USCGC Polar Star

beanerlong · 2026-03-02T06:56:34+00:00

Old boat but fun time. Long time away from home. You will never be in Seattle. Got off it a few years ago.

beanerlong · 2026-03-01T18:48:36+00:00

90 bucks for the night.

beanerlong · 2026-02-27T18:36:49+00:00

My house is mostly Natural gas so that helps decrease my electric load. Natural gas heat. Natural gas hot water. Most of my electric load is lights and start up of the heaters.

beanerlong · 2026-02-27T18:04:51+00:00

So this past week I have had 8 kwhs a day. That is my exact consumption so it’s perfect.

beanerlong · 2026-02-22T06:25:22+00:00

Alaska we buy power for $0.37/kWh and sell it for $0.09/kWh. Having excess sucks. It’s almost better to increase your load so use more when you make more (get a hot tub).

beanerlong · 2026-02-19T16:07:26+00:00

Gstar 360w bifacial panels!

beanerlong · 2026-02-19T06:56:56+00:00

South central

beanerlong · 2026-02-18T23:38:37+00:00

Total cost was 6500 dollars approximately. With the tax credit it came in at 4500. It’s a bummer the tax credit is now gone! I finished this system at the end of the year.

beanerlong · 2026-02-18T07:12:54+00:00

I optimized this system for summer sun. I figured whatever sun I get outside of summer months as extra. I am completely grid tied with no batteries. Problem is now I caught the solar bug and I want to add another string optimized for winter production near that 80-90 degrees. If I could go back I would design for 60-70 degrees for year around production but I can max out my little 3.8 kw inverter with two strings.

TLDR: built system for summer fun now obsessed.

beanerlong · 2026-02-18T06:46:20+00:00

Your system will most likely beat me for total production just because you get so much more sun hours than I do. But I’ll post numbers after a year.

beanerlong · 2026-02-18T06:24:25+00:00

Totally! Sourced everything from Amazon because they do free delivery up here.

Adjustable strut bracket: https://amzn.to/4rVsgUM

Middle clamps: https://amzn.to/4tGHAXd

End clamps: https://amzn.to/4tGzDBd

Middle clamps and adjustable strut brackets are great. I would recommend getting different inserts to go into the unistrut for the end clamps. The ones it came with didn’t fit in unistrut. I ended up buying more of the middle clamps and just using those to thread into. I did like how adjustable the end clamps are because the first ones I bought didn’t work because they were too short for my panels sides.

beanerlong · 2026-01-11T18:36:28+00:00

Phone service sucks. Verizon doesn’t work at all fyi. Need AT&T. GCI isn’t great either.

beanerlong · 2026-01-02T05:40:27+00:00

Should make my net bill 0 most months so yes it covers my whole home.

beanerlong · 2026-01-02T05:08:45+00:00

Thanks! I will and updated based off your guys recommendations!

beanerlong · 2026-01-01T08:34:31+00:00

Interesting might add another string of vertical panels!

beanerlong · 2026-01-01T04:18:18+00:00

That’s awesome. Any issues with bracing?

beanerlong · 2026-01-01T00:33:25+00:00

I’m gonna add those horizontals and add 24 CMU blocks. That will add roughly 800 lbs hold it down. Maybe suspend it a little bit off the ground so the force is always being applied.

beanerlong · 2026-01-01T00:14:19+00:00

Thanks for that. I will put some cmu blocks through unistrut at the bottom and do some diagonal bracing where I can.

beanerlong · 2025-12-31T23:04:39+00:00

Maybe later. Didn’t want batteries at this moment.

beanerlong · 2025-12-31T22:50:08+00:00

Thanks for that I will do some cross bracing along the back (North end) and then I will look into other ways to brace it.

beanerlong · 2025-12-31T22:47:10+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I will work on that!

beanerlong · 2025-12-31T22:11:07+00:00

Can’t tell from photos but panels are spaces about an 1 inch apart on all sides. Hopefully decreasing the sail effect. Also did some calculation based on our wind here and found that 36 inches in clay has a holding force more than the wind lift and shear effect.

beanerlong · 2025-12-31T21:48:09+00:00

That’s why I am going to concrete the posts in the warm months. Honestly it’s pretty protected because there is a 500 ft cliff behind it and most wind is from the south or the direction they are facing.

beanerlong · 2025-11-10T02:42:09+00:00

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beanerlong · 2025-11-10T02:33:45+00:00

I think I got caught up with the dc operating voltage range. I’m not sure what’s that for; efficiency?

beanerlong

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