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Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency Without Your Landlord Noticing

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Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#51
Have you talked to your landlord about adding solar panels to the roof? He/she could install them and connect them to your apartment's service, which means you would get the power and the savings -- though you might reasonably expect some of the savings to go towards higher rents in the future. With the tax advantages, it's almost a no-brainer.

It's even possible to apportion power between multiple units with PG&E in California. They even allow "neighborhood solar", where you can benefit from a larger system installed elsewhere, like over a parking lot.

I would also +1 the other comments about thinking really hard about whether your system is safe in the event of high winds. Solar panels are basically large sails, you'd be surprised what a 50 or 60 mph wind gust (likely to happen once or twice a year) can do. If you plan on doing this, check your lease - many landlords forbid putting things on the roof or hanging outside windows, or running wires on the exterior of the building.

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#52
post #8

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…

Indeed, this is why the number of solar farms being planned is sky rocketing at the moment across many countries.

Another way to maximise output of your panel is to make sure it's in the best location, taking into account seasonal change of the sun depending on your location, avoid shading etc. The azimuth (direction) and tilt of the panel is make a big difference to your output.

Shameless plug, you can forecast your output using the (currently free beta) Solcast API.

https://solcast.com.au/api/

US forecasts update every ~30 minutes.

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#55
A couple nice things about SF on this topic:

1. Davis Stirling (Housing related laws) mandates that building associations cannot prohibit owners from installing solar panels. Basically, they have to work with you to find a way and can't just say no.

2. As of this year, SF is the first city to require that all new buildings (10 stories or less) have solar installed.

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#56

Have you talked to your landlord about adding solar panels to the roof? He/she could install them and connect them to your apartment's service, which means you would get the power and the savings -- though you might reasonably expect some of the savings to go towards higher rents in the future. With the tax advantages, it's almost a no-brainer. It's even possible to apportion power between multiple units with PG&E in…

Doesn't PG&E charge customers who have residential solar installs a higher rate, because they have residential solar installs?

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#57
post #33

I built a very similar system into my Jeep-house. I have two 100W panels on the pop-top roof, a charge controller and a dedicated solar battery (isolated from the engine-starting battery) that runs my fridge, water pump, UV treatment lamp, interior lights, air compressor and charges all my electronics (laptop, kindle, cameras, etc.) directly from 12V DC. I can leave the Jeep parked without running the engine for days…

A question: How much did the solar aspects of your rig cost?

And a comment: You might want the ability to tap your solar battery to start the Jeep, if you're going to leave it parked that long.

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#58
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very true. I've tested this thoroughly and it won't. Obviously there's always a residual risk, which I've mitigated by moving the panel to a window further back on the roof. Then I'm going to see if the panel's moved after a year. Another solution would be outdoor glue, but that messes with the ephemeral nature of the project. Thanks for the input!!

What's that puppy's wind loading in an 80mph gust?

It absolutely needs to bolted down.

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#59

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…

"These cheap inverters have most of the same safeties as the UL 1703 certified variety"

I've seen inside enough cheap chinese power equipment to know that is most likely not true.

Re: Show HN: $200 Solar Self-Sufficiency  Without Your Landlord Noticing

#60

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…

Does that work with a regular meter? My internet sluething says some people have been charged for the electricity the produce because they don't have a "compatible" meter.

If you have a traditional electromechanical meter, that should normally be able to run backwards, with electronic meters, it depends.
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