In need of Help ?

[jimbob]

Tweet
OK, so im in need of some help we are looking into Solar power but i have no clue on where to begin. im wanting to get the whole house on solar with all these fuel charges and such. Here is the run down on the house it was build in 1973 it is 2000 Square ft. we are currently using electric AC / propane Heat with a fireplace insert that the fan shuts off because it over heats.
I guess the question is how do we calculate the number of panels and batteries and so forth? any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks Jimbob

[Rubbertree]

Tweet
There are many aspects of taking advantage of solar energy. To answer your question about how to figure the number of panels, you have to consider that there are many different types and sizes of panels. I have all the lights in my house converted to low voltage and they are completely run by solar energy. Some folks like to keep everything 110v alternating current. Before you consider going completely solar I suggest you research the vast array of sky lighting options that are available to consumers now. They are low heat transmitting and very easy to install. They will cut down on your power usage considerably. Then you need to look at your power bill and see how many kilowatts your household consumes on average. Then you will be able to determine the amount of energy you will need to convert via panels. I also strongly suggest a generator back up/subsidiary. I hope this helps. I have a home on an island that is 100% off grid. I have been through trials and tribulations and have many contacts that are far more knowledgable than me. Bruce at Sunstore Solar in North Carolina is a genius. Good luck.

[Zoar]

Tweet
The first thing to do is "know how much POWER you are using NOW"...

Since you are grid tied the amount of electriicty you use is on your bill. Just find out how much you use and yes it changes by the season. You need to know average use and also maximum use. Monthly or daily use should be on the bill but if not you should do that math to determine DAILY use. Most people use about 3 Kilo Watts to 10 Kilo Watts A DAY.... I use 2.0K to 3.0K a day. And I have six 275 WATT solar panels and one 400 Watt wind mill all feeding 4 golf cart batteries and I am good!

[Levi]

Tweet
I had an electric audit run a year ago. Seems I am using 5.3 kilo watts a day. What I did was go and price out enough panels to make sure I had that plus 20% or an additional 1.06Kw's. This allows me to have a "surplus" if I have company or I am using my machine/woodshop more often. One thing I did do to my array, that I do not see listed here, is I added two photocells in parrell so that the swivel heads of my array would track the sun during the day. It was quiet simple to do and it gives me a very effective way to achieve nearly 100% power input to the panels. I also built and installed 5 250watt wind generators and I am currently designing a water mill that would power a large turbine. Once this is finished i will have virtually unlimited power an excess I can sell back to the grid or build more cabins and have a large group of people here to help prep and defend the homestead if the need arises. Hope this info helps you.

[wac220]

Tweet

OK, so im in need of some help we are looking into Solar power but i have no clue on where to begin. im wanting to get the whole house on solar with all these fuel charges and such. Here is the run down on the house it was build in 1973 it is 2000 Square ft. we are currently using electric AC / propane Heat with a fireplace insert that the fan shuts off because it over heats.
I guess the question is how do we calculate the number of panels and batteries and so forth? any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks Jimbob

One of the major size issues you will need to consider is on grid or off grid. If you size your array for average usage and even add 20%, you will most likely not be able to run large appliances off grid. You will need a battery storage system to handle heavy load equipment.

Think of it like this: you have a motor which runs 15 minutes every 2 hours and draws 4000 watts when running. Average is only 500 watts, but peak would be the 4000 watts plus all of the other load turned on in your house at the same time. With batteries, they could supply the peak and not be overloaded.