I have a solar system put in, and you have to take into consideration
several other factors.
1. There is a power loss at the converter level. Converting the DC to AC
uses energy. And note, most solar systems are in the 48v range, as that is
more conducive to producing up to the 220v most houses need.
2. that is 715watts PEAK, which you will rarely get, and even then only for
a few hours each day
3. I have a 30panel, 11kw system, and the best I have seen is a bit over
9kw at peak times.
4. Right now I produce about 30kwh per day, which works as I use a LOT
less power now that I don't need AC
5. May and June are the best months, and produce about 63kwh per day
6. The heat in July reduces the efficiency of the panels a bit, so it peaks
out in the high 50s in kwh per day (which does not cover the consumption
rates in July)
7. IF you want to have power when the sun is out, and the grid is down, you
will need a battery back up system, otherwise the system will disconnect
when the power goes out
8. Be careful of which plan you choose with SRP/APS, and especially
understand "DEMAND CHARGE" as that could totally torpedo any savings you
thought you would have.
9. You probably want to look at your PEAK demand, and base your system off
of that, with a few extra panels for cushion.
Just a few thoughts. I do really like my system, and it is so nice to have
power for the majority of the house when the power goes out, even through
most of the night.
Phil Waclawski
On Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 3:31 PM Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss <
plug-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have been curious about solar for sometime.
>
> I am looking at my electric bill and I use less than 600k watts a month
> for 1/2 the year.
>
> My math does not seem to work out.
>
> 1) Convert 600000 watts at 120 volts * .1 = 60,000 watts at 12 volts.
> 2) 60,000 watts divided by 30 = 2000 watts at 12 volts per day.
> 3) If I can harvest solar for 4 hours a day that is 2000/4 = 500 watts
> at 12 volts.
>
> That means I only need 500 watts of solar. This does not take into
> consideration loss of power in the system.
>
> If the system losses 30% then I need around 715 watts of solar panels to
> meet my needs.
>
> I was expecting a lot more.
>
> Any help is much appreciated!!
>
> Keith
>
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