Is Solar Worth It? What It IS And What It Is NOT! Dispelling Myths
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2024
- Is Solar Worth It? What It IS And What It Is NOT! Dispelling Myths. ALL OF OUR SOLAR EQUIPMENT...CLICK HERE: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=c...
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I Texas and Georgia you have seem Hurricane if 55 years multiple times! Then there is flooding too!
You were way too honest and I can see from my thumbs down browser add on you triggered some snowflakes. Great video! I live between Bremond and Franklin TX. How far is that from you?
@@mwils51 Thank you. There are a crazy amount of snowflakes on here every day. Very sad. You are about 2.5 hours away from us.
“Do my own research?” That’s what I was trying to do when I clicked here.
Good
Lol
Thanks for keeping it real! I always appreciate how candid you are.
You're welcome. I always will.
Another great video. I always appreciate the honesty and your teaching for those that don't know the realities of off grid/solar. We have lived off grid for 4.5 years and my husband grew up off grid. It's a learning curve, but once you adapt, it becomes second nature and totally worth the self reliance and security.
Thank you Danielle. It is worth it for sure.
God Bless You and your loved ones for your will to help others!!
Thank you Hector. God bless y'all as well.
Well documented, well expressed, well explained, and well done on a project people do want to know about, and want to learn about in this time of increasing energy costs. If people don't look, learn and listen, they could become victims of social extortion by companies etc who are only concerned about profit and greed. I take my hat off to you sir, and well done for all your work and input. From the UK.
Thank you! I appreciate it.
Great system! Thanks for explaining the various connection options. You saved a lot of money by DIY! We own a 10kw system with a great inverter, Solar disconnect box and the charge controllers with copper wiring for a roof mounted system. We had our system removed to install a new roof which had leaking problems. We opted to place the system in storage and sell our house. The house sold in a day and the solar financing paid in full $28k! Looking forward to a solar carport and lithium iron phosphate battery install at our new home in the near future.
Thank you.
Awesome! Good luck on your next build.
Well said Eric, I enjoy watching your channel because you are detailed and have common sense behind your explanations, 😎👍
Thank you Steve!
I am a new subscriber and am just starting this adventure and get so much good information from your vids. Thanks for your effort. I can tell where you get your prepping knowledge from by the hat you are wearing. GO BLUE!!!!
Welcome the the channel. Glad we can help with our videos.
GO GREEN!! (nice run in the basketball tourney this year btw)
This video is helpful since I just had my house built with a plan to go off grid. My plan is similar to yours having my needs met by a solar system with the grid as a backup. I also have duel fuel propane/gasoline whole house backup generators but those are for emergency periods up to two weeks.
Cool. Glad it was helpful.
I’m glad you mentioned the pollution built into the production of solar panels and batteries. It is overlooked a lot of the time
Thank you
You are right! I agree with you... keep up the good work
Thanks, will do!
Absolutely right.
I've been doing solar for 15 years, I buy from a coop like you and they just changed everything. They used to subtract my generation from what they sell me. Now they have decided to pay me - once a year - at wholesale rates what I send to them and charge me retail for ALL the energy I send to me.
Fortunately I have two systems and my other system is a hybrid so I have essentially shut them off until my complaint is resolved.
So I mostly agree, hedge your bets, set up a hybrid system that you control and try to set it up so you can shut off the grid if you have to. If you do hybrid instead of only off grid you have the options not the grid supplier.
Yes, learn how to do it yourself. I see people who have no idea about solar, they call a company that looks at their bill and gives them a blown out of proportion estimate over 30 or 40 years payback without even giving them backup power. Ridiculous! Caveat emptor people.
Spot on! Thank you
Awesome information. Thanks for the video.
Thanks. You bet!
I may not recover the cost in my lifetime but I saved pn the labor by doing it myself. Exactly as you said, I am continuing to use it due to frequent outages and more tp come here in California. Now my generators won't see much use. No regrets.
Glad you did it yourself. You will recoup the electricity costs when prices start to skyrocket. If not, you will recoup costs in other ways like peace of mind and independence.
Thank you. This was extremely helpful!
You’re welcome
Great info as always!!!
Thanks
Thanks for the video! I'm looking into solar power in Portugal and at least I know a lot more about the questions I have to ask. Cheers
You're welcome. Glad it was helpful!
Phewwww ! at last common sense clear concise and to the point ! ( thanks chum )
You're welcome!
I have a Microcare off grid system and it paid for itself in 6 years. It depends what your capital cost is and how much you self generate every month. Also living in South Africa we have frequent load shedding and obviously having an off grid system is 1st prize
Very nice! It certainly is determinate on your location, cost, and a lot of other factors. Many people who dislike solar never take all the factors into account.
it is good to see the solar community maturing and realizing that one solution does not work for all. I have a small system, it is separate from the grid and works well for me. a good friend sees it and comments it would be a waste of time for him. We are both right and understand this. Most want a simple easy fix but as in most things in life nothing is as simple as it first appears......so get educated and be part of the solution.
Amen to everything you said!
Chiming in from Toledo Ohio here. Electric bills account for 10% of people's median income. For reference, a person's housing should not be upwards of 30% of this. Thanks for the video as I am now designing my own solar system
Awesome. Glad we could help. If you have any questions please let me know. (10% is crazy)
Great video. You explained everything perfectly. I also did my research on solar before I built my off grid system. I recommend anyone who is interested in getting into solar to research and learn how to build and work on there on system and never purchase a system that doesn’t have a battery bank. I commented on one of your other videos saying my system cost around the same amount yours did. I’m always told that what I paid wasn’t worth it. I beg to differ. When the power is out I have no worries. My freezers and refrigerator full of food will be okay. Plus I like depending on myself and I’m working to become self sufficient. I rent so I couldn’t mess with the breakers etc… so I built my own portable off grid system complete with breakers, outlets, etc… so once I purchase some land all I will need is more panels and I can use my same system 👍🏽
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Amen to all you said. So much better being independent with a lot of things.
@@_-8986 not that I owe you a explanation
I own a house in one state and rent in another
Self sufficiency - and self reliance= KEY BENEFITS TO ME!!!
ROI, as with electric cars, a larger debate...
Ecological benefits are immense!
KUDOS man!
Thank you
i got an 8kw system..i might need to double mine. still happy with it
Cool. I might add a little more too.
My system cost $20,000 upfront minus a $10,000 rebate from the state, and a $6,000 federal tax credit. That left $4,000 that I had to cover. My monthly bill from the energy company, due to minimum charges and storm resturation fees, averages $18.00 a month. I produce enough energy credits to get me throught 10 months. My Jan. and Feb. bills average $20.00 a month at the most, because I don't quite produce enough power to supply those 2 months, so each of those two months I have to buy about $5.00 worth of electric from the power company to cover what the panels don't produce. My system absolutely pays off. Even though the cost of electricity has gone way up, my bill never has. My total yearly cost is only around $225.00. If it weren't for the minimums and storm restauration fees, my electricity would be about $10.00. ALSO, since I am 100% electric, I have no gas bill, so that is a hidden, but a significant yearly savings that needs to be factored in to the total upfront cost of my system.
Last year February 14 when Texas got The cold front I hat Solar I was the only house with power for miles that’s priceless Just to knowmy family was nice and warm
Absolutely priceless! Awesome.
Oh i just love this video. I want to get solar because I can't trust the Texas grid. It was terrible what happened a couple years ago.
Thank you. Solar is a great backup.
just found your channel. I must say, I really like your approach and presentation. Keep doing what you do. Thank you for your valuable information, which I understand how much time you have invested in what you have learned and share with all of us. I really wish I was in a position to aid your channel, but as a disabled veteran, am not, So I hope a thank you at least encourages you to continue to share.
The thanks of a grateful nation, are not that great,. (just had to mention that)
Thank you. I appreciate it. A heart felt thank you is good enough for me.
thank you for your response. I, as many do appreciate your time and effort.
@@CountryLivingExperience
Awesome video sir!
Thank you
Well said I just hope they understand what your saying. I try to explain it to people as I have 10000 watts in pannels which run all day as my generator and I have 50000 watts of batteries that that I run all night as a 50kw generator. And by morning time I'm only down 4% of my batteries and they get topped off by 8:00 in the morning. No generators needed and I've been off grid for 30 yrs.
Thank you. Some understand, many do not. Your system sounds awesome!
HOWdy C-L-E,
Thanks
COOP
...
Hello. You're welcome
Great info. Installed yourself, pretty bad ass. I put an 8Kw system in with a 10Kw enphase battery for 30k and after solar tax credit it will come to 22k. I'm in so cal so I think that was a pretty good price. I did it mainly for back up power but I'm earning about 10% on the investment with what im saving on utility bill. Cut my gas bill in the winter by using electric blankets and electric portable oil heater as well. I feel like I'm beating the system every day. It wouldn't be too hard to go off grid if needed. I have a portable dual fuel generator just in case.
Thank you. I studied how to do it for about 1.5 years.
That is a good price for So Cal.
Excellent myth buster video. Thank you.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Great video
Thank you
I have a similar system. The entire premise was for backup generator ability. However, my home runs off of it less range and dryer. I installed a heat pump water heater which runs off my inverter.
Absolutely perfect! I am putting in a heat pump water heater soon. That is the most unpredictable power draw on a system.
Going heat pump heater as well. Waiting for the new 120 volt models from AOSmith to come out.
I would suggest most of us in the North myself being in Indiana, compensate there solar with wind generators. These can produce year round day or night in good or bad weather, but you still have to research things like blade types and different types of wind energy. Also placement it would be pointless to place a wind generator in front of your solar panels because it's the best place to put them on your property.
Combining systems is always smart if you have that opportunity.
I have a 7800 wp offgrid solarsystem and a 31.5kw lifepo4 battery, its running for about 2 years now and i am super happy with the move. its not yet enough for heating the house , but i would like to go there. would like to have some more panels and storage, and maybe 2 small windturbines. it works out for me here in germany most of the year, i just need to enlarge it for november, december, january and february. it was not about innitial cost, more about freedom.
Your system sounds almost identical to mine. Freedom is certainly worth a lot.
My grandma had a solar company from Houston that quoted her for a hybrid system. The total cost was over $80,000. The setup you have seems to be the better option. We get enough sun in Texas year round that if you have a system that would run your entire home you wouldn’t even need the power grid. I work in the wind energy field and I will tell you that power companies are all about making money. When I buy my property and build my shop and house I will be going solar and I’ll have a back up generator for charging the batteries if there isn’t any sun.
Wow, $80k. Crazy.
Great video...thank you! Wanting to go with solar but is hard to know where to go / start.
Thank you and you're welcome.
The "mains" is probably the most reliable system for power, they've had years of practise and the generation and distribution is different places and routes. The setup period for home solar is all work and little power -so yes, the next year should be problem free, but after that cleaning after dirty rain is just the start you will need some system maintenance every year. Maybe just an hour or so but don't kid yourself panels are maintenance free for ever.
I bought my panels use and I got one heck of a deal
Awesome
great video
Thank you
If you intend to "go off grid" just think who will fully understand all the programming of inverters, MPPT controllers etc. If you intend to feed power into the mains remember they can and will change the rates they pay separately from the rates they charge.
Nice system I only have a very small system. Mostly to keep lights on a run small items
Thank you. Glad you have something that you can build up.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you I want a bit more enough to run my deep freezer would be nice
Eric, I know people have thanked you for individual videos but I want to thank you for ALL OF THEM!!
You inspired me, having just finished a full wiring upgrade from meter socket to the last outlet, to do an electrical analysis for consumption and balance.
I've been able to determine that my costs TRIPLE with a single window A/C unit cooling my 950 sq.ft. home and DOUBLE even with my new hi-E forced air furnace!
I'm thinking two SEER 38 mini-splits and a 6.4kW off grid system to handle an average usage of 3.3kW per day.
What do you think? Value the knowledge of others who have gone through it!
Thank you so much Warren. A kind comment like this is very refreshing after a week of negativity on my channel. Much appreciated.
I think that those mini-splits would serve you well. I am not sure your other loads but they should be just fine on a small system like that. It is just about those high draw times with other heavy loads you have to look out for. The dreaded water heater kicking on at random times is what gets me.
@@CountryLivingExperience Water heater is a gas fired tankless Navian NPE-240A-NG. It ranks as most efficient of comparable units at an estimated cost of $168 a year to operate; saved me a ton on gas bills over a 40 gallon tank type! Partnered with a Goodman Hi-E gas forced air furnace, gas bills went from over $300 a month down to about $53 a month.
Problem is the 110V window A/C and the blower on the furnace are both huge drains. 7 kW per day is typical without heat or A/C but add in either and it jumps to 14 for heating and 26 for cooling! Installing two mini-splits would be more efficient and should actually use less power.
Cool. I think you are on the right track for sure.
Check out the Midea u shaped inverter window units. About $400 bucks
@@sh839c scoped it out and it's WAY better than what I have now but HALF as efficient as Eric's mini-split.
The 10KBTU Midea has a SEER of 15 and consumes 9.97 amps in cooling mode plus it has no heating function.
Eric's Innovair is 38 SEER and will function as a A/C and a heating unit; I can dump the two biggest power hogs I have.
Appreciate the heads up !
@ 7:20 the part that I really hate "the utility company will buy back from you the extra energy" 75% a lie, the utility companies pay you cents and at the end of the year no matter what, you will always be on the negative side, so having a battery bank is the way to go.
I'll share my experience. When we went to have solar installed we were not given the option of batteries. Ended up having installed a full grid tied ~15kW system producing about 60~90kWh/day. When batteries became possible and more practical we were getting quotes that were as much as the solar install itself if not more. One thing that is always something that could be considered is getting some type of standby generator. Point is not to argue the pros/cons of standby generators vs batteries just to highlight that it is another possibility. Talking about being green is also not where this is focused. We found that installers for a standby generator, enough to power everything, 6 tons total ac + 2 electric motors for pool equipment as an example of the high electric usage items, was still about 1/5 the price of battery and the batteries would have only been able to run just a single ac unit. This is not taking into account the price of natural gas/propane to run as compared to the cost in batteries, but the depletion and 10 year life span some installers were promising on batteries did not match up to the same if not longer life span of a standby generator.
For those curious on how to have a standby generator and grid tied solar I'll explain it as briefly as possible. (Talk to a licensed electrician on how wire it to match with your local codes). Normally the standby generator would have a transfer switch (automatic) and the main thing that can not be done with a generator is back feed it from solar, and back feeding the generator to the grid. The generator is not designed to have solar feeding into it. So the ATS would be wired in a way that the solar would still be grid tied (however that is done to local code) and the "emergency" standby side would be connected to the generator. During a power loss the solar will not function like normal to prevent back feeding to a down grid but the building would be transferred to the standby generator. Allowing for the building to be powered by the standby generator.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
1.80 a day knowing a blackout won't touch me and the three properties I'd use it on.
Yeah I'll take it.
The price he paid around $16K for a 10kW system is superb. Many consumer suburban installs by local firms will cost that much for a system with half the capability. Many of the people who say that his system is too expensive will also say the same thing about buying an EV. While not comprehending that if they are spending $250 a month on gasoline that is $30,000 in gasoline per decade plus the price of the vehicle and repairs. Pollution, health and healthcare and $1Trillion per year tax bill to maintain 800 US military bases to control the world's oil system and wage oil wars. Think deeper people.
I’m nearly finished setting up my hybrid system. I like feeding the grid through the inverters and letting them decide when to turn off and on based off the sun. Do you have plans to wire yours this way at some point? Or maybe you already do. Or just use them as a generator/off grid setup? I don’t see a downside to using the inverters as an automatic transfer switch. It’s the best of both worlds. Sorry you’ve had so much negativity lately from commenters. I suppose people assume anonymity gives them license to be unkind.
Hello. I am actually going to keep it as a totally off-grid/generator system. It just works the best for me that way.
No worries. I have thick skin. I just wanted to address the crazys our there who have no clue and may mislead others with their ignorance.
Funny part is y'all don't see all the comments that I have filtered out for profanity. At least one per day calling me a bleep bleeep. Pretty sad state of affairs.
@@CountryLivingExperience Just found your channel through the chicken videos and then found this. I'm in Texas too. If you have time could you clear up some details for me. If you are solar with storage, but you only use it when the house doesn't need heating or cooling, then what are you doing for heating and cooling power? Turning off the solar controllers and turning on the Co-op's supply? or are the inverters feeding into the stream at the same time that the outside supply is coming in?
@@davidstaten1865 Cool.
Heating and cooling are being handled with mini-split systems and a wood stove. Solar system works like a generator. Turn off power company supply, turn on solar inverters using a generator interlock kit. Cannot feed into the panel at the same time with the interlock kit.
@@CountryLivingExperience So to clarify, the mini split AC units are running off the solar/battery system? I had thought I'd heard that cooling and heating were not being run off the solar/battery.
That's awesome that you can run climate control adequately with solar/battery here in Texas. Like you I am in Zone 8, in central/east Texas, and am looking at a lot of similar things to what you are doing.
@@davidstaten1865 I am in the process of putting in the mini-splits now. They are very efficient and run well on a solar system. They have low startup amps so smaller solar systems can more easily handle them.
I went with a series of smaller systems rather than one large system. I got quotes from $20k to $75k for a system to basically run my home if the grid was out and those quotes didn't include batteries.
We have 4 separate solar systems. 2 of them are only 400 watts and designed to charge deep cycle marine batteries that can be moved around as needed. One of them is 1200 watts and is designed to charge our two "solar generators". We have a large Bluetti 200 max and a smaller Jackery. These would be used to power freezers and household items.
The other system is under construction and will be designed to run a mini split AC in our bedroom. I intend to use that one even when we have grid power. The others are backups.
My power bill is manageable so there's no way a complete system would pay for itself in a reasonable time frame.
If things go to pot for an extended time, we will be able to power all our "needs" but won't be able to power everything we currently use.
Solar is not for everyone but it makes a solid backup in case of a power outage. I live in GA where tornadoes and hurricanes are common.
Awesome. Sounds like you have designed what works perfect for your family.
I have solar panels for power outages. Lights, 12 volt fridge, charge phone and scooter. I have a ventless propane heater I use a fan to move the air.
That sounds perfect.
@@CountryLivingExperience:
When the power goes out everybody else's using candles or generators I'm just using solar I can watch TV make something to eat gas stove lit with a match.
Amen to that.
Just got our first bid, $150,000! Yikes! Getting others. Then want to see diy cost as we are contractors. Would still hav to have connected with electrician. Not convinced I want to be connected to the grid? It’s unbelievable what the cost is. If power goes out, we still have to use our gas powered generator.
WOW! That is out of control expensive. I would personally go off-grid and use it with a transfer switch like a generator.
My electric bill runs about $40/month from PG&E in CA. I'm good.
Yep, you're probably good with that small bill.
Alway research first regardless!! Good information anyway thanks for you input !! I am doing a stand alone system with as many Bateries as my budgets allows as my work shop has dram;s getting connected to the grid ! The sparky says next Friday mate ! This has gone on for 6 month So I have a 12v 800 amp lithium set up and a 24 volt 200 amp set up for remote controlled operated led lights and a smart power board for wireless operation remotely through an pure signwave inverter ! I also have a 48 volt system for the bigger set up with 2x 5000 what growatt inverters All from informative videos like yours ! I have viewed David Poz and Will Prowse many Videos for manny months and learned helps thanks guys ! And remember safety first ! Cheers from Port Hedland Western Australia
Thank you for the comment! Sounds like you are building a great system. Cheers!
great video, thanks, would still love solar but our house is too small so we will probably move as our kids get older. Will make sure we can get solar put in for our next house, although I dont know if I could handle doing two years of research on one topic. hah.
As far as the emissions cost of your Solar setup, you have to also look at where would this money have gone otherwise? is there are emissions cost to that? Either way, glad you are not worried about this as IMO worrying about individual emissions is a mugs game, just use less and grow more.
Thank you. I totally understand.
I hear that. I will do my best to grow more by using less and being logical about it.
I have a few solar panels in service that are nearly 30 years old. We have been off grid for many years now. There is no grid power available in our area. Our system is capable of almost 30 kilowatts a day. We have only used 6 to 7 kilowatts a day for many years. We have a modern house. We heat mostly with wood but we have a propane forced air furnace that runs on the solar power system just fine. We heat water with propane as well. I may install a couple mini split hvac like MR Cool with a 23 seer rating. It does get 30 below zero here at times.
I originally went off grid because of the risk that Oregon will have to deregulate . Just over the border in California my uncle pays 36 cents per kilowatt hour. Here in Oregon it is .11 cents per kilowatt hour. Now that is cheep but it won't last. I personally think that everyone that can afford solar should install a hybrid system. While it is a good return on investment as grid tie in some areas with a pay off as little as 10 years at .11 cents. It is a much faster amortization at .36
cents per kilowatt hour. Now my main point. In the even of deregulation solar is a viable financial decision. In the event of a long term grid down scenario it's value is priceless.
Absolutely! Thank you for sharing. Especially the age of your panels. So many don't think the components will last but a few years. They are mistaken.
Cleaning can be done for you on a schedule by window cleaners with a no touch water pole. My son does this regularly in ga in a hurricane zone. I’m guessing damage it’s written in on homeowners insurance?
Okay I had solar panels now since 1998 I've been in a lot of hail storms and early part of 2000 the 2007 I live without solar panels over that but maybe someone playing baseball there's a bottle there's also someone who backed into one of mine that's how I lost two solar panels but all in all I still depends are still there you're still operating and it's still giving me the same watch as they did today I got them so solar panels don't necessarily degrade in time if you take care of them but there are some unfortunate things like people.
I live in Texas. Our power is unreliable in the Summer and now in the winter. We barely made it through the Texas winter in Texas. We went through 5 days without power. The grid is unreliable!
Absolutely true! We live in Texas too.
We are actually moving from Texas to Nevada to raw land. I know that we are going to have to rely on solar energy (possibly some wind energy as well). What are some things I may need to consider when shopping around for a system for us to use, and realistically, what should I consider as things to run off the solar?
Think about how you want to live.....(all modern electric conveniences?). What size house? Will you build or buy a home? If you build, will it be super energy efficient and super insulated? Do you have any outbuildings like a barn? Will you install alternative or redundant systems that run off of propane or natural gas?
Ok, gold star for the content and delivery. Very helpful and greatly appreciated.
Awesome. Glad it was helpful!
Hey where did you get the wiring trough?
Here: enclosurehub.com/. They have pretty good pricing.
Great video. I like how you address some of the alternatives such as grid tied or solar with no cost of installation. I have heard of people that can’t sell their home due to a lien on their title they didn’t know was there. Maybe they were informed, I don’t know if they were never told. But you don’t get anything for free.
My biggest concern of solar or any inverted power source is how it can handle inductive loads such as shop equipment, welders, HVAC systems, etc. I do know that Victron can handle large inductive loads but many don’t. So I am learning (which I love as a life long learner).
Another concern of mine as a Ham radio operator is the RF noise that can interfere with radio work as far as a block away. I might ask Signature Solar for their ideas on this interference. Also I am interested in bringing my radio in my truck to an installed location.
All the best, God Bless!
Thank you.
Most inverters are fine with inductive loads. Some are better than others. Sig Solar is well versed on this and can guide you there. Schneider's are a top line inverter that may be able to handle huge inductive loads a bit better.
I am not sure about the RF noise for your Ham.
@@CountryLivingExperience thanks for all your responses to my questions.excuse me if this doesn’t make sense. I am typing this in the blind. On my iPhone. I am going to Sulphur Springs tomorrow to pick up medical supplies and hope to stop by Signature Solar.
@@brentjohnson6654 No problem. You are welcome.
@@CountryLivingExperience I had a great experience at Signature Solar. I met a Weston who was my salesman and a Weston who is a technical expert. Nice people. I asked them if it would help you if I gave you credit for sending me their way. Would it be okay for me to mention you to give you credit?
@@brentjohnson6654 I really appreciate you asking. I have never met Weston but they have tripled their staff in 12 months....lol. The only way I can get credit is if you purchase through my link. I guess if you are there and sitting with a salesperson, you could try to use the link on my videos while there with them.
Those panels and racking plus cabling will never generate the electricity that it took to produce and transport the individual components!
My thoughts are if you want it and you can afford it why not.
Your basically running a power plant so you should expect to have maintenance.
It does become an obsession once you start.
I like it so far. No maintenance at all.
I don't agree that Grid tied systems are a waste. With no battery storage it offers good value IF you use most of your energy during daylight hours (like a small office or factory). This is by far the cheapest installation too. For OG and hybrid systems, battery cost is often > 50% of total installed cost, plus it is the component with the lowest reliability and lifespan.
Good points. OG is more than just about the $ savings though.
I like the fact that we have power when the rest of the community doesn't after a weather disaster. I don't have to run a noisy generator and the generator merely serves as backup.
It is awesome for sure.
I'm only 2:50 into your video. Is it reasonable to want solar to run a single chest freezer or to top off the coldness in said freezer and Lights? Id like solar so I'm not living in total darkness? im curious if you go over needed capacity in amp hours and other tech info. I also live in an area where winds can get as high as 60 mph gusts/ 20 mph constant when it storms...usually its calm but it does get stormy in the fall and spring. I live in the PNW near Seattle, ( 60 miles south).
Totally reasonable. That is a great place to start with solar. Most modern components are easily scalable and stackable. Panels and racks are rated for high impact hail and winds so you shouldn't worry there.
@@CountryLivingExperience True but i am told the sun never shines in Seattle ?
I live off a bay and sea gull poop would kill my panels.
I would like to be able to charge my ev (51.1 kw) using solar generated power. I have a 7Kw wall charger. Could you please do a video where I use solar panels and the invertor to power the charger (no batteries).
Where did you get your panel rack?
I bought it from Signature Solar but they are no longer selling them. This is the company that makes them.....powerssolarframes.com/
How much more would you have to spend to be able to run it all including HVAC?
Probably another $3300 with the caveat that you may need many more batteries depending on your climate. If you live where I do (in Texas) you would need a lot of battery storage to run the AC at night. That may be different in Maine or Oregon. Batteries are the big variable that is hard to nail down. The rule of thumb is always, "the more the better".
Cheaper to use solar during day and battery during peak hours. Use grid at night.Right?
No. Use your system as intended. The inverters will switch when necessary.
There might be pollution in going into solar panels for making a solar panels and other things but 90% of that all gets recyclable I mean now they even recycle all the batteries so very little pollution comes out of it in the future cuz they recycle it all for the most part there might be a couple of percent of something they can't recycle but they seem to find a use for it and sometimes they can fix that part and make it like brand new and use it cuz that's what they're trying to do all across the United States and that's what they have been doing and it seems to be working.
I'm still paying an electric bill, and I'm not able to get the rebate that is was promised, so I can't pay the 30 percent back to the system,so my rate is going to go up as well, so I'm not impressed with solar
Sounds like you got taken by a salesman. The solar tax credit is just that. It reduces your tax bill. It is not a 1 to 1 ratio and is not a rebate. It is not the solar system that is the problem, it is the slick sales people.
My system is different because I am off grid. I believe this is the best way to use solar.
IMO, and maybe I'm just weird, but IF you have Net Metering and IF you have good location for solar panels (south facing, no trees, etc.) and IF you can afford the outlay, an AC hybrid system is the best of all worlds. Your solar powers your load during the day, your panels keep the batteries charged up, when the winter storm hits and your power goes out the AC hybrid becomes the grid for your tied panels, and you get that net metering to help offset what you had to use when the sun wasn't out. If you have to pay $25 or $30 a month for that insurance policy of having the grid available when the weather doesn't make solar work very well, it's a pretty cheap insurance policy.
Granted, it's a LOT of If's to make it work.
That is a lot of ifs.
Bottom line solar and dealing with a utility is a pain. If I had an aesthetically suitable location I'd have a solar generation and storage system to replace any emergency generator. That is about as far as i would go with solar in the present state of development.
Cool
Net metering 1:1 is still completely feasible.
A lot of solar companies will not be around in 15-25 years to satisfy a warranty.
Then don't get solar.
@@CountryLivingExperience right that warranty may not mean a lot.
😂🤣😂
10:18 When the grid down the grid tie system will switch off for safety in order not to feed back the grid with dangerous electricity.
Both the reason I mentioned and your point are correct. However, there is system architecture that will not allow for back feeding the grid in the event the grid is down.
Don’t get ripped off with a 24 year lease. Do not use sunrun solar company. You don’t get a rebate because your rebate is factored in to the price.
So if you’re going to get a $16,000 rebate like they offered me they just raise the price on your system by $16,000.
Then they want you to do a 24 year contract and they give you a fixed interest rate on your lease. But the payment is not a fixed interest. It goes up 2.99% a year. That means your payment after 10 years it has gone up almost 50%. That 2.99% is compounded every year.
Then you get a kick in the teeth when you try to sell your house. A lot of these solar companies want the buyer to renegotiate the entire contract And pay more than you did. One woman had seven offers on her house rejected after getting a solar disclosure.
Here’s another kick in the teeth there is no guarantee that your utility company is going to keep giving you the same credit rate on your solar system. Electric companies in California are cutting the credit rate by 50% in April. That means your electric bill of zero from the utility company is going up. Your system will not be able to, give you enough credit to have a zero utility bill. Now you’re paying an electric bill and you’re making a payment to some sleazebag solar company.
So what is the answer by the solar system. By the best panels possible that’ll last as long as possible. The creator of this video said he has a warranty on his solar sales and converter. Here’s the truth on warranties. Most solar companies won’t be around after 10 to 15 years. There won’t be anybody to get a replacement from. So buy quality the first time around. If you buy the system you save tens of thousands of dollars over a 24 year period versus a lease.
Yes solar panels 👍 ☀️⚡💡🔋🇺🇦
This whole one-to-one comparison that people make to "poo poo" on homesteading projects are all very short-sighted. They say this about solar. They say raising chickens is more expensive than buying meat from someplace else. What these people don't consider is that it's not about the price difference when things are going smoothly in society. It's about having more independence when things go bad in general and having more direct control over what you need than just relying on smooth commerce being there. People take too many things for granted, even after almost 3 years of, well, "an undesirable situation". :)
Very true. There are going to much worse "undesirable situations" arising soon then they will wish they had a few chickens and some solar panels.
One question.
The racking, why only centersupport?
Wouldnt a storm just catch your panels in the end and start it to rock loose?
They are supported on the ends. We have had some bad storms with no problems.
@@CountryLivingExperience ok 👍
We dont see any supports in the ends though.
Here is the installation video.....czcams.com/video/Un3qeh4W-68/video.html. Please reference this.
Course the state I live in is very little money for a kilowatt but they do pay and I could potentially make quite a bit of money selling electricity to the electric company buy solar panels or windmills but I don't know if I can put a windmill up I do have one I just never put it up because I'm in a city or a large town or action mediocre small town called City. But the electric company does pay just very little because I thought they paid $0.07 yeah I found it to pay the little bit more than that but not very much very little compared to what they charge you.
@ 0:45 just like buying electric cars, you will have to drive over 1 million miles per year in order to see any savings lol, but with solar you get a better deal.
@ 7:55 it's a SCAM and you explained very well, off-grid system is the way to go.
Amen to that.
I disagree in one form or another (different solar solutions) solar IS good for everyone. I totally agree about those monthly contracts avoid them like the plague. Buy a system out-right one of your own design and choosing. The real question is budget if you are unsure start off with a smaller system with capacity to expand. The small system maybe fine for your needs and expectations. Do not expect it to cover 100% of your needs have a more reasonable expectation then it will work better for you.
i wanna hear about your friend with the bill after net metering !!!!
What would you like to know? He has a 15.5kw system and still gets a bill beyond the minimum. It may be his lifestyle, appliances, etc. He also had to take out a million dollar insurance policy to connect to the grid because he is over 15kw in Texas.
@@CountryLivingExperience i just figured with a system that big, no way he would getta bill like that ...unless prior to solar installed it was 400$+.....and at least yall can go that high ...in flori-DUH/duke energy its 10KW before the insurance kicks in.........thank you for posting these videos, im trying to do my homework, before we make that investment. as here they are raising rates at 5% min, every year!!...so the ROI will be a lot sooner, and i really like the independence.
@@keything8487 I would just cut out Duke all together and go with an off-grid system. Or off-grid that functions as a generator.
You said that you do not use solar for heat and ac. How much bigger would your solar system have to be in order to run your house heat and ac systems?
I did a video on running my 3ton unit on this system and the fact that it may work if I installed a soft start. I am transitioning to mini-split systems which are more efficient and will run perfectly fine off of my size system.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks for the information.
Makes sense to me.. Great video. Keep em coming. I have 2 systems, grid tie lease, it's good for me because I pump so much water for my avocados and my house is all electric. The lease is 20 years and 400.00/mo. But my electric bill used to be 6 to 800.00/mo so yes it's good. I'm now building a pv system to heat my water only, not a grid tie. I make good use of all my solar, enjoy diy stuff and life is good. I always tell folks to do the math, it may not be for you.
Cool, thank you.
So glad you crunched the numbers and did what was best for you on your property.
Hello, for anyone reading this if you looking into solar as an investment and sorry to say this is the worst investment you can get but solar is a great way to help the ecosystem but this video and CZcamsrs are not
accounting for the other risk factors pointed out below. below is the risk
factor in a Miami market I run into getting quotes from solar companies.
This is with the 90% outset system I have been quoted.
Doing the math if I pay the full
amount upfront wouldn’t make sense because the return investment, I can get off
the stock market or invest in other real estate projects. So, this is my
concern if I get it loan out of it for 26% using the tax credit on the loan.
The monthly bill is $207 for loans with tax credits. The system doesn’t pay my
full FPL bill. Keep in mind my average bill is $280 per month (I know this increase is about 4.4% per year in Miami/FPL energy).
This is how I see it. My roof is 3 years old. I have dimension shingles
that last about 25 years. So, it can last me the rest of the time with
panels. Now accounting for the liability insurance that I have gotten is
estimated at $45 per month (this would increase every year by 3%). Also,
Miami hasn't gotten a category 3 or higher hurricane in 12 years, and we are
due two to four within the next 20 years. Also, I am accounting for the
two or four liability insurance claims I need to make, and mostly they going to
charge about a 20% deductible. Right now, to remove the panels and put them
back electrical technicians for panels are charging $125-$175 per panel (this
would go up over time). The degradation I lose per year on the panels. Let
says over the 20 years there are about 25k in damages or
no warranty repairs. I'm going to pay about a 20% deductible. so around 5k
in deductible. That's an extra $20 per month. So, in total, the risk
factor is about $271 per month, and this doesn’t cover my full FPL bill., even
if you do a system set up with the full cost of my FPl bill the risk factor
increases. Two other risk factors took place was selling the property. Even with
the increased value of the property, buyers are not interested in buying an old
use solar system and roof, so I need to get it replaced. I contact about five
certification realtors in Miami with 20+ years in the market and all said is
going to be harder to sell with that use system the buyer would ask for a
discount on the price of the home. The other risk factors are roof insurance
warranty claims based on the few neighbors that have solar nearby and online
forums. Home insurance going to blame the contractor who installs the solar
panels for leaks and hurricane-related issues, and I would need to reach out to
the insurance adjuster to come to help me with the claim. What I see solar as
is basically a way to help the ecosystem and reduce carbon footprint but don’t expect
a return with the risk factor. Maybe if you do it yourself it would make sense. Just be diligent on this solar system and account for and risk factors in your area. Not many people do this kind of math. if you can afford not to get a return out of it to help the ecosystem go for it but if you see it as an investment don't do it.
Some of us are completely off grid. I live at 8000 ft in rural New Mexico. There's electricity out here, but we will never be tied to it. I grew up in Dade county and the taxes and FPL totalitarian nonsense alone , not to mention the fact that code probably doesn't allow much latitude for diy people. The initial cost of a system is steep. But if you shop around and do your own work. The average system pay for itself in 3 years. Utility companies are ruthless, and the last thing I would do is put my power back into the grid that will be plagued with rolling blackouts because of the ev nonsense. If a person is looking to cut ties with a utility that doesn't have to be supplied to you for profit. It is indeed a wise investment. With that being said. Most of us up here aren't doing it to save the environment , it's to live independently. And in my case. Debt free
Off grid is the only way to go. I think power is going. To skyrocket in years to come.
Absolutely. Totally agree.
Solar isn't that expensive, the company's selling it are making almost double on the costs.
But grid tied.... On my. So I was off grid, or split grid. And I had power on demand, to much power most of the time. Like you said, the extra you don't use goes into the battery.
But I thought.. I'll give grid tied a go.
Small array. No hybrid, no battery.
Solar is not smooth delivery without batteries. It comes as much as the sun.
(Here in England, that's just a possibly)
Sun's down, your power from solar drops off.
I did a video on this yesterday, and I had to call these systems reducers. And as you said the cost of power has doubled. Not sure why yours over there has. But ours went up 54% (+).(about 1200usd pa)
That's going to be £764 according to gov. But they average low, so it's going to be a lot more.
So solar can reduce the power bill, it can't take it away totally. And having batteries can make a massive difference. But then so is the cost.
Here, we have fit. It's 5pkwh. But you would be paying around 37p kWh to buy it back.
The general consensus is that it's not worth it, unless you have a solar farm.
But batteries or ev owners can benefit.
There is a thing called energy trading which you don't need solar at all, just the battery.
Bottom line I agree, but don't forget you don't need a big solar system to dig into that bill. We're about 30-60% on tests, but I want to run longer to see just what it is on a small solar system.
Our smaller system pays back in 331 days.
Our "general" system payback is 2.5years.
Our better systems are around 5 years.
Some others are buying systems with a break even in excess of 9-15 years!
To me it's not a return, it's a break even.
I appreciate you sharing your experience. Those are great payback periods. Mine is about 3.9 years.
@@CountryLivingExperience that's a good payback time.
Here from around 2010 fit was paying good money, companies were over selling, and home owners bought big systems.
They were badly installed and less efficient.
The average pay back is 9-15 years.
Also the UK has less sun. You may have about twice as much as here, which of course shortens the pay back time.
@@guywhoknows Yea, I was excited about it. We do have some of the same issues here with companies over selling and people buying what they don't need. We do have much more sun for sure...average 4.5 hours per day.
Are you using solar to heat your hot water tank with solar panels?
Yes.
Another question how many kw storage do you have?
We currently have a little over 25kw or storage in our batteries.
@@CountryLivingExperience that’s great size battery to draw on especially on cloudy days.
Summers UV rays for us in winter about 3 and about 12 in summer in Sydney Australia, we had a cloudy summer with heaps of rain, lower than expected solar power but no need for air conditioning 😀
Nice! Not running AC saves a lot of power.
Why is all your wiring exposed and not in conduit, Greenfield or seal tight?
PV wire is not usually run in conduit especially at the panels. It is also rated for direct bury however mine is run in conduit under the ground.
Why in the world would a prepper/homesteader consider having an all electric house.? Everyone should at the least have a wood burning stove..
I didn't say I had an all electric house. I have a wood stove and some propane.
Hi from Sydney Australia 😀
May I ask the cost you pay for Kw from your electricity coop.
have solar, only 3.5kw system but only 3kw inverter.
Would love a battery, but waiting for a price to drop.
For the first year got 22c for electricity returned to grid but payed 28c for grid power.
Now after 2 years I get only 14c to grid, but pay for Grid Power 26c.
System cost me $5,400 Australian Dollars for my system 9 Panels
Hello. We used to be 10c per kw but now we are paying 22.5c per kw. It is a massive increase.
@@CountryLivingExperience that was a huge jump, in Australia they are trying to reduce costs.
i am in texas, not sure where the host of this video lives, but power here is 12 to 14 cents a kilowatt hour. i have solar for some things but i rely a lot on grid as i am in a forest with limited sun hours
I am in East Texas. Cherokee County COOP power. I can't buy on the market like I did in Houston. I am stuck and they just jacked the prices up out of control.
@@CountryLivingExperience i could throw a rock and hit your place, i'm real close
perhaps someday we can meet.