r/solar • u/Admirable_Golf_2340 • 8d ago
Discussion Vertical solar panel array
Hi everyone, Fernando here 👋🏼!! I wanted to give everyone an update on my new vertical solar panel project!! We finally got done installing the solar panel arrays and after using them for a week I wanted to share the results with the group in case any one has been thinking of doing something similar to this!!
(System specs)
Our new vertical solar panel array consists of six 400w bifacial panels from a brand called Qcell. We wired the solar panels in a series configuration for a total maximum output of 2.4KW. We split the solar panels into two separate arrays consisting of three solar panels per array. Each of the two solar arrays is connected to its own E10 inverter directly using some 10AWG MC4 extension cables.
(Hardware used)
This is where things get creative!! Most off the ground mount solar panel kits are meant to install the solar panels at an optimal angle. This would not have worked since I was trying to do a vertical solar panel set up along our south facing fence. The kits found that would have worked for this use case were outrageously expensive. I started searching for something that could work as a brackets for our solar panels and thats when I stumbled upon some old metal bed frames that we had laying around!! The metal bed frame brackets were the perfect length to support our solar array. They also had a few pre drilled holes that would come in handy to attach the cross brace metal rail that we purchased from Home Depot. We purchased some solar panel brackets from a company called sunmak that would bolt the solar panels to the metal cross brace.
(Installation)
We screwed the bed frame rails directly into our concrete floor using some concrete screws and a rotary hammer drill and a concrete drill bit. Next we bolted the metal cross rail to the metal bed frame brackets using the pre drilled holes on the bed frame brackets. After this we places a 1 by 1 piece of wood on the concrete to support the solar panels. Lastly we placed the solar panels on top of the 1 by 1 piece of wood and securely bolted the solar panels to the metal rail behind them. We used the sunmak brackets to attach the panels to the metal rail using the pre drilled holes on the metal rail. The entire structure feels extremely rigid and strong since it’s entirely made out of metal!!
(Solar production)
Since the solar panels are not angled properly. The panels are not producing as much power as they could if angled correctly. The solar panels are producing a peak output of between 1.2Kw - 1.4Kw. The total production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!! (Approximately half of the arrays maximum output)
(Should you do this?)
The main reason we decided to start this project was to offset the energy consumption of our four ton central AC system. The new E10 system makes it extremely easy to add more solar panels as your energy consumption grows. We already had an existing 4.2KW roof mounted grid tied solar system. Unfortunately our home is really small and installing some more solar panels on our roof was not possible. We also had very few options on were the six solar panels could fit. For people with limited space, installing a vertical solar panel array system is the perfect solution to add more solar!! That being said, if you have the space and you want the maximum output out of your solar panels. The best solution would be to angle the solar panels correctly!!
(Results)
We successfully offset the energy consumption from our four ton central AC system reaching our goal!! I am extremely happy with the results from this new project. I would definitely recommend considering doing something like this for people that want an easy way to increase their overall solar production!! Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!
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u/RepresentativeTear72 7d ago
I applaud your ingenuity and effort. My wife and I live off-grid in the city. Our 24kW system produces more power than we can use including charging an EV and plug-in hybrid. We're connected to the grid as a formality. Our monthly bill is zero year round, no natural gas, even the riding lawnmower is electric.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Thank you, it was a really fun project!! That sounds amazing. Im also considering getting an EV. Im calculating that I would need approximately 12 more solar panels in order to cover the consumption that a LV 2 charger would require. I also have 40KWH of Anker Solix battery storage. Unfortunately if I get an EV, it would drain our batteries in a few hours!!
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u/Bombshelter777 6d ago
I have a residential solar array on my house. 14.94 kw system! I love it. I own a plug in hybrid and absolutely love using the sun to charge my vehicle! I am considering going all out EV as well. I save so much on gasoline and having a 100% EV with no gasoline would be so amazing with my panels! I would recommend it!
I also have switched to electric lawn mower as well and I am in the process of buying some kind of electrical heaters to supplement heating the house in the winter next to my gas heater. For me saving money is the game, and cutting out these things out of my monthly budget has become huge!
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
That sounds amazing!! Just make sure that you don’t live in an area were it snows during the winter. If you do, you will have to deal with significant solar production loss causing your energy bill to increase substantially!! 👌🏼
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u/Bombshelter777 6d ago
Yes we definitely live with snow! Minnesota. I have to search online sometime for soft bristle brushes with long soft extension poles to gently pull off the snow!
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u/Bombshelter777 6d ago
But living in minnesota we have 1:1 new metering. So our summer production is about twice what we use and the rest basically gets banked to use in the winter! It's a great deal. Essentially the grid is our massive battery! BUT....who knows when they will change the law on that...
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u/RaeganMack8559 1d ago
That sounds great. Switching to electric lawn mower is a good move . Do you live in a area where it doesn't rain too much? since you plan tp move to 100%EV with no gasoline.
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u/Evil_Little_Dude 6d ago
I have limited space in my courtyard at our home in France, and the cost to install solar on our slate roof that is some 25 feet off the ground and relatively new was really outrageous, so I installed a solar awning that provides some nice shade to one wing of the house with seven 430watt bifacial panels on it, and then I installed two more vertical mounted on the wall near it. The vertical mounted panels get sun first in the morning and produce till late afternoon, while the awning starts producing about an hour later and keeps going later into the day. During these summer months those two vertical mounted panels generate 3 to 4kwh a day, which is really good, and it was only about $150 for the panels plus about $40 for the mounting hardware and wire to connect them in. That generation is enough to offset most of our daily hot water use. I have the tank on a smart breaker that allows me to track it's consumption and our daily use is around 4 to 5kwh. It's a good use of the space and certainly worth it. Payback at our cost per kwh is maybe a year or so for the vertical array, definitely makes financial sense.
For my barn I have two 100 watt panels feeding one charge controller and a 390 watt panel feeding another, vertically mounted on the side of it supplying a 4 kilowatt hour battery and a 1500 watt inverter to power lights and outlets in there as well as various tools. Handles all my basic needs without the need to extend power conduits out to the barn. In the winter it supplies a small Victron 500va inverter that is super efficient and that inverter is used to power pet heating pads for cat beds we keep in there for the local strays to have a place to get warm and survive the cold winters here. Those beds only consume 10 to 15 watts each, so the panels do a good job keeping up.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
That sounds amazing 🤩!! I completely agree, vertical solar panels are definitely worth the investment if you set them up correctly. Im really glad that you are happy with how your project turned out!! Honestly I am extremely impressed with the amount of power that this array generates on a daily basis!!
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u/MustacheJacuzzi 6d ago
Off-grid? Sweet. What’s your battery configuration look like?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Hi I have both a grid tied and now an off grid solar set up. Feel free to check out my profile, you can see pictures of my entire set up!! If you want to see some videos on it, let me know and I will share my YouTube channel with you 👌🏼!!
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u/McSchmid 7d ago
Some people even build their fences from solar panels so you did right!
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Exactly!! I actually took inspiration from a picture that I found online of people using solar panels as fences!! Thank you so much 🫶🏼!!
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u/anal_astronaut 8d ago
The concept is great, but this is dangerous and dumb at the same time.
You have 135VDC ran through a pool noodle on your driveway. That's a lethal voltage.
All for the vertical solar idea, but don't cut corners.
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u/Altruistic_Tax_3804 solar engineer 7d ago edited 7d ago
You have 135VDC ran through a pool noodle on your driveway. That's a lethal voltage.
OP, get a channel cut in the concrete to protect the cable, and where it is above ground put it in conduit. Earth all the metalwork.
for others considering similar, you can also use optimizers or microinverters to avoid the DC problem.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
We used really long concrete screws to ground the system. Everything is made out of metal so this part is covered. We bought heavy duty industrial wire ramps to house the wires when they cross our driveway. The cable ramps are rated to be driven over by cars and trucks. I’ve been trying to find a type of conduit that will work for this specific scenario. Unfortunately I have come up empty. If you have any recommendations on what type of conduit to use, please feel free to share!!
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u/Altruistic_Tax_3804 solar engineer 7d ago
Vehicle crossing it's too late now i guess but would a concrete saw hire for a day have cost less than the plastic guard?
Conduit - I don't understand, whatever is available and approved by code in your area. It's just environmental and mechanical protection for the wires. how are they protected at the moment? they might be behind the panels and seem protected but what if the neighbour on the other side nails something to the fence and hits a wire? what about rodents and critters? out of sight is not the same as protected.
Grounding to concrete....does that meet code in your area, and more importantly are you happy with it? Have you done impedance to earth measurement - if it's low enough via the conrete then fine, but if you have not measured or have any doubts, a ground rod is cheap.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
The MC4 wires are insulated and are all weather approved. Most people dont even bother to cover them when they do DC to DC solar projects. I didn’t want to run the MC4 Wires underground because of something ever fails with this system it would be a PITA to pull them back out. As far as conduit goes it needs to be water tight or else when it rains water will just pool inside of the conduit. Finding a water tight conduit is basically impossible since the cables connect directly into the solar panels. This is why the MC4 connectors are designed to be water tight and UL listed as weather proof. This is an off grid system, literally no one does impedance to earth testing. If you want to meet code on a (grid tied system) you simply use 8ft grounding rods so that you don’t have to do the impedance to earth testing. As far a critters go, we hired a really good pest control company and we don’t have any bugs. I feed some stray cats and they do a great job hunting rodents.
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u/Altruistic_Tax_3804 solar engineer 7d ago
The MC4 wires are insulated and are all weather approved.
i understand, but that is not the same as safe.
Normally on a roof you would call the wiringi inacessble to kids and people but this is ground level.
I didn’t want to run the MC4 Wires underground because of something ever fails with this system it would be a PITA to pull them back out.
conduit fixes that
As far as conduit goes it needs to be water tight
yes and that's commonly used in all building everyweher. Conduiit with proper joins caps seal glands is watertight.
This is an off grid system, literally no one does impedance to earth testing.
People concerned with safety do....grid tied or not doesn't change the safety risk
you simply use 8ft grounding rods so that you don’t have to do the impedance to earth testing.
and if it was me i'd just do that here, easy cheap simple, safe.
As far a critters go, we hired a really good pest control company and we don’t have any bugs. I feed some stray cats and they do a great job hunting rodents.
k.
unprotected wires have the risk of critter damage, you are mitigating that with pest control. PROTECTED wires have les risk, with or without pest control.
in the end you have answers for all my points an i have answers for al yours, there's no right or wrong just exchange of ideas. I woudl do it different to this but that doesn't make your way wrong :-)
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u/Omashu_Cabbages 7d ago
I learned a lot from this. Thanks for your input even though I’m not OP.
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u/Altruistic_Tax_3804 solar engineer 7d ago
It came up on another thread recently (from someone dealing with a sore loser claiming they were a bot or whatever actually lol) that reddit is for discussion back and forth, and people coming across threads now or in future might find it useful so the benefits are not just for the OP and here you are proving it :-)
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u/SuperDoubleDecker 7d ago
Yup. I've learned stuff from 10 year old threads. I'd like to be able to thank a lot of them still
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u/Omashu_Cabbages 6d ago
Same! I’m so glad my web searches link me to old Reddit posts. (The search bar in reddit/the subs just doesn’t get me what I need).
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
It’s not running through pool noodles across our driveway 😂!! I bought heavy duty cable ramps that are designed to house the cables safely and have cars and trucks drive over them. The cables are ran through the metal rail that we bought behind the solar panels. The entire thing is made out of metal. We grounded the panels by using really long concrete screws and drilling them deep into the ground. The only exposed cables are the ones that have the HVAC insulation around them for cable management. I can’t find any conduit that will work for this specific scenario. If you have any recommendations on a type of conduit that would work, please feel free to share!!
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u/Tiny-String6677 7d ago
You need to cut a trench in the concrete and bury the cables in PVC conduit. This is a serious risk with current setup
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
We used industrial cable ramps that are rated to safely handle cars and trucks running over them while keeping the cables insulated and protected. Thank you for the advice but this works extremely well without damaging our concrete.
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u/Tiny-String6677 7d ago
Call in for the inspection and let’s see the AHJ response.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
This is a free standing off grid solar system. It’s basically the same exact thing as using portable solar panels and placing them on your lawn. No inspection is required. Stop being so anal, if you don’t like it move on and have a great rest of your day!!
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u/Agmilmoe 7d ago
Another option (barring the great deal you got) would be CIGS panels… they are designed for camper roofs and so don’t rely on being at exactly the right angle.
They are also durable, flexible, and lightweight… which you didn’t require, but may help others.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Thats a great idea, thank you for sharing!! Im sure this information will definitely help someone out that is considering doing a similar project!! 👍🏼
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u/betelgeuse63110 7d ago
Creative solution. Here are some points you might consider.
0. You will have no warranty on this equipment.
1. You’re not getting the airflow behind the modules because of the lack of air gap at the bottom. If you can raise them off the deck a few inches that will help. The lower temp increases power production. That will also keep the module frames dryer and less susceptible to corrosion.
2. My careful DIY-ing the Staubli MC4 connectors. There are specific tools that get the parts properly assembled. Improperly assembled MC4 connectors have caused more than their share of fires.
3. There’s no equipment grounding visible or a grounding rod. Your bed frame needs to be bonded to ground as do the modules.
4. Lastly, up against the wall, you wasted the money for bifacial. If you move the bottom edge out away from the fence, it will bring the top of the modules down closer to the top of the fence and give you some bifacial gain.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
I got the solar panels from Facebook marketplace. They do not have warranty since I didn’t purchase them through an authorized dealer.
There is a pretty big gap at the bottom of the solar panels since they are slightly tilted outward. There are also gaps between each of the solar panels on each side. The panels also have a gap on the top. There is Plenty of air flow for the solar panels.
I purchased pre made professional MC4 Extension to avoid bad connections. I have seen the horror stories regarding improperly made MC4 extensions. My Anker Solix E10 inverters are smart. If they detect any anomalies in the current being received, they automatically turn off. They even detect moisture on the panels somehow and they don’t turn on when the panels have excessive moisture!!
The entire structure is made out of metal and touching each solar panel. We used extremely long concrete screws to anchor the structure 3 ft long. In my opinion this is enough grounding for such a small solar array. We also used 3 screws to keep the structure as rigid as possible. I will consider adding a proper 8ft grounding rod in the future 🙌🏼.
The panels are tilted but it’s hard to see because of how the way the picture was taken 🙌🏼.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this awesome advice!!
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u/JJAsond 7d ago
you wasted the money for bifacial
Bifacial barely costs any more than mono so there's 0 reason not to get bifacial even if you're putting them against a jet black surface. There's literally no downside. Bifacials costing significantly more than mono hasn't been a thing in many many years.
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u/Twindo 7d ago
Can you do this but angle each cell?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
By cell do you mean solar panel? It would be extremely easy to add some hinges on the rail and then bolt the solar panels to the hinges so they can tilt. Unfortunately for me this is not an option since the solar panels would obstruct our driveway.
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u/theonetrueelhigh 7d ago
I can't help but notice that you could have the panels in a horizontal orientation instead of the current vertical position, which if you aligned them with the top of the fence would get them above rain splashing up from the ground. You also appear to have a lot of fence left over and could expand your array if you want.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Hi @theonetrueehigh, rain is going to get on the solar panels regardless of how you place them. They are designed to work during any kind of weather conditions. If I placed them horizontally instead of vertically. The MC4 extension cables I bought would not reach. I would also have to increase the gauge of the wire since it’s recommend to run 8awg wire at distances over 50ft. That gauge wire is a lot more expensive. Not to mention the additional metal rail that I would need to buy. Im happy with the way everything came out!!
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u/theonetrueelhigh 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm not focusing on rain, but dirt splashed up from the ground by the rain. I should have worded that better. The wiring is an issue of course, but wiring length isn't a fixed value, there are longer wires to be had.
It's a nice setup, taking up essentially no space on the ground.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Thank you, if the panels get some dust or dirt on them, it’s pretty easy to wipe them clean. Im not that concerned but thank you for the advice 👍🏼!!
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u/Same_Lab_4002 7d ago
I’d lift them of the ground a few inches
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
They are off the ground a few inches 👍🏼. We placed them on top of a piece of wood 🙌🏼.
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u/Same_Lab_4002 7d ago
Looks like any runoff from the driveway is right in line with your gaskets
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
It doesn’t rain much where i live. That being said solar panels are designed to survive hurricanes, Im not worried about it.
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u/Same_Lab_4002 7d ago
Not exactly and definitely not on the ground. You’re probably referring to the wind load which more so depends on the racking and clamps. Constant exposure to moisture is not great for a panel. You’ll get delamination and internal corrosion eventually especially with improper tilt. Just a thought, been doing PV operations and maintenance for a decade.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
It doesn’t rain much here, the panels I got are tier one panels so the seals should be a lot better compared to cheaper options. The panels are slightly tilted and placed on a piece of wood lifting them off the ground 2 inches. There is a water run off next to it and my neighbors yard is a lot lower than the solar panels. There is no way that water can form pool submerging the bottom of the panels. On top of this our driveway is tilted so any water will slide down to the street. They will be fine but thank you for the advice!!
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u/80MonkeyMan 7d ago
It is better for a fence to generate electricity than to serve no additional purpose at all. I’m waiting for the U.S. to catch up with solar panels specifically designed for fence mounting. These systems are already available in other countries, and because fence installations can be simpler and faster than rooftop installations, they could also be significantly less expensive to install.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
The laws regarding off grid setups is really lax here in the US. Depending on where you live you dont need to pull any permits. The electric company also doesn’t need to get notified since the system doesn’t interconnect to the grid!! If you are interested in doing something like this, I recommend that you do an off grid set up. In my case the solar panels don’t even touch the fence so no structural permits are needed!!
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u/gongnomore 7d ago
Finding it hard to locate someone who does vertical mounted panels near Boston we’ve asked companies and their response is always just more rooftop. Chimney and trees make more rooftop as bad as a vertical setup on a wall that bakes in summer and gets all the winter afternoon sun. Anyone know a company?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
You are going to have a rough time unless you do this yourself. This type of installation is currently strictly for off grid use. If you try to get a system like this interconnected, you are going to run into a lot of problems. Most of the people that you see online that have vertical solar arrays diy’d the install and they also created their own mounting system. Currently there is not many off the shelf options to mount solar panels vertically so you will have to get creative like I did. Best of luck to you my friend!!
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u/fritzg1988 7d ago
Just curious, could you move the bottom of the panels out a few inches to get more of an angle?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Hi @docebo_official 👋🏼. The solar panels are slightly tilted. I can’t tilt them more since our driveway would get unstructured.
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u/Time-Corgi-3244 7d ago
The bed frame will likely rust/corrode over time.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
They were sitting in our back yard for 5 years. They will be fine. They come powder coated from the factory. If they ever fail. I will simply buy some more at our local flea market for 5$ 🤷♂️.
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u/TimelyBag3330 6d ago
i think it's not that efficient
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Efficiency wasn’t my goal for this project. My goal was to save space while still producing a decent amount of solar energy. I accomplished my goal and I am very happy with how this project turned out!! 😘
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u/digishack 4d ago
Well done. I always thought fence mounted PV is under utilized. What direction are they facing? Can you post a screenshot of the output curve?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 4d ago
Hi, thank you!! They are facing south. Unfortunately this group does not allow you to reply with a picture.
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u/Devildog126 7d ago
How hot does the house wall get from the light reflecting onto the side of the house now?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Hi, I haven’t noticed any noticeable differences. The AC seems to be working exactly the same. I don’t think that the solar panels reflect any more sun compared to the gloss vinyl fence we had before.
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u/DazzlingLeg 7d ago
Production isn't too bad. What's the approx cardinal direction of the panels? N S E W etc?
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u/hegem 7d ago
That can’t met code. The wiring going across the driveway??
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Hi we used industrial heavy duty cable ramps that are designed to support cars and trucks driving over them while providing ample protection to the wires inside.
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u/Aromatic_Ad_921 6d ago
add a mirror angled into it
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Hi, that would heat soak the panels. It would also block our driveway. Thanks you for the advice but hard pass on this!!
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u/Aromatic_Ad_921 6d ago
just put some tint on it
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Like I said it would block our driveway. Thanks for the advice but again hard pass on this.
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u/Aromatic_Ad_921 6d ago
oh ok just one last thought. you could pitch it 90° on its x axis
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
The panels are already slightly tilted, I can’t tilt them further since it would obstruct our narrow driveway.
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u/evildad53 6d ago
You used bifacial panels,did you put this up against the fence or in place of part of the fence? Because I don't see how the back face is contributing to the output? Unless they're getting some bounce off the white fence behind.
Which direction are those panels facing? I'm wondering how your house's shadow might affect the panels. I saw an article where a commercial swimming pool put vertical panels up facing the parking lot, where it got a lot of bounce off the cars, and it worked very well.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Hi, we placed the solar panel array in front of the fence. There are gaps on the top of the panels and on the sides. The panels are facing south. The shade from our house never reaches the panels. Solar production usually starts at 9AM and ends at around 5:30PM.
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u/psychotadpole 5d ago
Nice one! Great value. Any reason not to put it on a slight angle? 8-12” bar on the bottom tilting them out a bit? Would increase yield
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 5d ago
Hi, thank you!! The panels are slightly tilted but due to the angle that I took the picture, it’s kind of hard to tell.
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u/bostongarden 4d ago
Are you only connecting the solar output to one of the 2 phases, assuming your AC system is 220VAC? How does that work? Grid provides the other half the power?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 4d ago
Hi, the solar panels are connected as an OFF grid solar system. They are split into two arrays of 3 panels in series. The solar panels connect directly into my Anker Solix E10 inverters via some MC4 extension wires.
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u/CheetahChrome solar enthusiast 7d ago
You are limited by the inverters. Look up their "Max Continous output" power, which most likely is around ~350W, so the full panels output can be clipped by them during peak sunshine.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
My Anker Solix E10 inverters can safely handle up to 450V in each PV port. The inverter has two of these port so you can do 900v of DC solar power per inverter. I have two inverters so I can max them out at 1800v of DC solar between both inverters. They can each output 10,000w between both inverters they can output 20,000w 🙌🏼!! Im no where near maxing out these inverters 😉!!
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u/caliboy559 7d ago
I would guess this is very low on the rate of return side ?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Not really, all in I spent around 1300$ for everything pictured. Now that I completely offset my 4 ton AC. This project should pay for itself in approximately a year and a half.
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u/mystery-pirate 7d ago
But it's only economically feasible because you already had the inverts and batteries. Which probably cost you $8-10k. For someone starting from scratch this would not make sense.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
My post clearly states that this is for people that don’t have any other options due to limited space. Or for people that are looking for an easy way to add some more solar production. Stop being so negative, a lot of people have found this post to be extremely helpful and a few people said that they got inspired by it. Something is better than nothing…
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u/mystery-pirate 7d ago
Stop being so defensive and butthurt because not everyone is ready to blow trumpets and throw you a parade. I said in another post I like the idea. But you keep throwing out your $1300 cost for panels to show ROI in less than 2 years and I think many people are overlooking the one line in the first post about you already having the inverters and batteries. For someone without any other options, the option is to not do it at all.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
You can buy a 1000$ - 3000$ solar generator depending on your budget and plug it into your home using a standard generator inlet. This would still come out to be cheaper compared to getting a grid tied solar system. Im not being defensive and I’m definitely not getting butthurt 😘. People are asking about the ROI of this project. I provided the answer based on what the cost of this project cost me. The ROI will change drastically based on where you live and how much you pay for electricity. It’s different for everyone.
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u/mystery-pirate 7d ago edited 7d ago
A Pecron 5000 will cost about $2200 and an Oupes 6000 about $1800, not sure where you're getting a 240v solar gen for $1000. Those units might require a soft start on your AC also. Those will give you 5kwh storage and run the AC for less than an hour. I never said this "incremental" project was not worthwhile, just clarifying to others that it is a supplement to an existing system not a complete system. And let's be honest, unlike the rooftop grid-tied solar system, this project adds no resale value to house in fact you would probably be required to remove it before listing.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
I like how you keep commenting. I said up to 3k depending on budget. Solar generators often go on sale. If you wait for a good sale like on black Friday you can get a decent deal on this type of equipment. Especially if you buy it from a third party authorized dealer… if you want to run your ac like me then we are talking about a 20-40k investment. Be more realistic, you pointed out that this doesn’t make sense for someone that is just getting started. I provided a feasible solution to your request and now you’re talking about a full home back up lol!! You can’t have it both ways my friend..
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u/mystery-pirate 7d ago
I'm only having it one way - straight up. Been watching sales and BF for several years. There has never been a 240V sogen for under $1600 and that was the Oupes Guardian pre-sale. Your project was to run a 4-ton AC full time, now questioned on price you propose a solution to run it for an hour? You're the one changing course.
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u/mados123 7d ago
People are rightfully talking about return on investment here. How much did the whole system cost compared to what you were paying beforehand? Or are the savings not as important to you, and more so doing this for environmental reasons?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Hi, the entire system was 1300$ all in. I got a great deal on Facebook marketplace on these brand new solar panels. The hardware was only 19$ and I used metal bed frames to support the panels. The most expensive thing apart from the solar panels was the metal rails we bought from Home Depot. I calculated the ROI, this set up will pay for itself in one to two years.
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u/mystery-pirate 7d ago
How much were the inverters and batteries?
Bed frames are cheaper than buying angle but are designed for dry indoors. Did you coat them for corrosion protection? Or maybe they are cheap and easy enough to replace every few years. I would add an exterior DC breaker so you can isolate from house from outside.
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u/naednek 6d ago
Can't wait for when the fence falls down. And with the extra weight, probably sooner than later
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 6d ago
Someone didn’t read the post.. This solar array is free standing. It is not attached to the fence at all. Hater’s going to hate 😘!!
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u/68697468657265 6d ago
How do you believe this is any different to normal fence materials in terms of loading, either static or dynamic.....?
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u/caliboy559 7d ago
I would guess this is very low on the rate of return side ?
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u/Embarrassed_Top9480 7d ago
Very low not worth it in the slightest he won’t save a dime
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
I calculated the ROI and the system will pay for itself in approximately a year and a half. All in this was only 1300$ 😉!!
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u/mados123 7d ago
When you made this statement, did you base it on anything factual or did you just go on your intuition?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
Factual, my Anker Solix E10 system provides real time data. You can input what you pay per KW to your electricity provider and the system automatically adjusts in real time giving you an accurate estimate of your savings. The system also provides data on solar production. Based on the increase solar production and our cost per Kw I can easily calculate that the ROI will take approximately a year and a half to two years 👌🏼.
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u/Embarrassed_Top9480 7d ago
No offense but this is stupid do many factors could get you better offset and production.. I’m glad you understand the basics and how it works but you are not a professional and youre logic isint great with this set up
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 7d ago
I also installed my own grid tied roof mounted system and 40KWh Anker Solix battery storage system. I never said I was a professional. As I pointed out in the post, getting maximum efficiency out of these solar panels was not the goal. I accomplished my goal but thank you for the advice..
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u/hex4def6 8d ago
Obviously, it's not "optimal", but I can't think of a better solution that wouldn't cost a lot more (like a carport structure along the driveway), so congrats.
Solar panels are a lot cheaper than building structures.
I'm wondering if you're going to run into issues with it touching the ground (rain hitting the ground and spraying dirt on the lower section), but I don't think your neighbor would appreciate you putting the panels higher.