Just installed 11.77kw Sunpower system

[mrbillhimself]

Wish I discovered these forums earlier, though. I paid a lot - not sure it was worth it. I installed direct through Sunpower. Will post my full experience (pros and cons) in another post, but for now here's the pics and some details:

36 - Sunpower E20x327 panels with microinverters
11.77kW DC output. Paid $56k (before federal tax incentives).

[Mike90250]

Welcome. are those shadows on the the PV Array ??

[tyab]

That 2nd picture looks like a shadow from the chimney.

[Sunking]

I hope those are not shadows on the panels.

[SunEagle]

I hope those are not shadows on the panels.

It is hard to tell if there are shadows in the first photo for the panels on the left but the ones behind the chimney is a no-brainer. Even if the sun is at a higher angle that chimney will produce a shadow on those panels.

[J.P.M.]

Not kicking someone when they're down, but for those reading this thread and thinking about adding PV, it can serve as a good example of how to get screwed by peddlers who rely on customer ignorance. High price, at least partly from swallowing the Sunpower hype, and what looks like some real shading problems to reduce output, will make for a long payback and less cost effectiveness.

The OP doesn't say when the system was installed or where, but $4.76/Watt ( $56K/11.77kW) for SP was what might have been a sharp price for a SP system ~ 4 - 5 years ago or so (but still way overpriced compared to other fit for purpose equipment), and if in CA the CSI rebate 4 years ago might have reduced the price another $0.20 to $0.40/Watt. Still, it looks like it may be a bad application given the shading, even if much less expensive but equally fit for purpose panels had been used.

Another example of where knowledge is power - know what you're getting into and you'll have the power to help avoid getting screwed.

Add: w/micros, that's probably a recent system, making the pricing even worse, but maybe mitigating the shade penalty a BIT.

[Sunking]

Not only were they overcharged, but screwed again deliberately placing panels in shade.

[mrbillhimself]

Yes, sadly those are shadows. Thankfully the performance from those panels have been among the best. The panels at the very rear of the house, however, are a different story. Sunpower claimed my rear panels would be among the "best performing" panels - but they only looked at their installer app and never checked for shading. Now, I'll need to chop down two trees to get any sort of power out of those panels.

Should've read the warning signs - the salesperson tried to rush me into the sale, then got laid off a month later. Still went for it to get under SCE's net metering 1.0 program, and I foolishly bought into the Sunpower hype and the 25-year warranty. Now, I don't know if the company will last another 5 years.

[maximizese]

Yes, sadly those are shadows. Thankfully the performance from those panels have been among the best. The panels at the very rear of the house, however, are a different story. Sunpower claimed my rear panels would be among the "best performing" panels - but they only looked at their installer app and never checked for shading. Now, I'll need to chop down two trees to get any sort of power out of those panels.

Should've read the warning signs - the salesperson tried to rush me into the sale, then got laid off a month later. Still went for it to get under SCE's net metering 1.0 program, and I foolishly bought into the Sunpower hype and the 25-year warranty. Now, I don't know if the company will last another 5 years.

For now, Sunpower looks to be having a very good quarter but who knows which companies will be left standing down the road. I hope you're able to recoup your costs and enjoy energy source. I can't imagine such a large system for a residential dwelling, but I'm sure you know your usage better than me. Have you looked into TOU rates and whether or not that's a economically favorable thing for you? We have an EV that charges about 16kWhs overnight and radiant floor heaters that turn on during super off-peak. During the peak hours, we go into energy miser mode. Our bill is about $100 a month and I was planning on having a 4.56kW system installed based on my projected electricity usage. However, when I projected the TOU generation/usage, I'll likely have $100 credit each month between spring to fall. We use about 22kWh during super off-peak, 5kWh during off-peak, and 4kWh during peak hours. I've also making great use out of the EV charging timers, WeMo smartplugs, and the delay start on both my washer and electric dryer.

If you're like me and don't use as much electricity during 12pm-8pm, a TOU plan switch might help you recoup your solar investment a little faster.

[Hiro]

Can you install meters to show PV Array output on GT Systems? If so, it would be interesting to see efficiency during peak insolation periods...

[bcroe]

Can you install meters to show PV Array output on GT Systems? If so, it would be interesting to see efficiency during peak insolation periods...

You can read it right off the inverters here. Bruce Roe

[Hiro]

mrbillhimself Have you made any PV Array output notes during shaded periods and full sun? I'm curious what the figures show...

[Mike90250]

mrbillhimself Have you made any PV Array output notes during shaded periods and full sun? I'm curious what the figures show...

This AM, I was getting 1800w off a 2Kw array, full sun. 2 days ago, same time of day, cloudy, 22 watts, 400wh harvest that day

[Hiro]

This AM, I was getting 1800w off a 2Kw array, full sun. 2 days ago, same time of day, cloudy, 22 watts, 400wh harvest that day

I see... I will definitely pass this kind of info to my Father for his new system...

[mrbillhimself]

mrbillhimself Have you made any PV Array output notes during shaded periods and full sun? I'm curious what the figures show...

The panels were installed in Sept. 2016. So far, chimney shading has resulted in a 15-40% performance hit, with an average penalty of ~25%. However, the panels near the south of the house (with lots of trees) have fared much worse (~65% worse).

On Feb. 23rd (very sunny day) - I got ~48kw. I looked at a public reporting Enphase installs, and sadly, my panels are performing more like a 8kw system rather than a 11.7kw one. Very poor job choosing panel placement by Sunpower Direct.