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Alternative Energy Powered
- Thread starter Daniel Scherer
- Start date
Seegem
Member
Actually yes. I live in NYC, Manhattan. I have a broker currently seeking a building in Brooklyn (work/live commercial building, with street-facing garage door).
My intent is to covert it to a large living space (mega loft apartment), and of course have the Tesla park inside.
I'm currently working with an architect and SolarCity to scope out a ~35-40 kW solar setup for the entire building..
..I would LOVE anyone's advice on this mega project...
My intent is to covert it to a large living space (mega loft apartment), and of course have the Tesla park inside.
I'm currently working with an architect and SolarCity to scope out a ~35-40 kW solar setup for the entire building..
..I would LOVE anyone's advice on this mega project...
roblab
Active Member
What are you asking? I have had solar for 10 years. I enlarged it a couple kW and bought electric transportation in order to use it. I am grid tie with battery backup. I pay $5 per month for grid tie, and generate enough to be virtually zero cost at the end of my yearly true up. System paid back its cost in about 7 years, so far.
I know a lot of EV owners have bought solar first, then the car.
So, Yes, there are new owners with alternative energy systems.
AMPd
Well-Known Member
35-40 kW?
Wow that is a mega project!
Would love pics of that farm when it's completed!
I think that if you are working with SolarCity you have what you need. Send pictures of your project as it progresses. Sounds like a hefty one.
Seegem
Member
Gino Bernardi
Member
Daniel, do you have any more info on your dual axis tracking system? 40% more power? I friggin' LOVE it!
My system spec's: June 10th 2010 went on line, 18-225 watt Sunpower black panels, 5kWH SMA grid tied inverter, Opel GPS dual tracking system, DTE Energy Solar Currents program $10,000 paid up front then $0.11 per/kWh credit for the next 20 years, $12,000 fed tax credit for 2010 so half the system paid off in 2010. LTD power generation 20,483,000 watts = to driving a gas car 33,868 miles or growing 377 trees for 10 years. The last 3 days here in Monroe, MI have been sunny May 1st =38.1, 2nd =33.5 and today 25 kWh so far. I haven't had a electric bill since installation until the MS arrived. Last month was my 1st 30 days on the Dedicated EV TOU meter = $68. Half my charging occurs at work now so this should go down. I've logged over 8,000 miles since Jan 8th. Everything in my house is high efficient energy star with all LED lighting and Noritz tankless water heater.
Attachments
Gino, I have two PV systems. The first one is small: four 130 watt panels on a tracker; the second quite a bit larger: eighteen 230 watt panels on a fixed base (with a ridiculous amount of effort, I can change their angle of repose for summer and winter conditions).
So the first one has a nameplate 520 watts capacity; the latter 4.14kW. The former, by the way, is the one in the photo of my prior post (#112 in this thread, on page 12). I mounted it atop a 65-foot self-standing tower I just...happened....to have lying around :crying: That's what comes from living in the middle of nowhere - sometimes you have ridiculous stuff on hand!
Now, I do not recommend anyone emulate my situation. I installed these with a three-year gap in between, and they are incompatible, thus I need two separate charge controllers, which ups the overall price, etc. - but, and this is a big but - I believe if you are grid-tied you don't need any of those pricey controllers, let alone the hyper-pricey (think: cost of a Tesla) batteries that I also have.
Regardless, for my situation the combination works admirably. The tracker panels "awake" early, and even though that one is only 1/8 the size of the latter, for a few hours at dawn and at dusk they can exceed the large array in their Watt-hour production.
What is really fun, even if off-topic, is to see panels exceed their nameplate capacity. The other day conditions were ideal: we had clear sky where the sun was, but high clouds elsewhere, turning most of the sky a diffuse white. And as we still are swathed with snow, there is much ground reflectivity as well. Both those increase solar insolation nicely. And as we're still in winter - ugh - temps were ideal, at about 15ºF or -10ºC. As you should know, PV panels perform better in colder conditions. The result was that my supposed 520-watt array was cranking out 720 watts! 138% of nameplate! And the ground-mounted 4,410 watt array output was at 4,900 watts, or at 112%. Love it.
Okay, to answer your question specifically: when I last looked, twelve months ago, the price of PANELS had dropped so significantly that it was not presently cost-effective to purchase a tracker. YMMV, but in order to achieve a 40% greater output, it was less expensive to purchase 40% more panels than to put the money into a tracking base. So, my advice is (1) NOT purchase a tracker in today's market (panel prices have dropped even more now, by the way), but (2) research carefully for your own situation what the full cost would be for you for a system with fixed versus tracked array. I love my tracker, but I wouldn't buy it again.
Good luck!
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Yes, same here. On cold clear winter days, with snow on the ground mine have hit 5,100. I was thinking of painting my grass around them white in summer.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Lay down some aluminum foil, or mirrors :wink: Regarding the tracker, how much cost does it add? Seems to me it should, or could be a fairly simple device.
Have had solar HW for 4 years (3 panels) and love it. Just installed 37 PV panels for a 9.22kW system with net metering last week. Meter has been heading backwards every day since (fully sunny days) but now the rain is heading in. I have an "X" reserved but am leaning towards getting an S this summer and jsut leaving the deposit on the X in case I want to switch in a couple of years.
Any new systems?
Are there any new Tesla owners with solar, wind or hydro power systems?
Are there any new Tesla owners with solar, wind or hydro power systems?
Gino Bernardi
Member
Yes there is! Just got my solar system installed last week. I'm starting off small, 2.45 kWh. But at least now I can make the claim to fame that I've got the only electric limo in the country powered by sun
Yes. Today looks to be a low generation day. The green is generation and the red is consumption. In case it's not obvious, the consumption spike starting around 4am was my car.
The 5.76 kW system came online July 3rd and has generated 374 kWh so far.
Just think of the $0.03 per/mile and never needing to stop at a gas station again. I've forgotten how to run a gas pump. I like pulling in to gas stations to use the restroom or get a pop. I can never get out without drawing a crowd.
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Nice!
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Nice!
laalan
Member
Forgetting how to pump gas is one thing. Forgetting to turn off and lock your ice cars has been problematic .
