NEW SYSTEM in SAN DIEGO for UNDER $2.00/watt INSTALLED

[MARKSDCA]

I ran my first 24 hours of my new Solarworld 7020 watt system (26 mono black panels) and my inverter reported 43 kWh made on the full day. I didn't check the inverter to make sure it was zero when the installer turned it on but I have to assume since it was new out of the box. That also seemed to square with the meter which went down by 30 kWh and I expected the other 13 was power consumed during the day. Highest observed kW reached was 5800-ish at 1pm. Does that sound right for 7020 system on a full sun day??

I had great installers that worked on my system on the weekend. It took them 2 days (long days) to get it done.

I bought the rails (Everest) and most of the PV Quickmounts from a guy on Craigslist....he was in Riverside County but he delivered them to my house near Downtown SD because he was already doing an install down here. Total fluke but a good one. Like the panels the racking was a steal.

I bought the panels from Craigslist....from a new un-opened pallet of Solarworld 270 mono blacks......26 x 270 = 7020 watts. $215 each. And I am including the $200 it cost me to rent a truck to get them in LA. The guy was a super nice guy from Germany that had some excess odds and ends in his warehouse. I searched for Solarworld on Craigslist back in April and bingo!! Again I was in hindsight lucky that such great panels were being offered cheap but I also assume there were newer more efficient ones coming to the market...I didn't care.

I got the Fronius IG Plus 6000 inverter from Catalina Solar ($2,100 delivered.....I bargained for that price)

Roof was newer and I had modern 200 amp breakers already. I had to find the planner ($300) and her plans were approved with no revisions. I had to run to the City in Kearny Mesa myself three times but what the heck. I wasted too much time in the plans/permit phase by not knowing who or what to go to for these items in a timely manner.


Total outlay was $13,545

[solar pete]

I ran my first 24 hours of my new Solarworld 7020 watt system (26 mono black panels) and my inverter reported 43 kWh made on the full day. I didn't check the inverter to make sure it was zero when the installer turned it on but I have to assume since it was new out of the box. That also seemed to square with the meter which went down by 30 kWh and I expected the other 13 was power consumed during the day. Highest observed kW reached was 5800-ish at 1pm. Does that sound right for 7020 system on a full sun day??

I had great installers that worked on my system on the weekend. It took them 2 days (long days) to get it done.

I bought the rails (Everest) and most of the PV Quickmounts from a guy on Craigslist....he was in Riverside County but he delivered them to my house near Downtown SD because he was already doing an install down here. Total fluke but a good one. Like the panels the racking was a steal.

I bought the panels from Craigslist....a new un-opened pallet of Solarworld 270 mono blacks......26 x 270 = 7020 watts. $215 each. And I am including the $200 it cost me to rent a truck to get them in LA. The guy was a super nice guy from Germany that had some excess odds and ends in his warehouse. I searched for Solarworld on Craigslist back in April and Bingo!!

I got the Fronius inverter from Catalina Solar ($2,100 delivered.....I bargained for that price)

Roof was newer and I had modern 200 amp breakers already. I had to find the planner ($300) and her plans were approved with no revisions. I had to run to the City in Kearny Mesa myself three times but what the heck. I wasted too much time in the plans/permit phase by not knowing who or what to go to for these items in a timely manner.


Total outlay was $13,545

Howdy Marksdca, looks like you got a great result for being prepared to put in the extra work, well done and thanks for sharing

[radareclipse]

Wow, what a score. You'll be happy with the performance.

[MARKSDCA]

Wow, what a score. You'll be happy with the performance.

So is 5800 watt peak reading on the inverter normal for a 7000 watt array? My roof has zero shade and it faces 1 degree off of due south. Not sure of the slope but it's a fairly gentle slope on comp shingles. The arrays are a good 60 feet from the inverter.

[skipro3]

Figure a nominal 20% loss from the DC rating to the AC ACTUAL is normal. Yours is 17% so you are slightly ahead of the curve.

[solar pete]

So is 5800 watt peak reading on the inverter normal for a 7000 watt array? My roof has zero shade and it faces 1 degree off of due south. Not sure of the slope but it's a fairly gentle slope on comp shingles. The arrays are a good 60 feet from the inverter.

Howdy Mark,

You basically never get to rated output, the system is sized based on standard test conditions (read perfect conditions) that are not achievable in the real world. Ok it may happen once in a while when all the planets are in perfect alignment but is very rare to see, I have never seen it on my set up 2kW system the best instantaneous wattage I have ever seem out of my system was 1700watts.

So 5800 watts out of that array is probably about right

[MARKSDCA]

Figure a nominal 20% loss from the DC rating to the AC ACTUAL is normal. Yours is 17% so you are slightly ahead of the curve.

Thanks! So I guess the Fronius is displaying the watts of input which already has a big chunk of this loss from wiring and less than optimal panel position and weather etc. Correct?

[MARKSDCA]

Howdy Mark,

You basically never get to rated output, the system is sized based on standard test conditions (read perfect conditions) that are not achievable in the real world. Ok it may happen once in a while when all the planets are in perfect alignment but is very rare to see, I have never seen it on my set up 2kW system the best instantaneous wattage I have ever seem out of my system was 1700watts.

So 5800 watts out of that array is probably about right

Cool, thanks. My inverter is a 6000 so I suppose being at or under this number is where I want to be.

[skipro3]

Remember too; we are now past the summer solstice, so you will continue to see less power as fall and winter process.

Efficiency of the inverter and the panels are also affected by heat, both ambient air temp and radiation absorbed. A cold, clear fall day might produce more than a hot, smoggy, Smokey summer day.

[skipro3]

Thanks! So I guess the Fronius is displaying the watts of input which already has a big chunk of this loss from wiring and less than optimal panel position and weather etc. Correct?

It shod be showing what it's output is pushing to your panel.

[sensij]

Thanks! So I guess the Fronius is displaying the watts of input which already has a big chunk of this loss from wiring and less than optimal panel position and weather etc. Correct?

It is probably showing the AC watts of output, after all losses except AC transmission loss.

Remember too; we are now past the summer solstice, so you will continue to see less power as fall and winter process.

Efficiency of the inverter and the panels are also affected by heat, both ambient air temp and radiation absorbed. A cold, clear fall day might produce more than a hot, smoggy, Smokey summer day.

Many arrays actually produce more power in the spring and fall when it is cooler, and the angle of the sun is more normal for array orientations that are optimized for year round production. However, they are likely to produce less energy since the total number of sunlight hours each day is less than it is mid-summer.

[bcroe]

So is 5800 watt peak reading on the inverter normal for a 7000 watt array? My roof has zero shade and it faces 1 degree off of due south. Not sure of the slope but it's a fairly gentle slope on comp shingles. The arrays are a good 60 feet from the inverter.

My Fronius 7500s deliver 7600 AC watts when the sun is in position. With a 96% efficiency
yours would need a DC input of 6350 watts to operate that way. Apparently you are only
getting 6040 watts DC input, close to what a 7000 watt PV should deliver under ideal cond.
You can read out the input and output amps and volts to see if that all adds up. Bruce Roe

[MARKSDCA]

The City came out and liked everything about my system except the location of the flex conduit running inside the garage. I had to move it (myself..yikes) so it was more than 10" under the roof sheathing. It was attached at the bottom of the rafters putting it about 6-7" from the sheathing. The inspector was very helpful showing me what I needed to do. Hopefully when he returns tomorrow I will get my final.