Solar panels (UK based)

[shg]

Here in TX, I'd do the opposite; mount to get the max in the summer when the A/C is going full-blast.

In addition, there are places here where you can opt for demand-based pricing, higher during peak demand (3PM to 7PM), and lower at other times. But we pay $0.10/kWH, and at that rate, it would take a loooong time to pay off solar.

Also, we replaced our 18-year old compressor yesterday to the tune of $2K, depeleting all energy-related funds for some time.

 

[DonkeyOte]

That would make a very interesting spreasheet.

Presuambly Richard would be passing that element of the project onto the real experts also ?

 

[chuckchuckit]

The farther south you go towards the equator like in Texas vs Northern Calif, more hours of sun and higher in the sky for more intense sun. You guys are fortunate there for that.

Only had 550 watts at that cabin and it got to be a bit of a challenge sometimes during the winter if there was not much sun for many days in a row. Those deep cycle batteries were good though but always had to be consious of how low they were being drained so as not to damage them.

If I would have lived there full time I would have needed a lot more panels for sure. Especially if I would have used many power devices or run a refriderator etc off of the batteries when cloudy in the winter. So I used an old Servel propane refriderator instead. That was a challenge too at times as it was built in 1933 but still worked well as long as the pilot light stayed lit... Not very efficient with its propane use though.

 

[Richard Schollar]

The panels are approx 1.7m by 0.8m and are rated at 235W per panel. They pretty much use up all available space on the South facing portion of my roof.

Solar panels are ONLY economic in the UK due to the Government subsidy known as the Feed In Tariff which pays you per unit of power generated (irrespective of what you subsequently do with it).

 

[chuckchuckit]

Those are some big panels! But that is the way to do it as not so many wiring connections needed then to hook them together. I had to design a junction box for the roof to tie all my wires together up there. Then run a "00" sized copper cable (in case I expanded later) down to the battery box. Thick cabling needed for 12VDC when the current developed is high. As likely yours have the inverters for 220VAC right at the panels. So even so much more wattage you have, your cabling does not need to be so thick with the higher voltage (cable thickness is determined by current and distance, i.e. the lower the voltage the thicker the cable required due to ohm's law I=E/R).

Even on cloudy days there was some power being generated. Sometimes only about 1/4 of a sunny day if I remember correctly.

Solar systems are a lot of fun. Especially when you see the electricity being generated just from the sun like that. And no moving parts neither so nothing to wear out as long as the inverters keep working, or a wind storm doesn't blow a panel or two off the roof.

Imagine your system has those inverters built right into the panels themselves on the roof? Solar has come a long way since I was messing with it.