Our solar production

[garygid]

DC ideal peak vs AC real average.

Of course, the ideal peak input "sounds" better.

Average over all 24 hours each day and the "average" power outout is even less.

However, on good days, do you get something like 5 (or 6) kW AC peak output during the day?

 

[hill]

Yup ... maybe 5.8 for several hours during may june july

 

[garygid]

Mine will hit the inverter max of 7050 AC watts on sunny, cooler days, but only a few hours a year, I expect. So, I could add 3 more panelsbto the existing SunnyBoy (SMA) inverter if I needed more generation.

 

[hill]

Here's a couple fun photos - before PV and 2yrs later ... after the 36 panels went up. I think 18.5% was their efficiency rating, which was pretty high for the time.

I find that washing 'em off and drying them 3 or 4 time a year helps production too.

 

[hill]

It is very difficult to meaningfully compare daily energy production before looking at power (energy production RATE).

Simple passing clouds can reduce daily production figures, making them difficult to compare.

However, graphs of kW AC power production (on a few days with at least some sunshine throughout the day) will usually show you what your system is capable of doing on a full sunny day (at that time of the year).

Agreed. In fact, to truly make a decent comparison, one would base differences/similarities off a yearly cycle, which necessarily takes in all accounts such as clouds, temps, short/long days etc. Multi year cycles would even be more accurate. Then one can look at direction of mounting, angles, etc.

 

[Deleted member 770]

I'm late to this party, but here's my stats:

5kW installation by REC Solar (via One Block off the Grid)

• 24 210w Kyocera panels (12 panels face due south, 12 panels due west, about 22.5 degree slant)
• Sunny Boy SB6000US inverter
• Tigo MMUs all around
• Monitoring via Tigo website and
• RS-485 link to Linux-based nettop using custom Linux software

It's been online since Dec 27th, but I have yet to go over 19kWh on any day. I think the problem is that some of the panels are shaded by my chimney for part of the day. I'm hoping that things will pick up in spring when the sun is more directly overhead and the chimney shadow will miss the panels.

Here's a link to my panel output...you can click on a bar to drill down for more detail.

 

[Gonewild]

I'm late to this party, but here's my stats:

5kW installation by REC Solar (via One Block off the Grid)

• 24 210w Kyocera panels (12 panels face due south, 12 panels due west, about 22.5 degree slant)
• Sunny Boy SB6000US inverter
• Tigo MMUs all around
• Monitoring via Tigo website and
• RS-485 link to Linux-based nettop using custom Linux software

It's been online since Dec 27th, but I have yet to go over 19kWh on any day. I think the problem is that some of the panels are shaded by my chimney for part of the day. I'm hoping that things will pick up in spring when the sun is more directly overhead and the chimney shadow will miss the panels.

Here's a link to my panel output...you can click on a bar to drill down for more detail.

What did your system cost you? The power will go up because the sun is higher in the sky but mostly because the days get longer as we get closer to summer.

 

[mwalsh]

I'm actually managing to stay up well on relating my results in the first post of the thread. I seem to be getting ~24kWh on sunny to mostly sunny days, ~14kWh on lightly overcast days, and "all bets off" on rainy or very cloudy days (between 1 and 10kWh, depending on the severity).

 

[DaveEV]

It's been online since Dec 27th, but I have yet to go over 19kWh on any day.

Sounds about right for a 5kW system. You'll get a bit more than double that in the sunnier half of the year.

Remember that Dec 21st is the shortest day of the year.

I'm just happy that I've had my first day back over 10 kWh - My system's (3.2kW) daily output has been under 10 kWh for all of December untl yesterday. My system's best output is about 22 kWh / day.

 

[Azrich]

We've been getting between 28 - 31 kWh on sunny days during January. There have only been 3 partly cloudy days this month - when we've gotten 18 kWh. We're pleased with our relatively new system.

 

[Boomer23]

I'm late to this party, but here's my stats:

5kW installation by REC Solar (via One Block off the Grid)

• 24 210w Kyocera panels (12 panels face due south, 12 panels due west, about 22.5 degree slant)
• Sunny Boy SB6000US inverter
• Tigo MMUs all around
• Monitoring via Tigo website and
• RS-485 link to Linux-based nettop using custom Linux software

It's been online since Dec 27th, but I have yet to go over 19kWh on any day. I think the problem is that some of the panels are shaded by my chimney for part of the day. I'm hoping that things will pick up in spring when the sun is more directly overhead and the chimney shadow will miss the panels.

Here's a link to my panel output...you can click on a bar to drill down for more detail.

My best days in Dec and Jan have been 18 to 19 kWh here in Irvine (closer to the coast, so maybe more overcast than you??) My system has 24 panels at 215 W each, all facing slightly west of south at 20 degrees roof slope.

I have no shading problem. By the way, as has been covered several times here, shading reduces your output by a larger percentage than the percentage of shading would predict, due to electrical issues, resistance, etc.

 

[mwalsh]

So that's our first month down - 478.26kWh. Not bad for a month with such a lousy first 15 days, and about equal to what we'd normally use in December (without the LEAF).

 

[SilverLeaf]

Anyone have any experience with TED, The Energy Detective?

Any recommendations (yes, no, other product)

Looking for monitoring of Usage, Production, Net Metering, etc.

Also, any recommendations regarding Tigo?

 

[EVDRIVER]

Anyone have any experience with TED, The Energy Detective?

Any recommendations (yes, no, other product)

Looking for monitoring of Usage, Production, Net Metering, etc.

Also, any recommendations regarding Tigo?

Many people have, did you do a search?

 

[Boomer23]

Anyone have any experience with TED, The Energy Detective?

Any recommendations (yes, no, other product)

Looking for monitoring of Usage, Production, Net Metering, etc.

Also, any recommendations regarding Tigo?

I have, for one. Check out my blog, specifically the Dec 19 post, plus experience using it on Jan 1.
http://drivingelectric.blogspot.com/2010_12_19_archive.html

I'm using it for solar production monitoring, household usage and EVSE monitoring. Net Metering is fairly easy since TED collects monthly totals and accepts complex rate schedules.

It's a very cool tool. It can be a bit tricky to install if you have no experience/skills with electrical panels, like me. Get a friend or an electrician to help with the power panel part of the install. You may also have to fiddle with finding a good outlet in your home that is close to your router but which isn't interfered with by power supplies, etc.

 

[TomT]

I've had a TED 5000 for about 18 months and am very happy with it. I have two MTUs, one for the house and one for the EVSE circuit. (I have no plans to go solar for a number of reasons.)
I installed it myself and it took about 30 minutes to do so.

Anyone have any experience with TED, The Energy Detective?

Any recommendations (yes, no, other product)

Looking for monitoring of Usage, Production, Net Metering, etc.

 

[Boomer23]

After I've been spouting on here about the fact that shading creates more of a reduction in solar PV output than the percent of shading would predict, I just realized that I have some shading now myself.

I took a walk behind the house in the late afternoon yesterday and saw that the Eugenia bush that we planted five or six years ago is now a TREE. It shades my panels about 20% or more in the late afternoon here in the winter months.

Well, this has to STOP! Wish me luck up a rickety ladder with a chain saw... :lol:

 

[garygid]

Boomer,
If it is high and dangerous, this might be a good time
to hire the tree-trimmers that "prowl" the neighborhoods.
If you need help to be safer, please call or PM me. Gary

 

[Boomer23]

Boomer,
If it is high and dangerous, this might be a good time
to hire the tree-trimmers that "prowl" the neighborhoods.
If you need help to be safer, please call or PM me. Gary

Thanks Gary. It isn't too high, but you're on the same track as my wife.

I'll be very careful, or I'll hire a gardener.

 

[SilverLeaf]

Contract signed. Installation in Early March.

24 SunPower 230 Panels
1 SunPower 6000m Grid Tied Inverter
Tigo System Monitoring and Optimization
5.52 KW system / 10,500 KWh

Thanks LEAFfan for the excellent recommendation.

Just in time for delivery of my 2011 Cayenne Red LEAF in April.