# Here comes the sun...



## begreen (May 27, 2011)

Well, I can be an optimist, can't I? We're making good progress here and hope to be online in a week or so. The 4x4 panels are made in WA by Silicon Energy. They mount an Aurora inverter on a panel board with switches so that it qualifies also as a made in WA system. This puts us in the WA top tier for annual energy credits at 54 cents/KWh produced + 10 cents/KWh net metering = $.64/KWh. This is a 3KW array, but we are wiring it for expansion if there is a technology leap in photovoltaics in the next few years. 

http://www.silicon-energy.com/


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## fossil (May 28, 2011)

How long do you figure it'll take for you to fully amortize the initial capital expenditure?  Rick


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## Mrs. Krabappel (May 28, 2011)

Wow  Keep us updated on how it is working out.


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## BrotherBart (May 28, 2011)

I would love to have that sitting at the end of my drain field aimed South.


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## begreen (May 28, 2011)

fossil said:
			
		

> How long do you figure it'll take for you to fully amortize the initial capital expenditure?  Rick



10.5 years. The way I look at it, it's a 10 yr cd at 8% interest. After that, it's all gravy. It's the best guaranteed investment rate I've come across in awhile. That's outside of the intrinsic enjoyment. It's so cool to have the house powered by the sun in summer. I've wanted to do this for years, but had to wait for made in WA products and the legislated incentives to be settled.


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## begreen (May 28, 2011)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> I would love to have that sitting at the end of my drain field aimed South.



The folks that put this in did exactly that for a retired Boeing engineer that lives a few miles away.


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## corrupt (May 28, 2011)

nice one good to see, and it is a good feeling runniing of the sun. this is my set up


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## begreen (May 28, 2011)

Nice! Looks like no shading problems there.


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## dvellone (May 28, 2011)

Nice looking installation. We share your optimism!


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## begreen (May 28, 2011)

Awesome. That's a tower of power!


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## mainemac (May 29, 2011)

Be Green 

Well done!!

That is great.

One hour of solar energy bathes the earth with all the energy the human race uses in one year.

Here is a pic of my DHW Solar Heater: Hoping to turn off oil burner every Spring Fall Winter


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## mainemac (May 29, 2011)

Sorry meant spring fall SUMMER not winter
If I get  a BLAZE KING maybe I can turn it off in the winter too.


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## begreen (May 30, 2011)

Excellent. We are thinking of solar hot water too if I can figure out how to retro-plumb it into the house without making it too noticeable. How did you make the runs to the hot water tank?


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## mainemac (May 30, 2011)

Be Green

Through roof and attic, into guest room closet, then closet just behind front door, then down into basement, turns the corner and home free...
Another option would have gone down the R hand side near all the telephone and electric wires but in cold winter they told me this would have 
decreased efficiency. Plus my better half did not like the idea of pipes draping down the side.

Tom


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## begreen (May 31, 2011)

I made a short video of the installation over the weekend. Tomorrow we redo the service in prep for the grid tie-in.


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## corrupt (May 31, 2011)

Hi BeGreen, how much did your system cost? just trying to work out your 10.5 year payback. I have a 4.56kw system, it cost me $12,500 and should be paid of in 4 years. We export 80% of the power at 47cents/kw.


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## begreen (May 31, 2011)

Yes, very different economics here. These are premium panels and cost more. I could have saved a lot going with Sanyo or Sharps, but then I would not get the made in WA rebate. That would have dropped my grid-tie return to 15 cents/KWh. Same with the inverter panel system. And I was not comfortable with plastic backed panels or exposed wiring. I need rodent-proof in this location.


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## begreen (Jun 13, 2011)

Production meter installed, we be grid-tied. Here's our first kilowatt!


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## corrupt (Jun 14, 2011)

nice one, I took a pic of my first kw on the inverter, misses the one mw though.


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## mellow (Jun 15, 2011)

Begreen: Do you have a monitoring webpage for that setup?


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## begreen (Jun 15, 2011)

Not that I know of. If I want accrued data I have plug a laptop into the inverter and download it. There is a remote wireless option for the inverter, but it was pricey.


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## corrupt (Jun 16, 2011)

I use this website to log all my readings" pvoutput.org " its really good

This is me http://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?id=1848&sid=1393

Shane


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## begreen (Jun 17, 2011)

Nice. That's pretty respectable winter output.


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