kWh of useable storage including my Lead & LFP battery banks. (I started with lead 5 yrs ago because anything Lithium was Ludicrously Insane then). Energy-efficient appliances & devices are natural because saving energy is far cheaper than generation & storage. Using passive tech to heat / cool a home and other similar techniques can cut energy usage drastically.

15K for two poles & a transformer... so the "run" isn't that long being only two poles.

"Hydro" wanted $55,000 to bring grid power just under 3/4 km to my place. Poles, Transformer upgrade (down the road) and "they insisted running it through the forest which would require cutting a path for it !... End result, I'm 100% offgrid solar powered for LESS than HALF and that is at prices from 5 years ago when I started setting up the solar.

WIth your being in the USA and having access to a big market of new, used solar gear if you carefully plan it and shop it, for $15K you can build a pretty sweet system that will generate & store ample power. If you are Power Frugal and use efficient equipment / appliances etc, you'd be surprised. You are also in Nevada so your Solar Generation Capability is GOOD (when was the last time you have 6' of snow on the ground ? or no sun for a week or two ? (bright overcast days are not great for solar generation).

PS, some folks (power hogs) use 20kWh a day and complain... Frugals can make do comfortably with 3kWh a day without losing anything...
BTW: I'm deep north so I have to deal with everything that comes with that... cold, low sun hour days in winter etc... I rarely if ever go over 2.5kWh a day usage.... as of this week I have a total of 33kWh of useable storage including my Lead & LFP battery banks. (I started with lead 5 yrs ago because anything Lithium was Ludicrously Insane then). Energy-efficient appliances & devices are natural because saving energy is far cheaper than generation & storage. Using passive tech to heat / cool a home and other similar techniques can cut energy usage drastically.
Those prices are not sane. You really have to wonder if it would truly be that terrible to the utilities budget if they would reimburse you if someone else joined your transformer instead of slammed the first poor soul to develop on that road.
 
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