Started my solar project

[orezok]

I poured footings today for my 5250 watt ground mount solar project. Being a retired licensed general contractor, my intent was to do this project completely myself. I found out that San Bernardino county will not allow an owner/builder do solar even though they can build a whole house legally. I think that solar is dangerous because once the panels are exposed to the sun, they are generating electricity and that could be dangerous to a novice builder. My license is inactive since retirement so they would not allow me to use that either. I found an electrical contractor to sign off on the plans for a small fee and I will still be doing the project myself.

The original design called for drilled piers, 24 diameter by 4 feet deep. Eight of them. That is a lot of footing but I am in a 120 MPH wind zone. No trees or buildings to slow it down here in the desert.

Because of the permit issues, it took me a month to get a permit. Then Covid hit and the only driller within 50 miles that could do 24 holes shut down for an unknown period. I had to keep going so I had a friend with a backhoe dig the footings. While he is a skilled operator, there is a limit as to how small a 4 deep hole you can dig. Now I had to form all the footings. I could have used sonotube but that was $500 and the closest supplier was 50 miles away. There are some drawbacks to living in isolation. :laughing:

Concrete for the drilled piers would have been about 4 CY. My footings took about 4 1/2 CY.

Tomorrow it is strip forms and backfill and grade around the footings to flush them out. Then start panel installation.





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[TnAndy]

Looks good !

Done a couple ground mount projects....one for a neighbor of mine that was 40/250w panels about 5 years ago. We poured 2' x 8' x 2' thick footers for the 2" pipe to sit in. Used 2" pipe at a 45 degree angle welded to the upright pipe, then welded 2x2x 3/16" galvanized angle across the pipe to mount the panels on. He went with Enphase microinverters, it is a grid tie system.

My own system (currently 16kw) started with homemade trackers and pole mounts. Had a lot of trouble with the tracker controllers, finally decided it wasn't worth it and moved it all to a fixed ground mount. I have 5kw grid tie only using Enphase micro inverters, another 5kw that is grid tie only using a Sunny boy central inverter, and the last 6kw runs thru a battery based system using Outback equipment.

The ground mount, I simply used some 8" sono tube stuck about 18" in the ground, with 1 1/2" pipe and 2x2x3/16" for the panel mounting.

 

[orezok]

Looks good !

Done a couple ground mount projects....one for a neighbor of mine that was 40/250w panels about 5 years ago. We poured 2' x 8' x 2' thick footers for the 2" pipe to sit in. Used 2" pipe at a 45 degree angle welded to the upright pipe, then welded 2x2x 3/16" galvanized angle across the pipe to mount the panels on. He went with Enphase microinverters, it is a grid tie system.

My own system (currently 16kw) started with homemade trackers and pole mounts. Had a lot of trouble with the tracker controllers, finally decided it wasn't worth it and moved it all to a fixed ground mount. I have 5kw grid tie only using Enphase micro inverters, another 5kw that is grid tie only using a Sunny boy central inverter, and the last 6kw runs thru a battery based system using Outback equipment.

Nice setup. i am using enphase microinverters also and LG panels. My 5200 watt system should zero out my usage 9 months of the year and get me into a lower tier for the 3 summer months.

 

[sodamo]

Good start.
I have 14kw roof mounted on my tractorshed tied to an Outback radian system, off grid.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looks like an interesting project.

 

[orezok]

Making progress! Slow going working alone. Actually got the cross braces installed and all the rails up. AC wiring strung and one panel installed before the wind picked up to 25 MPH.

 

[kenmbz]

Looks nice so far. Considering this is a one person job, seems you're making good progress.

 

[orezok]

Finally got my PTO in Monday. Right now with swamp coolers running I am producing more energy than consuming. BUT as temperatures and humidity goes up in the next couple of months and I have to switch to air conditioning I will fall behind. Based on my current production I should produce enough excess energy during the 9 cooler months to offset much of the summer consumption.

 

[sodamo]

Very nice

 

[cdaigle430]

I love my 7kw system but I dont have the know how to do it myself so I paid $$ to have it installed. Took advantage of 30% tax break and savings from putting what I dont consume onto the grid and getting full credit for it. My neighbors are getting power from my plant

I live in Maine so I wont get what you get for full benefits.

 

[kenmbz]

Finally got my PTO in Monday. Right now with swamp coolers running I am producing more energy than consuming. BUT as temperatures and humidity goes up in the next couple of months and I have to switch to air conditioning I will fall behind. Based on my current production I should produce enough excess energy during the 9 cooler months to offset much of the summer consumption.

View attachment 661133

Wow, nice clean looking install.

 

[orezok]

I love my 7kw system but I dont have the know how to do it myself so I paid $$ to have it installed. Took advantage of 30% tax break and savings from putting what I dont consume onto the grid and getting full credit for it. My neighbors are getting power from my plant

I live in Maine so I wont get what you get for full benefits.

Being a general contractor, I installed the whole system myself. I got several quotes before I started and they were in the $27K area. My 4.7 kW AC system (5.2 DC) is producing right at 30 kWh per day right now. My final cost was right at half that amount (considering no cost for myself). Payback should be about 4 years.

 

[radios1]

Being a general contractor, I installed the whole system myself. I got several quotes before I started and they were in the $27K area. My 4.7 kW AC system (5.2 DC) is producing right at 30 kWh per day right now. My final cost was right at half that amount (considering no cost for myself). Payback should be about 4 years.

"Several attractions and natural features are in the Calico Mountains. Calico Ghost Town, in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County." so you must live around there, which is why you had to get stupid permits for your own house..

 

[Carl_NH]

Nice install Orezok and 30KW a day is great for a 5KW system but you are in a prime generation region in CA . Like Cdaigle, we had our 7.2KW installed by a contractor - we used Revision Energy with a grid tie in Dec 2104 for the tax breaks, it was $26k total then and with rebates/ tax credits its a 9 yr ROI.

The best days in March and April we get 40KW, and average 7.2 7.4KW a year total, about 80% of our total usage.

 

[Grumpycat]

Being a general contractor, I installed the whole system myself. I got several quotes before I started and they were in the $27K area. My 4.7 kW AC system (5.2 DC) is producing right at 30 kWh per day right now. My final cost was right at half that amount (considering no cost for myself). Payback should be about 4 years.

That is my observation, that installers want 100% markup on components for a finished simple system.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Good money to be made installing solar. I was quoted $26K for a system that I could buy all the equipment and racks for $13K. Install would take 1 day.

 

[Roric]

I self installed a 20 panel (375watt), Solar-edge inverter, roof mounted array last year. Grid tied. Got permission to operate in mid November. We have produced 5.3 Mwh
(5300 kilowatt hours) since going online. The 3 estimates were running about $30,000. All materials totaled $14,000, a $4200 tax credit made the net price less than
$10,000 out of pocket. This is our "shakedown" year but calculations say we will produce 85-90% of our usage. Calculated payback point is 3 years 10 months.
As a retired electrician I found the install quite straightforward and simple. State inspection was trouble free. The absolute hardest part was dealing with the power utility.
(7.5k system)

Ron

 

[kthompson]

If only solar panels looked like trees...not knocking their use.

 

[Carl_NH]

I self installed a 20 panel (375watt), Solar-edge inverter, roof mounted array last year. Grid tied. Got permission to operate in mid November. We have produced 5.3 Mwh
(5300 kilowatt hours) since going online. The 3 estimates were running about $30,000. All materials totaled $14,000, a $4200 tax credit made the net price less than
$10,000 out of pocket. This is our "shakedown" year but calculations say we will produce 85-90% of our usage. Calculated payback point is 3 years 10 months.
As a retired electrician I found the install quite straightforward and simple. State inspection was trouble free. The absolute hardest part was dealing with the power utility.
(7.5k system)

Ron

In 2014 I researched the material costs and $16K for a 7.2KW (24 LG300W panels) with Solar Edge and roof rack mounts was the best price. The total was $26K and we got a $8K tax credit(needed vs paying the govt) and a $4K state rebate check. So total out of pocket was $14K.

If I would have done the install, and would still need an electrician, a roofer and helper install the racks, it would have been close to $20. With a $6K govt tax credit and $4K state rebate would have saved me $4K vs having them do it and warranty the roof, and system which I thought was reasonable. BTW it took 3 guys two days to install - total labor including electrical was 44 hours.

 

[Roric]

Up until now it paid off to be a procrastinator.
The price of solar panels has been dropping steadily.
But the federal tax credit is reduced a little this year and will go
away in years to come.
So...
if you are "on the bubble" on doing solar I suggest you go now or soon.
I find it looks to be good for the wallet (after the initial investment)
and they tell me it's good for the environment.
Monthly cash flow for utilities is less.
It's really cool to watch the numbers on a sunny day when the AC is blasting.