My solar panels are installed!

Exterous · Sunday at 4:15 PM

The installers wrapped up the install just a couple of days ago. I don't have the interconnect approval from the electrical utility yet but the panels are working. It's a 6.4kw system with 10kw of batteries which appears to enough to last through the night if there's enough sun to charge the batteries to 100% during the day (Though probably not enough to cover overnight use during Nov-Feb months).

Green: Battery discharge/charge rate
Blue: Solar generation
Orange: Electrical consumption
Gray: Imported from electrical utility

You can tell when it got real cloudy just before noon when my solar production tanked. It was a lighter use day because were were at a friends house for most of the day

Indus · Sunday at 4:28 PM

Nice! Got 2 questions for you.

1. How much did it cost and how many square feet of panels?

2. Which way do the panels face? (which direction?)

Red Squirrel · Sunday at 4:42 PM

Nice. I need to get my roof redone this year, and I'm thinking I might work with the roofers to install solar mounts so that I can add panels later on. With the shingles off it will be easier to find where the rafters are so the lag bolts can hit them. Although I may as well just focus on my off grid land and install more solar there instead. I do plan to add a 1.4kw array either way though behind the shed. It's where I will store my fire wood so it will double as rain cover for the wood. Wanted to do that last year but ran out of time before winter came.

BoomerD · Sunday at 4:50 PM

Red Squirrel said:
Nice. I need to get my roof redone this year, and I'm thinking I might work with the roofers to install solar mounts so that I can add panels later on. With the shingles off it will be easier to find where the rafters are so the lag bolts can hit them. Although I may as well just focus on my off grid land and install more solar there instead. I do plan to add a 1.4kw array either way though behind the shed. It's where I will store my fire wood so it will double as rain cover for the wood. Wanted to do that last year but ran out of time before winter came.

With as many stories as you tell about theft in your area, aren’t you concerned about your solar panels (and every thing else) getting stolen from your office grid land? Hell, I see stories about entire cabins getting stolen from remote properties.

Hans Gruber · Sunday at 4:57 PM

BoomerD said:
With as many stories as you tell about theft in your area, aren’t you concerned about your solar panels (and every thing else) getting stolen from your office grid land? Hell, I see stories about entire cabins getting stolen from remote properties.

He has wolves, mountain lions, bears and deer guarding his off grid property. When those fail the raptors watch over his property from the air.

Red Squirrel · Sunday at 4:59 PM

BoomerD said:
With as many stories as you tell about theft in your area, aren’t you concerned about your solar panels (and every thing else) getting stolen from your office grid land? Hell, I see stories about entire cabins getting stolen from remote properties.

I do worry about it, but really not much I can do since our hands are tied as far as self defense and property defense goes. Once I get to a point where I have more stuff there I will have cameras and just take the law into my own hands if I catch anyone. I'm thinking some sort of gas discharge system within the cabin. I think I'm far enough out that I should be safe though. I have seen people on my trail cam and the respect the sign and turn around. The type of people going out there are typically campers and hunters who are decent human beings. The crackheads and other undesirables don't tend to venture that far into the bush.

I'm more worried about my house being broken into every time I have to leave it to go to work. I plan to setup cameras here too this summer actually. Been meaning to do that for a very long time but as crime continues to go up I need to expedite that and just get it done. The downside is even if I do catch someone not really much I can do but it at least offers piece of mind. I could set up some sort of loud siren I can activate remotely if I do see someone trying to break in.

Red Squirrel · Sunday at 5:15 PM

Hans Gruber said:
He has wolves, mountain lions, bears and deer guarding his off grid property. When those fail the raptors watch over his property from the air.

I need to learn how to train attack geese. Canada Geese specifically, AKA cobra chickens.

sdifox · Sunday at 5:46 PM

I have already air lifted Red Squirrel's off grid property to Markham

Exterous · 2025-03-31T20:28:45-0400

Indus said:
Nice! Got 2 questions for you.

1. How much did it cost and how many square feet of panels?

2. Which way do the panels face? (which direction?)

I'm not sure on total sq ft but its 15 silfab 430s. Cost was $36,500 before the tax credit. It's a little high compared to sunnier states but pretty good for Michigan

They face directly south

Exterous · 2025-03-31T20:30:07-0400

We had some storms yesterday that threatened power outages and I kinda hoped for one. Just so I could try everything out during a real power outage

Chaotic42 · 2025-03-31T20:54:57-0400

No one man should have all that power

KLin · 2025-03-31T22:47:37-0400

Exterous · 2025-04-01T08:12:14-0400

Chaotic42 said:
No one man should have all that power

When I get an EV it might not be enough on cloudier days. But, on the topic of EVs, I'm hoping the dual EV charger/Vehicle to Load hookups get approved by my utility because that would be an easy way to add 80kwh to my batteries overnight from the EV that I could then charge back up during a sunny day

dullard · 2025-04-01T09:23:21-0400

Nice! I have a very similarly sized set of solar panels (6.85 kW) facing directly south in the midwest, 12 kWhr of battery backup, and an EV on its way. Ask if you have any questions.

Here was my solar generation in 2024. January was terrible due to ice buildup for 12 days. But this January I produced nearly triple the amount shown on this graph.

IronWing · 2025-04-01T10:26:28-0400

KLin said:

Does He-man ever use the sword as a sword? I don’t recall him ever splitting anyone noggin to nuts with it.

dullard · 2025-04-01T11:03:53-0400

Red Squirrel said:
I do worry about it, but really not much I can do since our hands are tied as far as self defense and property defense goes. Once I get to a point where I have more stuff there I will have cameras and just take the law into my own hands if I catch anyone. I'm thinking some sort of gas discharge system within the cabin. I think I'm far enough out that I should be safe though. I have seen people on my trail cam and the respect the sign and turn around. The type of people going out there are typically campers and hunters who are decent human beings. The crackheads and other undesirables don't tend to venture that far into the bush.

I'm more worried about my house being broken into every time I have to leave it to go to work. I plan to setup cameras here too this summer actually. Been meaning to do that for a very long time but as crime continues to go up I need to expedite that and just get it done. The downside is even if I do catch someone not really much I can do but it at least offers piece of mind. I could set up some sort of loud siren I can activate remotely if I do see someone trying to break in.

Looks like your house made it into my Far Side calendar today.

KLin · 2025-04-01T14:31:02-0400

IronWing said:
Does He-man ever use the sword as a sword? I don’t recall him ever splitting anyone noggin to nuts with it.

Just as soon as the copyright ends just like it did for popeye and winnie the pooh I'm sure someone will make a He-Man horror movie.

My solar panels are installed!

Exterous

Indus

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Red Squirrel

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KLin

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