Comments on 7.2kw system in San Diego

[ericf1]

Installation is in progress! Ironridge XR100 racking on Ironridge Flashfoot footings is almost up. Solaredge SE7600 is mounted.

Major components of this installation are:
Ironridge XR100 Racking
SolarEdge se7600a-us002nnu2 Inverter
24 SolarEdge P300 Power Optimizers
24 LG300N1C-B3 Panels

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Each string will be a separate array of 12 panels, 3 high x 4 wide.

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Racking almost complete

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Facing due south, no shading issues.

Net metering request has been submitted and final inspection is expected tomorrow or Monday, depending on SDG&E and the city.

[thejq]

Looks good. Good luck with the inspection tomorrow. SDG&E has a few TOU plans that you might to consider. I have a feeling that system will more than offset your usage.

[russ]

Looking good!

[ericf1]

Thanks Guys. Moving along pretty well.

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1 string of 12 panels up


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One roof penetration


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Inverter and new service panel. No surface/visible runs of conduit.


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Safety switch

Looks like the crew is on track to finish up late today or early tomorrow. Hopefully SDG&E will be ready tomorrow.

[ericf1]

Panels and Racking complete. Just a few loose ends to tie up tomorrow, then wait on the city and SDG&E.

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[solar pete]

Hi, just poped in and read the thread, looks like a nice tidy job, gotta say your roof's in the states look a bit different to what I'm used to, cheers

[alienwulf]

Nice clean install can't ask for much more.

[ericf1]

It's Alive!

Turned on the system this morning and the inverter found all 24 optimizers in just a few minutes. Got the zigbee gateway hooked up and verified the monitoring is working correctly. Unfortunately, no inspector today, so now I have to play the waiting game with the city and SDG&E. As of 1030 am when I turned the system off, it was generating 5.45 KW. Not bad for a February morning!

[SunEagle]

Turned on the system this morning and the inverter found all 24 optimizers in just a few minutes. Got the zigbee gateway hooked up and verified the monitoring is working correctly. Unfortunately, no inspector today, so now I have to play the waiting game with the city and SDG&E. As of 1030 am when I turned the system off, it was generating 5.45 KW. Not bad for a February morning!

Congratulations. Lets hope for a quick and positive approval from the inspector.

[makarowski]

Turned on the system this morning and the inverter found all 24 optimizers in just a few minutes. Got the zigbee gateway hooked up and verified the monitoring is working correctly. Unfortunately, no inspector today, so now I have to play the waiting game with the city and SDG&E. As of 1030 am when I turned the system off, it was generating 5.45 KW. Not bad for a February morning!

Your system is about the same as I am looking at getting in north county... with the LG305 panel popping up in quotes this year... you got a good price... not seeing that with my current quotes (even with the LG300), but getting close.

Cheers

[ericf1]

First Full Day Output

I ran the system all day, just to see how it would run. Amazingly, it outperformed PVwatts estimate for today by almost 15%, even though I reduced system losses to 9.6% (0 mismatch and 0 shading).

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Peak output was 5.63KW @1130 and total production was 40.17 KWH.

Now, I'll turn it off until I can get an inspector out...

[sensij]

PVwatts is a long term estimating tool... day to day, month to month, even year to year fluctuations in weather can be significant. For a better comparison, spend some time with PVOutput.org and try to find systems with similar orientations to yours someplace near by. There is a Team San Diego you could join with some other members of the forum.

[J.P.M.]

PVwatts is a long term estimating tool... day to day, month to month, even year to year fluctuations in weather can be significant. For a better comparison, spend some time with PVOutput.org and try to find systems with similar orientations to yours someplace near by. There is a Team San Diego you could join with some other members of the forum.

+1.

To the OP:

PVWatts provides LONG TERM ESTIMATES, of system performance. It is not a predictor of anything.

Read the PVWatts help/info screens for further information. Suit yourself, but until you do so, you are under a misapprehension.

[ericf1]

Don't be raining on my parade sensij and J.P.M.! I do understand that PVwatts is just ballpark/long term and more for system planning (and that it tends to under estimate). But, it was the fist day on line, and I'm a bit enthused. Thanks for the link sensij. I was looking at the enphase and solaredge monitoring portals to compare, but PVOutput.org is much easier. Looking through the local systems there, it looks like the 5.58kwh/kw I had today is about as good as it gets without changing my tilt. I also saw a few screen names I recognized from here.

Anyway, the gist of my "first day online" post was that "I'm really happy with the system's initial performance and hopeful that it will continue to perform as designed or better, once the damn inpectors and SDG&E get off their butts". Is that better?

[J.P.M.]

Don't be raining on my parade sensij and J.P.M.! I do understand that PVwatts is just ballpark/long term and more for system planning (and that it tends to under estimate). But, it was the fist day on line, and I'm a bit enthused. Thanks for the link sensij. I was looking at the enphase and solaredge monitoring portals to compare, but PVOutput.org is much easier. Looking through the local systems there, it looks like the 5.58kwh/kw I had today is about as good as it gets without changing my tilt. I also saw a few screen names I recognized from here.

Anyway, the gist of my "first day online" post was that "I'm really happy with the system's initial performance and hopeful that it will continue to perform as designed or better, once the damn inpectors and SDG&E get off their butts". Is that better?

Since you ask: Better or worse has no meaning to me in the context of my opinion relative to what you write. From what you wrote in reference to PVWatts, and somewhat continuing your metaphor: your parade appeared to be going the wrong way down a one way street in a rainstorm anyway. It seemed to me that you were under the same ignorant notions as a lot of other folks with respect to PVWatts.

Your ignorance, or lack of it, with regard to solar estimating tools, or anything else for that matter, is your bliss and none of my business. However, IMO, it's reasonable to point out errors we all make, and ignorant misconceptions we all have (including mine) so that other readers will perhaps have additional, hopefully more accurate information, and so perhaps make better, or at least more informed decisions.