Should you DIY a Solar Installation

It appears that Mother Earth News thinks the Solar installation industry does not add much to the cost of a solar system.
What are your thoughts?
https://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/diy-solar-with-a-solar-panel-kit-zbcz1601
Rancher
What are your thoughts?
https://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/diy-solar-with-a-solar-panel-kit-zbcz1601
10% Really?
Rancher
Comments
Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
Rancher
Second system 1890W 3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.
5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
I priced out gear locally from a specialist when I did my system about 3 years ago. It was nearly double (not including labour) versus what I paid NAWS. CAD/USD is lower now, so I expect it's still roughly the same. On top of the extra cost for the local specialist, I wouldn't have had to do all the reading and planning I did, so there would probably also have been the cost of murdering at least one battery bank in the learning curve.
Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
They do a great job of going to these remote rural locations and doing the work. They are great for people who do not have basic handyman skills. I require that and pass on the bid to them. They have alot of stock and a wharehouse. I have few spare 24 and 48v inverters and a cc or two. My stock all comes from two of the largest warehouses in the Americas. I don't change the price but rather charge a flat fee anywhere in the world.
I am what the financial guys call critical mass. I like the work and the people, but if they get weird, I go outside and enjoy my life offgrid!
Plenty to do here for 25 years now
htps://offgridsolar1.com/
E-mail [email protected]
Only then could the install price be considered insignificant.
What I have found is the installers mark up the hardware to almost double it's original cost, then double that number again to install it.
Solar hybrid gasoline generator, 7kw gas, 180 watts of solar, Morningstar 15 amp MPPT, group 31 AGM, 900 watt kisae inverter.
Solar roof top GMC suburban, a normal 3/4 ton suburban with 180 watts of panels on the roof and 10 amp genasun MPPT, 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter, 12v gast and ARB air compressors.
I think DIY is the way to go if you are mechanically inclined to do it.
1) Have a background working with wiring.
2) Have a background in building stuff.
3) Have a lot of time to do some reading then a lot of time to spend at a place like this.
I'd say 90% should hire it out. My years here and personal experience is that almost everybody makes gigantic mistakes with their installation. Like the guy I sold a 1500 inverter to. He used the biggest 90's era refrigerator he could find for free. You know the rest of that story. Then he ignored two offers to look at his system. Instead deferring to his electrician friend. Being an electrician doesn't make one a solar consultant. Being a guy - I'm sure he thought he was.
When you get to connecting them to the rest of the equipment, you'll notice that is always different crew/person that has enough electrical knowledge to make the connections.
- Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
Sometimes this happens in the solar forums. Flick the switch and all will work just like in the city.
If you grid tie don't expect to make money. Design so you are producing not much more than using. With surpluses that put my meter negative, I have about 3 months where I have an electric bill. I don't have batteries. I might do a simple backup system for essential loads, but that won't allow for any solar production when the grid is down since I have IQ7s.i installed for less than about 14K, with tax break was dropping to 30% less of that. I'm sure an installer would have been 30K, about triple my end cost.
Nice job Mr. Miller 😉
htps://offgridsolar1.com/
E-mail [email protected]
You are correct Dave, the mounts are Wattsun manual trackers oriented East to West. I have 4 strings of 7 REC 450 watt panels in series for a total of 28. They feed directly into a Sol-Ark 12k. The 12k has four inputs so i did not need combiner boxes. The 12k also has the solar disconnect mounted on it too. Sol-Ark has a nice string sizing tool on there web site that made panel configuration easy.
I am totally off the grid so batteries are part of my system. I have 5 Powersync 51.2v 100ah batteries in closed loop with the Sol-Ark. As Dave has said many times closed loop is the way to go. I couldn't be happier with this set up.
Also Sol-Ark and Powersync customer support has been great, had a few glitches when I first commissioned the system but were sorted out quickly.
Hope this can stay open about those of us that that want to go this route.
htps://offgridsolar1.com/
E-mail [email protected]
-Bill
Edit: "I'd hike to know more" was a typo. But appropriate.