# Array #4



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Well, another end of the year project, adding a new array of 10 panels (255w ea) for 2550watts peak. This will get me up 8.5kw total.

Made some changes this time around. Fixed mount, for one thing. Panels I bought last fall for $600 are down to about 300 now.....so I am mounting these on a fixed, south facing base rather than build another tracking mount.

Also trying the Enphase micro inverters that will feed this array to the grid only, not to my battery bank.

I confess to copying fellow Tennessean Doug Kalmer's design from Solar Gary's site: Doug's New 4.6 KW micro inverter DIY Grid Tied PV Array

Got the racking built over the last few days, plan to start mounting panels tomorrow after a trip to town to buy some wiring/disconnect/etc......


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Good stuff....

New tractor . .??


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

Ya know for an old man you do purty work. :happy2: 

If and when I ever get started that's the route I think I will take......fixed mount. Good job buddy!

And the new tractor is not half bad either. I bought a late model Jap version of the Yanmar a couple of years ago....so far it's been great.

Wishing you many happy non power bills.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Yeah, had to put old Blue out for retirement. This is a 41hp Yanmar I bought about a month ago. Wife says I'm not getting the concept of this "fixed income" thing.....ahahahaaa


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Yep......from my original 12 panels (175w each) (2.1kw) in Dec 2008:











to 40 panels now: (8.5kw) Turned on the latest 10 this morning. Naturally, the day sucked, was overcast and all. They did a whopping 1.4kw/hr. Sun supposed to be out nice tomorrow, so maybe more like 10kw/hrs then !



















These last 10 panels, I went with Enphase microinverters which mount right at the back of the panels, and change the DC to 240AC. They also connect to the internet, and you get a nice reporting/real time info from your own page at Enphase.

Here is the side I can let the public see, if you're interested: Not much to look at today, but over time, it might get to be interesting.

TnAndy's Page


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

Look's good! It will be interesting to watch it a few days on-line.


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## Keith (Jul 18, 2011)

Very nice setup.

What is your hourly usage average?


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Keith,

We average 900-1000kw/hrs a month.....last month was 1150 ( I used the shop a bunch ), the month before was 753 ( and didn't use the shop much ). Before this expansion, we averaged 620kw/hrs/month of solar production. My goal is to get up to right at what we use, so when the incentive infeed pay we get now ( 12 cents over retail ) goes away in 6 more years ( 10 year contract ), we still won't have an electric bill.....sorta gotten used to that !

I've never figured hourly use. Typically, on a good day, the "buy" meter runs backwards.....today, for example ( a GOOD day ), the buy meter moved back 23 kw/hrs during the day so far. (2pm)


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## Keith (Jul 18, 2011)

As a random example Home Depot has a 10,000W kit for $22,000.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...alogId=10053&R=203080201&catEntr---=203080201

From the prices you have listed, it seems like you have pieced together your system for several thousand less then that?


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

My system is all over the place, price wise.....because I began in 2008 when panel prices were $4/watt, and have been adding to it as the year roll along.

This latest addition, I have about $6,000 in 2550w. That's panels, inverters, the inverter/internet gateway ( which is about $500 by itself, but if I add on using the microinverters, don't need another one of these ), racking, wire, etc.

Here's a place that lists a 10.5kw for $18,400

http://www.dmsolar.com/10grwi24sopa.html


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## Keith (Jul 18, 2011)

> Bill of Materials: * $10 million dollars liability insurance coverage


 

Is your long-term plan to keep tied to the grid selling back or developing a battery array to store the energy?


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

The first part of my system (6kw) is grid tie with battery backup using Outback GTFX inverters. When the grid goes down, these automatically switch to off grid mode.

This last 2.5kw I put up is grid tie only using Enphase microinverters. We have a really good infeed rate for back feeding the grid, and I have 6 more years left on my contract at that rate....so anything going forward of my initial 6kw is just for the money.

I "think" if the grid were to go away , I could use the output of the Outback inverters to fool the Enphase into thinking the grid was still there, and use them off grid, with some wiring work around.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Called . ."AC coupling"

NOT for beginners...........


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## Keith (Jul 18, 2011)

What batteries are you using?


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Keith said:


> What batteries are you using?


About 2/3 way down this thread.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...ontrollers-finally-purchased.html#post6329422


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