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groingo
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 12:30pm
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My key problem from the start has been the worst of locations for solar, in fall and winter is the worst with maybe a two hour window of sun exposure or dark overcast plus shorter days.....you see where this is going, and investing in Lithium batteries and the overhaul and expense it would entail to keep living just minimally makes no sense when the property I need for excellent year round exposure is less than a thousand feet away.
So I am considering biting the bullet and going back on grid because frankly I am tired of living like a Cockroach and will put upgrade money towards re locating, that way the system I have could be used year round and then upgrading would make much more sense because I would then have the year round exposure I need to make it truly work.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 12:49pm
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Well, its not like your consumption would be high, but it could supplement your low sunlight days. In fact, the power company would be your supplemental, while your system could be the primary. Not the other way around. Savings has to be still quite noticeable.
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creeky
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 01:25pm
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If you can go back on grid you've probably thought about selling the system.
I don't know what they charge to hook up in your area. But a decent dollar for a working complete 400 watt system has got to cover a lot of it.
Good luck.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 02:15pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Or move south
FWIW, in cases like yours with poor solar exposure I would choose the grid over being your own power company. Our cabin is off grid because (1) the power grid was $55K away and (2) we bought the only land in the immediate area that had a decent (not best) solar exposure. I don't know what route I would have taken w/o the solar exposure. Don't even want to think about that.
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RiverCabin
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 03:24pm
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I was in a somewhat similar position and I went back on the grid and I have no regrets.
Circa 2006 when we decided to build a cabin, I cut the cord with the local coop and bought a Honda EU2000 generator. We put up the cabin and wired it with the intent to run it off the generator until the solar was in place. From 2006 to 2012 that dreamed solar array never happened largely because I was afraid it would get stolen. (my cabin while isolated is visible from the road and the road has a decent amount of traffic during the summer).
In June of 2012, while my wife and kids were gone for a week, I surprised them by going back on the grid. Given how I had wired the cabin, it was a simple enough change. Likewise, it would be simple for me to go back to powering the cabin from a generator. I couldn't be happier.
The local cooperative throws the first 100 kwh's in the bill and my largest usage month to date has been 70 kwhs. Our cabin is used primarily in the summer and when it is used in the winter, we use wood or propane for heat. My bill varies from $22-$28 per month with the average being $25.
Here's the math,
12 mos. * $25 = $300
20 years * $300 = $6000
Certainly rates will go up so these figures aren't exactly perfect. Nonetheless, $6000.00 doesn't buy that great of a solar system and you would also have to figure in efficacy loss on the panels and battery loss in a 20 year solar system.
Of course this doesn't work for everyone. I was lucky to find my place with the power already in place. I have heard horror stories of the costs to run power to some cabins.
All in all, it's your cabin and your choice. Do what works best for you.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 03:41pm
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RiverCabin. I find this funny. I'm on off grid solar. You use less power than I do. I create and use 114 kw/mo.
Unfortunately my solar cost amortized over 5 years is still more than 25/mo. More like 100. And I doubt I will every get to $25. The panel loss at 80% of spec over 25 years doesn't concern me. The cost of batteries on the other hand.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 08:35pm
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The cost to get hooked up is $639.00 which is a fraction of what it will cost to
upgrade here to the level I want due to my poor location, I would need to major overbuild to get what a better location would easily provide.
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turkeyhunter
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 08:48pm
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Quoting: groingo The cost to get hooked up is $639.00
NO brainer...absolutely!!! I like flipping a switch. Both camps have POWER!!! and its so nice and cheap for a small cabin!!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 09:50pm
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Quoting: groingo The cost to get hooked up is $639.00 which is a fraction of what it will cost to upgrade here to the level I want due to my poor location, I would need to major overbuild to get what a better location would easily provide.
Do it groingo, and use your system to keep overall cost down on good sunny days. Keep all your low energy consumption appliances you have in place already. 
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2015 10:48pm
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech use your system to keep overall cost down on good sunny days.
That will require an automatic transfer switch to ensure the house/cabin electrics are positively and completely isolated from the grid if and when the grid goes down. It could be done with a manual switch that would isolate the grid from the self generated power but that would mean having to manually throw the transfer switch whenever wanting to use grid power or self generated power.
IF your power company is using time of day metering it would be possible to use grid power to charge batteries during the low rate period and then use that stored power when the utility rates are high. Probably not worth messing with unless the energy used was large and the peak use rate high. That shifting is part of the idea behind Tesla's Powerwall for grid use.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2015 01:56am - Edited by: groingo
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Quoting: MtnDon That will require an automatic transfer switch to ensure the house/cabin electrics are positively and completely isolated from the grid if and when the grid goes down. It could be done with a manual switch that would isolate the grid from the self generated power but that would mean having to manually throw the transfer switch whenever wanting to use grid power or self generated power.
Before I left Puget Sound Energy I was confirmed by their accounting department as their lowest power user in an occupied residence and going back is very simple, all they do is re hang the cable, install meter and I plug back into the service box turn the breaker on and we're in business.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2015 09:28am
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Understood, if you discard the solar completely and connect to the grid. But the suggestion was, as I interpreted it, to keep the solar and use the two together. That is a different picture.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2015 10:40am
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Quoting: MtnDon Understood, if you discard the solar completely and connect to the grid. But the suggestion was, as I interpreted it, to keep the solar and use the two together. That is a different picture.
Without getting to technical, swapping from solar to grid is just a matter of flicking a switch if I choose to use them together but the reality is the solar would be removed and stored for use at a later time since there is no resale value around here unless I gave it away which would be dumb.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2015 11:50am
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I would still throw the system up on Craigslist. I've gotten a fair dollar for all my old solar stuff. there's always somebody looking.
And by fair dollar. i got what I paid for all of it, less taxes and shipping.
having helped a few folks with their solar setups this year. complete and working are real pluses. not everyone has your experience and expertise.
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