nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Another huge benefit to string systems moving forward with panel prices dropping and NEM fading away is using different orientations to maximize production during different periods of the day or season. Our last install was ~12.8kW on a 10kW inverter. Typically oversizing by ~1.3 would experience some clipping but this consists of 3 strings facing different directions. Each string will be able to output without clipping at different times of the year or day.
We took advantage of cheap panels to add ~12kW to a friends system for <$4k. More clipping but A LOT more production. 12kW of micro inverters alone would have cost >$6k. And the energy that is clipped is ~worthless anyway since it would have been exported and he gets no credit for exports.
IMHO vertically mounted panels is going to be the next big thing in solar. If you have a string inverter with an empty MPPT channel adding a string vertically on a west facing wall or fence to collect that sweet sweet 7pm production is going to be super-easy. No additional circuit capacity. No muss to fuss. Not so much with micro-inverters.
We took advantage of cheap panels to add ~12kW to a friends system for <$4k. More clipping but A LOT more production. 12kW of micro inverters alone would have cost >$6k. And the energy that is clipped is ~worthless anyway since it would have been exported and he gets no credit for exports.
IMHO vertically mounted panels is going to be the next big thing in solar. If you have a string inverter with an empty MPPT channel adding a string vertically on a west facing wall or fence to collect that sweet sweet 7pm production is going to be super-easy. No additional circuit capacity. No muss to fuss. Not so much with micro-inverters.
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