What component to install first if installing one component at a time?

[hwy17]

I'm quite happy with my AC coupled system

You have a NEM agreement though right? I would guess a lot of us self consumption users are trying to avoid that. Which makes AC coupling harder.

 

[Hedges]

NEM is something to strive for, not to avoid.
For free (or maybe $10/month), an unlimited capacity 100% efficient battery with zero self-discharge (except once per year at true-up.)

Without NEM, consider zero-export, and a battery inverter like SBS supports that by sucking down excess and then peak-shaving. Maybe other battery inverters with CT could do similar.

My equipment (Sunny Island) unfortunately doesn't seem to have zero-export (at the meter) or peak shaving in its functions.

 

[hwy17]

NEM is something to strive for unless you live in santa cruz county like me and your building department says you're not allowed to pull a DIY permit for any solar or battery system.

 

[DIYrich]

Schneider inverter is good. Growatts are cheap and stackable.

Do you need 120v only, or 240v? Note: some growatts are 240v, but not split phase (120v line). Make sure it is 48v battery compatible. You can get an 11kW growatt for around $1,300. Probably won't need more for a cabin. You can get half that for half the price, but then you will have the expense of paralleling. The advantage of two is if one fails.

Buy the inverter first. Then you buy panels that are compatible. Lots of posts about people trying to figure out how to install panels just outside of the range of the inverter.

 

[timselectric]

1 Stackable AIO first.
Some solar next, then some battery. if the AIO can run batteryless.
Otherwise, get a small amount of battery before solar.
After that, you can grow each part as needed and funds become available.
Always keep the end goal in mind. So that you don't do anything twice.

 

[pollenface]

I usually sort my batteries first.

 

[Quattrohead]

You have got to go AIO first because everything goes through it. But you might as well start it with some panels and some battery.

 

[Hedges]

Battery can even be 4x 12V second hand car battery from junk yard.
It can provide starting surge for motors and keep things running when a small cloud passes by. Set LVD high to avoid discharging deeply.

 

[wildbillpdx]

I'm sort of in the same boat. I have 21 used panels from our 17 year old grid-tie system that is being replaced by a 9.6kW grid-tie system. I've purchased an EG4 6000ex (120/240) and three EG4 LiFePower4 batteries. The batteries are critical since you can't commission the system without battery power. The 200 watt panels will be used to provide solar power to the AIO and it will also have AC power coming from the main panel. The main purpose of the system is to supplement the main, grid-tie system with further reduction in power purchased from PGE, in the Portland area.

 

[Crowz]

I've already been researching and planning this for several years. Your assumption is that I haven't. I know the design of my system but wanted input on what to install first. Again, I respectfully disagree that my electric bill won't go down over time and that I wouldn't have electricity when the grid is down. I appreciate the feedback though.

It sounds like your wanting to do exactly what I did.

I purchased the Sungold tp6048 first and installed it. I happened to of had some old panels but even if I had no panels at all that would of still been my first purchase.

The tp6048 is a hybrid inverter. So you install it with it being fed from the grid. This means all you need is a 240 volt breaker installed in your current breaker box that feeds power to the inverter.

Then you install a cheap sub panel box and match the sub panel box you buy to the same type as the breaker box you have now. This way you just move the breakers from the old box to the new box for the circuits you want on solar. You can start out with a single breaker if you want.

Of course at this point you are just passing power thru the inverter to whatever loads you moved to the panel but its there and ready to go.

Next you buy panels as your budget allows. It will take 4 panels minimum to meet the hybrid inverters requirements to start working. After that you can buy them 1 at a time or more at a time depending on how much you want to spend. Every single panel past the first 4 will lower your power bill.

Once you have enough panels to satisfy your wants/needs then start buying batteries.

Simple and quite cheap road to solar power.

 

[timselectric]

My story was pretty much the same.
But I went with an off grid AIO. I didn't need the export feature. Just wanted the grid for backup.
I also had the first AIO and sub panel installed and running. Before batteries and solar.
I then installed some solar and reduced my electric bill during the day. Then a battery, and reduced my electric bill during the night.
Since then, I have increased the size of all sections in phases. As funds and free time are available.

 

[Delmar]

In order for us to provide good advice we need to know what loads you are ultimately planning to power. An energy audit will educate us (and more importantly you) on the magnitude of the system. Much more informative than the statement “8-10kwh”. Today get a Kill-a-Watt and start measuring instead of using theory.

Doing is much more educational than researching. The easiest thing to do is store batteries and wire to an inverter. Agreed an all-in-one inverter will further simplify the system. While panels may be the cheapest part of the system, they are the most difficult to install.

I would first learn with a grid-backup system using only the grid to charge the batteries. The AIO will easily handle this task. You can start with a few batteries and only power the critical loads (fridge for food, lights to see, internet for info). I survive just fine with a 2500W inverter and ~5kwh of battery. As your experience and funding expands, then add more load, battery, and panels.