Clarkston Solar project.

[islandguydon]

The inverter choices are 6000 and up. I would guess if you buy it right piece by piece I am thinking $8,000.00 tops. I am as frugal as it gets and buy the components cheap or only on sale or make an offer. Rome was not built in a day, took me 3 years to do mine.

 

[FireFighterHill]

8,000 is cheap. If its that cheap id probably do a 10kw system. Im hoping to either build or buy a home in the next 12-18 months and solar is on my list of upgrades id like to add to the mortgage.

 

[islandguydon]

Its a wise choice to add to the mortage, and a good selling point if you ever have to move. Let me know if you need any help.

 

[Heath_h49008]

Hmmm... so for someone in Michigan with about 20-30 acres of unused open field, this seems interesting.

 

[Rambling Wreck]

Hmmm... so for someone in Michigan with about 20-30 acres of unused open field, this seems interesting.

Wish I had the 3 millions dollars. I probably invest it differently though.

 

[islandguydon]

If I hit the Michigan Lotto, I would spend it. @ 22.3 cents a kwh for life thats a great return on investment and a healthy annual income without hardly any oversight fees and maintenance. Just cut the grass and take measurements......WHOA..!

 

[FireFighterHill]

Dont solar panels have a finite life span?

 

[islandguydon]

Well yes, when I say Life, you have to remember I am not 20 years old. 15-20 years is whats expected until they start to degrade, even then your only talking 1-2% loss a year from full power.

 

[FireFighterHill]

But for a solar farm that big 1-2% over that many panels would be a noticeable drop in output. I guess adding new panels to make up for the loss would probably be the easiest method to keep output steady. But who knows what new solar technology we may have in 20 years.

Ive also read that cooling the solar panels helps with efficiency.

 

[Marcel]

You should also remember that the cost of electricity will only increase over time so as to add to your investment return.

 

[FireFighterHill]

I wonder if it would be feasible to add some kind of liquid sodium or molten salts for heat exchanging battery system that would cool the solar panels and store the heat for more power generation at night. This of course would have to be on a large scale project.

 

[Marcel]

I wonder if it would be feasible to add some kind of liquid sodium or molten salts for heat exchanging battery system that would cool the solar panels and store the heat for more power generation at night. This of course would have to be on a large scale project.

Molten salts for solar projects are already being used in Nevada and Spain.

540-foot solar power tower rises in Nevada | SmartPlanet

 

[pyro1955]

Toady we hooked up the combiner boxes to the grid tie inverters. There was a small snafu in the inverter so I had to break down the unit and replace a series of fuses due to the fact they are not polarity friendly. Somme azzhole decided to hook up the bond ground and the DC negative to the same port. They are made to be installed separated by a series of 600vdc diodes for safety.

The entire system will go on line on Wednesday after the local power company's approval. Pics to follow.

That's cool, you are obviously in Consumers Power Territory, I had a deal with Private Investors lined up to do a 60 acre Solar Farm, DTE Killed it in it's tracks, No Government dollars required, yet Lansing, and DTE killed the deal. Funny though, DTE is in the process of building more and more highly subsidized stupid mills just north of us....

 

[m816 someday]

From 3 o'clock pm Thursday, October 18th until 10:30 pm today (10/23/12), our new 2 Kw array has put out 28 Kwh. We really like watching our meter run backwards i will try for pics tomorrow

 

[Ironhorse]

Here's my math.

4224 panels at 240 watts each = 1,013,760 watts. I rounded off to 1,000 kw.

1,000 kw per hour for six hours a day = 6,000 kwh per day.

Using my local residential rate of $0.12 per kwh; 6,000 kwh x $0.12 = $720.00 per day.

3.4 million divided by 720 = 4722 days or 12.9 years.

Using $0.22 per kwh; 6,000 x $0.22 = $1320 per day.

3.4 million divided by 1320 = 2576 days or 7 years.

That's assuming maximum production for six hours a day, every day.

Real world payback would be nearly twice that long, I'm guessing.

 

[jime]

I must be missing something. Check out this article about our local school system.
Solar power a reality at Centerburg schools
They installed a $7mil system, 1.5mw. (the system was donated). In the article, they estimate that the system will save the school $50k a year in energy cost. What? Granted, I'm sure the value of the system was inflated, but why would anyone make that investment, other than goverment subsidies, tax breaks, and incentives?

 

[Marcel]

I must be missing something. Check out this article about our local school system.
Solar power a reality at Centerburg schools
They installed a $7mil system, 1.5mw. (the system was donated). In the article, they estimate that the system will save the school $50k a year in energy cost. What? Granted, I'm sure the value of the system was inflated, but why would anyone make that investment, other than goverment subsidies, tax breaks, and incentives?

1. A step toward energy independence.
2. The fossil fuel industry is heavily subsidised but nobody takes that into account.

 

[islandguydon]

Here's my math.

4224 panels at 240 watts each = 1,013,760 watts. I rounded off to 1,000 kw.

1,000 kw per hour for six hours a day = 6,000 kwh per day.

Using my local residential rate of $0.12 per kwh; 6,000 kwh x $0.12 = $720.00 per day.

3.4 million divided by 720 = 4722 days or 12.9 years.

Using $0.22 per kwh; 6,000 x $0.22 = $1320 per day.

3.4 million divided by 1320 = 2576 days or 7 years.

That's assuming maximum production for six hours a day, every day.

Real world payback would be nearly twice that long, I'm guessing.

Our local utility is paying the rate of 22 cents a kwh. This is a federal government subsidy and the State of Michigan as well to reach that amount.

 

[jime]

1. A step toward energy independence.
2. The fossil fuel industry is heavily subsidised but nobody takes that into account.

There is NOTHING developed (aside from nuclear) that has the potiential energy that fossil fuels do. Truth is, we are INFLATING the cost of fossil fuels by limiting their production through regulation. Solar and Wind provide less than 1% of our nations energy because they are simply less efficient economically than fossil fuels and thus more expensive. In a free, viable economy, the free market decides the winners and losers, not Uncle Suck.

I think the solar and wind systems are cool, but I'd rather have a gas well and run a generator!

 

[Marcel]

There is NOTHING developed (aside from nuclear) that has the potiential energy that fossil fuels do. Truth is, we are INFLATING the cost of fossil fuels by limiting their production through regulation. Solar and Wind provide less than 1% of our nations energy because they are simply less efficient economically than fossil fuels and thus more expensive. In a free, viable economy, the free market decides the winners and losers, not Uncle Suck.

I think the solar and wind systems are cool, but I'd rather have a gas well and run a generator!

You are absolutely correct in that fossil fuels give the biggest bang for the buck but they are finite and dirty. If we can augment fossil fuels with other energy sources with the intention of eventually producing our own energy than we breath easier and become more secure. Germany is at the forefront of this initiative but it took a great deal of both government and popular support proving that it can be done. I understand that you are accustomed to fossil fuels but your knowledge base can expand to alternative energy as well.