Recent content by GregBallantyne

Solar Roof has several advantages, depending on your situation. Smaller roofs can acheive higher generation capacity by utilizing a greater percentage of available surface area, for example. Price is not one of them, although the tax credit helps, and more of the cost can be applied to the...

IF I had a CT..... I believe I could use the following approach with my current setup: I could isolate the building where I park and charge, by throwing the subpanel isolation switch by the main load center, and then charge that building's panel with the generator. My "prior to solar system"...

I've thought about that one already.... but well after reserving the CT. When I reserved the CT, I had no solar and no concrete plans to get it. All that came about during the CT production delays.... and I spent a likely top trim CT's price on it. Then Elon went on his brand destruction...

I should capture my useage prior to buying a Tesla vehicle in 2018. That would also tell part of the story. Of course your stage of life is significant in this - I retired in 2017, the pandemic charged our habits, and reduced driving has reduced car charging. Also moved to higher efficiency heat...

I've also seen another trend develop since beginning solar operation.... household power useage has decreased at a rate that is heading for an annual 25% reduction. Nothing like trying to fit into what you produce to help see what the OP is enjoying. As are we..... my minimum bill is $9.32 tho.

I'd suggest saving your energy for things that might be helpful, like checking your system. If something looks a bit odd with mine, I'll know in a half an hour at most. I'm retired, so I don't have the time demands of working, but I can't imagine not knowing before half a day went by under any...

Pretty much sums up my view of the subject, and the motivations of my wife and I. Losing grid power here is fairly routine, happens a little more often than twice a month - 24 times in 10 months of operation. Except I've already retired, and our future plans don't involve moving.

Mine is inside, PWs in the basement and directly below the Gateway outside about 45 ft away. The Gateway hooked right up at commissioning, and thru 4-5 interior walls and Hardie Board siding (which decreased my interior cellular signal significantly after installation).... router is slightly...

My neighbor just had a solar panel array installed, but decided not to get batteries. He got quotes for batteries, and his installer (Solar Energy World) quoted several, one of which was PW3. I don't know details at all.....

Today will be the 28th consecutive day for me. But my delusion regarding the possibility of continuing that stretch until September may be in jeopardy already. I may end up drawing some grid power in a day more two, if the forecast is true. After 3 in the afternoon today, only generated 5.7 kwh...

Lots of reasons to get more than one PW..... if you just get one, best to get a PW3. Then you can configure it for whole house backup, and run things with higher start loads (like a heat pump) while running on battery. Whole house backup if you've got one load center that is. You can add more...

I'm not a PW3 owner, but.... I am thinking that the PW3 is a significant improvement over PW2 in a couple of ways.... 1st, increased output capability allows whole house backup with a few batteries, a single PW 3 can open that possibility for most residences. 2nd, the availability of DC coupled...

Yes. There can never be too much solar, there can only be not enough storage.

My top goal for going solar is energy security. Not drawing grid power demonstrates achievement of that goal. Of course, I don't mind seeing circumstances in which I know I could have self powered instead of drawing grid, but for a decision, but another goal is to operate in a manner that is...

I'm looking at the date I stopped drawing grid power, with a perhaps aspirational expectation that I won't draw any for a self powering season that lasts until early October. In other words, no grid power thru the meter until October. I got on the good side of net draw for the month of March...