# New 10kw PV system for a neighbor



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Been working a couple weeks on a 10,000watt (10kw) grid tied system for a neighbor for the last couple weeks. We finished it up today, ready for connection.

He used Korean panels ( 86 cents/watt ) with Enphase M215 micro-inverters on a base of galvanized pipe and angle we welded up.

He bought his panels thru a guy in Florida (DM Solar), who, I hate to say, has zero customer service. DM buys thru some distributor in New Jersey, who, apparently doesn't give a crap about packing. 25 of the panels were in a crate, straight off the boat.....the remaining 15, they simply threw on top, ran a little shrink wrap around them and send them off to the trucking company. By the time they got to us, they had slid all over the place, scratched frames and glass....surprised they weren't broken....and DM's response was about nothing. SO, don't buy from that guy.










Pipe/angle racking, set in concrete, with inverters mounted:










40 panels mounted. Left some room for future expansion, which he already plans on.










Total cost: About $22k before tax credits. Monthly production: About 800-850kwhrs.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

You must have an awful lot less wind than we have around here. That is quite a sail. At a minimum I would be adding guy wires off the back.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

2" sch40 steel pipe, buried 2' deep in a trench 2' wide, with a yard of concrete around each set's trench (total of 6 yards)......that's 15,000lbs or so of concrete. 

Welded angle X bracing across the back (high side). Each frame has a set of welded angle front to back (photo #2). Then the 2"x3/16" angle the panels sit on is welded to the pipe.

Sits in a fairly sheltered location with trees behind and on both ends....especially the west end, the prevailing wind end.....whole forest there. The front (south) faces up a fairly steep hill, so wind from that direction will blow pretty much over the top.

I'm OK with it.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Love it!

Matt


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## Deeplines (Dec 7, 2013)

That thing will most likely produce more power than that. I have a 6KW system and here are my #'s for the month of Aug. 

My yearly production is from mid-March to the end of Aug. Not for sure how much difference the sunshine is from the Panhandle of Florida to up in Tenn. but I'm guessing you will get 1,200 KWH a month out of that set up for 8 months out of the year. I haven't had to pay a power bill since install, my house is gas also though. (Correction, Gulf Power does charge a $20 min. fee, so I pay that every month.)

08/01/2014 - 08/07/20145.41 kW188 kWh
08/08/2014 - 08/14/20145.11 kW205 kWh
08/15/2014 - 08/21/20145.37 kW219 kWh
08/22/2014 - 08/28/20145.39 kW213 kWh
08/29/2014 - 08/31/20145.09 kW83.5 kWh
August 2014 Total:908 kWh
Previous Month Total:876 kWh
Year to Date:5.06 MWh

Love the set up. I paid to have someone install mine but I think I will do it myself next time, well all that is allowed. You got twice as much as I did for $1,000 more.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Deeplines said:


> That thing will most likely produce more power than that.


Yeah, year average, it probably will. I like to understate production so the owner will be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.

Anyway,

Today is his "one month online anniversary". It produced 1239 kwhrs for 30 days . (but Sept/Oct are usually very good months here....lot of clear days)

His Enphase public website is:

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/sntr451420/grid/months


Enphase now has 190,000 systems online. You can see them all over the world (if the owner allows public view, most do), and zero in on your local area to see if anyone has a system near you.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public_systems


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