Estimating future usage and system sizing

[cbeam]

I tried to send a PM, here is what the forum SW has to say:
"Note: Until your post count is 10 you will be able to send PMs to Staff only."
I am a very infrequent user of this site, not sure if I will go to 10 posts anytime soon.

[ver2go]

I tried to send a PM, here is what the forum SW has to say:
"Note: Until your post count is 10 you will be able to send PMs to Staff only."
I am a very infrequent user of this site, not sure if I will go to 10 posts anytime soon.

Thanks. I need 2 more after this one. So maybe I'll get the count up and send you one for you to reply to.

[ver2go]

I tried to send a PM, here is what the forum SW has to say:
"Note: Until your post count is 10 you will be able to send PMs to Staff only."
I am a very infrequent user of this site, not sure if I will go to 10 posts anytime soon.

Did you happen to get my PM, if so can you reply to it?

Thanks!

[cbeam]

No, it does not work. I can read the PM, it even lets me type a response, but when I try to send the PM the following message is received:

To be able to send PMs your post count must be 10 or greater.

You currently have 3 posts and you can send PMs to following users only:
Jason, Mike90250, Naptown, solar pete, russ

This is just as the owner / mods have set the board up. They must have their reasons. I personally find this board very unwelcoming, you even have to log in to watch a picture someone has posted.

[SunEagle]

No, it does not work. I can read the PM, it even lets me type a response, but when I try to send the PM the following message is received:

To be able to send PMs your post count must be 10 or greater.

You currently have 3 posts and you can send PMs to following users only:
Jason, Mike90250, Naptown, solar pete, russ

This is just as the owner / mods have set the board up. They must have their reasons. I personally find this board very unwelcoming, you even have to log in to watch a picture someone has posted.

The Admins set the PM requirement of 10 posts to keep out the "fly by nights" and "spammers" from polluting this forum. If someone is really interested in getting information then it is real easy to roll up your post count by asking questions in the related Forum threads.

I for one like this restriction since I have seen PM's being abused on other Forums.

[control4userguy]

...start to consider some kind of home automation so you are able to turn on the dishwasher, washer and dryer in the most beneficial time.

You'll have to let me know what kind of automation is going to do this. Typically controlling power to the unit is not going to program a start-up too. On the other hand, if you are referring to high-line HA with selective drivers for "smart" appliances, that is well outside the boundaries of economical sense.

[russ]

You'll have to let me know what kind of automation is going to do this. Typically controlling power to the unit is not going to program a start-up too. On the other hand, if you are referring to high-line HA with selective drivers for "smart" appliances, that is well outside the boundaries of economical sense.

You have that 100% correct!

[Mike90250]

No, it does not work. I can read the PM, it even lets me type a response, but when I try to send the PM the following message is received:

To be able to send PMs your post count must be 10 or greater.

You currently have 3 posts and you can send PMs to following users only:
Jason, Mike90250, Naptown, solar pete, russ

This is just as the owner / mods have set the board up. They must have their reasons. I personally find this board very unwelcoming, you even have to log in to watch a picture someone has posted.

Let me say that I HATE PM's. I had to block PM's because I was flooded with them. Help me this. Solve that, Tell me something else. I will answer questions publicly on the forums, for all to learn from. If you want a "personal answer" then my rate is $50/hr, 1 hr min, 1 hr increments.

The mods use PM's to pass data back and forth, but I don't have any need for secret chats.

[russ]

Let me say that I HATE PM's. I had to block PM's because I was flooded with them. Help me this. Solve that, Tell me something else. I will answer questions publicly on the forums, for all to learn from. If you want a "personal answer" then my rate is $50/hr, 1 hr min, 1 hr increments.

The mods use PM's to pass data back and forth, but I don't have any need for secret chats.

100% agreed! I ignore any PM asking for help - some love to demand special service.

[Alisobob]

solar50.JPG

I use aprox 11k KwH's annually, and sized my system at 6.4 KW.

As you can see, some days I over generate, and some days I over consume.

Solar is unpredictable.... it is what it is, depending on the weather.

I ended the month slightly ahead, to roll credits forward towards summer and A/C use.

Some say my system it too big for my needs, because its overproducing in Jan, a poor moth for solar performance.

......time will tell

[silversaver]

Jan 2014, I have generation credit of -130kWh credit to my account.

In Jan 2015, I have used about 184kWh from SCE and still 7 more days left before end of Jan statement.


Estimating a solar system size can be easy or it can be difficult. If you want to make every penny count by sizing a perfect system, that is very difficult task... On my past 3 yrs history, the electricity consumption were never the same by month or year. Some like to use TOU plan to perfectly sizing their system by getting a small system and maximizing the return base on TOU structure from POCO, but they never considering the TOU plan will change over time since POCO aren't stupid. For example, the TOU peak hours are 2 to 8pm now unlike what it used to be 10 to 6pm. You are getting less peak credit during solar production....etc.

I took the easy way by sizing the solar system to cover 100% of my usage before the EV kick in. The EV can easy bring you to tier 4 for any home. I get solar system to save money while enjoy comfort life style. A smaller system will only save me few thousands from start, but I'm loosing more money and pleasure in long run. I'm not going to tell wife or kid not to use any AC/heater between hours from 2 to 8pm just because I like to get higher credit to gain more kWh.... It is a free world, choose what ever you like.

[ver2go]

I sent you a PM with my email address for the info. Did that work?

No, it does not work. I can read the PM, it even lets me type a response, but when I try to send the PM the following message is received:

To be able to send PMs your post count must be 10 or greater.

You currently have 3 posts and you can send PMs to following users only:
Jason, Mike90250, Naptown, solar pete, russ

This is just as the owner / mods have set the board up. They must have their reasons. I personally find this board very unwelcoming, you even have to log in to watch a picture someone has posted.

[jonathan]

I've found this thread to be particularly helpful as I get started with the home solar process.

We're finally considering solar now that we completed a major remodel/addition of our home, and have a completely different electricity usage pattern. We've been in the house for only a few months now, consistently using about 550kwh/mo (as opposed to about 40 kwh/mo during construction when not living here), and have done everything we could to reduce our electricity consumption.

We're thinking we will realistically need to wait almost a full year before solar installation because our 12-month rolling average is materially affected by 8 months of 40kwh/mo usage.

Any suggestions on trying to do TOU analysis of usage? In our case we have very efficient appliances, exclusively LED lighting, and generally no heavy demand. Our HVAC heating, water heater, clothes dryer and stovetop are all natural gas, though our oven is electric. No A/C.

What I've found is that the majority of our daily usage is based upon our idle load being high. The bulk of this is our HVAC system and ERV runs a consistent % of every hour. That's a material portion of our 0.5-0.6kwh idle load.

Ultimately I think we'll consistently use about 550kwh/mo year-round, with 75% of that based upon our consistent, idle load. We're currently not on a PG&E TOU plan, but I imagine we'd benefit from TOU with solar.

Any suggestions on tools that can help me understand what typical TOU production would be like, and how that would compare to our usage?

[Mike90250]

re TOU plans, study the plans for your area, they generally are NOT favorable for solar, and you may want to consider a "remote control plan" for Load Shaving, where for a reduced rate, a PoCo controlled relay is attached to major appliances which can be disabled for a pre-defined time period [ 1 hour off, 2 hours on] in a power crisis.

[sjsun]

I just finished the install of a 6kW system on the upper Peninsula near San Francisco Airport.

We are low electricity users (family of four, average 425 kWh per month), and for years I did not pursue solar because my calculated return on investment was way beyond 10 years.
Then two things happened: I got an EV (Nissan Leaf) and I found an organization installing Solar for well below $3 per kW, which is far below what competitors quote.
Including cost of service upgrade (new main electric panel) and considering savings by replacing one ICE-car with the EV I calculate now an ROI within 6-7 years.

Sorry, got busy with work, family and smaller home projects and frankly, after talking to a few installers I just got so confused that I let go. Can you please PM me the name of your installer? $3 per kW sounds good