# Solar Powered Complete Home



## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

To power a complete home including some air conditioning how big of a solar system would one need?? Say I had $15-20K to throw at the project (at $2 a watt that would be approx 7000 watts - while the sun is shining).

As you can see, I know little about solar as my power.

BTW - how safe are the solar cells to things like HAIL.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Fairly safe to hail unless it's really BIG hail ( like baseball size ).

You won't get a system for $2/watt.....figure more like 5=6 if you do it, and 7-8 if you have it done.

To power a "complete home" doesn't mean much....you need to know HOW much power you use per month on average, and figure from there....a "ball park" figure is 1,000 watts of solar installed will generate about 1,000kwhrs per year in your neck of the woods......so say you use 500kwhrs/month on average.....that's 6,000/yr.....you'd need a 6,000 watt solar system to get in the ballpark of replacing what you buy from the electric company. 

The national average for US homes is about 900kw/hrs per month.....that would be about 11,000 per year......you'd need an 11,000 watt system if your house is "average".

Before you invest one dime in solar, unless you simply have money to burn, you would need to go thru your house and cut every place you use electricity as much as possible IF you are anywhere close to the national average. Any appliance that can be switched to natural gas/propane, do it.....heat, cooking, dryer, etc. Then switch all lighting to CFL type bulbs, then insulate more, and so on. Solar is the LAST thing you look at after you've cut at least 2-3 times......maybe 4-5 times.....


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## byexample (Aug 28, 2009)

What's your personal goal for bringing in solar power? Do you want to live off the grid? Are you striving to be carbon neutral? Will you grid-tie and try to sell back to the utility grid?

Give us an idea of what your situation / vision is and offer up an idea of how you and others in your home currently use electricity.

Have a look at your power bill and see how many Kilowatt Hours (KWH) you consumed over the last year and provide the list with that info as well.

In order to get good advice you'll need to provide folks with as much info as you can. If you do, I'm confident you'll get some really good feedback and advice from the folks here.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

One of the standards for testing PV panels is; will it take a 3/4 inch hail stone at 52 mph . . .?

As a side bar I gotta wonder if this standard applies to all the chinese stuff coming to our shores...??

The "whole house" . . . . .
A lot depends on you and yours life style. How many of those energy hog goodies can't you live without. . .?
Is a hair dryer a daily gotta have ? . .AC . . Etc. etc.
Each one of those gotta have's will kick up the required 'load' and therefore the price tag.....

The price you mentioned would buy you a bunch of PV panels . .but then theres the BOS (balance of system) components . .that could be another 15-20k.........


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## garymunson (Apr 20, 2009)

For your well...

http://www.survivalunlimited.com/deepwellpump.htm


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

Our "whole house" is off the grid. It is a modern 2,000 sq foot home with another 2,000 sq foot garage/workshop. I have everything that they have in the city except for a central vaccuum cleaner and AC. we built the house knowing we would be off the grid so we have hardwood floors which we cool down with the north winds at night in the summer (window placement is important), shut all windows and stay 10 degrees cooler inside during the day. The reverse happens in winter, when the south-facing windows allow the winter sun to heat the floors and that helps us with heating in the winter.

We have solar panels and a backup wind generator.

We are a lot further north than you so have to make some concessions in winter time when the sun is low, and the days are short. I don't run the dishwasher or washing machine as much and we limit the TV watching in the evening.

In the summer, we are often dumping power.


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## survivalpro (Nov 14, 2009)

Most all electric homes can be run with a 5kw system but I would suggest first reducing your energy needs by switching major appliances to propane or NG.

Passive roof turbines, shade trees, a front porch and window overhangs will greatly reduce your cooling needs.

Here is 2.5kw for $6500:

http://cgi.ebay.com/WHOLESALE-125-W...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a54ac32c9

So 5kw would cost you about $13,000 for the panels plus you need inverter, power controller, and batteries.

I am not connected with the company but I have purchased these same panels.

They have safety glass and low iron glass for better power.


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