New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

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daryllafferty
daryllafferty Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Finally got commissioned by SRP (local power company) this morning at 9:00am. Through the rest of the day my 33 Kyocera 240's generated 27 kWh, which is more than half of what I use on a typical December day. So far (4:00 in the afternoon) I have sent 14 of those kWh back to SRP and used 13 myself.

Attachment not found.

SRP installed a new meter, zeroed out this morning, that now reads 99986 kWh, but night is coming and I'm sure I'll wake up to find 3 or 4 leading zeros.

I paid someone else to do all the work for me. I might have been able to fumble through it myself, but it is a much larger job than I wanted to tackle. After seeing all the issues with permitting, design, wiring, and attaching the panels to my tile roof, I'm glad I let the experts do it.

Hey, tomorrow is the solstice, so power generation should gradually increase, as the days get longer, right?
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  • TheBackRoads
    TheBackRoads Solar Expert Posts: 274 ✭✭
    #2
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    Re: New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

    Nice install! Thanks for sharing! Always enjoy pictures!
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  • themaxx69
    themaxx69 Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭
    #3
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    Re: New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

    Holy cow you use a lot of electricity! I hope that's for a 24 hour period. I just started measuring what I use, and today while the sun was shinning, 8am-5pm, I only used 7.75 kwh. That's with my 65" dlp & stereo system & computer on about half the time & doing a load of laundry & using hot water set @ 160F, plus everything else, lights, fridge microwave etc.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

    Try running heat pumps to heat. On cold days I can use 50 kWh. Mid summer I can draw 120 kWh for AC. We use about 250 kWh a month for the charging of the Chevy Volts. This house idles at about 1 kWh per hour with a fridge, lights, freezer, vampires, 50 inch TV, cable box, .... It is all about lifestyle and creature comforts.
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  • themaxx69
    themaxx69 Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭
    #5
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    Re: New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

    Well there's your problem! :D Sounds like you have major insulation problems. I've seen properly insulated houses here in valley, that use as much ac/heating electricity as small apartments a fraction their size. Do you have a solar hot water system?? When I set my hot water at 160F I couldn't believe how much it cost in electricity for just that! An I live alone for the most part.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

    Yeah solar hot water with nat gas backup, good insulation, however lots of dual pane windows, 10 ft ceilings. Both 3 ton Trane heat pumps are 17+ seer and the extra building has a 3 ton mini split with 3 9000 BTU wall units, mostly off most of the time in winter. The house is 2600 sq ft ranch and was built in 1997 and has added attic insulation but only 2x4 walls with minimal exterior styrofoam. The new building built about a year ago has 2x6 walls with 2 inches of exterior foam and is not a big contributor to the loads. We made a conscious decision to do heat pumps and shut down the gas heat, green wife pushed that one along with the solar DWH.

    Wife and 2 grand kids are large contributors to the loads. But happy wife happy life. We paid about $200 to APS this year mostly for connection fees and a minimal amount of off peak so the system is a push now. We will get a credit today for our annual excess, estimated at about 2000 kWh of on peak. The second Volt is impacting however, so we are looking to expand again. One round of complete charging on the Volts is 13.3 kWh X 2 per day. Generally we use less than that but it is possible. Our last gasoline purchase was in May 2011, looks like about a 9 gallon tank once a year on one and maybe a tank every 2-3 months on the other depending on commuting days.

    At some point there is a diminishing return on conservation, we are considering doing a foam injection retrofit on the exterior walls but pretty much that would be the last step here. There is also the infrared film on the one Fully exposed south facing and three west facing windows, all have cellular shades and sun screens now. We have had an energy audit by the utility and they found some minor duct leakage and this is getting corrected.

    I think for a 15 year old house we are doing OK.
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  • themaxx69
    themaxx69 Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭
    #7
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    Re: New 8kW system in Tempe, AZ

    Wow, those cars use a lot. But I suppose it's cheaper in the longrun.
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