$2,000
25% to 49%
of electricity
25%
or less of hot water
25%
or less of space heating
25%
or less of air conditioning
$18,200
12.1%
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With (27) PVL-124's on the East Roof and (27) on the West Roof, the power starts rolling in before the sun even gets over the trees, recharging the batteries fast if PSNH is down. Thin Film doesn't need direct sunlight; it's like that calculator you keep in the 3rd drawer down in your kitchen....you haven't put a battery in it for 10 years and it still works with ambient kitchen light.
$2,000
25% to 49%
of electricity
25%
or less of hot water
25%
or less of space heating
25%
or less of air conditioning
$18,200
12.1%
Property
- Owner:
- Steve and Sheila Sanders
- Type:
- Single-Family Residence
- Address:
- 4 Cedar Lane, Londonderry, NH 03053
- Size:
- 2,100 sq ft
- Energy need met:
- 25% to 49% of electricity
- 25% or less of hot water
- 25% or less of space heating
- 25% or less of air conditioning
- Designations:
- Deep energy retrofit
- Zero net energy
- Event Participation:
- NESEA Green Buildings Open House 2013 Host
Technology
- Type:
- Solar PV
- Installed:
- July 2011
- Size of System:
- 6.6 kW
- Purposes:
- To generate electricity
- To heat hot water
- For space heating
- For air-conditioning
Financial Details
- Gross Cost of System:
- $26,000
- Value of Tax Credits:
- $7,800
- Net Cost of System:
- $18,200
- Annual Savings:
- $2,000
- Annual Revenue:
- $200
- Own or Lease:
- Cash Purchase
- Additional Financial Notes:
- 1. Costs include a new metal roof for the panels to "stick to" 2. We have several systems totaling about 20 Kw/h
Professionals & Suppliers
- Products:
- UniSolar PVL-124
- Installers:
- Dawn Solar (now Bankrupt)
- Financing:
- Bank of Steve and Sheil
What You Need to Know
Description:
Each roof, East and West, has 9 strings of 3 PVL-124's. PVL-124's are preglued and prewired (click-click) and the wires run thru the roof cap to the attic, where they are combined into 2 outputs; an East and a West. The East and West outputs are fed into (2) Xantrex 6000 watt MPPT DC Charge Controllers, which control 48,000 watts of AGM batteries and feed (2) 6000 watt Xantrex XL Hybrid Inverters.
Other Benefits:
"Stick on" solar has several advantages. It can utilize indirect sunlight, before the sun becomes visible. It is also much less prone to lose efficiency due to overheating. Although it begins with less efficiency, it keeps it in the heat. PSNH has been down for 5 days twice since our system has been installed. The batteries never got lower than 70% charge. On all days the batteries were fully charged by 11 AM. I attribute that quick recharge to East facing "stick ons".
Maintenance Requirements:
None, so far. AGM batteries are sealed. All systems are monitored daily making certain the "ratios" between systems remains the same.
Efficiency or Sustainability Improvements:
Fully insulated garage with 6" framing.
My Motivation:
We wanted to design a system that would power the whole house 100%, heat (4) garage spaces to 41 degrees, heat the chicken coop to 41 degrees, run hydroponic systems and charge (4) electric cars. Our incentive was self sufficiency, part of a retirement plan and as an insurance policy for Grid problems. So far, so good.
Advice:
Look, you can get PV for less than a "buck a watt". One pallet, 5,000 watts, does your house. Two pallets, 10,000 watts does your house plus powers a Chevy Volt. The Feds and the State are going to give you all that money back. Check near where you work and live for free charging stations. You can get a "sign and drive" Chevy Volt for about $250/month. Do the math for your situation. Are you going to save more than $250 a month on gas? Whether by installer or buddies with pizza and beer, get 'er done!
Experience with Installer:
1.Dawn Solar went Bankrupt. I signed a non disclosure agreement with them to prevent me from telling anyone how horrible that whole experience was, so I won't. 2. AllSun Tracker is great, installation in a day! All paperwork and permits flawless. 3. Revision Energy has a "Solar Army". Paperwork and permits are flawless. Any problems they fix immediately with no questions asked.
Additional Notes:
Be prepared to cut some trees down. A little shade sucks down your whole array output dramatically.
Open House Info:
NESEA Green Buildings Open House 2013 Host. But, we can schedule a visit any time for anyone interested in PV+EV and "whole house" PV with batteries. Look, the most you can save with a small PV system is whatever your electric bill is. Gasoline is probably your second biggest monthly expense. With batteries you can cut your gas expense to nearly zero whether the grid is up or down.
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