Recent content by Frontrange PV

Yes. We did sign up for and have been accepted into the Xcel program. The payback period I mentioned above was for solar only, however. We don’t regard the battery in the same light, as it’s adding a completely new capability to our home. All in all, we received or will receive something like...

We do have a UPS to bridge the break in power for our computer.

Interesting convo. We went higher end with our system, and spent a bit more to ensure we could fit our needs (compact roof, moderate usage, big trees all around, expected increases in rates and decreasing grid reliability going forward). So our expected breakeven minus the battery before resale...

Interesting approach. I’ll let others comment on the specifics and just summarize this way: I think getting to a positive ROI with a battery is pretty near impossible with current prices. I think it’s more useful to consider the value to be found in its backup function. You already have a...

The next phase, if needed, would entail adding a bi-directional charger to provide extended backup. Not sure if or when that will make sense, but I've been thinking about options. Option 1: Add MTS to generation/backup side of the Gateway, hang the backup circuits off the MTS and hook up a...

Now a few weeks in having our Powerwall 2 upgrade added to last year’s Enphase IQ8 based solar installation. Very pleased so far. Some testing still to complete but the system appears to be working as advertised so far, and quite well actually. Very high wind event last night had Xcel...

We're in Denver metro area, so far less likely to see an issue over the limits, but we did have one 2-day stretch last winter with pretty extreme low temps. Enough so that we pulled the electric car into the garage, and gave the diesel a drink of fuel winterizer since it stayed outside. Our...

Hmmm... Arnold DeLeon brings up a good point. There's a thing called "frequency shift curtailment" whereby the Powerwall 2 or the backup gateway 2 (not sure which, I suspect the gateway) changes the frequency of your system while in off-grid mode in order to control how much power your...