Ok, saw someone make an automatic chicken coop door using one of these wifi, smart water valve controllers. I wanna do something similar but don't have electric running to my coop. So I thought I could try solar. But, I am pitiful at understanding electricity at best, even worse when you add solar in. Can someone explain to me what I would need or recommend some place to start learning and where to buy what I would need to make this work? And really explain it as if I am dumb. Please. I know that I will want it to work on rainy or cloudy days still so will probably have to have some sort of battery backup.

Looking for anyone else who has Spruce Power for their PPA on a solar lease. What has your experience been in reaching out to them when you've had an issue with your account? We had our net meter go offline in June 2022 and it took nine months to get the part ordered and replaced. That only happened because we threatened to sue them.

Now they're refusing to give credits back on the account for the time the system was offline after promising to make the adjustments once the system had been repaired. We've sent them copies of the contract signed that states whoever holds the PPA is responsible for those repairs and credits.

It takes months for a response to complaints and you only get a reply if you continue to call in...no one calls you about the problem. Looking to see if there are others with similar issues. The Attorney General of CT just announced an official investigation into them. This is the third "Spruce Power" as the first two have declared bankruptcy and they roll their assets into a new company.

The AG in NV has not responded to multiple requests for help. Spruce does not respond to any BBB complaints made against them. Texas doesn't seem to care at all (where they're located).

So simple question...

What is the goal percentage that Solar would make up for world energy?

And where are we at now?

Hi! I was asking ChatGPT how to calculate estimated average daily PV power output and it provided me with a formula:
Daily Power Production (kWh) = Power Rating (W) x Surface Area (m²) x Efficiency x Solar Irradiation (kWh/m²/day) x Peak Sun Hours

As ChatGPT is bad at math I tried to calculate it myself, for a single 500W panel. I live in Atyrau, so I got Solar irradiation figures from here ( ranging from 1.91 kWh/m2/day in December to 5.46 in July), got Average peak sun hours for my region from ChatGPT itself (1.32 in Dec to 8.19 in June; don't know how much I can trust these numbers).
Based on my calculations, it seems that I can save around $25 on my electricity bill per year. So a panel that costs $136 will pay off in 5,5 years. And that's not including the cost of an invertor, materials and work.
I understand that these are rough estimates, but I'm wondering if this formula is generally correct, and if there are any sources for more accurate data. Another question I have is whether the power output and effectiveness of solar panels increase proportionally with the number of panels installed, or if it grows non-linearly ? Any insights or resources on this topic would be helpful. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I was just wondering what minimum specs am I looking for if I want to recharge my e-scooter from some solar panels. Do I still need an inverter? What should my panel/s and battery's minimum capacity be? Thanks in advance!

Not including time of use rate adjustments or whatever.
Figures assumed:

$2200 per kWh of installed capacity

1166 kWh of electrical energy harvested.

$0.165 per kWh (actual net average taken from my bill)

$169 net return per year
Maintenance cost, $27.5 per year.

Of course, just don't invest, yeah, but I'm saying there is a big difference between the societal excitement and reality here... clearly there are better investments and the margin is large enough this is bound to be true for a lot of people. There is a gap here between the societal narratives and reality.

Similar calculations for an energy recovery ventilator gives about 8 years till return on investment. And yet there are government subsidies for photovoltaic, while I see nothing for an ERV. This is using data on insolation as well as heating degree days for Ottawa, Ontario.

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2023/apr/27/shutdown-of-solar-installer-tfp/#/questions

Hello guys, how to feed solar power directly into the inverter or the electric motor I need, and take from batteries only when there is no sun?

Do I need a special inverter or just a special charge controller?

Ideally 4-6 hours a day. Can't afford a DC motor for it. What suggestions do you guys have?

Ideally 4-6 hours a day. Can't afford a dc motor for it. What suggestions do you guys have?

I'll be 100% up front, I'm not good with electrical, and this was my first time actually using a multimeter. No shit. But I did watch like 3 youtube videos to make sure I was doing it right.

I have 2 of those trickle panels that plug into a 12v in your dash to charge your battery when it sits for a while. I was having issues with my truck not having enough charge after sitting for a day or so... so I wanted to know if these things were even helping.

One panel registered -19-ish volts, and one registered -0.2-ish volts. Is this even right?? This was on a full sun day, in direct light.

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https://preview.redd.it/supa3f38l7x91.jpg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=63da738a025d6f75f10db2bee84cc6d13aad3931

https://preview.redd.it/7zr9zf38l7x91.jpg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=21ebfe90180a1f1e0f2557f12a3bb11973375394

https://preview.redd.it/eyyqfi38l7x91.jpg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=a3d6cc37aec5582f54d0683d664d06feca212bb6

Sorry if this is a dumb question but aside from crazy blog websites I have found no information on this. I heard that solar power can cause unhealthy amounts of dirty energy for the people that have them on their homes. Is this true? Thank you in advance!

So I've got 450w worth of panels screwed to a wall outside the house.

It's 3 panels, wired in parallel to be fed to a controller inside the house, connected to a 12v system.

The issue is, how do I safely run the cabling on the external wall without causing problems or unecessary fire hazards/risks? The cable will need to be run about 10 meters.

I'm using a prexisting hole in the wall about a foot up from the ground as it's route inside. I was going to buy this wire (4.5mm2 variant);

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201916783966?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=j-hKEWEeRMu&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=4e7OZqIzRVC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

And Run it inside a plastic conduit along the exterior of the wall from the panels.

Would this suffice or am I totally way off here?

Any advise or criticism is gratefully received. Thanks!

Hi all, I am creating a special project which requires the use of battery chargers and inverters. The load must be powered by the inverter at 220-240VAC, and the batteries charged by a 110-120VAC input (although a wide range of 110 – 240VAC is ideal). The battery pack is composed of paralleled 48VDC LiFePO4 modules. I first thought of buying these components separately but most inverters are already capable of charging batteries so I thought I might use only one device.

Due to a power and/or voltage difference between input and output, this device must draw power from the grid while simultaneously injecting power into the load by the inverter; any difference in the power injected and being drawn is provided by the batteries.

My questions are only two:

• Is there a charge controller and inverter combo with a 110Vac input and 220Vac output?
• Is it capable of doing both simultaneously? (Without bypassing the grid to the output)

I know it is a lot to ask but thanks in advance.

Anyone get a 3kw system put in, is it worth it in Ireland, the cost of installation up front the way things are going now with the cost of electricity going up. Advice on government grant what kind of quotes are people getting is it worth going for gov grant or going alone I heard with the amount of paper work. Just looking for advice thank you.

Homeowners ask.... What if I need to replace roof after solar panels installed? What is cost and what needs to be replaced? I answer this in very short video. Note: No promotion or sales pitch .. just sharing knowledge.

Hey, I have a flat roof house in Ontario Canada and I need to replace my whole roof... I'd like to do a solar installation at the same time.

Does anyone have any suggestions or things to keep in mind when trying to find a contractor/etc so I can get the most current technology and not something outdated?

Any input would be appreciated!