Low tech solar on the cheap

[billvon 3,058]

So after Otay went from solar to 100% generator I found myself with some extra solar-PV panels. Rather than have them sit in my garage I figured I'd give them to a neighbor for a solar power system. It was to be a decidedly low-tech approach - 2x4 mounting racks (painted with the help of their 4 year old daughter) some Chinese inverters I had been testing for another project, and several visits to Home Depot for hardware and wire.

Results are below. It's 90% finished. I still have to get the wiring on the roof in conduit and cover the inverter box, but they're producing power. They can hit about 500 watts on a sunny day, which should be about 90 kilowatt-hours a month, or about 25% of what a house like theirs uses. I figure it will cut down on their electric bill while getting those panels out of my garage.

[Beachbum 0]

no batteries anywhere??

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[skydiverbry 0]

Wherw do you plug it in at

Bry

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[riddler 0]

Hey Bill,

I guess cheap is relative to getting free panels, which are still the large chunk of cost of solar right now. Do you have any ideas how the rest of us can get hand-me-down panels for free? The things last 20-25 years, so if anyone wants to throw out old panels after 10 years, I'll take 'em

Heck, I should just move next door to you

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[billvon 3,058]

>no batteries anywhere??

Nope, just feeds power back when the sun is out, shuts down at night.

[ryoder 1,590]

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Heck, I should just move next door to you

Dammit, you beat me to it.
Well, I'll buy the house on his left, and you can buy the one on his right.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[popsjumper 2]

er.....you don't have any county building/fire code inspectors in the neighborhood, do you?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[JohnMitchell 16]

Wish I had those.

Are they fastened to the roof or just laying there? I was thinking ahead to the next big wind storm.

[squirrel 0]

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So after Otay went from solar to 100% generator

so why did they go this way? not enough solar power? didnt like batteries?

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Where is Darwin when you need him?

[billvon 3,058]

>Are they fastened to the roof or just laying there?

Attached to doubled 2x4's, which are attached to the joists on steel standoffs.