Hi, my name is Lissie

[Guest]

Hello solar people! My name is Lissie and I am from California. I am trying to decide if solar is a good choice for my house and that's why I joined here. I want to learn more about what solar can do and can't do, hidden costs, maintenance and so on. Since this is going to be a pricey investment i want to do my homework well enough before jumping in.

[J.P.M.]

Hello solar people! My name is Lissie and I am from California. I am trying to decide if solar is a good choice for my house and that's why I joined here. I want to learn more about what solar can do and can't do, hidden costs, maintenance and so on. Since this is going to be a pricey investment i want to do my homework well enough before jumping in.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

I'd start with a $20 investment: "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies". A good read and a good primer on home energy conservation and then PV.

Then, after the book, not before, download and run PVWatts from NREL. Read the help/info screens a couple of times and understand everything in them. Do a few runs and familiarize yourself with how it works and what the output means.

Then, get familiar with how you are charged or electricity and how that is changing as well as how those changes will probably be much less favorable to PV now and in the future than in the past.

Pardon an assumption: If you're thinking about off grid, disabuse yourself of the idea - and the hype of off grid (battery) systems - until you truly and fully understand cost and consequences of doing so. To go off grid involves large costs, and more importantly sometimes large lifestyle adjustments most folks are clueless about. Just walk in with your eyes (and your wallet) wide open.

Come back here and ask questions to fill in self acquired knowledge gaps.

[Guest]

Welcome to the neighborhood.

I'd start with a $20 investment: "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies". A good read and a good primer on home energy conservation and then PV.

Then, after the book, not before, download and run PVWatts from NREL. Read the help/info screens a couple of times and understand everything in them. Do a few runs and familiarize yourself with how it works and what the output means.

Then, get familiar with how you are charged or electricity and how that is changing as well as how those changes will probably be much less favorable to PV now and in the future than in the past.

Pardon an assumption: If you're thinking about off grid, disabuse yourself of the idea - and the hype of off grid (battery) systems - until you truly and fully understand cost and consequences of doing so. To go off grid involves large costs, and more importantly sometimes large lifestyle adjustments most folks are clueless about. Just walk in with your eyes (and your wallet) wide open.

Come back here and ask questions to fill in self acquired knowledge gaps.

A very detailed welcome post. Thank you very much. I will look into that book. I am excited to install solar panels for the sake of sustainability and the future of my kids (and my wallet on the long-term). I don't think off-the-grid is a good option now (even though I would love it), as I heard storing the energy is really a problem and is costly as you said.

[J.P.M.]

A very detailed welcome post. Thank you very much. I will look into that book. I am excited to install solar panels for the sake of sustainability and the future of my kids (and my wallet on the long-term). I don't think off-the-grid is a good option now (even though I would love it), as I heard storing the energy is really a problem and is costly as you said.

You are most welcome. Speaking as someone who's been around alternate and renewable energy as more than a hobby but less than a profession since the '70's, as you objectively learn more, you may come to the opinion that the promise of these things as put forth by those with money to make, and their often na

[peakbagger]

Once you read the book, you need to determine what incentives and disincentives apply to your utility. Some welcome solar and some dont. Systems frequently get designed around the incentives to take advantage of them.

A quick example is that a utility normally wants power in the late afternoon to evening. Even though a typical installation can produce more power over the course of the day oriented south which means it will taper off in the late afternoon, the utility may put in incentives to have the panels oriented to the west to shift the output to later in the day. This will mean less total output from the array but if they have the incentives set up to reward the home owner to do so, then it may make sense.

A start to find out what incentives are available in CA is this site http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/...Sir=0&state=CA. It is complex but you need to get up to speed on the basics from your utility and the overall state plans as if you dont there are plenty of folks who will gladly "help" you that really are out to make buck at your expense.

[J.P.M.]

Once you read the book, you need to determine what incentives and disincentives apply to your utility. Some welcome solar and some dont. Systems frequently get designed around the incentives to take advantage of them.

A quick example is that a utility normally wants power in the late afternoon to evening. Even though a typical installation can produce more power over the course of the day oriented south which means it will taper off in the late afternoon, the utility may put in incentives to have the panels oriented to the west to shift the output to later in the day. This will mean less total output from the array but if they have the incentives set up to reward the home owner to do so, then it may make sense.

A start to find out what incentives are available in CA is this site http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/...Sir=0&state=CA. It is complex but you need to get up to speed on the basics from your utility and the overall state plans as if you dont there are plenty of folks who will gladly "help" you that really are out to make buck at your expense.

+1, particularly about the con artists.

Also, try the Go Solar California website for more useful information, including the CSI database.

On array orientations and the west vs. south issue: It a lot more than an all or nothing dichotomous south or west type of thing, except that in CA, under T.O.U., if it's a choice of either south or west, major shading problems aside and for most roof tilts, south will beat west almost every time by a lot for both bill offset and annual output. For most or at least a lot of CA, the way T.O.U. and rates are going, mostly south at maybe 10-20 deg. west of south array orientations, but not much more, will beat most westerly orientations for producing the most electric bill offset even if the POCO incentives are geared to a more westerly orientation, with most incentives not a function of array orientation except for maybe some obscure new construction programs.

[J.P.M.]

[QUOTE=J.P.M.;n367116]

You are most welcome. Speaking as someone who's been around alternate and renewable energy as more than a hobby but less than a profession since the '70's, as you objectively learn more, you may come to the opinion that the promise of these things as put forth by those with money to make, and their often na

[littleharbor]

Still looks the same.

[J.P.M.]

Still looks the same.

Yea, 2 tries and I called it quits. Probably just as well.