Thứ Hai, 6 tháng 2, 2017

Solar Powers My Model S part 1

  • Jan 6, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    Anyone using solar to power their model S?
    If so what power rate plan are you using?

    Tier Rate Plan or Ev Rate Plan?
  • Jan 6, 2016
    Config
    Good lord, you have a 604 kw/h PV system?
  • Jan 6, 2016
    Lpotter86
    I got a 5.6Kwh array that covers about 70% of my eletric bill. 20150920_155646.jpg
  • Jan 6, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    Haha, no I wish brother, that's total for the last 4 weeks it's been running. App on my phone let's me see usage per panel by total, month, week or day. I built it at 104% offset to account for charging the model s.
    The utility company here in California offers an EV charge rate but I don't know if it is worth it to change over to it from the Net Metering rate we started on.

    In the winter we seem to be making 30 to 40Kwh per day.
  • Jan 6, 2016
    whitecotton
    That's awesome I'm so jealous. I'm stuck with my little hobby 300 watt system. It does keep my electronics running though :)
  • Jan 6, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    That looks legit, what utility rate are you running?
  • Jan 6, 2016
    Config
    Gotcha. My panels have been buried under snow since last month and I'm not brave enough to get up on the roof to brush the snow off.
  • Jan 6, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    I really like that the car can set schedule charging so I can charge from 11pm to 6am on NonPeak times then make power to sell back to the utility companies during peak.
  • Jan 7, 2016
    Raven
    image.png

    16.25 kW system here but I'm in AZ so my utility is different. Right now I'm on a 12-7 on-peak plan and I'm looking to switch to the standard, tiered-rate plan. Reason being, I waaaay overproduce during on-peak vs. off-peak.

    As far as selling the power back, does CA give you a better rate? We get $.03/kWh and it's a statement credit at the end of the year for any remaining excess, not a check in the mail. Since I produce more than I use, anything beyond my personal consumption has a paltry ROI.


  • Jan 7, 2016
    jimmy82abn

    Very Nice man, love the set up. In California PGE pays us back at $0.04 Cents for extra (Dam Gangsters!) while they charge us anywhere from $0.16 Cents in Winter to $0.42 Cents in Summer. So Yes ROI on Extra is not great but with the Fed 30% Subsidy I can totally see building the system larger then you need. I mean who wants a True Up Bill from the Utility Company at the End of the Year?

    I just built out 43 LG Neon2 310 Watt Panels to produce 20,000 Annual KWhrs. It should be a 13.5 kW system overall but I did buy the larger inverter for an extra $400 in the event I do want or need 8-10 more panels. The inverter they wanted to give me was only able to do the 43 panels, the next model up will do just over 50.

    I see what you mean about going to Tier Rate because yes having extra power in summer selling back at say $0.42 cents peak while pulling extra from them in winter ways much more in your favor.

    Did you pull a 240V 50AMP charger to the garage also?
  • Jan 7, 2016
    Raven
    I guess one positive to consider by going bigger....should PGE become like the rest of them and attach new "profit loss" fees for solar users and reduced buy-back like NV just did, you can more easily cut the cord and bring in battery backup. Maybe a bit extreme of an idea but an idea nonetheless.

    I have 3 inverters. Is adding more inverters later an option for you?

    Luckily, a 50A NEMA 14-50 was already installed in my garage.
  • Jan 7, 2016
    Zythryn
    Our new home is about half done.
    One of our goals is to produce as much energy as our house and both Teslas use on an annual basis.
    Unfortunately, the roof and solar panels are not complete yet, but this is a rendition from the architect.

    image.jpeg

    By the energy modeling we are just short. However, we are confident that we can produce as much solar energy annually as we use.
  • Jan 7, 2016
    HankLloydRight
    Same here,I have a small 3.5kW system. Enough to drive the car for a year on solar and then some. Just net metering and no TOU rates here.
  • Jan 7, 2016
    OConnorStP
    My setup is 21kw, 14kw in front of the house and 7kw on the garage. We build up a big surplus in the summer and consume it in the winter. This year we peaked at about 4900 KWhours surplus a month or so ago and we've started nibbling away at it as the heating season kicks in and the days get short. We may not quite make it this year because we only lit the system up in late June, but next year we should produce a little more than we consume



    IMG_3387.jpg
  • Jan 7, 2016
    ohmman
    I have a 9.5kW roof mounted system. It supplies about 90% of our usage, but since we're on EV-A, it generates about 120% of our electric bill. At the end of the year (true-up period), we usually end with a pretty sizable credit but forfeit it to the utility. I'm not terribly concerned about the economics of it, I'm more burned about the fact that I'm not fully offsetting my consumption. So we're going to add panels this summer and try to net out.

    Once you've had solar, it's hard to imagine letting that sunlight go to waste.
  • Jan 7, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    I ended up taking 7 solar bids at our house and what I found is that some panels are working at 16% efficiency vs others that are 18%+.
    I also saw some panels were 250 watts then some 265 and ultimately what I chose was a 310 watt panel.

    I just lit the system in December so I'm anxious to see how we true up next year.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Wait so what did Nevada just do? They changed the game for solar due profitability going down?

    - - - Updated - - -

    This looks legit, I think if the sun hits you just right you will be dialed in.

    - - - Updated - - -

    That is a serious set of panels. How's snow, can it slide off ok?
  • Jan 7, 2016
    Raven
    They're allowing the utilities to change the landscape back in their favor. The utilities say solar producers aren't paying their fair share for the grid. Less users to make a profit from means more of the burden goes to non-solar users. So to make up for profit loss, they charge you. I can understand some of the argument but only to an extent. I can most definitely understand paying a grid fee and meter fee but an additional penalty?

    Anyhow, NV is creating a gradual 5-year increase in the fee for solar users and I believe they slashed the per-kWh credit amount by 75%. Pretty soon utilities will have you paying full price to use their grid half the time while you let them idle the plant during the day.
  • Jan 7, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    That's insane man. I guess powerwall is our path over the next 5 years?
  • Jan 8, 2016
    tstafford
    I just reached out yesterday to a consulting/installation company here in Nashville to see what it would cost to do a small system on my detached garage. I'd like to get the MS and the garage office off the grid. Small step, I know, but every little bit counts.
  • Jan 8, 2016
    Cottonwood
    24 kW DC, way more than my Tesla needs. The Model S can't get to the panels, nor would a Model X be able to get there, either. There is a reason why I keep the 2000 Jeep Cherokee.

    Jeep-2.JPG
  • Jan 8, 2016
    WentOffGrid
    We power both our S and Roadster Sport from a big battery bank when the sun isn't shining.
    Also go back to grid-tie when the SOC is around 96% so the extra sun does not get wasted.
    A lifetime dream, the first time the S was 100% solar charged (June 2015). Amazing feeling, at least for me. My partner, well, she could care less :tongue:

    Because of the 24kW residential limit in NY, we put 6) 8kW trackers servicing our barn (non-residential service) and shifted a bunch of loads over.
    Now we sell more back than we use, another great feeling!
    Bob
  • Jan 8, 2016
    FlasherZ
    There are a couple of other threads that discuss this, but the bottom line is that in a lot of territories, the "grid fee" and "meter fee" and such don't cover the true cost of your connection to the grid (the fixed costs). It is, in effect, a subsidization of the smallest consumers by the largest, because some of the fixed costs are built into the usage rate (variable costs). If the average usage goes down because of consumer generation, then they end up with a fixed-cost shortfall. They're petitioning the PUC's to fix that, but it will be tough - those who get subsidized service aren't exactly going to let it go easily.

    It used to be that way in my co-op as well, but over the past 5 years or so they've done a lot of analysis and have been correcting that. The meter fee has risen from $17ish per month to $45/month while arresting rate growth (or in some years, reducing the rates). In November, the co-op board of trustees reduced our rate from 9 cents per kWh to 6.8. We're now in a position where a member can install a meter at $45/month and even with zero usage, the fixed costs are still covered.
  • Jan 8, 2016
    AGM
    Just a simple 3.8kWp setup for me. On EV rate. producing enough to cover 20k miles of driving a year though.
  • Jan 8, 2016
    Strib
    I put in a fairly large, 18KW (raw DC) system, designed to offset my household energy usage plus two EV's.

    I'm on PG&E's EV-A time-of-use plan, but it doesn't matter. I'm a net positive supplier so they pay me a puny $0.04 per kwh at the end of the year's true-up period without regard to TOU. Oh well... but the payback looks fine.
    Overall, I generated 32 MWH over the past year.

    PG&E's rant that we Solar folks aren't paying our fair share for use of the grid is outrageously fraudulent! I deliver to them during the daytime peak hours, when they're begging for it - and in so doing REDUCE the loading on the power lines in my area. I consume a smaller amount at night, exactly what they're asking for. What I am is an UBER-EFFECIENT ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM for them! They are mandated to invest heavily in energy storage, such as reservoirs with turbines and other more contemporary solutions - and they whine that I'm... what? over-using their power grid? Ridiculous.
  • Jan 8, 2016
    dhrivnak
    I run on solar and hope you counted your vote on the poll at Driving on Sunshine - Page 24

    In a similar vein by chance are you willing to share your story? I am contemplating a book "Driving to Net 0" on how 6-10 households have reduced their fossil fuel use by 75% or are 75% below the average household in their country. Each household would write their own "chapter" as a way to encourage others to make significant changes. If scientists say we need to make an 80% cut in emissions let's show others how it can be done. :)
  • Jan 8, 2016
    whitecotton
    would you or anyone else consider doing a YouTube overview of your system. YouTube videos on Tesla integration with solar panels is lacking
  • Jan 8, 2016
    WentOffGrid
    Just voted, thanks for linking it!

    Sure I would gladly share my story. Learned a lot.
  • Jan 9, 2016
    OConnorStP
    Most of the time the snow slides off fine. but we've had a bunch of storms where the first part is freezing rain and that's tougher. I've found that one of those snow rakes, plus the brush attachment, is invaluable.
  • Jan 9, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    Yesterday I climbed a 30ft ladder to trim 2 Italian Cypress trees that were shading my panels.
    It was dangerous but I wanted max juice!!

    Per my app view looking at each panels production I could see 6 panels working fine but not producing as much power as the rest.

    This pinpointed the problem, I was getting shade on the panels as the sun moved from 12 to 4pm.

    Executive decision was made and I cut the tops off the trees then rounded them out.

    Didn't want some dam trees messing with my ROI!
  • Jan 9, 2016
    Fuma586
    Solar Powers my Model S. I do not use Michigan's EV charging plan because I charge for free at work, although it would be a good deal if i did.
    IMG_0106.jpg
  • Jan 10, 2016
    Shaggy
    Screen Shot 2016-01-10 at 11.50.55 PM.png

    6.54 kW of SunPower e20 327wt * 20 panels (rated to lose only .5% a year) and they are worth the extra cost. The city has a $25 for 6 month unlimited charging plan that they bill to your electric bill, so I charge at home and a vast majority of the time around town off the solar production. I didn't think to try for a larger inverter to add panels if I needed them. The City credits me for 10.5 cents a kw produced. The credit is good for as long as I have the account, doesn't transfer or cash out.
  • Jan 10, 2016
    Xminus6
    I live not far from you in Moraga. We're installing a 14.1 kW system next month. Two EVs as well with an S85 and RAV4. I don't think we'll cover all our usage but I'll be eager to monitor it this summer.
  • Jan 10, 2016
    jimmy82abn
    Dam 10.5 cents for extra, that's good!!
  • Jan 21, 2016
    Shaggy
    The set the annual rate every December. Last year was 11.3, this year is 10.5... I cannot imagine it staying this high for long, but a slow steady drop to maybe 8 cents.
  • Jan 22, 2016
    qqragoon
    Anyone know what is the buy back rate currently for SDG&E in Socal?
  • Jan 22, 2016
    yobigd20
    my new house in central NY is being drywalled right now, scheduled to be completed end of march. I have been doing a little research on Solar as I plan on having this done by end of year. I was not aware of a 24kW residental limit in NY. why is that so?

    also to those with experience, my builder used a engineered roof web truss system built using 2x4's spaced 24" on center. I have a huge south facing roof, 6/12 pitch. something like 70'x 20'. Will a roof system like this support a massive solar array system?
  • Feb 16, 2016
    wk057
    I'm sure everyone on this forum has seen my setup by now, but figure I'd just chime in since it's a thread about solar! :D

    full-shot-1.jpg

    ground-shot-1.jpg

    ground-shot-2.jpg

    44.4 kW Off-Grid PV, ~180 kW in battery storage (from salvage Teslas), 64 kW DC->AC inverters, two Tesla Model S, all electric household (HVAC, cooking, laundry, etc).

    I haven't done a good shot of the Model S's and the array in the same shot yet... I'll do that when it gets warm. :)

    More info in links in my signature.
  • Feb 16, 2016
    Electric700
    Nice array! I had seen some photos from when you were building the inverter portion, but not of the panels.
  • Feb 16, 2016
    WentOffGrid
    Need to get a drone to take overhead pics, can't get all 9 trackers in the shots! :smile:
  • Feb 16, 2016
    Kandiru

    And linearly, which they love.
  • Feb 16, 2016
    preilly44
    So I just had my panels installed (19.25kw) and I'm waiting for the electric company to switch out my meter to a netmeter so I can be paid for my overproduction. They shut off the system until the netmeter is installed but the installer hinted that I could turn on the system and get free electricity, I just wouldn't get paid for my over production. I wasn't planning on doing this but I just read an article that said my electric company has the slowest average time out of the 13 states in the study (78 days average to swap out the meter).

    What are your thoughts and what would/did you do?

    Thanks!
  • Feb 16, 2016
    andrewket
    Be careful .. Some meters will show usage regardless of the direction of the flow. So you would be paying your utility for the kWh you over produced.
  • Feb 16, 2016
    ohmman
    ^^^ yep. Be very careful. It could still work out for you but you need to know how your production vs consumption will look.
  • Feb 16, 2016
    dhrivnak
    I too urge caution as with my old meter it could not tell direction so I paid for BOTH usage AND production.
  • Feb 16, 2016
    ohmman
    Sorry to double post about this, but that's how my meter worked. Since PG&E took over a month to turn me up, I just turned mine on mid-day, cranked the pool pump, charged the Tesla, and did everything to make sure I'd consume every kW, then turned it off when I was done. This works because you net out prior to it hitting the meter.
  • Feb 17, 2016
    David_Cary
    My wait was only like 10 days but it was summer and I just froze the house when the sun was hitting the panels. Definitely worked out for me.
  • Feb 17, 2016
    WentOffGrid
    Sorry, it's 25kW. Written into the NY State law, this is from the DEC website... "New York State law allows net metering for solar photovoltaic systems up to 25 kW in residential buildings, and up to 2 MW in commercial and industrial settings"

    I am not sure why, but my hunch is because the infrastructure can't take it on a bright sunny day if everybody went all-out PV. Orange & Rockland (the utility here) recently stopped issuing PV permits for one of their areas due to this


  • Feb 17, 2016
    bollar
    You imply that your house was built recently. Almost all houses built in the past 20+ years can support the weight of a solar array. Basically, a solar system weighs less than a second course of shingles. When your system is designed, the type of roofing system on your house, plus required wind & snow loads will be taken into account to assure the design meets code.

    - - - Updated - - -

    That may be the excuse, but it seems unlikely that distributed solar generation could generate more electricity than the grid can take. It would be interesting to see any of the utility's technical documents on the topic.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I'd also like to make my periodic pitch to share your PV data at PVOutput and join our Tesla Owners & Friends team!

    Our 17kW system provides a bit more than 80% of our household usage, including car, of course.

    IMG_0059.jpg
  • Feb 17, 2016
    gnxs
    6kW System grid-connected utilizing ComEd's RRTP (Residential Real-Time Pricing) program. Hoping a Model 3 will be ready to replace the Focus Electric when the lease is up in late 2017.

    Solar-Tesla-Focus.jpg
  • Feb 17, 2016
    mspohr
    I had the same problem when they installed my solar system. They told me I had to keep it shut off until the power company installed a new meter. However, the installer "hinted" that I could just turn it on myself and he thought my old meter would just run backwards. It was a very old mechanical meter. I tried it and it did run backwards when I was generating excess so I kept the system on. The power company did show up a month later to install the new meter and they weren't upset that I had the system on. The new meter shows separate totals for power going each way and my bill now shows both totals and the net charge.
  • Feb 17, 2016
    FlasherZ
    Some electronic meters cannot handle bi-directional energy flow - in my case, they replaced my electronic with mechanical. Our co-op serves rural areas so it's still cheaper for them to have someone drive around the county for 2 days at the beginning of each month rather than needing all the expensive smart meter stuff.
  • Feb 17, 2016
    Lloyd
    17.5 kw. Net ZERO bill with PG&E with two EV's ! Self installed.

    House.png
  • Feb 17, 2016
    yobigd20

    it's being built right now. framing/roofing/drywall already done. siding being done now. interior being trimmed and finished. i made sure the rear south facing roof was pretty friggin big.

    IMG_3086.JPG

    IMG_3085.JPG

    IMG_3087.JPG
  • Feb 17, 2016
    mobe
    Getting ready for my 20.13kw install. Excavation almost done. Next comes a 104x 12 x8" concrete pad. image.jpeg image.jpg
  • Feb 17, 2016
    SPXMike
    I have 7 kW on the roof. Just commissioned a couple months ago. But since last week I can charge for free at work so I'll probably be in pretty good shape until late summer when my wife kicks on the dual 30-year-old 4 ton AC units.
  • Feb 17, 2016
    preilly44
    Thanks for the responses. Is there anyway I can tell? I have a newer digital meter that has lines on the bottom that move across to the right when i am using electricity and to the left when I am producing more than I am using.

    Thanks again!
  • Feb 17, 2016
    ohmman
    Sure, start charging your car, turn the inverter on, and see how fast/which way the meter is moving. Remember, the meter only sees what the net is. Your panels generate electricity, you use it, and the remainder is returned to the grid (or the deficit is consumed from the grid). So if you can slow down the progress of those lines on the meter, you're winning no matter the situation. You just might have to actively manage turning it on/off.
  • Feb 17, 2016
    tezco
    11Kw system at my house, and over 25,000 carbon free miles so far.
  • Feb 18, 2016
    Curryx
    Anyone have any suggestions on getting a small system started, say just for charging the car and running things in the garage.
  • Feb 19, 2016
    neko
    5.7 kW rooftop system. In the midwest, so there is snow, low winter sun, and partial shade from neighboring trees to deal with. We've only had the system since August, but it looks like over the course of a year, it will at least cover the car, and some part of our household use. Less than I would like, but it's what the geography will allow. Net metering and real-time pricing from ComEd, so I charge at night when the rates are a fraction of the day-time costs.
  • Feb 20, 2016
    mspohr
    You can start with microinvertors such as Enphase which has one invertor per panel which makes it easy to add capacity. You can start with just one panel and invertor. You get 250 Watts per panel. Figure 5 hours a day so 1250 wh per day per panel. It does require grid tie. Depending on your power company and building Dept can be easy or complicated. Some people just plug small systems into an outlet.
  • Mar 12, 2016
    dgpcolorado
    [Also posted this in the "Driving on Sunshine" thread.]

    Some of you have gigantic systems, especially compared to mine:

    24975493423_f2dbeff4bd_c.jpg

    My 2170 watts of panels have produced all the electricity I needed to fuel my car and run my house since I expanded the array in 2012. I pay just the $16/month service charge to my local power co-op; the co-op is very supportive of renewable energy because the membership � we, the owners � believe in it.

    I put in my first 700 W of panels in 2008 as "phase 1" of a future electric car, so I've been wanting to go to "EV + PV" for a long time. I added the rest of the panels in 2012 when I got some real data for how much energy would actually be needed for an EV. My panels weren't cost effective but I budgeted them as part of the cost of the car (originally a LEAF).

    I adjust the pitch as seasons change from 55� around the winter solstice to 15� around the summer solstice (the picture above is at 45� and they are currently at 35�). For snow I use a window squeegee on a long painter's pole to pull it off, which is fairly easy when the panels are at a steep pitch.

    Despite my small array, my total production is a respectable 15.349 MWh of electricity over the years.
  • Mar 12, 2016
    mobe
    image.jpg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
  • Mar 14, 2016
    proven
    We had solar panels installed on our roof last year. It only covers about 40% of our usage, but now we charge the car at night for almost half our old rate. So, not really solar powered car, but solar has given us a discount for charging it.
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