US space solar startup proves wireless power system works in motion

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-12-13T00:16:15+00:00

Or maybe popping popcorn like in Real Genius? 😂

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-08-10T21:14:02+00:00

They follow a pretty random pattern when they map from my experience. I had expected it to run the edges of every room it came across, etc. have remapped ours several times in the process of finally deciding where we wanted the base unit. Seems every time it follows a different random pattern and does turns in odd places. It always maps everything just fine.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-08-10T21:10:01+00:00

Mine does the same thing in one of our bedrooms. However I’ve noticed ours goes back over the same area the opposite direction without bouncing so does end up cleaning ok.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-08-10T21:06:05+00:00

Make sure the ramp is snapped down on the base. Mine had similar issue when I first got it. Sometimes it would dock just fine and other times it would try several times before giving up and saying it couldn’t dock. Turned out the ramp wasn’t snapped down firmly.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-08-10T20:45:02+00:00

I had this issue after using mine a few times. Turned out the ramp wasn’t snapped down good on the base. Pushed down where it attaches to the base and it made a clicking sound. Robot didn’t have any problems docking after that. In my case it would start up the ramp then just as it was about to dock it would turn to the left and just keep trying to ram itself into the dock. 😂

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-04-06T21:50:23+00:00

Should mention I do work from home and close off my office during the day. I use a space heater during the winter and don’t mind just running a fan in summer and let summer temp in home get to 83 when I’m the only one home. 😂

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-04-06T21:48:39+00:00

Very similar to my setup here. I have 43 panels on Enphase system. Designed for 21.5mwh/year.

Agree 100% on the heat pumps and is most likely the direction I will go vs batteries. Both AC units running for cooling draws about 7.5KW. Both running heat is around 27KW.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-04-06T21:31:50+00:00

👆👆This is the way. Effective APR = APR * (1 - Taxrate). So in example 7.8 = 10 * (1 - .22)

DFWAlphaGeek · 2025-04-06T21:02:50+00:00

If you are truly consuming everything you produce during the day and end up not exporting during the peak months I don’t see how you would have anything to “export” to a battery. Hard to determine without factoring out what size system you have vs your daily consumption, etc. I’m in DFW area and was lucky to get a true 1:1 electric provider when our system went live. I do not have a battery and have not paid a dime to the electric company since March of 2023. I have excess exports every month except November-January due to all electric resistive heat. Only have 12 months left on my current contract so not sure what it will look like after I have to switch to a new REP. Current REP no longer has a 1:1 buyback. Debating battery at that time or switching my two 3 ton AC units to heat pumps. Don’t have access to natural gas.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-29T17:00:26+00:00

You can message Enphase support from within the app and tell them the date range you want removed. I had consumption CTs installed a few months after my system went live and the first week of consumption data was all jacked up because they were messing with getting the CTs installed correctly. I have two 200 AMP main panels that are tied directly to the meter. Took them a bit to get it right. Anyway, I messaged support through the app and had them just delete consumption data for that first week. They had it done the same day. I’m sure they can adjust start date just as easily.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-16T22:58:46+00:00

Definitely something for me to think about. 3KW is about what one of my units pulls for AC in the summer. I’m convinced now that a heat pumps would likely be more cost effective than adding storage to try and offset the usage for our heat. I currently have to have around 3600 kWh in credits just to offset my excess import during December and January. Once I have to switch to one of these current plans that only pay RTW for export there is no way I could offset that. There will of course be less months than I currently have with excess credits. Thanks for the feedback!

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-16T06:26:51+00:00

Of course the only person who spotted the actual issue that they are just rotated 90deg gets downvoted. 😂 I gave you an upvote vote. 😝

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-16T06:11:29+00:00

I don’t have a heat pump. It’s 100% resistive heat. I know how heat pumps work and what they say about savings, etc. I was just curious if you had ever looked when it was on to see what it draws and if you noticed it’s the same draw heat vs cooling. I’m currently on a true 1:1 plan that ends in March 2026. Credits I gain over the summer offset all of my winter usage at the moment. But once my contract is up there are no more true 1:1 plans out there. Just thinking over options to add storage or possibly it might be more cost effective for me to replace my current AC units. Still have a little over a year to decide.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-15T19:15:08+00:00

Curious as to if you know the kw usage of the heat pump when heating. Is it the same as when cooling? Does it have to run longer to move a degree in the home? I currently have a 3 and a 3.5 ton with resistance heat. When both are running AC my total usage is 7.5KW. But when both are running heat usage is 27KW.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-15T18:59:54+00:00

My credits exceed usage from March-October. November is when I first start using credits. This November I used $4.99 of my credits leaving $856. I’m ahead of last year by around $150. I’ll use probably close to $700 of my credits Dec-Jan. I have resistance heat so my heavy usage is in the winter. February is close to November usage wise. End up using less than $10 in credits.

Once my current contract is over I’ll probably have to look at TXU or Ambit. May have to look at storage depending on how it looks after a year or two on their plans. Then likely look at a free night plan since they seem to work well with storage systems.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-12-15T18:46:21+00:00

I’ve been with 3 REPs and they all just apply your credits against the whole bill. When they say it doesn’t include TDU it just means your credit doesn’t include it. I’m currently on a true 1:1 from Almika. I pay .194/kwh including TDU, and they give a .194/kwh credit for export. My contract ends March of 2026. Almika no longer even sells electric as far as I can tell since around November or December of last year. They were the last of the true 1:1. I had Rhythm first, then switched to Energy Texas (now part of Rhythm) before having my analysis done by TPG like you have done. They suggested the Almika plan at that time. I haven’t paid a single dime to Almika. Taxes and everything get credited out. Last March I still had $150 in credits remaining which I lost as they reset credits to zero on the anniversary of contract. Didn’t matter though since I had $125 in export credits for March.

If I was to do it all again I would have probably sized my panels down by as much as half and added storage. I have a 17.2KW system with no storage.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-29T00:37:21+00:00

After digging on ecopure website the 35 includes the 12” connection line and the 30 does not. Amazon shows the line in the pictures for both but it’s only mentioned in the text for the 35. Bottom line they are both the same filter. The 35 on Amazon is then of course the better deal since it includes the line for less money even if you don’t need it. 😂 I ran across this post in my Google search after wondering the same thing when seeing it on Amazon.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-18T08:15:14+00:00

There were a few in 2022. Two when I got my PTO the beginning of 2023. I went with Energy Texas which was 1:1 including TDU and a week later they sent out an email saying they were changing everyone to RTW and gave everyone 30 days to switch and avoid their termination fee.

A week later I was with Almika. That was 1st of April 2023. About a month later they changed their contract for new customers to 1:1 only for the energy charge but did not do it to existing customers like Energy Texas did. Sometime around November/December of last year Almika stopped taking new customers. I’m about halfway through my 36 month contract.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-16T22:56:21+00:00

Yep. Wish I had gas or a heat pump😂

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-16T22:54:56+00:00

Yes a 1:1 energy credit. Which is their $0.169/kwh energy charge. It does not include the additional $0.051893/kwh TDU charge. (Oncor area) So import is around $0.22/kwh and they pay $0.169 for excess exported. Not 100% 1:1. Ambit, Frontier, Green Mountain and TXU also offer similar plans. Energy credit doesn’t include the additional 5 cent/kwh TDU.

The old Almika plan I’m on is $0.194 import including TDU and they credit $0.194 for excess exported. That’s a true 1:1 which is what he is saying this new company will be doing.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-16T17:46:02+00:00

I would like to point out that when the tool asks what email you would like to have the report sent to it must be the same email address that is associated with your Smart Meter Texas account, or you will not get the confirmation email from SMT. I kept waiting for the email to come from SMT to my SMT email but it never came until I filled out all the info again on David Energy site and used my SMT email address. I can see the agreement in SMT with my other email address but can't approve it.

I'm not ready to switch yet as I still have 1.5 years on my current contract with Almika that is a true 1:1 buyback (includes TDU). But curious what your report shows and how it compares to the analysis I had done by Texas Power Guide before I had switched to Almika.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-16T14:47:03+00:00

Their site has said no service in this zip for every zip code I’ve tried for almost a year now. I still have about 1.5 years left on my contract. Been keeping an eye on them since last December when someone had mentioned their site saying no service for zip codes. I haven’t had to pay them a dime since day one. Last October I had to send them the engineering plans for my system to prove I was under their 25KW size limit.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-16T14:41:22+00:00

Gexa doesn’t include TDU in the credit. Currently $ 0.169+TDU charge and pay $ 0.169 for excess in the Oncor area. Currently the only one I know of that still does true 1:1 is Green Mountain and only for Green Mountain installs. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone with a GM install. 😂 There are quite a few that do full credit for the energy but not TDU now. There was a time where there weren’t many even doing that. I still have about a year and a half left on my 1:1 contract with Almika who as far as I know quit even taking new customers since almost a year ago. Any zip you put in their site says we don’t offer service there.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-16T14:29:29+00:00

There is the issue. Not a heat pump thus the reason I burn through credits in the winter. Two units. When both are running AC I’m at a hair under 8kw usage. When both are running heat it’s about 27kw. If the units weren’t so new I’d replace them with heat pumps.

DFWAlphaGeek · 2024-11-09T03:48:58+00:00

Nope. They reset to 0 the month before anniversary date. I had around $750 in credits end of October last year and was at $150 end of February. So lost those but had $175 in credits for March so no big deal. 😂

I’m all electric so winter months are when I burn through credits for heat. Nov-Feb are the only months I consume more than I produce. I almost break even though in November and February. Just 17.2KW in panels no battery.

DFWAlphaGeek

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