I apply the 1st rule of work - Keep It Simple Stupid. So i was “intrigued” about your tracking idea.
Snow accumulation - yes. However, panels are mounted on elevated rack w/ base of panels about 3’ above grade. The foundation is large concrete “bars” w/ structural steel firmly attached. I just realized that i would need access to panels during winter, which means snow plowing. Need to think about this.
Blowing snow, doubt it as 3 sides of property are lined with trees.
i lived in Fairbanks for 5-years. I happened to be at a high elevation East & North of Fairbanks on 12/21/05 and took some photos looking south to capture the elevation of the sun. That is the north side of the Alaska Range in the distant. Not much solar energy at this latitude.
@pmover,
Perhaps it is because you haven’t browsed the whole Simpli site, or not read this whole thread entirely, or not noticed just one particular thread, or something else is in the way, so I’ll state it plainly.
My comment about a wind turbine (Ben’s echo & smirk) are motivated by the fact that I have been custom-building wind turbines in my spare time for over 15 years. Depending on how you count, I’m on my 4th energy-producing wind turbine. I commissioned my current one 3 years ago and it promises to outlast my previous WT, which lasted 10 years (9 if you only count the blades, because they were inherited from the one before that).
So it would be a lot of fun to assess your site for wind, if you are willing.
Yeah, sorry to be so indirect…but I also didn’t want to sell Spar’s services without his buy-in before hand. Now he’s given you the go-ahead. So start discussing! Also, try the search bar at the top of the page for “wind turbine”, should give you an idea of what Spar has been up to. Spar, some of the links in those older posts are now broke (the ones to the SparWeb Aero page), fwiw.
I appreciate the promotion, Ben. Maybe not for the reasons you think, though.
My www.sparweb.ca page used to have a bunch of my RE projects, but it went stale. Then I reformatted the whole site last year, knowing that my next career move would be to set up an independent company and consult. I didn’t make that move last year, but now that plan seems to be coming about - absolutely not in the way I expected. So I need Sparweb to be about airplanes, from now on.
@pmover I’m going to continue this thread about the PV installation I’m preparing. If you do want to pursue questions about your site, either wind or solar, please feel welcome to start a thread of your own (and you can stand in the spotlight!)
I’ve taken the next big step with my PV installation. I’ve pre-paid 25% to the installer of my choice, and now I am scheduled in for October. (October!?)
In the meantime I am considering the trees that need to be removed and relocating my batteries closer to the place the main Inverter will go.
Oh, and I also really want to build a new datalogger, and slowly accumulating the parts for that, too.
@SparWeb
i have not browsed the whole Simpli site nor was i aware of your custom wind turbine “expertise”. yes, i am guilty of being ignorant of not utilizing the search feature, but my interest in PV and wind turbine installation started within the past 2 months or so. This posting, in addition to other individuals and recent articles have spurned my interest and research. a recent local development is the talk about dwindling gas supplies, which has occurred here before with large users of natural gas shutting down or relocating elsewhere. So, alternate/renewable energy sources are now of interest for me. state energy leaders are also seeking renewables ideas and i’m not sure about available funding, if any.
If i pursue PV or wind installation, i will start another thread. I will say that i have learned much lately about PV systems and i am much enthused about them. Improvements in battery storage and PV are forthcoming, but that is likely years from now.
Good luck with your future business ventures!
Oh! October start date! Ouch! Tree removal, good for removing fire hazards and more sun for PV panels. A local friend is having a tree removal service remove a dozen trees near his home. We would cut the trees ourselves, but the close proximity to home, fence, and other structures require the need for a specialist.
fwiw, i recently had cataract surgery, which has improved my vision. i can not tell you how many times this past year or so that i would misread documents and otherwise. in the last month, i have noticed significantly less vision problems. What i am dealing with now is crystal clear vision in left eye, but right eye is like looking through a mild tinted yellow lens. both eyes now 20/20. too bad the right eye cataract will not be taken care of now.
This is an interesting home.
Partial description:
The finished semi-attached 24 x 30 garage is fully finished, heated, and contains the automated control systems and battery banks for the solar electrical system. On the south side of the garage is a separate building which houses the two natural gas fueled Generac standby/supplemental generators. The 36 x 54 x 14 shop features a 12 x 12 overhead door and wood heat. The home is partial off grid as it is serviced with natural gas but no electrical services. Electricity comes from roof mounted solar panels with a rated output of 6kw which feeds two large sets of Rolls battery banks with a combined storage capacity of 39kwh. The solar system is controlled by a Schneider XW 6848 invertor/charger 120/240 volt 6.8 kw and is supplemented with two AutoStart Generac N/G generators. One generator is 11 KW and the other is 16 KW. Only one generator is necessary to supplement when solar generation is low, the 2nd generator is simply meant to be a spare unit. TOTAL GAS BILL FOR LAST YEAR WAS $2750 Link to realestate listing.
I like the concept but was horrified by the implementation.
There is no apparent ventilation for the generators. Maybe it is hidden. I hope so.
There is no room to service the generators.
I doubt that an electrical inspector signed off on this one.
This is about 50 miles from the place that you visited some years ago.
Agree, not an ideal installation for maintenance. Um, the photo above the generator installation, maybe ventilation from soffit? Upon closer inspection, i doubt it as it looks like metal. RV in background.
An aside . . . Interesting, i just spoke with my contractor today about back-up generator location and that i wanted overhead shelter so it can safely operate and have easy maintenance access. the 14-kW generator location mount on concrete pad, anchor bolts, & to be adjacent to garage back door with overhead shelter.
I wonder if that little room started out with just one generator, but later 2 were needed so they crammed in the second one.
Hmm, partial off-grid by using natural gas only for the “grid” energy supply.
My cost of energy using both natural gas and electricity was 1150+2240=3390 CAD last year.
Not much movement.
Technically, the installers are ready to go, and have been since August. The utility company hasn’t accepted the application yet, however, and the installers won’t move ahead without it. I think they’ve been burned by the utility asking for changes after construction started… which hurts.
I am quite irritated by this, because the permitting has been re-started numerous times. The installers haven’t yet sent an application that the utility company has accepted. The utility company makes sure that they wait the full 20 business days required to reply before beginning to look at any application, meaning the installer doesn’t find out about mistakes for a month. No matter how quickly they re-submit, it won’t get looked at again for another month. We’re on the 3rd cycle of this now.
The errors are very silly. For example, they used the wrong part number for the inverter to be installed, so in fact the utility company rightly told them that model is incompatible with power in North America. There’s no reason for them to get this wrong.
But the installers should be wise to this. The smallest error is an adequate excuse to kick the form back. Never underestimate the lengths and subtle tactics that a utility company will use to avoid doing anything that would make their customers happy.
Perovskite panels have been the next great advance in solar panels for a decade. They’re still hard to make, though. So dollar for dollar, flat silicon still wins by a wide margin.
ok, thanks. i cna understand the irritation and it sounds a bit bureaucratic . . . but it is all in the details. i would not think the application would need to be restarted, just updated and then proceed. so you must have a perfect application to begin with! hang in there and keep the faith.
my application to electrical utility is similar for electrical power. i had several iterations as to meeting utility requirements just to get power to the site. for example, power cable is to nearest point on home and not where transfer switch is located even though the distance requirements are met. the next iteration is that site final grading must be done. gee whiz. now waiting for the next iteration . . .ha-ha! i would think that all requirements would be detailed to consumers beforehand.
I did not know about the “next great advance in solar panels” - thank you!
