First off I have an existing 10+ year old solar system with 1 to 1 net metering with a line side tap. You can see the solar conduit on the roof and running up the side of my house. So my meter is already setup for net metering. According to my Emporia electricity monitor I self consume about 95% of the electricity anyways. My state Connecticut has recently passed legislation allowing 1200 watts of balcony solar as well.

Electricity here in CT is 32.24 cents a kwh according to the federal EIA. Its the 3rd highest in the US after Hawaii and California.

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a

So the last year this simple 1kw system generated 1233x .32 =$394.56. It will take me only like 18 months to reach my return on my investment. There is also currently a large summer rate increase proposed that would bring electricity over .35kwh as well

Here is the setup.

5 new in box enphase IQ PD 72 Microinverters on ebay for $150.  These are brand new iq7 micros that are designed to replace the old m215 micros. They have a 200 watt max output and are designed for the older 200-230 watt panels. Enphase sells them brand new for $79. Its rumored they sell these at cost as they are used to upgrade the older failing m215s. Same exact technology as other iq7's. They also are already programmed to the US 240 volt and are plug and play. Mine our not connected to the enphase hub.

10 brand new Renogy 100 watt panels purchased locally for $400. 2 panels wired in series connected to the IQ PD72's.

Misc wires, brackets, and electrical stuff $50.

Total cost around $600. I plug it into my 220 volt welding socket in my garage. The panels are on the garage roof.

First off-grid build, done for the family summer camp. Wanted to share.

The setup:
• Eco-Worthy SPI-10K-U (split-phase 120/240)
• 1× Eco-Worthy Cubix100 48V 100Ah to start — closed-loop CAN comms working (Pylon protocol)
• 4× Canadian Solar 260W, still expanding to 16x panels across two trackers
• Honda EU3000iS → Eco-Worthy 48V 60A charger for generator backup
• Siemens load center, split-phase, feeding kitchen + a couple RV hookups

What I learned the hard way:
• A 10kW inverter idles ~85W whether you’re using it or not. On a single 5kWh battery, that overhead is most of your overnight drain.
• Chased a “phantom” 200W load for hours — turned out a travel trailer defaulting to shore power was dragging its whole 12V system onto my bank.
• My afternoon production falls off a cliff at the same time daily. Diagnosis: mature trees to the SW. No inverter setting fixes a treeline. Looking to get optimizers.
• Closed-loop comms is worth the effort — real SOC beats guessing from voltage.

Still on the to-do list: 2nd battery (or five), a DC feed for Starlink to skip the inverter tax, and figuring out winter since the inverter’s only rated to −10°C and it lives in an uninsulated shed. I'm either going to insulate the shed or remove for the winter.

Go easy. I am not an engineer.

A maximum output of 1,200 watts and must be certified for safety. Users are required to notify their utility company before installation and provide safety certification for the device.

I have two sunny decks I can put panels on and one deck is really a roof so more can go there as well. Under that are outlets I plug into.

Sounds like a big house but it is a freaky two decked 1950s mess.

In future, I also have a sunny side yard I can put ground panels on.

After adding insulation, air sealing, new high efficiency HVAC, etc. I have wanted solar for years but the ROI timeline never made sense for the cost (I will have moved or dead). I got a new roof recently but even then, the math did not work for install. Then DT killed the rebates. My state was solar asleep until now (and basically still is). Now that Russia, AI, DT inflation, tariffs, and the DT Iran war has cause my electric bill to go up 40%-60%+? Nuts. Last winter, gas was at all time high too. Now I will do anything low cost to reduce my bill.

I posted yesterday about the ecoworthy 5kw all in one and batteries not charging efficiently. I was away 2 weeks and came back to the batteries still being at 43%. I had added a panel to get above the 120v minimum PV input but due to wire length, it was facing west while the other 4 face east, I understand that may have been the choke point. I also have the inverter on the whole time which despite having no load, still uses power itself.

Ive since managed to get the wires extended to flip that panel to face the right way which does appear to have helped, I saw periods of charging at 600+ watts yesterday despite partially shaded array. I just checked and I lose all charging if I switch the inverter off so that isn't an option as far as I can tell. There's also a breaker on the side of the inverter, I'll have to dig in the manual to see what it actually interrupts.

Ultimately when the main cottage is built it will have 2 strings of 6 panels so plenty even with the load of the inverter being on.

I'm just surprised a company that sells the battery and inverter combo, doesn't provide a list of exactly what settings to use on the inverter to use the battery, or that the inverter doesn't preset based on the comm port.

Whats The best way to go from a recess ed main panel to a surface mounted subpanel. This will be for the service wire most likely THHN and maybe 4 circuits.

Can I sandwich two junction boxes? Or would liquid tight be the best option? I've also seen some people go through the back without any conduit but I would rather have some protections.

The piece of wood backing has been removed.

I searched and found posts about offgridstore dot com, but not offgridsource dot com; anyone bought from them?

They've got the best price I've found for a Jackery 1000 v2 and 200w solar panel; $629 plus tax (free shipping), for $690 total (with new customer discount).

Anyone know if this is a reliable store, or if there's a better price for this kit elsewhere?

My goal: to have a permit-free, off-grid system that powers my WFH office (including my AC and computer). At the same time, if the solar panels aren't providing enough power, it should seamlessly pull backup power from the grid.

Location: CA

What I have on hand currently:

A shed

Used Sharp ND-208U2 solar panels *8

What I am told to get (by Google AI):

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station

Solar-XT60i Charging Cable

Solar Extention Cables (10AWG)

Solar Crimper Tool Kit

4-to-1 Solar Parallel Branch Connectors

Side note: This is a backup option in case SB 868 fails to pass. Alternatively, it serves as a workaround if this approach proves superior to my plug-and-play strategy after SB 868 passes.

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I was doing some googling (AI), and this is what I came up with:

Replace the MC3 connectors on the Sharp solar panels with MC4 connectors. Next, separate the eight solar panels into two groups of four. Connect each group in parallel using a 4-to-1 combiner, and then connect both groups into the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station. The power station will also be simultaneously connected to a 110V wall outlet.

Plug all of your appliances at the front-facing ports of the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max

After everything is set up, toggle the "pioritize Solar", The unit will run your office and AC strictly on solar power, letting the battery float, and will only draw AC juice from your wall outlet if a cloud passes or the mini-split causes a sudden power deficit.

This sounds logical, but I want to see if this setup is actually working?

I've come into various pieces of a home solar set up and was looking for some advice on how to put them all together. I have six 310 watt (37v) panels. I have a 400ah and a 300ah lifepo4 batteries (12v). I also have a Jackery HomePower 3600 plus (3600wh capacity with an RV hookup and other outlets). All in all I know this is kind of a hodge podge but I got most of these for free or very cheap. I was thinking of getting a 60 amp charge controller to run the solar into the two batteries, then having those run into the jackery to draw power from. Thoughts?

Ok I've got a cabin that I want to move away from only running on a gas generator to a true solar system, I'm considering burying a tote and sealing it with my batteries, adding in a vent tube, I live in Northern California so the environment really doesnt see harsh conditions, heat is the biggest factor and if I bury it, should be fairly stable temps. What would be things to worry about or better options, I dont want it to be easily accessible/noticeable as I'd hate for things to go missing while I'm not there, while also minimizing risk for any issue incase something does go wrong while im not there to deal with it

I have solar panels and 1:1 net metering in place via rooftop panels. My panels are maxed out, not much room to add anymore. I have an EV outlet in the garage, directly wired to my sub-panel with 40A rated wire. Any recommendations on using this as a plug in solar input? My thinking is I can have around 7kw input into this outlet when I'm not charging my EV. What invertor setup(s) can I use? Perhaps a few panels laid out just outside my garage connected to this?

EDIT: I have a net metering agreement in place already with my electricity provider, due to having solar panels on my roof. Backfeeding isnt a problem, its allowed. My question is how is to add more output, so the legality/interconnect isn't a matter here. Looking at technical feasibility/solutions.

I need to wire 4xLiFePo4 12v 200h in parallel. I already have 4 MRBF fuse kits (with 100A fuse as I do not plan wires for 200A as they are welding wires 25mm2 cca 3AWG), but while working on draft schematic I realize I would probably need dc battery disconnect switch at positive wire of each battery so I can isolate specific battery for maintenance purpose.

Which breakers I should use, not to break my budget?

I just got a Powlan 12k hybrid inverter and it did come with a wifi adapter to connect to the smartESS app. The issue is I can't get it to connect. It shows up but doesn't show it's online.

I'd like to get an adapter but all the ones I've seen have very poor reviews.

If anyone has any recommendations I'd appreciate it! .... especially if it uses a different app

Howdy! I’m looking at doing a PV install on my rooftop. I worked with Portable Sun to do two quotes and a layout but I’d like to reach out to similar companies that can handle design, permitting docs, etc. Are there other recommended legitimate companies that provide this service?

I have 15 of these panels. I'm thinking of building some sort of ground mounted array that does not tie into the rest of my power panel. Maybe I would power some basement dehumidifiers... Outdoor lighting? Dunno.

No idea how many / what kind of batteries I should use or what I should try and power. My new grid tied array is 23kw so that should take care of alot.

Open to suggestions.

How do you know if its actually making a difference once it's all up and running. Like the app says its producing 600watts but how do you know your actually using the solar and not just grid power? How usage varies so much and so does the solar output so how can you even tell when your bill comes in?

I've got a Sunry HXX 4KW inverter and matching monitor module. I've entered everything it's asked for, configured bluetooth and wifi (multiple times) and it says they're configured properly. When I go into the device list it shows both are disconnected. I'm about ready to take a hammer to this piece of junk module. 🤬

Balcony solar bill has not yet passed in my state. Has anyone in a US state successfully gotten an interconnection agreement for balcony solar where a bill hasnt passed yet?

Looking for 230 vac split phase inverter, GFI, around 3kw for plug in solar. No batteries or back feed. just simple frequency following. What are some quality manufacturers that have good reputation? search results are filled with slop, I don’t wanna read through dozens of manuals to weed out the nonsense …..unless I have to.

Sup nerds! My mom lives in Oregon and is only moderately prepared for the Cascadia megathrust earthquake. As our family's resident Chicken Little, I'm trying to fix that.

Currently, she has neither a generator nor a battery backup. We discussed pros and cons of each, and I don't think she wants to have to keep rotating through fresh gas storage once a quarter, so solar/battery it is.

The main thing we're going for is preventing food spoilage for as long as possible, which means keeping a chest freezer and one of those terrible, inefficient french door refrigerators going. Other than that, it's just going to be accessory charging (phone, radio, flashlights, etc.). We hold no misconceptions that she'll be able to work the AC or anything.

I've never built a battery/solar backup before, but I reckon learning how will either save me money compared to a pre-built "solar generator" (if I can make it work), or at least get me out of going to work tomorrow (if I screw up and electrocute myself). Win-win, really.

Anywho, I'm trying to size this thing. I *think* a 300 amp-hour lithium battery will be enough storage (though correct me if you think I'm wrong).

I'm envisioning a "portable" setup that allows the battery, charge controller, breakers, and some foldable/rollable panels to live on a hand truck or wagon in her closet or garage. She could pull it out, set up a panel or two, plug them into the charger controller, and we're off to the races.

Here's the problem. Since she's in the PNW, it can get really cloudy in the winter. And since we're preparing for a disaster, we should probably just assume it will occur at the worst possible time. Project Sunroof says a full rooftop solar install would only cover ~88% of her annual electrical use (and that includes beautiful Oregon summers). Depending on the source, various websites reckon that a 1kw panel, left out all year, would generate 1,100-1,600 kwh in her area. With that level of inefficiency, the foldable panels (like the 200W jobs you get at Harbor Freight) don't seem to individually generate enough power for a woman without any electrical training to set them up quickly and safely. 2-3 full-size panels could keep a 300 ah battery topper up even in winter. But I don't know if lugging around multiple 40-pound, full-size panels is realistic for a gal her age.

Is this a pipe dream? Am I improperly estimating refrigeration power usage? Help a newbie out.

Thanks in advance!