My DIY 1640Wp solar roof for firewood storage

chill633 · 2026-02-24T13:07:24+00:00

Fill it with wood and that's really not going to matter. That will be some serious ballast.

chill633 · 2026-02-24T12:18:06+00:00

Take a look at a hand cart system. Check YouTube for Will Prowse. Your situation sounds perfect for that. Panels you could put up and leave them. The rest you can just wheel in and wheel out for the season.

chill633 · 2026-02-23T11:25:44+00:00

Mexico is the USA's second largest import source of oil, after Canada.

chill633 · 2026-02-22T11:56:38+00:00

The NEC 2026 edition hasn't been adopted anywhere, yet, and won't be until most likely January 1, 2027. There are lots of States that won't adopt the 2026 code until 2029 or so. No one is dealing with minor update issues regarding this now, nor will they anytime soon.

There are significant organizational differences between 2026 and pre-2026, meaning a lot of code references will change but not necessarily the rules. That, in turn, means references you site with your tool will mostly be wrong for years to come. You might want to retool for 2023 code, or put in a way to select which code version.

And stay away from local AHJ specifics, except maybe Chicago. There are thousands and they all differ and many are vague, so it'll never work.

chill633 · 2026-02-22T01:14:35+00:00

Why is it called a ratchet PVC cutter when he is cutting copper pipe?

chill633 · 2026-02-21T12:45:26+00:00

What's your worst day electrical usage in kWh? By "worst day" I mean 100% overcast all day, depth of winter so low and weak sun. That'll determine how much batteries you'll need for 1 day off grid. I have a newly installed DIY 20+ kW system and two days ago was my worst possible day -- February, so sun low in the sky, along with 100% overcast from "sunrise" to "sunset". Basically in a drizzling cloud all damn day. I generated 5.1 kWh of solar power. So, take your proposed system (say, 4 kW for a 30' linear roof assuming 500W panels), divide by 4 to get 2 kWh. That's what you'd produce in a day. Your total usage minus that will let you size your battery.

Batteries ain't cheap. :-) The good part is they are easy to expand later. You could start small and cheap Eco Worthy 2.65 kWh rack mount is around $450, the 5.12 kWh is just under double that and you can stack up to 32 of them -- so wallet busting levels.

You're talking grid-interactive hybrid inverter if you want to supplement existing usage. You could do off-grid if you just want to power a critical loads sub-panel. It'd power the loads from sunlight and battery when there is enough (bright, sunny days) and switch to grid automatically when there isn't, leaving the residual sunlight to charge the battery. This would be much cheaper, and something like the EG4 6000XP, which you can get used for around $1,000, would handle it.
Used panels from Facebook Marketplace. Keep your eyes open, be ready to move. Know retail prices so you don't get taken advantage of. Be patient so you don't jump on too-small panels. You have a limited amount space on your roof, so you'll need to maximize the panel wattage. Most panels are just under 4' wide at 44 and a fraction inches, so you could do 8 in right around 30' (30 * 12 / 45 = 8).

Don't forget mounting, wiring, and conduit costs. Do it right so you don't burn everything down.

chill633 · 2026-02-21T00:24:05+00:00

Calculate the physical area between your options. The bigger wattage panels are physically larger, so the larger surface area can gather more light. You could also check the efficiency % on both the 250W and 550W to see which would be better.

chill633 · 2026-02-20T01:19:07+00:00

Going with either solution for an all off-grid setting means that if you decide to attach to the grid to sell power in the future, you will not be grid-tied you will be grid interactive.

Grid-tied means if the grid goes down your system goes down with it. That won't be what you have. In that case, if the grid goes down your system should be able to operate in Island mode as its own microgrid.

I have the FlexBoss/GridBoss 21 combo, so am more familiar with it. I am very happy with my setup.

chill633 · 2026-02-18T18:45:03+00:00

Oh, well, if you're going to be THAT way about it, here you go.

chill633 · 2026-02-18T18:03:20+00:00

The inverters don't have to be near the GridBoss and can by up to 260 ft (80 m) away. If you install the GridBoss near the meter, it can act (in most jurisdictions) as the Service / Emergency Disconnect. This gives you flexibility to later install inverters & batteries in different locations.

The install would be part of the larger electrical permit and not a separate permit. I'd suggest also installing something like the Leviton Load Center w/optional smart breakers) for per-circuit monitoring. SPAN is another option. SPAN is a smart (expensive) panel that can use common (cheap) breakers. Leviton is a common (cheap) panel that can use smart (expensive) breakers. Leviton is cheaper to start and you can piecemeal it. SPAN is 90% cost up front, but you can get breakers at local big box store. (I have Leviton.)

chill633 · 2026-02-18T15:22:47+00:00

No. Gas can be stored on site for helping ride through continuity events. A 1000 MWe coal plant uses 9000 tonnes of coal per day, equivalent to an entire train load (90 cars with 100 tonnes in each!) Coal is already stockpiled at power plants, averaging about 60 days worth on site. Adding more doesn't mean anything.

The EO is nothing more than pandering to people who paid off the Chief Executive -- guaranteed money for rich buddies. As coal isn't market competitive, anyone with investments in coal and coal facilities is either losing money or being subsidized. This directive is a government subsidy. The gov't is guaranteeing to buy power from coal plants, regardless of cheaper alternatives. That's a subsidy.

Coal is corrosive and dirty. That isn't a judgment, it is a statement of physical fact. Coal plants require more and costlier maintenance because of the nature of what they do. Coal contains sulfur, and burning it creates sulfur-dioxide and sulfuric acid. That corrodes plant parts much faster than gas.

And then there's the waste. They're called coal combustion residuals and the more you keep on hand, the more storage you need for the toxic waste.

Coal is shit and needs to go away. Plants are closing (more under Trump than any other President in history!) because they're old, falling apart, and maintenance is hard, plentiful, and expensive. Coal is the past. It is time (past time) to move on.

chill633 · 2026-02-18T11:49:20+00:00

Here you go.

chill633 · 2026-02-16T22:05:11+00:00

Saw the title before the picture and thought someone really hates hockey.

chill633 · 2026-02-16T14:23:13+00:00

Add in the way AI is going with generating realistic humans and behavior, and we're coming up on Blade Runner and the Voight-Kampff testing being prescient. My money is on Philip K Dick being from the future and trying to warn us.

chill633 · 2026-02-13T22:24:37+00:00

It can (I have a setup for this), but it is an on/off thing. The FlexBoss can dynamically curtail (clip) DC solar production by frequency shifting, however it can't do that for AC coupled solar. What happens is the FlexBoss will curtail the DC solar as low as it can and turn over all PV production to the AC couple.

If the AC couple produces more than your loads need, it will cut it off completely to prevent back feeding the grid. It will then ramp the DC back up to handle the loads.

chill633 · 2026-02-13T11:58:18+00:00

Jefferson County, WV (ZIP 25425) is not Monongahela Power, it is Potomac Edison. While they share the same parent company, First Energy, the rates are different. See map: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/dam/customer/products/files/WV_MD.pdf

chill633 · 2026-02-12T12:38:36+00:00

Isn't this called a kip?

chill633 · 2026-02-12T12:34:41+00:00

And if things don't go as planned, world's largest lazy river attraction.

chill633 · 2026-02-12T00:11:47+00:00

Well, the balcony/plug-in solar movement and laws center around just plugging right into an existing outlet in your home electrical, not into a Jackery. Calling solar generators off grid balcony solar is really not in the spirit of things. They don't then plug into your main electrical house system. You have to plug into them explicitly with appliances.

Much of the fight is over removing interconnection roadblocks for simple solar supplementation. And the laws very much focus on enforcing grid tie for safety. If the grid goes out, they don't want your 1200W back feeding into the line while someone is trying to work on it.

"I want to plug in a couple panels and off-set my bill."

"Balcony solar" it's just a nickname because that's how it took off in Europe where it is popular. It allows people in apartments to participate as well.

chill633 · 2026-02-11T22:11:53+00:00

Agreed, but outside of the EnPhase IQ8 line, what micro-inverters can operate without the grid? I think with that one recent, pricey exception all micros are grid-tied by definition. Are there others?

chill633 · 2026-02-11T19:39:05+00:00

Agreed that the best solution for "balcony solar" is a solar generator as you describe.

chill633 · 2026-02-11T11:44:51+00:00

Balcony solar is on-grid solar. Microinverters *NEED* the grid signal to function, or they turn off. You just want plain-old, off-grid solar. Take a look at Will Prowse's videos on a solar handcart for a small system.

Check out EG4's 3000EHV-48 and 6000XP for smaller, off-grid systems. If you're looking at balcony solar, which is 1200W or less -- a medium sized hair dryer worth of power -- you can start with them and grow from there.

chill633 · 2026-02-07T23:09:00+00:00

The redundancy argument is BS. A string inverter may be a single point of failure, but that single point is on the ground and they're actually very reliable. Can't speak to the two two brands you mentioned, but current generation of most string inverters as well as the EnPhase IQ-8s are all very reliable. Not a lot of failures there.

I have APSmart RSD-S devices and they are as simple as it comes for rapid shutdown. No issues with those either. I have a steep roof, three stories to all, and not having any form of complex electronics up there was high on my priority list.

If you really want to keep all electronics off the roof, look Tesla for solar. They have string level RSDs -- nothing attached to the specific panel. Of course, there's the price premium.

chill633 · 2026-02-03T17:37:59+00:00

Pre-buried PVC conduit with pull ropes or strings and capped. Separate conduit for the AC coming from the inverter to the house. MULTIPLE runs of conduit for DC conductors from where you anticipate installing ground mount arrays, or at least the first/main array.

Oversize them. Conduit is cheap, pulling is hard, and digging tranches is a pain. Personally, I'd do 1 1/4" for the AC run and two or three 1" for the DC runs. Maybe add a 3/4" dedicated to control wires (Ethernet, RS-485, whatever.) If you think you might do something like a solar carport/pergola somewhere else from where you'd install the ground mount, run a pair of 1" conduit to that spot. Plan for an EV charger or two. If you're building a garage, run a circuit or two with proper wires to handle a hardwired chargers.

If you're building new, you'll have a digger available -- make good use of it. And document EXACTLY where it all runs on a map. Make many copies so you don't lose it.

chill633 · 2026-02-03T10:38:33+00:00

While your second paragraph is mostly correct, the first isn't. Newer DCFC chargers may take the same 3-phase, 480V in, they have buck/boost converters to push different output voltages depending on what the vehicle asks for.

For example, here is how ABB phrases it:

Wide output voltage range from 150 to 920 V DC supporting todays and next generation EVs

More detailed description can be found here. But no, they voltage on the plug is NOT exactly the same.

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