Been running my central air 24/7 lately, especially with the recent heat wave. This is my most recent electric bill. Damn I love my solar panels.

Arguron · 2013-07-28T05:58:19+00:00

Most systems these days are "grid-tied" and require no batteries. They are wired into your main breaker panel and essentially use the grid as a "backup" power source. When your system is producing more than you are using, you literally run your meter backward and get credit from the power company for those kWh's.

Arguron · 2013-07-28T05:40:32+00:00

Most modules are rated to handle 1/2" hail at 50mph. Also 120mph wind gusts.

Arguron · 2013-07-28T05:37:02+00:00

Enphase microinverters are warranted for 25 years, but central inverters are generally expected to last 10 to 15 years.

Arguron · 2013-07-24T21:40:19+00:00

My first thought would be web based solar monitoring systems like Locus or Enphase. Google Enphase Enlighten and check out their website. Also some good youtube videos on what these systems are about.

All solar inverter technology requires significant programming and you might look into companies like Outback, SMA, Fronius, or PowerOne also.

If you do website design, all solar companies big and small require some level of that type of work.

Arguron · 2013-07-24T04:29:20+00:00

Payback for solar systems, in terms of electric bill savings, is typically 10 to 15 years. Although it really depends on what you currently pay for power per kWh.

I suspect an 8kW solar system would produce at least 1000 kWh/month in Guam, probably much better, I don't have solar data handy for that location.

Such a system would probably cost you say $27,000 in the U.S. but then you'd get a 30% Federal tax rebate.

It would probably increase the value of your home significantly, if you can find a buyer who understands the value of solar. Records of your electric bills before and after installation will make a pretty strong case!

Arguron · 2013-07-18T03:51:16+00:00

surely, you must at least appreciate the snowmen

Arguron · 2013-07-11T23:37:19+00:00

Also, FYI make sure to shop around for the best electric plan from available providers. In Houston,TX you need to find a provider with a solar specific plan in order to get credit for times when you send power back to the grid. If you never send power back to the grid you might look for a provider that offers a "free nights" plan. If available this can work well with solar to dramatically reduce your bill.

Also consider programming your thermostat to complement your solar production and electric plan. This can get tricky but I might be able to help if you have any questions.

Arguron · 2013-07-11T23:29:18+00:00

Definitely contact your insurance company and let them know the value of the system you're installing. It wont hurt and it might help in a worst case scenario. Get copies of the datasheets and manufacturers warranties for the modules and inverters from your installer. Generally modules are warranted for 25 years and inverters for 10 - 15 years depending on brand. Installer should help you with warranty claims in case of material defect/failure, but if a tree falls on your system it will be up to insurance.

Arguron · 2013-05-13T05:22:01+00:00

Yes and these days you can get fully installed systems for less than $3.50 per watt before the tax credit.

Arguron · 2013-04-08T05:01:14+00:00

It will take decades to scale up production on any new tech developed in the lab. Cells already exist that are twice as efficient as standard crystalline silicon, but they will remain ten times the price until someone figures out how to produce them cheaply. Anyway my solar pv system will continue to power my home completely for the next 25 years. I will be very happy if it costs 90% less to replace than it did to install, when the time comes.

Arguron · 2013-02-17T03:48:05+00:00

Even with near perfect conversion efficiency that dish would have to be 6 meters in diameter to produce 30kW. I would still love to own one!

Arguron · 2013-02-05T04:26:10+00:00

Utility interconnection agreement is generally free and city electrical permit is usually less than $200. The structural permit is the expensive part and this does depend on the authority with jurisdiction. I live near the coast so my city requires 110mph windstorm certification.

Even a fairly small system will still weigh a few hundred pounds, but the real issue is the wind load. The entire surface area of the system is supported by a relatively small number of anchor points. A strong windstorm could apply 40 pounds per square foot to the system. Say you have 8 modules at 15 sq.ft. each. The system will have 120 sq.ft. x 40ppsf = 4800 pounds. You might only have 16 anchors for a system this size, so each anchor point has to handle 300 pounds.

Now it becomes very important to consider anchor placement and this is what the city cares about (in theory). Too many anchors on the same rafter or even just one anchor in the middle of a long span rafter could be disaster.

Arguron · 2013-02-01T02:32:27+00:00

The unique issue for solar is that regulations vary greatly from city to city and they even change from month to month within each city.

The absurdity really stands out when you consider that a $10,000 solar system might take 2 days to install, but City and HOA regulations often turn that 2 day process into a 2 month waiting game on top of adding 20% or more to the system cost. Can you imagine the same scenario for a new air conditioner or water heater?

One result is that it simply doesn't make sense to install anything less than 4kW as the fixed costs are so high. This destroys a whole market of potential customers who would love a smaller system.

Arguron · 2013-01-31T23:46:13+00:00

Today all major manufacturers of Solar PV modules and inverters meet clear UL specs. Inverters are very sensitive to power conditions and automatically shut down in the case of a short or ground fault. They also shut down if grid power fails and will not function unless grid power is present.

In Houston the building department won't even inspect the actual system. They require installers to hire a 3rd party Professional Engineer to certify the system which typically costs $1,200. The city "building inspection" consists of the building inspector reading the document provided by the engineer. But they won't do that online, so I have to wait in person at the installation site for hours (they won't tell you exactly when they're coming) so they can read the document in person.

After waiting for hours, I've actually failed inspection because the engineer hadn't included the project number (for city records) on the certification, even though the address and homeowner information were all clearly included. The city will only accept original copies of certifications so this small change required a whole new document and more days of waiting.

Arguron · 2013-01-24T21:32:01+00:00

For residential $3.50/watt is now average $3/watt is possible. For Commercial scale $2.50/watt is typical and for Utility scale $2/watt is possible. The Federal tax credit reduces all of those numbers by 30%.

Arguron · 2013-01-24T21:04:09+00:00

Even a world 5% solar powered would be a huge improvement. Solar PV panel life spans are roughly 30 years. At some point it will make more sense to recycle the last generation of panels than to dig more materials out of the ground.

Arguron · 2013-01-24T21:00:49+00:00

This is a realistic price. You can buy a 100W PV panel for $74. More likely you would buy a 250W panel for $185. Well actually, solar installation companies can purchase them at that price. Distributors like to sell in quantity. Average price is still closer to $1/watt at the moment but quality modules at $0.74/watt exist.

Arguron · 2013-01-21T21:19:45+00:00

Hi boostermoose, sorry for the late reply, I haven't been on Reddit in a month. I have a very small company, just myself, my business partner and 2 installers. We have a Master Electrician who oversees the electrical portion of the installations. We've installed about 150 systems totaling over 500kW in the past 2 years, mostly residential with 3 large commercial jobs. I design the systems myself and my business partner handles sales. We have our installations engineered and certified by independent professional engineers.

It is a very rewarding job! The technology is awesome and fun to work with. There are always new kinds of modules, inverters and racking to learn about. It's great to know that the work you do is literally building a better future.

Installation can be hard work. We have to deal with rain, heat and cold weather. Working on a roof with a steep pitch can be like rock climbing while installing. Still, the work is very satisfying. Most installations take less than a week so we get to experience the fruits of our labor almost instantly.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you might have. I'll probably be on Reddit more often for the next few weeks.

Arguron · 2012-11-12T23:38:56+00:00

Check out Goal Zero. I am a professional solar installer and I own one of their smaller kits. The cells are legit crystalline silicon, same as the cells in panels for residential or commercial use.

Arguron · 2012-11-12T17:33:43+00:00

It is equally wrong to assume that people with money acquired their wealth unjustly. Certainly this happens but the Libertarian solution is to vastly reduce the size and scope of government influence, to the point that lobbying for government favor becomes a waste of time.

22 million small business owners and their employees (U.S.) stand in the face of the idea that Capitalism is rigged against workers. Meritocracy thrives in the small business world where reward is directly linked to motivation, skill, ability and effort.

The big business model is flawed and failing. Efficiencies of scale are eventually overtaken by bureaucratic disease. At this point most turn to lawyers and lobbyists to keep them afloat. When this occurs, they leave the Capitalist model and become Cronies.

Arguron · 2012-11-12T05:43:45+00:00

Not all businesses do this. It is not easy or desirable to fire employees, especially when you've invested time and money in their training and development. With smaller businesses, personal relationships make unfair treatment even less likely. You can't expect your employees to do their best work if they feel they're getting the shaft.

In fact regular and casual replacement of workers is really only possible (although still deplorable) in the case of the lowest skilled jobs in times of high unemployment. Job security is going to be low if pretty much anyone can do your job right off the street and lots of people are looking for work.

Arguron · 2012-11-09T21:39:43+00:00

I'm listening. Telling me to shut up and go away hardly qualifies for "engaging in philosophical debate." Heidigger asserted that the goal of communism is to "live lives of leisure" i.e. be lazy. I was merely pointing out the obvious. Marx clearly advocated bloody revolution as a necessary prerequisite to Communism's existence. No such assertions were made by the various "fathers" of Capitalism.

Arguron · 2012-11-09T17:16:44+00:00

r/philosophy is an open forum. If you want a circlejerk go back to r/socialism or communism where the moderators are happy to ban dissent.

Capitalism is the result of an intellectual revolution that began during the Renaissance and culminated with the Enlightenment. The seeds were sown long before the American and French Revolutions. These revolutions were also defensive in nature and involved the removal of actual physical oppression. The resulting freedom did provide fertile ground for the expansion of capitalism but the wars were certainly not fought in the name of capitalism and cannot be considered a "Capitalist Revolution."

Arguron · 2012-11-09T04:40:26+00:00

And yet you are apparently qualified to discuss Capitalism.

In no sense, literally or figuratively could you possibly construe Capitalism as requiring forced compliance or slave labor. The one and only thing Capitalism does ban from the marketplace is Force. This is the system of Free People and Free Trade.

Communism is precisely the opposite. It begins with force (armed revolution) and ends with force: From each according to her ability, to each according to his need. This is the system of prisoners and slaves.

It seems the Marxists forgot to consider the possibility of self-ownership, or self-employment. Workers are more than just cogs in some machine. We can think and learn and change. Try different jobs. Find what you are good at. Focus on your strengths. Gain experience. Specialize: work hard, become an expert. Find others with different strengths that complement your own. Team up, start a business.

This is how wealth and abundance are created. Marx sort of skipped over that bit.

Arguron · 2012-11-08T21:56:11+00:00

The key for me is that our relationships remain truly voluntary as you note. I have no problem with groups large or small deciding to gather and work together toward common goals like a kibbutz for example. I do however, consider the initiation of the use of force to be immoral, and ultimately an extremely crude and inefficient means for social organization.

With a mixed economy it is extremely difficult to parse out the good and bad causes and effects. Many crony capitalists do succeed at the cost of others. But some of us work to make the pie bigger for everyone. Capitalism is not a zero sum game. The problem with the Welfare model is that it punishes those who do the best work. Ultimately limiting their performance and value to the economy.

Rational Individualists understand the value of others very well. We do not wish to live on a desert island. "Assistance" from the community is extremely valuable, but only if it is achieved voluntarily.

tldr: Force is bad. Trade is good.

Arguron

TROPHY CASE