Greetings from the mink hills.

[PowerSupplyGuy]

Greetings,

I am happy to have found all of you. (My opinion subject to change at any time for almost any reason).

I am a solar power novice. My wife and I built a small home on a little hilltop in New Hampshire. We have been here for a year. We have no wires to house. Electric company wanted $17K to run wires. I figured I could put a system together for that. We have just erected 8 of the REC250 panels and are getting ready to connect. We have been running off a 10kW generator before that - to the tune of $300/mo. Ouch! So when people ask me if I am off the grid I chuckle when I say yes.

We have wind and a small brook on the property. I would rather not mess with wind as I prefer to stay close to the earth. I am hopeful we might have a hydro opportunity.

My background is power conversion. I have spent nearly 40 years designing inverters, chargers and so forth. I hope to be a contributor to the group as well as to learn as much as I can here.

regards,
Bob

[Lu Wei]

Having that background I think you are capable enough to design your own
home solar PV system. But I feel 8 REC250 panels may be not sufficient
for your usage, if 250 means 250Watt, because it only gives you 2kW at
peak, which can only support two air conditioner; yet since it's an
off-grid system, battery storage will ease that problem a little. It
will only produce about 150KWh for you this December. You could estimate
whether it is sufficient.

--
Regards,
Lu Wei
PGP key ID: 0x A12F EF75 92CC E1EA

[argusy]

My sentiments exactly.

I'd say you're already monitoring your power usage, so take a good look at your
peak usage, whenever it is during the day, and for how long, while you're still
on the generator.

That is critical for determining what should be your solar maximum power
generating capacity, for whatever storage you have in mind (plus 10 percent),
and how much average sunshine you get per year.

An 8 panel 2kW system seems to me a bit under powered with the modern need for
electricity to run a fridge, stove, washing machine, kitchen appliances and air
conditioner.
Don't forget that panels don't actually produce what they're rated for, even if
you're using a sun-tracker controlled bank of panels mounted on a swivel.

If I was in your situation, I would be seriously considering a 'smartflower'
system. (http://smartflowersolar.com/). Initial cost is about $17k, like the
quote from your electricity supplier, but the power is yours, not the
electricity company's, which would still charge you for power usage.

Yep, huge outlay, but on a hill top in New Hampshire, it may well be worth it in
ten years' time.

(love it, but they're not selling in Australia - yet. There's no outlet in New
Hampshire, either, but they're in all the states surrounding you)

If you're mounting your panels on the roof, please, don't waste any time getting
that small hydro plant installed (specially for night-time use), because it will
be only then that a 2kW system would suffice. 5kW would be better, if the hydro
is going to be a "when I get round tuit' event

I've been an electronics technician for 50 years. I installed 20 panels (rated
maximum of 5kW), driving into a 3kW inverter six years ago, but being roof
mounted east (8), north (4) and west (8), only just reach 3kW in the middle of
summer. I wrote my own PC program to monitor the Solar output 24/7.

I've just Googled Mink Hills. Pretty green where you are!! Are you near
Cunningham Pond, or closer to Warner?

cheers