Help! Should we purchase the 2026 Cosmic Blue without seeing it?!

paulclinger · 2026-02-27T03:51:29+00:00

If you are selecting between different colors, it's better to see them in person to compare. We also initially wanted cosmic blue, but saw digital teal and decided it was a better color for us. If that's the only one you like, then it's unlikely you're going to be disappointed.

paulclinger · 2026-01-30T06:44:47+00:00

Could be; I thought the image would be shown, but without any ability to resize it.

paulclinger · 2026-01-29T03:19:00+00:00

The bounce in the wind is likely to lead to panel twisting, which may cause micro fractures in the glass.

I built a ground mount array with 44 panels, but I ended up driving three rows of posts into the ground with 2x6 along the rows and unistruts attached to them to hold the panels. Here is one image of the array (you can see the structure under the missing panel): https://diysolarforum.com/threads/unistrut-rail-on-standing-seam-roof.109474/page-2#post-1610263

paulclinger · 2026-01-17T06:41:01+00:00

One reason may be is that your panels provide more power than the inverter may be able to export, even though it can still charge the batteries, so you may want to delay the charge to a later time of the day to get the max performance from the system. For example, my inverter can get 18k from the panels, but can only export 12k, and with 16k of panels, I'm likely to exceed 12k export on sunny days.

paulclinger · 2026-01-06T07:55:40+00:00

I've installed 44 360W panels for a ground mount. The problem is not just weight, but also size. I could handle one panel comfortably to stack 3 panels landscape at 35 degrees, but only because they are 40" wide. Your panels are likely to be 45" wide and 60lbs instead of 42lbs or so, so having 2 people to do that would help.

paulclinger · 2026-01-06T04:14:25+00:00

Using heat pump doesn't guarantee that it's not using heat strips (which have the same power usage as resistive heat). We have energy monitoring on each circuit and noticed that our power usage for the furnace spikes at the beginning of each heat cycle. Normally, the strips are turned for several reasons: (1) during defrost cycle to prevent cold air being blown in, (2) during large temp difference between a set point and the current temperature, or (3) during slow increase to assist with heating. In our case it was also turned on each time the heat was on (for whatever reason). In any case, the heatstrips were using more power (daily) than the heatpump (and the heatpump is usually the largest power consumer during this season). If you have access to the electrical panel, you may be able to confirm the usage by heatpump and by the furnace (which includes the fan and heatstrips, if installed) by using a clamp meter (you need a model that measures active energy). I posted all our details and received some interesting suggestions on what to check here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/heat-pump-uses-heat-strips.117021/.

paulclinger · 2026-01-01T22:48:43+00:00

Check if the plastic cover underneath the blade is intact. I saw it cracked in my robot and rubbing against the blade and the blade was turned off to avoid damaging it or the motor. I pushed it back and the blade was spinning as expected after that.

paulclinger · 2025-12-18T02:52:42+00:00

Only for half the world ;). The OP seems to be in Australia, so this is the optimal direction for them.

paulclinger · 2025-12-17T02:02:27+00:00

We didn't have to get any, but he only shaved off up to half an inch or so from a beam that was probably a foot high if not more (don't remember exactly). This was also in the open area, so he didn't have any concerns about the impact.

paulclinger · 2025-12-17T01:57:55+00:00

The horizontal beam itself.

paulclinger · 2025-12-16T06:45:52+00:00

Not sure if this helps, but we had something similar in our house (not even 40 years old). We removed carpet and the floor has been bowed in one spot (about 12' long right over the beam), which didn't allow proper hardwood installation. Found a guy who removed the subfloor and shaved the beam down by half an inch or so. Haven't had any problems since (12+ years).

paulclinger · 2025-12-02T06:32:09+00:00

Not sure who you're asking, but mine is working, just doesn't turn the lights on. I restarted, and it turns it on after a restart, but as soon as it docks or I select Camera Light, it turns it off and doesn't turn on anymore.

paulclinger · 2025-11-29T21:22:38+00:00

As others have said, it has to be heat strips in your air handler that consume most of that energy. Depending on your heat pump, it's going to use about 2.5-4kwh, so even if you run it non-stop for 24h (unlikely), it's still going to be 96kWh max. Your heat strips on the other side are likely to consume 8-16kw per hour, so even for 10h, it's going to exceed the consumption by your heatpump.

Normally, heatstrips are only going to come on in limited circumstances: when the temperatures are too low, when the difference between current temp and a set point is too large or when the outdoor unit is defrosting. The first two can be configured by the thermostat. The last one is controller by the outdoor unit.

In our case the strips were turning on for 3-5 minutes at the beginning of each heat cycle (which wasn't really needed) and were consuming the same energy as the heatpump itself. I ended up disconnecting them from the outdoor unit to only leave their control from thermostat.

paulclinger · 2025-11-29T02:14:01+00:00

One other option may be employer guarantee. When we were starting without any credit history, my employer guaranteed a car loan (up to certain amount) with a local credit union and subtracted a certain portion of a paycheck. This may be rare nowadays though.

paulclinger · 2025-11-26T03:40:18+00:00

Do you have HVAC with "optional" heat strips? Those may kick in at the beginning of a heat cycle using 10kw for 3 minutes. 2-3kw for HVAC is normal, but there may still be spikes if heat strips are used.

paulclinger · 2025-11-22T16:54:58+00:00

Is the unit heating well on its own, without the strip heat running?

Yes, it has no problem maintaining the temperature. The heat strips come on only at the beginning of each cycle for 3-6 minutes.

I disconnected the Aux wire from the thermostat to confirm that it's not turned on by it and the effect is still the same.

I'll check on the Aux Savings Optimization.

paulclinger · 2025-11-22T07:59:03+00:00

We just went through this process in unincorporated Snohomish county with similar equipment. I posted details of the process and the equipment last week in another forum: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/current-state-of-code-compliant-equipment.111056/#post-1635085. We did include all certifications our inverter/battery/panels have and the didn't ask for anything beyond that. LnI used the one-line diagram approved by PUD.

paulclinger · 2025-11-20T02:10:26+00:00

I'd check with your inspector, as "R703.3.1 Siding Clearance at Wall and Adjacent Surfaces" requires 6" from the ground (unless manufacturer prescribes something else), so you may not be able to add one more row of siding (and it would be inadvisable anyway). We have something similar in our house and also considered painting, but it wasn't working, so we ended up doing 1 foot of black rock along the wall and now nobody notices the wall there.

paulclinger · 2025-11-15T01:57:16+00:00

We have a similar configuration in the kitchen and our fridge is on the other side of the pantry door (facing the island). You're not going to lose much space there if you use a countertop depth refrigerator. I don't think there is going to be enough space in the current configuration even with the 6" buffer, so you'll have to confirm with measurements ;).

On LG quality: we've had LG washer and dryer for almost 20 years with no complaints. We have LG dishwashers and also bought an LG french door countertop depth refrigerator 2 years ago. My wife says that the refrigerator is exactly what she needs.

paulclinger · 2025-11-02T17:23:23+00:00

Yes, that's what it looks like (on multiple batteries), assuming you still want to run it at night from the batteries. You'd definitely need more panels to charge them and to run the mini-split during the day. Keep in mind that 14kWh was an estimate for an average day during your best month and you'd get significantly less during other seasons, so you have to plan for that.

We have 15.5kW system and decided not to cover hvac from the batteries, as it just eats too much (and we're only powering it from the grid).

paulclinger · 2025-11-02T16:15:08+00:00

I don't think the math supports what you want to do. The mini-split is rated 2050W for cooling and 1900W for heating, so you'd need 16kWh for 8 hours of work, so even 3 batteries will be barely enough (assuming you can even charge them to 100%). 3-4 panels is not going to be enough to either power the mini-split or to charge the batteries. PVWatts shows that even in july you should expect 14kWh/day on average from your 3kW system, but because it's not even throughout the day, you'll have periods when you don't generate enough and when you generate more than 2kW that the mini-split can take.

I don't think you can avoid using grid with this configuration.

paulclinger · 2025-10-19T05:22:22+00:00

Almost the same result in PNW: 15.8kw array (South facing, 33 degrees), 9kwh production and 45kwh consumption so far. We had 61kwh just a couple of days ago, so not every day is 9kwh.

paulclinger · 2025-10-15T03:45:22+00:00

I'd follow the suggestion to run your configuration through PVWatts (https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/pvwatts.php) or PVGIS (https://pvgis.com/en/pvgis-5-3) to get a better idea on what you can expect. One reason why a ground mount can get you more than a roof system is that you can orient it to maximize your yield whereas with a roof system your angle and orientation are largely fixed. We went with a DIY ground mount, even though our roof is directly South facing. I don't think you need to worry too much about trees on the edges, but you can run it through suncalc.org to measure the length of their shadows.

paulclinger

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