11–20 of 192 posts
Cool! The one thing I notice the author gets wrong is (out of modesty perhaps) claiming the system isn't very financially successful. But it actually is! > 200W system payback period: $300 / $48 = 6.5 years until payback > Either way you cut it, this is not a money saving machine. Energy prices are just too low. That represents like a 16% rate of return with little risk, which any investor would take in a second. How…
How safe is it to keep that battery indoors? Don't batteries need some ventilation?
Cool! The one thing I notice the author gets wrong is (out of modesty perhaps) claiming the system isn't very financially successful. But it actually is! > 200W system payback period: $300 / $48 = 6.5 years until payback > Either way you cut it, this is not a money saving machine. Energy prices are just too low. That represents like a 16% rate of return with little risk, which any investor would take in a second. How…
Point being, if you look around, solar electric generation at a small scale can be done even cheaper than purchasing off Amazon for some of the components (inverters and charge controllers are mostly exempt - unless you go to a hamfest).
JFYI, the back of the envelope calculation is about energy "created", this assumes that you actually consume it, i.e. that on average you would use that energy (while it is within the battery capacity range), if you leave for - say - 1 month, it is 1/12 less.
It's simple- it has a 110V line cord and plugs into the outlet, sending current the opposite way of normal. Do a search on your favorite e-commerce site for "grid tie inverter" and you'll see what I mean.
These cheap inverters have most of the same safeties as the UL 1703 certified variety, and as long as you don't exceed current ratings (not likely with a little 200W panel) you're able to apply the power to your electric bill, without futzing with a lead-acid battery.
Far more cost-effective would have been to skip the battery and just put a cheap chinese pure-sine-wave grid-tie inverter to bridge between the wall outlet and the panel. It's simple- it has a 110V line cord and plugs into the outlet, sending current the opposite way of normal. Do a search on your favorite e-commerce site for "grid tie inverter" and you'll see what I mean. These cheap inverters have most of the same…
I find the title kind of click baity, "$200 solar self sufficiency for my bedroom" would be more accurate
Far more cost-effective would have been to skip the battery and just put a cheap chinese pure-sine-wave grid-tie inverter to bridge between the wall outlet and the panel. It's simple- it has a 110V line cord and plugs into the outlet, sending current the opposite way of normal. Do a search on your favorite e-commerce site for "grid tie inverter" and you'll see what I mean. These cheap inverters have most of the same…
Far more cost-effective would have been to skip the battery and just put a cheap chinese pure-sine-wave grid-tie inverter to bridge between the wall outlet and the panel. It's simple- it has a 110V line cord and plugs into the outlet, sending current the opposite way of normal. Do a search on your favorite e-commerce site for "grid tie inverter" and you'll see what I mean. These cheap inverters have most of the same…
It looks like you might also have to sign some sort of a contract with PG&E. Is this true? https://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/b2b/wholesaleelectric....