Nrel Open PV Project

Apparently, the National Renewable Energy Labs has a voluntary registry of photovoltaic installations. I thought our house would be on there, submitted along with the California Solar Initiative data. Or at least, it should have gotten there through the solar data from the Silicon Valley Energy map . Imagine my dismay at finding that not only was I not there, none of my neighbors with PV were on it, either. Fortunately, there was an option to register and self-submit data.

http://openpv.nrel.gov/gallery

If you have PV installed, it may be worth a look to see if you're on there.

Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    nice link. i'm shocked that pa has more listed than many areas in the south, including florida.
  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    That is way cool :cool:! Looks like APS has dumped their installs in as I see mine, JBurgess how about you?
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    this thread i thought was good enough to sticky.8):D
  • SkiDoo55
    SkiDoo55 Solar Expert Posts: 414 ✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    Got my 4.6KW install but the map location shown is way across town from actual location, from CSI data. 08/12/10 install. Cool site watching the installs over time.
    GT3.8 w/4600W Trina 230W, TX5000 w/5000W ET-250W, XW4024 w/1500W ET-250W, 4 L16, 5500W Gen. (never had to use) Yet!!
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    Neat site, even for a Northern American...

    I found the "over Time; display very interesting in that the #2 hot spot is the eastern seaboard. I didn't know that there was that much more sunlight there vs central Oregon and Washington...

    From a non-American observers viewpoint, there was a sharp decline in activity in about 2009, what the drop tells me is that there must have been an end to subsidies in 2009 +-. Am I correct in this assumption or is it just a lack of data?

    Eric
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    sidenote to westbranch,
    technically anybody from north or south america is an american. the shortened application came to stick to those of u. s. citizenship just because it was too long to say a united states of american.:roll::p
  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    The East had a lot of high profile - and expensive - solar subsidies going for a while, esp NY and a couple other states. There is one place there where you can look at the price per watt for installs that is interesting.

    Since 2009 most of the real growth has been in the sunbelt states, probably because the actual payback is much better, I think AZ went from # 14 to #3 in about 4 years.
  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project
    Windsun wrote: »
    Since 2009 most of the real growth has been in the sunbelt states, probably because the actual payback is much better, I think AZ went from # 14 to #3 in about 4 years.

    APS had $3 a watt rebates in 2009 up to mid 2010, then they cut them back "to allow more people to get solar". In fact my 2.16Kw add was one of the last @ $3 a watt. :cool:

    However since then the price of an installed watt has dropped to under $5, and so the effect price remains about the same as 2009.
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    So I started to create an Account ...

    Do I want to add to the community for better understanding among the Solar community,....

    ...or do I want to protect myself from a goverment who might use the info for possible taxing or other invasive uses...

    Nice thread though.
    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.
  • Slappy
    Slappy Solar Expert Posts: 251 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    Photowit I with ya, glad mine is not listed also. A thief will love this site. it even gives the address and the persons name. for me it is no thanx, I have looked up my town, it has just one listed, and that is the higher learning building.
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    good point photowhit, but i don't think some would have a choice if their state or utility is allowing the nrel to have this information. the info does come from many sources and i doubt all of them will be listed. the actual address being given by the nrel may be a shaky thing to do as maybe only a zip code or something like that should be there for the owner's privacy and security.
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project

    Sad they only have 6 in all of Missouri (the Show Me state) maybe I'll make up an address close by (or give then the Nuke plant address 2 miles away!) just to add to our numbers.
    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.
  • Peter_V
    Peter_V Solar Expert Posts: 226 ✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project
    westbranch wrote: »
    Neat site, even for a Northern American...

    I found the "over Time; display very interesting in that the #2 hot spot is the eastern seaboard. I didn't know that there was that much more sunlight there vs central Oregon and Washington...

    From a non-American observers viewpoint, there was a sharp decline in activity in about 2009, what the drop tells me is that there must have been an end to subsidies in 2009 +-. Am I correct in this assumption or is it just a lack of data?

    Eric

    There is something wrong with their database again.
    The "install over time" shows no activity anywhere after 2008 and that is when it started to sky rocket. It was either 2008 or 2009 when the feds lifted the cap on the tax rebate so you could get 30% rebate with no limit, so lots of people started doing installs after that.

    If you do a database search you'll find tons of installs in 2010 for example, but none of them are showing up in the installs over time display.
  • Jburgess
    Jburgess Solar Expert Posts: 130 ✭✭✭
    Re: Nrel Open PV Project
    solar_dave wrote: »
    That is way cool :cool:! Looks like APS has dumped their installs in as I see mine, JBurgess how about you?

    Nope, mines not in there.