If you do it yourself it can be so much cheaper, For example with a goal of about 20k spent This bundle gets you 12Kw of inverter output and 30Kwh of batteries for 11k. Then just grab two Of these solar panel pallets for 28Kw of panels. Or Alternatively go smaller with just one pallet and save a bit. Then ofc you will get the 30% federal tax credit on top of everything
Not everybody is going to want to do it themselves I get that, it’s actually very easy and straightforward I posted another comment here up above that goes into more detail but honestly just about anyone could learn to do it it’s not advanced electrical work by any stretch of the imagination.
Not everybody is going to want to do it themselves I get that, it’s actually very easy and straightforward…
Not really. That likely depends entirely on where you live. In my county you’re required to have electrical and construction permits for the work, and the install must be carried out by solar installers with at least one licensed roofing professional and the electrical portion by a licensed electrician. You also can’t connect it back to the grid for net-metering without further inspection by the county once the work is completed. Part of the cost was all the licensing and permitting, as well as submitting the official install plan to the county for approval.
That’s not something I would undertake myself. Not only would I not be able to connect to the grid, but my home would be uninsurable.
Off-grid inverters bypass a LOT of that. And i should have been more clear on no backfeed. I would never recommend backfeed tbh. It comes with insane amounts of red tape, as you’ve noted, the equipment is also much more expensive for grid tie.
Off-grid inverters are basically a backup UPS on steroids. They accept grid as an input but don’t feed back to it. They have far less regulation on their installations. Some places indeed you will still have some but usually you can get away with just having the final install inspected by a master electrician.
That’s fair. For me, I don’t have enough roof space or space for battery to do a fully off-grid system. I would have liked to, but I’ve got mountains to the west and I only get good sun on the southeast facing side of the house, so unless I do a porch expansion and battery capacity to size ratio improves, grid-tied was my best option.
My power company is a not-for-profit co-op and offers 1:1 net-metering, as well as reduced costs for off-peak hours for solar and heat pump users. I’ve managed my energy use to the point I’m at net-zero usage (101.5% production to my usage), but there are low production days where I have to tap the grid and high production days where I produce way more than I draw.
Edit - other considerations as well, e.g. - solar installer guarantees the work for 15 years (panels) and 10 years (battery) and will fix any issues free (if they’re still in business, if not it’s guaranteed by Solaredge given professional installation). And Solaredge tends to not work with individuals. Honestly, I did look into self-installing and IIRC I would have saved maybe $9k or $10k doing a DIY install, but given the tools I would need, knowledge and resources to do it right, time required to do it alone, and the lack of grid access/backfeed… it was very much worth the extra cost to me. And that additional cost was technically refunded to me when I filed taxes.
If you do it yourself it can be so much cheaper, For example with a goal of about 20k spent This bundle gets you 12Kw of inverter output and 30Kwh of batteries for 11k. Then just grab two Of these solar panel pallets for 28Kw of panels. Or Alternatively go smaller with just one pallet and save a bit. Then ofc you will get the 30% federal tax credit on top of everything
Not everybody is going to want to do it themselves I get that, it’s actually very easy and straightforward I posted another comment here up above that goes into more detail but honestly just about anyone could learn to do it it’s not advanced electrical work by any stretch of the imagination.
Not really. That likely depends entirely on where you live. In my county you’re required to have electrical and construction permits for the work, and the install must be carried out by solar installers with at least one licensed roofing professional and the electrical portion by a licensed electrician. You also can’t connect it back to the grid for net-metering without further inspection by the county once the work is completed. Part of the cost was all the licensing and permitting, as well as submitting the official install plan to the county for approval.
That’s not something I would undertake myself. Not only would I not be able to connect to the grid, but my home would be uninsurable.
Not region specific, but this is relevant: https://www.itekenergy.com/installation/installing-solar-panels-without-a-permit/
Off-grid inverters bypass a LOT of that. And i should have been more clear on no backfeed. I would never recommend backfeed tbh. It comes with insane amounts of red tape, as you’ve noted, the equipment is also much more expensive for grid tie.
Off-grid inverters are basically a backup UPS on steroids. They accept grid as an input but don’t feed back to it. They have far less regulation on their installations. Some places indeed you will still have some but usually you can get away with just having the final install inspected by a master electrician.
That’s fair. For me, I don’t have enough roof space or space for battery to do a fully off-grid system. I would have liked to, but I’ve got mountains to the west and I only get good sun on the southeast facing side of the house, so unless I do a porch expansion and battery capacity to size ratio improves, grid-tied was my best option.
My power company is a not-for-profit co-op and offers 1:1 net-metering, as well as reduced costs for off-peak hours for solar and heat pump users. I’ve managed my energy use to the point I’m at net-zero usage (101.5% production to my usage), but there are low production days where I have to tap the grid and high production days where I produce way more than I draw.
Edit - other considerations as well, e.g. - solar installer guarantees the work for 15 years (panels) and 10 years (battery) and will fix any issues free (if they’re still in business, if not it’s guaranteed by Solaredge given professional installation). And Solaredge tends to not work with individuals. Honestly, I did look into self-installing and IIRC I would have saved maybe $9k or $10k doing a DIY install, but given the tools I would need, knowledge and resources to do it right, time required to do it alone, and the lack of grid access/backfeed… it was very much worth the extra cost to me. And that additional cost was technically refunded to me when I filed taxes.