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petre1008
petre1008 Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
I’ve been considering the idea of going solar and installing solar panels at my home. However, I have a few concerns that I’d like to address before making the decision. What are the common issues that people usually face with solar panels? What kind of information should I know before deciding to go solar? I’d appreciate any insights or experiences you could share with me.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Welcome to forum Petre,

    Can you tell us a bit more about what you are looking for?

    Off grid battery+generator+AC inverter etc... System?

    On Grid Solar panels+GT Solar inverter (no batteries, no backup power, reduce cost of utility power)?

    Something else (portable/boat/vehicle/etc.)?

    Also, where will the system be located? Davao City, Philippines? Amount of sun (by season if applicable)? For example, a battery based system with 1 kWatt (1,000 Watts) of solar panels will produce (on average):

    829 kWh/Year*

    RESULTS

    Print Results

    MonthSolar Radiation
    ( kWh / m2 / day )
    		AC Energy
    ( kWh )
    January4.3759
    February5.7369
    March5.8578
    April5.7774
    May5.5674
    June4.9964
    July5.1068
    August5.3472
    September5.6273
    October5.2771
    November4.8764
    December4.6763
    Annual5.26829
    User Comments
    Find A Local Installerdownload Download Results:    Monthly   |    Hourly

    * Caution: The PVWatts energy estimate is based on an hourly performance simulation using a typical-year weather file that represents a multi-year historical period for davo city philipenes for a Fixed (open rack) photovoltaic system.

    These results are based on assumptions described in Help that may not accurately represent technical characteristics of the project you are modeling.

    Location and Station Identification
    Requested LocationDavao City Philippines
    Weather Data Source
    Lat, Lng: 7.05, 125.62 1.3 mi
    Latitude7.05° N
    Longitude125.62° E
    PV System Specifications
    DC System Size1 kW
    Module TypeStandard
    Array TypeFixed (open rack)
    System Losses48%
    Array Tilt7°
    Array Azimuth180°
    DC to AC Size Ratio1.2
    Inverter Efficiency96%
    Ground Coverage Ratio0.4

    You can run into regulatory issues--Frequently On-Grid (or Grid Tied) solar systems are not allowed by utility or government.

    And if you have terrible wind storms--Solar panels can be blown off roofs, and/or they can be hit by flying derbies...

    Solar panels can last 20+ years... Electronics 10+ years... Batteries 3-5-7-10+ years, etc...

    The best place to start is with your loads... They should be as small as possible (very efficient, only turned on when needed, etc.).

    In the USA--Very roughly battery based/off grid solar costs something like $1-$2+ per kWatt*Hour... And Utility/Grid Power costs around $0.10 to $0.50 per kWH.

    It is very difficult to answer a general question with yes/no/$xxx etc. Need to be very specific about location, energy usage/needs, and even who owns the system...

    Systems that have installed at the "village level" have historically died from lack of maintenance, abuse, and even theft of copper. In English, we call this the "Tragedy of the Commons". Valuable resources that are supplied/owned by somebody else--Will eventually be overused and destroyed.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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