This made me laugh

Steven Lake
Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I recently was talking with a friend of mine up on Facebook and we were discussing oil prices and along the way the topic of solar power came up. She seemed a bit put off by the idea of anyone going solar. I asked why, to which she replied, "They quoted me $60k to put solar on my house, and said it would only reduce my costs by 20%!!"

I just about fell out of my chair in shock, and then laughter. After a bit of digging, it turns out that what the guy was quoting her was a gird tied system that would cost at most about 20k MAXIMUM, including all parts, labor, etc. On top of that he was basically just going to toss it onto the house and do NOTHING to help her reduce her energy footprint.

After all the research I've done, I know you can take a home completely off grid for a few thousand, just so long as you are smart enough to minimize your footprint first and be very conservative the rest of the time. Anyhow, I got a laugh out of this, and thought you guys might get one too. :)
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: This made me laugh
    Steven Lake wrote: »
    ......
    After all the research I've done, I know you can take a home completely off grid for a few thousand, just so long as you are smart enough to minimize your footprint first and be very conservative the rest of the time. Anyhow, I got a laugh out of this, and thought you guys might get one too. :)

    From what I recall last year, it was about $4K just for my inverter. and a few more $K for the batteries !!

    But, sure, depending on how you live, if water flows freely into your tap, you could do it for less.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: This made me laugh

    About $10,000 (CDN) for my system capable of 2.4 kW hours on a good day. This includes the back-up gen. I'd recommend a tad more power capacity for most people, but the larger the system the less the cost per Watt (usually). And of course a grid-tie system should be far less than off-grid.

    $60k would by an incredible GT system, even in B(ring) C(ash), Canada! :roll:
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: This made me laugh

    I'll bet you could do your system for less today, particularly in the US with tax credit.

    I hope to post my "Growing a system" at some point, I have Less than 10K to this point (even w/o the tax credit) and have @2000 watt array, The big battery will be ordered soon, I might/will be over 10K before credits then. No back up, just darkness...lol. Though I'll bet the sun is a bit more regular here in Misery(Missouri)
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • TheBackRoads
    TheBackRoads Solar Expert Posts: 274 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: This made me laugh

    hahaha thats pretty funny. Whats the phrase...? "spend 1 dollars on conservation and save 3 on solar" lol 60K :-)
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  • Steven Lake
    Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: This made me laugh

    Mike, what kind of inverter have you got that it cost you $4k!? The typical ones I've been seeing that will handle most needs are a few hundred tops.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: This made me laugh
    Steven Lake wrote: »
    Mike, what kind of inverter have you got that it cost you $4k!? The typical ones I've been seeing that will handle most needs are a few hundred tops.

    :confused: A few hundred? My OB was $2,000. Xantrex XW units run $3,000+. A Sunny Boy 7000 GT is nearly $4,000.

    If you need the big power and the advanced features a few hundred dollars isn't going to buy them.
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  • Seven
    Seven Solar Expert Posts: 292 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: This made me laugh

    A while ago when I was doing my initial research I came to the conclusion that to take a normal house completely off grid all the time the easy calculation was to add three zeros to the amount of my electric bill. So a $250 electric bill would take roughly a$250,000 system. If that seems absurd, keep in mind that you would need a vacant lot to put all the panels on. Labor for the install would be 10s of thousands by itself.

    This is all worst case stuff with plenty of backup, more power than you would need in the summer, good equipment, etc. You can do it for less, and there is always more cost effective stuff that you can do like insulation, better appliances, better windows, led lighting.

    I read here a while back that a decent $10,000 system would pay back around $750 a year.

    I'm a noob, but I have done a good bit of research.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: This made me laugh
    Leper wrote: »
    A while ago when I was doing my initial research I came to the conclusion that to take a normal house completely off grid all the time the easy calculation was to add three zeros to the amount of my electric bill. So a $250 electric bill would take roughly a$250,000 system. If that seems absurd, keep in mind that you would need a vacant lot to put all the panels on. Labor for the install would be 10s of thousands by itself.

    This is all worst case stuff with plenty of backup, more power than you would need in the summer, good equipment, etc. You can do it for less, and there is always more cost effective stuff that you can do like insulation, better appliances, better windows, led lighting.

    I read here a while back that a decent $10,000 system would pay back around $750 a year.

    I'm a noob, but I have done a good bit of research.

    Lot's of generalization there. Do you pay $0.10 per kW hour like we do in BC? Or $0.50 per kW hour like they do in Hawaii?

    The Number 1 key to going off grid is to drop the power usage as much as possible. A typical house is wired for 48 kW potential these days. You can live fairly well off 1/10th that. I do with with about 1/20th and Tony has it down to about 1/100th.

    There's a lesson in that for everyone; get a Kill-A-Watt meter and see if you really need to use all those Watt hours!
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  • Seven
    Seven Solar Expert Posts: 292 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: This made me laugh

    Very generalized and taking into account no energy saving measures. About the exact opposite of doing a conversion for just a few thousand and being off grid. Sure it can be done that way, but it is a lifestyle change I don't think many people are ready for.
    Opposite ends of the spectrum. I think the $20K system mentioned is not realistic either.

    I am new at this, so maybe I shouldn't post in threads like this.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: This made me laugh
    Steven Lake wrote: »
    Mike, what kind of inverter have you got that it cost you $4k!? The typical ones I've been seeing that will handle most needs are a few hundred tops.

    In my .sig XW6048 6,000W 240V, currently powers a shop with large arc welder, fridge and water pump. Next will be a full time house in addition to the above. A few hundred $$ I wish !
    http://www.solar-electric.com/nexaxwseinan.html
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: This made me laugh
    Steven Lake wrote: »
    ..............After all the research I've done, I know you can take a home completely off grid for a few thousand, just so long as you are smart enough to minimize your footprint first and be very conservative the rest of the time. Anyhow, I got a laugh out of this, and thought you guys might get one too. :)

    Got a parts list to go with that statement ?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: This made me laugh
    mike90045 wrote: »
    Got a parts list to go with that statement ?

    i think he's suggesting going nearly stone age. in other words use what little you can for a few grand and do without for the rest.:roll:
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  • Steven Lake
    Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
    #14
    Re: This made me laugh

    Neil, more or less.

    Mike: Your system is WAY bigger than anything I've cooked up, or needed so far. Most of my setups are tiny compared to yours.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #15
    Re: This made me laugh
    Steven Lake wrote: »
    Mike: Your system is WAY bigger than anything I've cooked up, or needed so far. Most of my setups are tiny compared to yours.


    I have a wife and her computer to deal with ! ( and my computer, and the washer & dryer & vacuum cleaner....)
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

    · Share on Twitter

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