What lessons have you learned working with solar?

[JJJJ]

Ok. I appreciate that we have a wide range of experiences on this forum. Some are looking at it for the first time, others are planning their system and some are seasoned veterans.

Also, there are many different systems out there. The purpose of this thread is NOT to promote any vendor or product. Rather it is to share lessons learned during the solar project or projects you have been involved with. For me, some were initial mistakes which were kindly corrected by forum members before things went live. Then there were things I learned along the way which proved invaluable as I moved forward.

So I will get started. Rookie mistake I know, but being new to this... Using the proper sized lugs. It is so easy to place an order for your wire size. But each connection, whether it is a terminal on a battery, bus bar or inverter requires a certain diameter lug. I shared what I thought was an ingenious way of connecting a DIY battery to the bus bar. It was quickly (fortunate for me) pointed out that the lug diameter was too large and would not permit a proper connection. I was able to choose a better route after careful thought.

Second almost mistake. Buying something too soon. Sometimes it is tempting to buy components before the system is carefully thought out. This has the potential of restricting your options as you move forward. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing better than a schematic of your system. It can be a simple hand sketch. Sharing it with the group can be an invaluable experience. It is much easier to move things around and change components "before" purchase and is less expensive in the long run which reduces stress on the household budget; invaluable I know.

Taking time to source out the supplier. It is so tempting to go to a favorite web site and buy everything you need. For some this is just fine. However there are numerous suppliers out there who have excellent reputations for both sales and service. Taking time to find these things out before purchase can save massive headaches later.

Take your time. For many this is an investment. Take time to research the forum. It is amazing how many "older" articles there are out there which have discussed exactly what you are considering. It took me about 2 years of reading and basic tinkering before I "really" began to grasp the full concept of what I was doing, and I am still learning! Yes there are many videos out there that show an easy approach. Keep in mind though that they were created by individuals who have a lot of experience already. The more experience and knowledge you have under your belt, the better you will be able to handle the "issues" which typically arise with any project.

Build relationships on the forum. There are some amazing minds on this forum. Some whose experience would take pages and pages on a resume to describe their accomplishments. Others are rather new. We are all in this together. I have greatly benefited from the mentoring of those whose experience far exceeds my own.

So I open the floor to others. There are a vast array of projects out there. Looking forward to what others have to share regarding their solar experiences over the years. Remember this is not promoting any vendors or products. Those are discussed elsewhere. Rather, it is what you have learned along the way which has enabled you to build better systems over time.

 

[timselectric]

Don't spend any money, until you have planned out the entire system. An eraser is cheap, but returns can be costly.
And plan your system in the correct order.
1. Size the inverter for your maximum instantaneous demand (including surges).
2. Size the battery for how long you want power, when the sun isn't shining.
3. Size the PV to cover the loads and recharge the battery, when the sun is shining.

 

[Mike 134]

If in snowy locations mount the panels far enough down the roof to allow snow to freely fall off the panels and not stack up in the gutter.
Have the bottom edge of the top panel higher than the top edge of the lower panel again to allow the snow to freely slide off.

 

[wiseacre]

1 - You'll want more. solar is addictive
2 - cloud cover increases exponentially with the number of panels installed
3 - you'll develop an acute awareness of shadows too late

 

[Mattb4]

Lessons learned?

1. After spending forever coming with the perfect plan for your solar finding out that some key part, bolt, fuse holder, terminal, bracket, or whatever your plan calls for, is suddenly "Out of Stock. No estimate when it may be available".
2. Buying from a company that has a reputation "as Solid as Sears" may not give the expected results.
3. Grid as backup works great until your batteries are low and the sun has taken a 2 weeks vacation.
4. Your monthly tested and ran for maintenance emergency generator gets an attitude and does not start.
5. After finally getting everything assembled and ready to see how it works clouds roll in and you are forced to wait until the sun returns.

 

[ricardocello]

Planning to build “the system” starts with a list of requirements for what it is expected to do (and not do).
Creative types keep the list of requirements in their head, and come up with designs to meet them.
Professionals (who may also be creative) write down all the requirements and track them in a matrix.

System requirements change as you learn more, especially if new gear shows up in the marketplace!
The system you thought you wanted isn’t as shiny any more.
Or you’ve learned enough about a topic and realize your plans were inadequate to meet the requirements.
If you’ve purchased items already, be prepared for disappointment and additional expenses.
Or in mid-project, your wife says, “why can’t we run the A/C during summer power outages?”

Pick your level of DIY. Let’s face it, not everything needs to be DIY.
There are build/buy decisions for everything.
Do the things you know how to do, or want to learn to do.
Buy things you don’t feel confident doing yourself, or have no interest in learning.

For example, I chose to buy server rackmount batteries rather than assemble cells.
On the other hand, I also chose to make my own ground mounts out of unistrut, and had to learn mechanical beam loading to meet the wind force requirement. Those illustrate the two extremes of build/buy decisions.

It’s difficult to be an expert in all of the technology needed to build “the system”.
Read the forum to educate yourself, it worked for me!

 

[42OhmsPA]

It's addicting.

 

[42OhmsPA]

If in snowy locations mount the panels far enough down the roof to allow snow to freely fall off the panels and not stack up in the gutter.
Have the bottom edge of the top panel higher than the top edge of the lower panel again to allow the snow to freely slide off.

This applies to ground mounts too.

Also take the slope of the ground into account when you build a (tilting) mount or you'll have one end touching the ground with the other feet off....

 

[Q-Dog]

You will make mistakes. The size of those mistakes mostly comes down to planning.

 

[Johneb]

It will be that last screw that strips, that last bolt that snaps, and that last wire that that doesn’t want to be easily threaded through the conduit.

 

[Brucey]

Buy a bulldozer first. Then the ground can be terraformed to get rid of pesky shadows.

 

[ricardocello]

Don't use automotive cables, fuses, or busbars for 48V systems.
Be wary of inexpensive DC breakers on Amazon.
Doing this as a hobby is fine, but don't expect any ROI.
Victron rules!

 

[wdwtx2.0]

The basic equipment is expensive, as everyone knows going in.
The add-ons are ALSO expensive, and you will spend more on them than you think.

 

[Quattrohead]

No matter how hard it is, it still easier than plumbing and don't argue with stupid people.

 

[Mattb4]

A lesson I just learned this morning. Don't attempt intricate assembly of small components and wires on the kitchen table while a cat is in the room feeling playful and curious.

 

[JJJJ]

Make sure I have had my coffee on board before connecting electrical components.

 

[registered-bum]

During certain times of the year - you will often be at the mercy of the weather.
And maximizing solar performance will depend on;
1) working with a reasonably accurate forecast for the next 1-10 days
2) performance of your system with less than full sun and with shorter hours
(someone pointed me to pvwatts and to wunderground 10-day forecast for my zipcode)

Richer under standing of the power demands and system performance;;
3) the understanding of which loads in your homestead are most-to-least critical and how much each typically uses
4) having a load shedding regime for dropping the less-critical loads
5) manufactures' sales literature reflects a very rosy-eyed perspective and your mileage will vary
(working with a spreadsheet of typical power loads for your specific devices and equipment, and then using your watt-meter for the actual performance demands)

And practical and hands-on learning which has its own lessons;
6) inescapable burn-rate via the idle load or self consumption
7) solar panel differences between STC performance and actual
8) the requirement for fail-over solutions, the backup to the backup during poor weather or system failures
(layers of defense for alternate power sources)

Delightful sense of satisfaction when you've gone weeks without worrying about the darned solar system.
(well not so much in winter season, but ...)

 

[timselectric]

Doing this as a hobby is fine, but don't expect any ROI.

You must be doing something wrong.
Most of us install solar to save money.
I know that I wouldn't have bothered with it, if it wasn't going to be profitable.

 

[ricardocello]

You must be doing something wrong.
Most of us install solar to save money.
I know that I wouldn't have bothered with it, if it wasn't going to be profitable.

it certainly saves money, but the main priorities were grid backup and having fun!
I’ve got 15 panels sitting around waiting to be connected when it warms up.
Gradually weening us from the grid.

 

[Johneb]

You must be doing something wrong.
Most of us install solar to save money.
I know that I wouldn't have bothered with it, if it wasn't going to be profitable.

My solar project started as backup for the DW cpap. Then it progressed to wanting to keep the heat/cool on. Now it is whole house. It’s a sneaky little bugger.

 

[wme]

Cheops Law is still valid.

 

[Crowz]

1. No matter how well you think you planned out every 3rd item bought or at least one item in a multi item order will not be usable for the task you bought it for.

2. Never return the part you ordered after experiencing the first rule above. You will need it 15 minutes after the ups driver leaves with it.

3. Whatever gauge wire you buy to run the main ac loads to the inverter or from the inverter will be 1 or 2 sizes too small and you will learn this 30 minutes after opening the box of wire.

4. There is no such thing as too many panels.

5. Trees are nice to have until you start doing solar. Then they are the dark sith lords of the yard.

6. Your family gets real tired hearing about solar stuff after awhile.

7. You know you have gone to far when your wife thinks your having an affair with the ai you installed to run the solar setup

 

[timselectric]

it certainly saves money, but the main priorities were grid backup and having fun!
I’ve got 15 panels sitting around waiting to be connected when it warms up.
Gradually weening us from the grid.

So, you are expecting an ROI?

 

[ricardocello]

So, you are expecting an ROI?

Depends on what you think ROI is,
but for strictly accounting purposes I guess could calculate what I’ve spent and what I’ve saved, and come up with
number of years to break even. Our grid is only $0.114 per kwh, so it will take a while.

Having a week of backup power with generators/PV/batteries over the summer after a big storm? Priceless

 

[Crowz]

So, you are expecting an ROI?

I get a kick out of watching the neighbors reactions when they ask how long before it pays for itself and I answer never