11.16kW PV System is online!

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foosman
foosman Solar Expert Posts: 38 ✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
After months of research, numerous re-designs (everywhere from 3.24kW to 12kW) , changes in rebate programs, etc. we are finally producing power. I am still waiting on the web box for monitoring and the city inspection, but "mysteriously" the breakers and disconnects got flipped on after the installer left and we are in business prior to inspection :)

I appreciate all the help from others on this forum and will post more details later, but just had to say that watching these suckers produce power is awesome!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,440 admin
    #2
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Don't do this too much--the utility company could "have a cow" and cause a bunch of problems for you if they find it running without a signed permit (not that a signature all of a sudden makes a system safe).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Shut it off at Now ... the Utility would like nothing more to shut off your service for doing this ... then you get to go thru an appeal process to get turned back on, all the time you have no power
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  • foosman
    foosman Solar Expert Posts: 38 ✭
    #4
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Alright...I'm shutting her down.
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  • nigtomdaw
    nigtomdaw Solar Expert Posts: 705 ✭✭
    #5
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Does she 11.16kw have a proper name :p
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  • mountaintop
    mountaintop Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭
    #6
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!
    nigtomdaw wrote: »
    Does she 11.16kw have a proper name :p

    LOL I hope she dose.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    do you think you could keep up with her energy nigel? how about electra for a name? watch out for the big brother joules.:roll::p:p
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  • stockoneder
    stockoneder Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭
    #8
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Mine was running and had been for some time in Florida when The FP&L guy showed up to switch out my old meter with a new digital one.
    The guy didn't seem to care at all and asked me to turn it off before he switched the meters.
    He installed it and left. I emailed the lady who I had been dealing with and she said that was all there was to it.
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  • nigtomdaw
    nigtomdaw Solar Expert Posts: 705 ✭✭
    #9
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Luck favors the brave do as solarguppy says :cool:
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,440 admin
    #10
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    I will say that my GT system was up and running when PG&E came out to change the meter for a new Time of Use plan (vs flat rate).

    However, at that time, all of the paper work had been approved and the final inspection was complete. So, the installer did not care one bit (he did no inspection other than see the final signoff was complete).

    We did have a hiccup though--We got a $180 power bill for the final two weeks under the old plan... Up to that point, we had never paid more than $40 a month for electricity.

    The old meter spinning backwards before the change out had confused the billing computers. They where programmed that meters only spin one way, and that the meter reader must have made a mistake... So they "flipped" digits until there was a "power usage" indicated...

    Instead of getting a 200 kWhr credit, I got an 800 kWhr power bill instead... By that point, they had lost the meter in the system, so could not read it again--But they agreed to "zero" out my bill (or just average 1/2 of our $25 power bill--don't remember now for sure which).

    This (at least at that time 4 years ago) was not an unusual occurance--the power company messing up the first GT billing cycle.

    Believe me--you don't want to go down that road if you can avoid it.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • foosman
    foosman Solar Expert Posts: 38 ✭
    #11
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    We installed the webbox yesterday and RS-485 interfaces...the installer suggested I shut it down and said he would provide a cover story for the hours already logged on the inverter if the inspector questions anything.

    I haven't thought of a good proper name yet, but I like Electra :)
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  • nigtomdaw
    nigtomdaw Solar Expert Posts: 705 ✭✭
    #12
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    A man with a sense of humour will always have sunshine ;)
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,440 admin
    #13
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    A man with a 55 gallon drum of tax free moonshine won't care if it is sunny or raining. ;)

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • foosman
    foosman Solar Expert Posts: 38 ✭
    #14
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Link to pictures of my PV system:
    http://picasaweb.google.com/scott.segura/SolarPanelInstallation?feat=directlink
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  • Hoonose
    Hoonose Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭
    #15
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!
    foosman wrote: »
    Link to pictures of my PV system:
    http://picasaweb.google.com/scott.segura/SolarPanelInstallation?feat=directlink

    OOGLY! You must have a very tolerant wife!

    Here's how we do it out west with more solar friendly architecture.

    http://forums.corvetteforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/71821/cat/500/ppuser/6747

    None of it can be seen from the house or yard.
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  • RandomJoe
    RandomJoe Solar Expert Posts: 472 ✭✭✭
    #16
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    Well, I think it looks pretty cool. Certainly a good effort for the conditions that exist.

    The pictures do highlight one of my big peeves with house construction lately - all the blasted roof penetrations they make! I'm somewhat fortunate in that most of mine are in areas that aren't suitable for PV panels anyway, but - for example - why so many individual waste vents through the roof in roughly the same area? Could they not be combined below the roof into a single (probably slightly larger) vent? (I don't know plumbing code...)
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,440 admin
    #17
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!

    In our area--the local city planning commissions have decided that they want the second story walls inset from the first story--plus a lot of roof facets... Makes it difficult to put down a large swath of solar panels.

    "Makes the building look smaller"...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #18
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    Re: 11.16kW PV System is online!
    BB. wrote: »
    In our area--the local city planning commissions have decided that they want the second story walls inset from the first story--plus a lot of roof facets... Makes it difficult to put down a large swath of solar panels.

    "Makes the building look smaller"...

    -Bill

    Try: "Adds significantly to building costs" and "Increases the likelihood/frequency of roof repairs".

    Planning commission: group of the dimmest wits available in the area.

    Sorry; I don't like 'experts' who have no idea what they're doing.
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