So Close, Yet So Far

I am very close to having the solar installation working full time. Here is the status.

The controller/inverter is in and tested, I have it connected into the main service breaker panel so that the utility grid can back me up in case of issues. I also have moved amny household circuits to the transfer switch so that I can decide on a circuit by circuit basis whether a load is to be powered from solat or the utility. All that is working.

I have the solar panels in the yard awaiting the mounting hardware. That involves a metal lean-to of sorts which can handle at least 4 of my panels and perhaps all 8 of them. I will need some clips to hook the panels to the mounting.

I cleared the growth away from the north/Kona side fence in the yard and have staged some 1 and 1/4″ electrical PVC conduit along the fence. The pieces are joined by friction and not glue. Since they will be in the sun, there is a possibility they will expand at the joints and this will eliminate buckling. I need to figure out how to mount it to the fence when it is time. I wanted schedule 80 PVC but could not find any so I went with the lower rated schedule 40, however is is rated for outdoor use.

That mount is due here Wednesday by FedEx. I also haveon order  an extra 100 Amp hour battery and a cabinet to house all 3 batteries. That is due to arrive this month but will be coming by ocean container so I figure 2 weeks from now for delivery.

I will need t omount the panels, add in a panel side breaker to allow disconnect at the panels, run the PVC more permanently and attach it to the fence. I’ll run the two solar wires and a ground wire from the panels to the controller/inverter. I can then power things from the panels. If I need to I can switch those loads to the utility any time I want.

I also can hook up my gas/propane generator to charge the batteries and/or power those circuits like refrigerators if I have to.

Much of the house will run daytime off the solar panels and use that daylight to also top off the power for the batteries. When the sun is down or on very cloudy days the system will switch to battery backup. If there is no sun and there is no battery power left, then it switches to the utility grid and I start paying for power. As I mentioned before there is always a charge from the utility to have power standing by, but it is fairly low and perhaps $30 or $40 a month. That is not bad insurance. I could spend many thousands more to add panels and batteries so that I could be completely off grid, but it is more cost-effective to have the grid for backup.

I have many options and should be able to glide through any power company outages.

When the system is producing all the power it can and I can do the math, I’ll know just what my payback period is. I and sure it is less that 5 years however that is a guess until I add up all the parts.

Since the panels ate bi-facial, I have watched many Youtube videos on tests users have performed to increase the power of their system by putting whit items or shiny panels beneith their panels to reflect mor light to the panel backside.

It is certainly a fun project especially since the units are plug-and-play.

A couple items will need to be chnaged to make the system permanent. They include perhaps a better place to put the panels and certainly cutting down some trees. Sunlight didn’t really hit the propesed panel location this morning until 9am. I know a couple of trees whose days are numbered.

Also, I need to but a backing board behind the controller to make that area fireproof.

I will have to move the batteries to the new rack and perhaps lift it up onto a concrete pad.

I hope to have the circuit breaker service box replaced and brough up to date. I may also have a small box placed next to it to handle a few extra circiuits but will wait until I see where the remaining circuits are going. Some of the existing breakers may not be used but I have to tone them out and see if any current is being drawn on them.

Yes, if all the hardware and wires had been delivered or acquired and been ready, this could have been a two day install, but I would rather take it slow and test things along the way. I also have other projects in process which slow everything down.

On the mainland delivery times would be quite short and certainly shipping costs would be a lot lower or free. All part of the drawbacks to living in paradise.