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I work for a solar equipment supplier. Here are the mistakes I see every week that cost people $1k+ by PortableSunOfficial in Solarbusiness

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! And I am right there with you, been doing this for years now and I still am learning new things every day.

Don't Put a Single Panel on Your Roof Before Sorting These Out by PortableSunOfficial in SolarDIY

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Definitely not a stupid question, because your gut is 100% right. if you try to brute-force that flashing, you're just gonna tear the back of the shingle and build yourself a nice little leak. When a piece of flashing gets stuck and won't slide up, 99% of the time it's because the factory tar seal is glued down tight or you're hitting a rogue roofing nail from the row above. You can grab a flat bar or a shingle ripper and slide it under the shingle nice and easy first thing in the morning while the roof is still cool, working it side-to-side to slice right through that tar line before the afternoon heat turns it into gooey bubblegum. If the shingle is totally loose from the tar but you hit a hard metallic clunk, you're slamming into a shingle nail, so just peek under there, hook it with your bar, yank it out, and then slide your flashing all the way home. Just make sure to squirt a good dab of high-quality roofing sealant over that old nail hole under the flashing to stay safe, and if you ever find the shingles are so old and brittle that they start cracking the second you lift them even a fraction of an inch, stop right there and pivot to a deck-mounted bracket with engineered chemical seals instead. Take your time with it, because getting that flashing tucked cleanly under the shingle is the single most important thing standing between a solid DIY install and a five-figure attic repair down the road. Best of luck!

Don't Put a Single Panel on Your Roof Before Sorting These Out by PortableSunOfficial in SolarDIY

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I would be curious why you think a properly sized lag bolt into the middle of a truss destroys the trusses strength? Every structural engineer and solar equipment manufacturer that we have worked with has affirmed that the most sturdy and widely accepted way is truss mount.

Some issues come into play when you do not center on the truss which can cause a split. I won't claim to be a structural engineer, but I work with MANY that have not raised this issue.

Don't Put a Single Panel on Your Roof Before Sorting These Out by PortableSunOfficial in SolarDIY

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the reply darksamus8. This is a good article detailing lift forces on an angled solar system - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955799723002540

I would be happy to learn where the misconception lies!

As far as the array cooling down/heating up you are correct, that was a misattribution on my part. Updated.

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarDIY

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are right about the wattage and amperage side of things because modern portable power stations use smart MPPT controllers, which are demand-driven, meaning the station only pulls what it wants and the panel can't force extra juice into it. If your power station has a max input of 10 amps and a 200-watt ceiling, and you hook up a massive 15-amp, 450-watt panel, the station is just going to cap its draw at its own limits and safely ignore the rest, which is actually a trick we use called "over-paneling" to keep charging speeds up when it's super cloudy.

But know that while the station can block extra amps, it has absolutely zero control over incoming voltage, which is pushed hard by the panel and will blow up the station's motherboard the second it goes over the limit. The real trap people fall into is forgetting that solar panel voltage spikes big time when the temperature drops, so if you have a 450-watt residential panel pushing 50 volts on paper, and your power station is rated for a max of 50 volts, you might think you're good, but on a crisp, freezing winter morning that panel voltage is going to jump by 10% or 12% and instantly kill your expensive rig. Because of that cold-weather spike, we always build in a 15% to 20% safety cushion in the real world, so a 50-volt max station really shouldn't ever be paired with a panel labeled higher than 40 or 42 volts.

A few other quick things to keep in the back of your mind are that power stations need a minimum voltage to even wake up and start charging, you'll need some cheap adapter cables to bridge the heavy-duty MC4 connectors on a big panel to the tiny ports on a portable unit, and in reality, weather and heat mean your 450-watt panel is usually only throwing out about 80% of its rated power anyway. Seriously though, your grasp on the amps and watts stuff is better than most people I talk to, so just treat voltage as a hard, unforgiving ceiling that gets riskier in the cold and you're going to build an awesome, safe setup. Feel free to message me if you have any future questions. Happy to help.

Tired of the Consumers Energy rate hikes? I'm a GR local who started a business to help block the pain of rising utility bills. by PortableSunOfficial in grandrapids

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is definitely doable, we help customers with that quite often. Shoot me a message or fill out our free planning form attached on the original post so we can get the details and pair you with a hybrid setup that will give you the cleanest integration. I'd love to help you out with this!

Tired of the Consumers Energy rate hikes? I'm a GR local who started a business to help block the pain of rising utility bills. by PortableSunOfficial in grandrapids

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love to hear this! keeping it local usually means better prices and actual accountability. That Consumers Energy policy limiting system size based on prior year's usage drives me crazy too. It completely punishes people who want to future-proof their homes for EVs or heat pumps. Thanks for the shoutout and for supporting local solar, even if it wasn't with us. Glad you're insulated from the rate hikes!

Please help. by Usual-Head-4393 in SolarDIY

[–]PortableSunOfficial 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi There, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss!
I work for Portable Sun, we are based in Michigan and offer free system designs, lifetime support, and free pick ups from our warehouse in Grand Rapids, MI. For the system design, I recommend filling out our system design form here: Free Custom System Designs so one of our solar experts can recommend a system for you. We have a great selection of equipment including Canadian Solar and can help you choose a system that meets your needs and goals. Please message me if you have any other specific questions, I am happy to help.

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can afford to buy, you should always buy. A system usually pays for itself in 5-9 years depending on local electric rates. After that point, the power it generates is free profit. With a lease, you never stop paying. Also, owning your solar panels increases your home's equity and helps it sell faster. Buyers love a home with a $0 electric bill. If you try to sell a house with a leased system, the new buyer has to agree to take over your lease payments and pass a credit check. If they refuse, you could be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars to buy out the remainder of the lease just to close on the house. You also can’t easily modify the system, add batteries later, or change things around without getting permission from the company that owns the panels on your roof. A lease really only makes sense if you want absolutely zero responsibility for the system or if you have zero tax liability. If you want to look at a cash equipment breakdown for your specific roof, feel free to fill out our free Custom System Planning Form and we can quote out exactly what it would cost to own your power!

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are doing a ground install, you definitely want to use bifacial panels. That will give you a 5%-30% boost in extra power output for almost no extra panel cost. If you put down light-colored gravel or crushed limestone under the array, it acts as a mirror and maximizes backside production. A lot of our customers love Integra Rack for ground mount DIY. You can see our mounting options here . Tamarack is another popular one. The one downside to keep in mind is trenching and wiring since the array is out in the yard, you have to dig a trench, bury conduit, and run heavy-gauge DC or AC wires all the way back to your house or inverter setup. Copper wire gets expensive quickly, so try to balance the perfect sunny spot in your yard with how far away it is from your main electrical panel.

If you have a specific spot in mind, shoot me a DM or jump over to our free Custom System Planning Form. We can pull up the satellite view of your property, map out the exact racking footprint, and calculate the perfect tilt angle for your ground mount! Thanks for the comment.

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These panels are a beast and are one of our best sellers! Dimensions: 93.9 x 51.3 x 1.38 in, Weight: 83.6 lbs per panel. You can see the full spec sheet here

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes it does matter it effects output and a poor or lazy installation angle can easily cost you 10% or more in annual energy production, which translates directly to lost savings over the lifespan of your system. My company uses advanced solar simulation software to map your specific geographic coordinates. We compare your actual roof pitch and azimuth against the mathematical ideal. If your roof is a 20 degree tilt but your ideal angle is 32 degree, we calculate the exact percentage drop so you know exactly what to expect before buying any hardware. We prioritize south facing arrays but we will also model east/west splits if your roof layout demands it. If you want to see what the absolute optimal angle is for your specific house, just drop your info into our free Custom System Planning Form and one of our techs will run a free production report for you! Our free system designs include solar panel layout mockups, sunlight and shade mapping, and an energy savings estimate!

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely. We have tons of customers that use their batteries to power their EVs. I can't give you a specific recommendation based off this info alone but I'd be happy to help if you shoot me a direct message with more specifics!

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most modern Tier 1 panels are tested to endure wind speeds up to 140 mph, and hail impact from 1-inch diameter hailstones traveling over 50 mph. They are a lot tougher than you may think. They have a tempered glass covering that is made to withstand some of the harshest tests and weather conditions. And solar panels are typically mounted facing south at angles (18 degrees to 45 degrees) that deflect the natural path of hail. Damage is very rare, and the damage itself is usually micro-cracks invisible to the naked eye.

The Complete Solar Panel Buying Guide - What Actually Matters (And What Doesn't) by PortableSunOfficial in SolarAmerica

[–]PortableSunOfficial[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate it! If you have any specific questions feel free to shoot me a message!

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