Southern Ontario, Small hobby farm (Oxford County)

[no1ninja]

Hi everyone,

I am joining this forum to learn about solar panels and make a smart decision about a solar investment.

I would like to install a grid-tie system, without battery banks. We have 70,000 sqft of greenhouse space and fans and other items are always running, would love to save some bucks by augmenting my power. We will also be switching to three phase power this year.


If someone could point me in the right direction, as in the most efficient use of my dollars, I would be very very grateful. I am confused because I keep hearing solar panels are getting more efficient, but at the same time, the cost is a huge factor of getting your money back. So I would like to know what the best balance is.


Any and all help, links, reading material would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you very much.

[Amy@altE]

More efficient panels just mean they take up a little less space to create the same amount of power. So the only time it makes sense to pay extra for more efficient panels, is if you have limited space available. It sounds like space isn't an issue for you, so don't waste your money looking for the most efficient panels. Look for a quality, name brand panel at a good price.

If you are switching to 3-phase, hold off on buying a system until you have the 3-phase installed, and use a 3-phase inverter.

[russ]

What is your average hourly/daily consumption?

[no1ninja]

What is your average hourly/daily consumption?

Hi russ,

My average On-PEAK usage from 11am-5pm is 50kWh daily
Mid-PEAK usage 7-11am and 5-7pm is also 50kWh daily

Off Peak is 200 kWh daily.

What sort of setup should I be looking for? (no need for batteries, unless you guys think I can pay them off with the above usage and come out ahead)

thank you

[no1ninja]

More efficient panels just mean they take up a little less space to create the same amount of power. So the only time it makes sense to pay extra for more efficient panels, is if you have limited space available. It sounds like space isn't an issue for you, so don't waste your money looking for the most efficient panels. Look for a quality, name brand panel at a good price.

If you are switching to 3-phase, hold off on buying a system until you have the 3-phase installed, and use a 3-phase inverter.

Thanks Amy,

That is good info... I think quality and durability are paramount. I would like to keep maintenance to a minimum.

[pleppik]

Hi russ,

My average On-PEAK usage from 11am-5pm is 50kWh daily
Mid-PEAK usage 7-11am and 5-7pm is also 50kWh daily

Off Peak is 200 kWh daily.

What sort of setup should I be looking for? (no need for batteries, unless you guys think I can pay them off with the above usage and come out ahead)

thank you

With this kind of usage pattern, you're probably best off sizing solar to eliminate as much of the on-peak usage as you can (I'm assuming that you're paying tiered rates). That will give you the fastest payback period. Batteries will not pay for themselves with current technology if you're on-grid.

The beauty of solar is that it will produce most of it's power during those on-peak hours. So tell your installer that you want to size the system to produce in the neighborhood of 50 kWh/day on average, and you will be in the right ballpark.

But before you do that, it's probably smart to investigate efficiency. Do you know where all that power is going? Upgrading to more efficient equipment will usually pay for itself much faster than solar panels; and being smarter about when you turn things on and off can have a surprisingly large effect on consumption.

[no1ninja]

With this kind of usage pattern, you're probably best off sizing solar to eliminate as much of the on-peak usage as you can (I'm assuming that you're paying tiered rates). That will give you the fastest payback period. Batteries will not pay for themselves with current technology if you're on-grid.

The beauty of solar is that it will produce most of it's power during those on-peak hours. So tell your installer that you want to size the system to produce in the neighborhood of 50 kWh/day on average, and you will be in the right ballpark.

But before you do that, it's probably smart to investigate efficiency. Do you know where all that power is going? Upgrading to more efficient equipment will usually pay for itself much faster than solar panels; and being smarter about when you turn things on and off can have a surprisingly large effect on consumption.

Thanks for the great advice, pleppik. Your post makes a lot of sense.


I was wondering if you can recommend a panel, one that has a good reputation for durability and is very competitively priced. I see so many, and the prices are all over the place from 35 cents a watt to over a dollar, and to me its like playing darts with all these names. I honestly do not know where to start, a few good names would help me focus on the discussions that are relevant.

[pleppik]

I was wondering if you can recommend a panel, one that has a good reputation for durability and is very competitively priced.

I'm sure there are people here with enough experience with different brands to make such a recommendation. But I am not that person.