Home Solar Installation

This video shows the installation of a 1.7kw photovotaic system on our home in Sebastopol, CA. Kudos to Marin Solar for doing a great job on our house. The video also shows a few novel solar installations around Sebastopol.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• solar
• photovotaic
• alternative
• energy
• Sebastopol

[myudice]

Thanks Paul!!

[paulmakesvideos]

My pleasure. Are one of the guys who worked on our house?

[paulmakesvideos]

Yes. Each August (the installation annaversary) there is a "true up" where the utility tells us if we used more electricity than we made and visa versa. With our small system home, we have never used more electricity than we made. It's important to point out that, since this video was first made, we have installed a "time of use meter" that allows us to be"credited" at peak rates, and to be charged at non-peak rates when we are home in the evening and weekends.

[apeppink]

Using a synchronous inverter for grid feed?

[paulmakesvideos]

Yes we are feeding the grid. I don't know if it's a syncronous inverter. We are limited to the type of inverter that is compatible with our local utility company (PG&E). In California, it's called an intertie system. The system has no batteries. When the grid goes down, our power goes out like everyone else. The State of California rebated approximately 43% of the total cost. The rebate has come down since we installed our system.

[ELGALLO650]

is this a good paying job???

[joe18370]

smart thinking going on here with peak rates,no when your rates are high and low,thanks great job .

[lannlann]

The meter rolls backwards!? LOL

[zupf]

Good thing you guys are adding power to the grid. California lacked vision to build enough power plants. It's why you had rolling blackouts and had to buy electricity on the open market from Enron.

[lekkerehenk]

interesting stuf,Your doing the right thing!

[apeppink]

Is that one of those retail tariffs where you can displace only the power you use (no net sales back to the utility?