Do you think you will get solar and integrated batteries? Why or Why not?

@johndorian4078

2 жыл бұрын

My issue is you have lobbyists out there trying to change it so it wont be a 1:1 exchange. They are trying to get it to where the power company can pick what they want to pay you for your electric. But charge you what they want for theirs. Might not be an issue now but if they win then you're going to be stuck with expensive solar panels and wont be able to sell what you save. Hard to "do the numbers" when you got people out there trying to change them on ya

@dosmastrify

Жыл бұрын

Yeah there is no way I would get 1:1. PSEG says it's paid back at the wholesale they pay not what they charge me. If you get 1:1 yeah Batts make no sense

@williamyoung344

Жыл бұрын

Replying way too late but I'd get batteries as I don't think my state allows net metering or any charge back to the grid, which is part of the reason I'm still holding off. Give me energy credits and ability to sell back to the grid and I'm sold. I'd love net metering here.

@briant2259

Жыл бұрын

Going with a Bluetti AC300 & 4 - B300 batteries and solar panels incase of power outage. If no sun then propane generator. Not doing a grid tied, I am more concerned with power outages in winter.

@jondonnelly4831

Жыл бұрын

In the U.K. you have put the batteries in, as the power company offers PATHETIC rates for the power exported and sell it on at amount as if it was generated from Fossil fuels. It's best to export NOTHING as the last thing you want to make the power company rich of your back. This puts off a lot of people OFF installing Solar. A big hot water cylinder is also needed, though not many houses are set up for this as most have combi-boilers, adding yet more expense.

The question of batteries is highly related to the concept of "off grid" living. Meaning - the ability to disconnect from the local power grid completely, if necessary. To accomplish this: you need a battery storage system in order to effectively [bank] your own excess power generation to draw from that [Bank] during down time when no power is being generated. many people often, incorrectly, associate solar power and other renewable technologies *only* with the 'off grid" concept, which causes a great deal of confusion. They don't understand that these technologies can, and often are, used in concert with existing grid systems.

@jondonnelly4831

Жыл бұрын

(U.K) Personally, I use so little power it's not worth it to change anything even at the insane rates projected next month. Exporting is making these rich criminals richer. Going totally off-grid is appealing to me. I'm waiting for electric cars that work bidirectionally if that makes sense. If you have this massive battery pack in the car, why can't that be integrated into the home. Effectively giving a mobile Powerwall. I don't understand why this is not possible.

Here in Maine, we also have net metering. As I've been researching solar I decided to build my own small 600 watt solar system with a few deep cell lead acid batteries and a 2000 watt inverter. I was able tie in two outlets and a remote switch directly into my inverter for emergency power outages. That way, I can connect a few devices when they are needed. It was fun learning about solar and building my backup system, but I'll leave the Roop top system install to the pros.

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a great system and a fun project!

The entire concept is getting more and more user-friendly by the year.

@jbignJesus

2 жыл бұрын

Panels are made by slaves

This was an extremely helpful and useful addendum to your original video. All my battery questions were answered, thanks a bunch.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, that’s encouraging to hear!

Part of part 4 for why to use batteries. If you live in a Hurricane prone state like I do. A hurricane can cause area wide power outages for days or months. And having a battery system and grid shut off is wise.

@grimsage5809

Жыл бұрын

Probably a little less useful if you get flooded out by it, but at that point it should be an evac situation anyhow.

Thanks for the video. Yes those Ecoflow's do sure come in handy especially with the solar charging option.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Agreed. I try to recharge them by solar as much as I can. I like that you can use the app to monitor the solar input and battery percentage when your not nearby.

What an excellent discussion, I chose two power walls for my solar setup for exactly the pros you listed. We have a semi reliable grid, but that changes during hurricane season. Our net metering rules are changing to wholesale, and we have ToU now as a requirement from the power company. So, for us, the payback on the batteries was about 7 years. So, it made total sense.

@FrugalRepair

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Sorry about your net metering changing but glad to hear the financial payback will work out.

Thank you for the in depth view in using or not using batteries in a solar setup. Had a lot of question answered. Nice power stations you have there.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad it helped.

Good info on grid tied solar. There are options that will allow a homeowner to get power from their solar array during daylight while the grid is down without batteries. For example Enphase IQ8 microinverters will form a microgrid and power your house during daylight, and match their output to the load. A whole house automatic switch disconnects house from grid. A small battery can be added, 3 kWh or larger to provide output when clouds go over or after dark. SMA inverters also have a secure power outlet that can supply power when grid is down and sun is out. Also using electric car power to power houses is becoming more common when grid is down. We’ve got older Enphase microinverters so we need at least 13kWh of batteries to form a microgrid. Was thinking we’d like 40 kWh of batteries eventually for backup but as you pointed out they are expensive. Perhaps we’ll go the electric car route to supply backup power though I like the dedicated battery route that automatically powers the house if we are away from home on vacation. Meanwhile we have a couple of small power stations and portable solar we use RVing and also a 3 KW portable generator that we have used from time to time. Another factor is you have very reliable underground power. We have less reliable above ground power and a lot of big trees around. We lose power from time to time, the longest 4 days during a big windstorm.

My electric bill for December is -$36. LOL Love my solar panels.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! I think I started the summer with a bill of -$56 or so.

The reason I got 2 Tesla Powerwalls to go on my solar system is because our peak rates change so I charge up either through solar or from the grid when it's cheap or free and push it all back into the grid when it's expensive. We also have a lot of power cuts. There are also a lot of rack batteries that you can continuously add on to your system that are cheap and can be bought over time. Will Prowse has a good channel about them.

That's pretty clever. I didn't even think about it that much but you have a point there. Seems you also like Ecoflow as much as I do.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Yep, I think they make great units.

Very satisfying explanation and really good video! (even though I am a an apartment dweller)

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and your encouragement!

Great info!

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

been watching your solar videos. lots of good info and well presented.... was wondering what your latitude was... just want to compare to where I am in SouthWest Ontario Canada.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I’m in PA. Ontario is big but you might be at a similar latitude.

Right now, the costs are simply now worth it for me, as like you I get a 1 to 1 buy back from my electric company. BUT, 2 things are very likely in the next 5 years. 1) Prices on batteries are very likely to drop, just like prices have dropped on panels.2) It is likely I could be buying an Ev soon. When that happens, it is almost assured that a battery will then be more cost efficient for many people. If ca doesnt mess with NEM1.0 and I get to continue to use the grid as my battery, I wont need to do it. I suspect huge incentives are coming to push us towards battery usage.

To hell with the grid.

@Teknopottu

2 жыл бұрын

Word. But other people may want to live and plan things differently, let them do so.

What about power failure at night? Battery wise. Also is there a basic service charge with the power company? For example, my bill is 220 a month but 123 of that is fees and delivery etc.

Nice, common-sense analysis of whether or not to use batteries. I have been struggling with this question myself as I have 15 acres and I'm building a house. I already have a storage shed on site that has 0 power unless I use a gas-powered generator. I'm considering a 5 kWh battery and solar to power the shed for a short period of time and then scale up the solar/inverters later when the house is finished to net-meter my solar production to the grid. The battery at that point would be available for times when the power is out and I don't want to run a generator all night (with the noise). I can run the generator by day if solar isn't getting the job done and also charge the battery for night use.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! If it will get below freezing you’ll want to check that any batteries aren’t potentially getting damaged say by charging them below 32F. Feel free to email me with any questions on the battery, solar, or portable solar generator topics.

@penitent2401

2 жыл бұрын

5kwh is pretty small battery, should consider the costs as you already has a generator and it's only for a while until your house is built and connects to the grid. and using a generator to charge up battery is not ideal either as it takes more than 5kwh to charge it to full due to nothing is 100% efficient, especially charging batteries. With solar to charge up batteries you don't really need to care as it's practically free excess energy you are using to charge it up. Once hooked up to the grid, that 5kwh per day is only worth $0.5-1.0 and the battery life time is only 5-10 years. Maybe consider getting an electric car? you can charge your car up with solar during the day and use its battery to power your home at night and they have much larger battery sizes, the system is new to roll out to cars so not all models support vehicle to home power system yet.

It all comes down to net metering. You are very lucky to have a 1-1 net metering arrangement. My power company recently changed their solar plans to include a $50 per month generation fee and a requirement for a demand based charges along with wholesale rate. Batteries suddenly became much more attractive. Net-zero is the future. Store what you can but use the utility as a backup with no solar plans. Effectively use the Inverter as a UPS.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, we are happy with the net metering. Sorry to hear about your situation!

You're awesome mate! You have found a way to use solar without batteries storage. Send the unused energy back to the grid and get credit for those wattages back from your electric company. I wish you are here in Texas so I can work with you to get my house onto solar wagon as well.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

That would be fun. Do you have an option for net metering there?

@alphaomega5923

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair I have no clue mate, but it won’t be hard to find that out. My roof pitch is very steep.

I would love this in Australia!!

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Do you get any kind of credits for excess generation there?

@Zendukai

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair yes we do, if you were to install solar now, you might get 8c per kwh. For the moment, im getting 50c because i installed before it ran out. But, it's coming to an end soon for me, i would rather a bank of kilowatts to use up instead of having to buy a battery that wont last long if i use air-conditioning.

Here's another and probably the biggest reason to get a battery, for small or DIY installations it can actually be cheaper and easier, because for a grid-tie system you need UL approved panels, UL inverters/microinverters, you need to fill out forms/pay fees for your local utility company, you may or may not need building permits but even if not you still need to follow city codes and guidelines especially for roof mounted panels and finally before you connect anything up to the grid you need an inspector to come and give it a pass. Whereas by comparison, as long as it never connects to the grid it's technically an off-grid system and with a mixed grid/off-grid system, you can get any cheap panels you want and as long as it's under a certain voltage/wattage most places don't require permits or other complications to have a handful of ground mounted panels, so to an extent you can kinda do whatever you want, the downside is you can't power your existing wiring directly, you have to pick and choose what goes on your inverter and depending on how you sized your system/load you'll need something like an automatic transfer switch for 24/7 power.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Good summary!

@jmaus2k

2 жыл бұрын

Net metering fees are getting higher too, so it makes sense to have batteries and use a zero export inverter so you only offset energy you use. Other requirements for on building gridtie like Rapid Shutdown are a major pain and expensive....so off grid is a good way to get around it.

@shrujanamsyama9940

2 жыл бұрын

You really don't want to get cheap panels or inverters as the kilowatts of generation is definitely a potential source for accident and one must not risk safety of their homes for some money. If you want cheap panels, just buy used panels

Reece, Again, very well done. You really have me thinking... I am not in position to do a solar panel project in my current situation. But maybe in the near future. Where I am the retail rate is 11.5 cents per kwh. To sell electricity back, the utility would only pay 4.8 cents per kwh. So, the battery route may be for me. Seems like taking baby steps may be the way to go... Start with grid tie as you have done. Then, if all goes well and I feel comfortable with "cutting the cord/cable", transition to batteries and go totally off grid. If you were to decide, for some reason, that you wanted to go off grid or use batteries in conjunction with grid tie, how much rework would be involved?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

For me it mainly depends on the cost. SolarEdge has a unit I can purchase to work with batteries, for example. But I could use something else. I wouldn’t go totally off grid because that’s too many batteries and anxiety.

@jmaus2k

2 жыл бұрын

Use a zero export inverter, like the GTL versions that are pretty inexpensive, with 24V or 48V of batteries and you don't pay for all the kwhrs saved. Net metering also has a higher monthly meter fee so consider that along with the feed in rate.

Damn you are lucky! In Queensland Australia we get paid .10c/kWH feed in tarrif to the grid and we buy it back at .21c/kWH. I wish we had net metering as then I would get a credit every year. When you have an offset in price like this then it starts to become reasonable to look at batteries. The majority of folks here in Australia do not have batteries and all run grid tied systems.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, we fortunate to have this arrangement here.

Ya know who needs the batteries… the grid. Having a small battery at your edge is smart too.

All I can say is that the Delta Max I'm using now is money well spent. You can never tell when you are gonna need power.

I wish that we had net metering in South Africa

Do you not have a fuel charge p/Kw in PAH? I do in Duval County FL. And when I did the math, the fuel charge was static. Then three years after I had my system installed, the board voted to move to a market fuel rate, meaning that the fuel charge p/KwH would go up if fuel costs went up, and vice versa. Well, fuel costs have gone up significantly, destroying the math I did when looking at ROI. Now looking at batteries as the fuel charge p/KwH at night is effectively negating a significant amount of the savings we were initially realizing.

I can attest that those Ecoflow's work great. I've been using a Delta for the past few months and charging them via Solar, so it's free energy.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed, I try to charge by solar whenever I can.

@gordonlowe5405

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair During a grid down event, I expect that your inverters auto-disconnect from the grid. If this is the case, do your inverters have an emergency use option so that your solar array and inverter can charge your EcoFlow batteries while the grid is down?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

@@gordonlowe5405 The SolarEdge inverters I have don't have an emergency option like that. I'm not aware of others that do that are currently on the market. There was one company that had an emergency outlet attached but I don't think that is available. Also, it's good to consider that it's more rare that the power is out and it's sunny at the same time. For me, I have some panels in the backyard that I can easily charge my EcoFlow batteries from or I can set up the portable panels wherever to charge the batteries. I've used the portable and the fixed panels and they all work well.

battery with 3-5kw could be nice for offgrid to keep smarthome and co online

And if you live in certain places, the GOP has stopped true net metering, and now the power companies are saying that you're not a good member of the community if you move to solar because others will have to pay more for their electricity because there aren't enough users to maintain upkeep and keep prices low.

@1mtstewart

2 жыл бұрын

That is a real problem, huh? when the utilitiy's CEOs were yucking it up with the other CEOs and CAPITAL about moving most of the production and manufacturing work off-shore or to Mexico, they should have thought about the ramifications of losing all of that demand... Electricity initially was generated where it was used. many universities, car plants, hospitals, streetcar companies, had their oen powerplants. when emissions got so bad from burning coal everywhere at once, the electric utilities stepped up to consolidate to central generating plants with proper emission control schemes to clear the air. during these early days, commercial and industrial customers basically psid all of the bills. residential customers were "icing on the cake" and paid higher rates based on their insignificant individual usage. when most of the heavy consumers left, demand plummeted in most systems. the emission strategies did not keep up with the science and now solar threatens to kill the investor owned utilities. now they know how the horse and mule busi ess people felt after the Great Depression.

Reese - fantastic solar power battery video. We are in CA, and put a massive solar array in 2017, before house batteries were available. So, we had to use net metering. The system nets about $1000-1500 per year. Now PG&E is going wholesale, and we would like to add a battery. One problem - the house has an emergency generator. It's 1980 Generac V8 running on propane. So, the setup is already complicated. The original solar installer [and all other vendors I talked to] said no. Have to install the battery at the same time as the panels. And, just too complicated with the generator - too many switch boxes. Any ideas?

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! What inverters do you have? The company may have come out with a product that would allow you to more easily add batteries.

@ellenjeep

Жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair Thanks for the reply. I don't know what inverters, but I can look them up. The house isn't off the grid, but the 70 year old utility wires tend to break, and the poles fall off the hill.

Would totally go for a solar system if exchange rate would be 1:1 here. But here we get 1/5 of retail price for each kwh. Like you pay 35ct/kwh but only get around 7ct. Batteries are a must here.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry you don’t get 1-1. Where are you located, if you don’t mind me asking?

@YourAliasIsNotAvailable

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair Sorry I'm this late to answer, but youtube didn't bother to show me your answer. I'm in Germany.

starting big is scary. so here i am researching about starting small. those powerstation thing can now conveniently be charged via solar. i'll just chuck solar panels in the yard and hook up my tv to a battery power station for off grid tv.

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Yes, that is a great way to get started.

In other words: you're a small solar power plant; supplying green, renewable energy to the grid. Nice!

Great explanation. Unfortunately for me in my area, my power company pays you at a lower rate for excess power. You can never bank up credits for the future. Still better than nothing but I wish I had your option. Too bad I live in Utah.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I heard about the situation in Utah from a solar installer there, that's too bad. Are you thinking about getting solar+batteries?

@litnoregrets7551

2 жыл бұрын

FrugalRepair I would love to just bag the power company and go totally off-grid, but that is pretty pricey and we have a really stable infrastructure too, so I cannot justify it. Even though I hate the way they pay you in Utah, I will probably hook into the grid when I build my system. I already have an EcoFlow power station and a folding panel, so I am a bit prepared for that power out situation we might have some day. My hope in mentioning the bad system in Utah is for a powerful person to read it and change it here. 🤣🤣🤣

@1mtstewart

2 жыл бұрын

VOTE

In the Netherlands, retail net metering will be diminished 9% per year starting 2023 until 2031 (0%). Currently you get/pay the retail price, about €0,21 - 0,25 p/kWh, but for each unnetted kWh in ongoing years you will receive €0,04 - 0,08 p/kWh depending on your energy supplier. Also, we don't get much sun here. We do have a very reliable grid system. The payback period on most retail available solar panels is currently below 7 years. After 7 years, we would get about ~ €0,06 p/kWh (instead of €0,23 p/kWh) and hopefully a zero cost bill. I'd rather save that energy for charging the electric car or other large energy consumers like the laundry machine or fridge. In 2030 only EV's are allowed to be sold in the EU. For every 1 kWh I would need to consume from the grid, I would have to compensate with giving 4 kWh back to the grid to even out. So, in our case, wall batteries with solar (and/or wind but regulations and sentiment are restrictive) make more sense.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the explanation!

does your system have the ability to feed your home or charge batteries when there is a power outage? i have seen some backup battery or generator systems that have a dedicated breaker in the circuit panel for one side of the panel, L or R. you organize the circuits to keep vital appliances, routers, health devices, hvac fans, ceiling fans etc... running during a utility outage. you must throw the breaker by removing a blocking device that makes the path an "either/ or" way for power to that bus bar. utility / home generation, never both! this protects your and the utilities equipment and personnel from back feeding power. when the other bus bar gets power restored, you reverse the breaker and lock it in place. another way of doing this would be between your system outside and the utility's meter with a three position breaker or knife switch. utility -off- home. does that make any sense? would that effect your net metering agreement? in many areas with natural gas or LP gas, a generator with auto start capabilities is an option that might be better than a $10K "Tesla power wall" or other battery back up. i am looking at an LP generator at our farm, as rural coops sometimes have extended outages during inclement weather. good videos, thanks.

My powerwall that I had at my place in Cali allowed me to feed power to the grid at peak times/rates. Oh, and apparently, Tesla is doing a virtual powerplant option, where you get PAID for peak input. Oh, and in Cali, it's illegal to have your batteries hooked up to charge from the grid, if you have solar.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome!

@TheAnticorporatist

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair You're awesome! Keep up the great work! Very inspiring for my new place in IL. Will probably put in a cheap solar install later this year as apparently they have some extra credits going, or something.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Hope you can get solar. And I hope the net metering is good there.

@TheAnticorporatist

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair Oh, and BTW, one of the huge things to do with solar is use a heat pump (instead of burning gas) for heat...would you be capable of modifying an AC to be bi-directional? (As you know, a heat pump is just an air conditioner, in reverse)

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed, I have electric heat now but am thinking of getting some mini splits. A project like that would be cool but it may be impractical (I don’t know how much work it would take, reversing pumps, electronics, etc), but maybe it would make a good video. =)

Like i understand for winter where you don't get sunlight is what you're saying, but if you are in a part of the world where you do indeed get sunlight mostly all year round then batteries is the only way to go.

Could you please put the price of all ecoflow

According to the channel "Ray builds cool stuff" his utility in Texas started out with that metering then changed it to paying a small portion of what he produced. Then they changed again to something that makes it almost impossible to come close to that metering. Are you under contract or a certain amount of time with your utility? Or can they change their minds and payment structure at any time? BTW: I just got the echo Flow River pro a couple of weeks ago. So far I'm pleased with it.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

The rules definitely can change and they are something I'm keeping my eye on. There isn't a time contract (that I'm aware of), just a signed agreement for the retail net metering. From my understanding the utility can't change the rules without approval from the state's utility commission. I don't see the retail net metering changing here but you never know. Great to hear that you are happy with the River Pro! EcoFlow makes some great power stations. Each one I've used I have been impressed with.

@troyyarbrough

2 жыл бұрын

I live in Texas and they have made the whole system so complicated. Now it seems it's a county by county situation. Also I'm with a electric co-op so none of the rules seem to apply to me. If I send power back to the grid, I get a big thank you and that's about it.

So if the power company's electricity goes down your system shuts off and you are out of electricity? Sorry if I missed something on the setup

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, for a grid tied system the inverters shut down when they don’t sense the grid. I have small battery backups for the fridge and other critical things but you could install a transfer switch and run critical loads through a sub panel and have a large battery bank or gas generator.

most of the time those who connects to the grid and has reasonable upload credits rate would not break even on investing in a battery by the end of the battery's life. Current batteries are too expensive to justify the extra cost over using the grid as your battery with credits. Of course if you are completely off grid and using petrol generator as your night time or back up electricity supply, a battery to collect the solar energy during the day is a good idea.

@robsonrobbi1763

Жыл бұрын

The problem most batteries last only 4 to 6 years and some even fail before. you cant even go fully off grid forever because of batteries. Technology is still not good enough

Does your solar system operate in the daytime to provide power to your house, during power interruptions or does it only work when the power company is providing electricity?

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it powers my house in the sunlight. But since I’m grid tied, the safety protocol is set in the inverters causes them to shut down when they don’t sense the power grid. Thankfully, we rarely loose power.

@markchase5323

Жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair So, in times where the grid is down, like following a hurricane, this will not operate and therefore, not an emergency power generation system. It is a great way to add power generation to the grid and an investment which should pay off, as long as, the politicians don't change the rules as they did in CA.

The more houses and businesses that install solar panels, the less infrastructure will be needed in the future. The houses will be the supply during the day and the power plants will fire up when the sun goes down, or the grid will have some type of battery storage like FLOW batteries. I have to say it gets discouraging to think about solar panels this time of year when I haven’t seen the sun for a week. Then Spring rolls around and I get enthusiastic about solar again.

Net metering has been neutered in California making batteries very appealing and have a solid roi especially if you use it for peak shaving

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. The time is use rates can make getting an integrated battery solution a wise decision.

You didn't mention environmental impact. What is the net impact on the environment if you do have batteries vs don't have them? Net metering without batteries can result in "dirtier" forms of energy being used at peaker power stations, right? Related: what up-front considerations are there if you go with batteries vs. add them later?

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

I don’t know how to quantify environmental impact because sometimes it’s not so simple. The economic drivers are much more clear. If you think you might add batteries later, you might want to have DC coming off your roof. But even if you have micro inverters, you can still integrate batteries, just won’t be quite as efficient.

Plenty of people in the comments pointing out what I would chime in on- if you're installing solar in an existing neighborhood where you're presently hooked into a grid, it makes plenty of sense not to have batteries since you effectively already have a system in place effectively ACTING as a battery, and your solution of portable batteries for critical loads makes much more sense both fiscally and from a material use standpoint (vsv not using up battery material in an ultimately unproductive manner). Unless we pivot to a fully solar grid, batteries should really not be the be all end all of power- something that if anything should be used as emergency power for critical systems. They only really make sense in an offgrid sense for the single user, like for vanlifers or remote locations where solar is the only contributing powerplant. As it stands if we want a more efficient grid, we're going to need more hydro and geothermal and nvclear (even if you're treating it like a boogeyman, ultimately it produces much more condensed and more easily stored pollution than oil which is currently responsible for multiple water table and microplastic contaminations) TLDR if you're a homeowner in non-rural circumstances, the grid IS your battery.

About to have solar installed this spring. I will not be getting any batteries installed i.e. tesla wall battery. But I would like something that would kick on if power were to go out seamlessly. Do you have any suggestions for this?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

That's great! Are you installing it yourself or hiring someone? For something seamless, I don't see how you can make it work without getting an integrated battery.

@debadwolf9727

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair Im hiring a company based out of Madison WI called Everlight Solar. They have gotten decent reviews and doing all the paper work along with helping with the finance. I'd would have like to done it myself but really limited on time. Can you tell me more or have a link to find out more how integrated batteries work and what good ones are. I don't experience many black out here but it would be nice just in case.

@roqm1248

2 жыл бұрын

Purchase a AIO (all in one) hybrid inverter charger add batteries which you can either build yourself or buy...if you plan on selling to the grid make sure it has ul certification....building your own system is not easy but it is fun!

very ideal scenario as far as the credits are concerned - unfortunately where I am it doesn't work that way

You miss the point WHEN the grid goes down you also go down.

I like your setup best 👍. Batteries are expensive and last about 5 years and less if they're not cycling properly.

@roqm1248

2 жыл бұрын

You have been given terrible info on batteries which by the way can last up to 30 years with daily cycling, its all down to size, chemistry, and treatment (mostly temperature charge/discharge).

@MyWasteOfTime

2 жыл бұрын

@@roqm1248 100% agree. What some people have found, the Elec Companies can change the Net-metering agreement at any time... There goes your payback period :(

@roqm1248

2 жыл бұрын

@@MyWasteOfTime benefit will still be owning the batteries in case of blackout or storms...i see it as a win

@ashforkdan

2 жыл бұрын

Actually you get 25 years if you invest in forklift batteries.

I read somewhere that you can sell your credits to other companies that pay up to 50 cents for it.

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Which credits? SRECs? I get srec and the true up credits.

how do you deal with snow on you panels

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Did you see my video about snow and solar panels?

Do you recommend microinverter or string inverter?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

It depends on the situation (shade or desire for monitoring) and prices. If you’re thinking of adding integrated batteries then having DC coming off the roof will make for a more efficient setup.

If you have solar panels and do not have batteries and there is a power outage in your city, you have NO POWER IN YOUR HOME. As has been experienced by storms yesterday that rolled thru our town.

@FrugalRepair

11 ай бұрын

Compared to an integrated whole house battery backup, it's much cheaper to get a portable battery unit and plug in fridge, lights, etc until the power comes back on. Regarding solar panels in a power outage, it's rare it will be sunny while the grid is down due to a storm.

ok so what is your avrage year power bill . 2000buck , you pay 20k for the instalation , so you have pre pay you power for the next 10 years , and make a profit with free power after 10 years is the instalation will still work ,

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

I don’t know if you are asking a question or not but installing solar has been a great financial investment. I have made videos giving details on what we spend and how much it saves and earns us.

I have solar system for 6 years now. Do you think solar will ever survive without local and federal incentives? Without incentives solar would be very poor investment.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "survive". I don't think people will stop buying solar and installing it. Maybe demand would go down if there were no net metering, or credits or anything. What are your thoughts?

@shamicentertainment1262

2 жыл бұрын

We don't have many incentives in Australia for solar yet it's still worth it. Of course, we do get lots of Sun here

Are you an EE? How long did it take to learn all this (not just this video)

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

I studied computer engineering in school. I like solar so not really sure how long it took to learn it.

was the costs of using the rail system better than unistrut?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

I didn’t consider unistrut for my roof so couldn’t say. I don’t think I would recommend unistrut for your roof (especially your main house) if you’re doing a significant install but that’s just me. Maybe for a small install on a shed or something.

my utility will only credit wholesale rate. This is why I sized my system to not over produce.

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

That’s a bummer it’s only at the wholesale rate, but hopefully you’re happy with your system.

@dafox0427

Жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair I do! I kick myself for not investing in it sooner.

So you have to buy separate solar panels for portable batteries? Why don't you connect to the solar panels on your roof?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

I could disconnect the roof panels and connect them to a portable unit if I wanted. It’s just not a great portable solution.

Credits don't help you when the power is out for days or if the grid goes down completely. Then you will wish you had the batteries as well.

Nor sure those credits will last long. In Australia about 5 yrs it was nearly 1 to 1 per kWh. Fast forward 5 years and the price of solar to the grid has dropped down to a third of the price of buying back power.

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Here in the US, each state’s public utility commission usually sets policy/rules on these things. There’s no indication they will change the net metering that I am aware of in PA. They could change it though but I hope they don’t.

@bh.76

Жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair hi bud I hope you are right. We were told the same thing but things changed pretty quickly. As people's usage bills went down they started to increase the supply charge. Power companies will even charge you more for electricity if you have solar because they say the grid isn't designed to be a 2 way system.

Good video. Question: when the power company buys back your power, do they just give the the bare cost of the power or do they add in all the fees and taxes you normally pay for power? Like, my power costs about 15 cents per kWh. But when all the taxes and fees are added in, it's up to about 25 cents per kWh. Does the power company pay you 15 or 25 cents per kWh?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! The credits I get are the full retail so it nets out to zero if I have the credits. The only exception to this is that there is a "utility connection fee" of about $7/month. Technically, I don't really pay this at the end of the day because I get SREC credits and I get paid (wholesale rate) for extra KWH banked up in May every year when they zero out the accounts (it's called a "True Up"). If you watch my "Is solar worth it?" video I go over these in more detail. I've had a negative balance for the past six months and that $7/mo gets paid out of that.

@1mtstewart

2 жыл бұрын

i think a 1:1 exchange with an annual "true up" and reset is good. it puts an emphasis on proper sizing of your system. it also can make you more conscious of the decisions you make in choices for your home systems, hobbies, small businesses or repairs like met fabrication, woodworking, machine shop or auto repairs. on our farm, we havemultiple buildings with rooflines plus plenty of space for ground arrayd if needed. i am very interested in AG/solar hybrid arrays where shade tolerant plants produce under properly sited and spaced solar arrays. thanks for the efforts! how about all that equipment behind you? looks like a microscope or something?

Electrical power storage capacity is in Watt-Hours of Kilowatt-Hours of Megawatt-Hours, not Watts, Kilowatts or Megawatts, which is meaningless because you not only want to know the maximum power you could possibly draw but also for how long, so if your portable Storage unit is rated at 12 KW max draw, but only has 3 KW-H capacity and you use if at its max, it is dead and useless in about 15 minutes. So that wouldn’t be so great. But if you want to use it to run your Gas Furnace, and that only requires 200 watts, 12,000 watt-hours /200 Watts would mean, minus the overhead cost of running the inverter in the storage pack, which will also drain the battery even if not delivering a single watt of power,(see the rating plate for details) is about 60 hours - conversion inefficiency and inverter electronics power overhead costs, so you are best to turn on the inverter when the house is getting cold and you are sure your furnace would kick on, let the furnace run until it shuts off, then turn off the pack inverter.At the same time, let your Deep Freezer and Refrigerator have a chance to satisfy their set points too, or if it is 40 or slightly below, move your food to the trunk or Frunk of your car if you don’t have bears around your area. Then move the freezer section of the refrigerator food to your deep freeze, and let your refrigerator go warm. That will stretch your power even further.

The more people do theis less credits people will be getting back companies need to make money and as some point the electric company wont be able to afford to give credit back

Aah, so the grid is essentially acting as your battery. Makes sense if you get 1:1 compensation. But if the grid fails when there's no sun, then you are in the dark

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

Yep. I would recommend at least a small portable battery unit for that kind of scenario.

Yeah, that kwh credit system is fair. Sadly they don't do it here where i live, and is a huge scam. They are saying we are also energy production entity, thus we must obey the commercial energy production entities (power plants, distributors, etc) so they take the kwh of the people with solar panels and give them a price, which is very low to what they are selling to the people. Is a scam, at the highest govt level because they are keeping it this way.

Batteries suck! Batteries are totally the most expensive aspect of home Solar. Grid tie provides no protection from power outage. Those all in one units are really over hyped seriously over hyped. One thing I learned from my Solar systems is stay away from lead acid batteries , far away. Buy used li ion on eBay.

How many years until you break even, solar trend apart? in Europe, the utility Co, pays ZERO for the kwhs you inject into the grid; so,i have batteries; In PA,there, do they still "pay" /barter you, for your KWHs? soon they won't,do you think?

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

It is looking like the break even is closer to 5 years. We have 1-1 net metering here so I get full credit for any KWH I sent to the grid.

@josepeixoto3384

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalRepair i hear that,just hope that they continue that way; they started like that here in Europe in 2014, with the bi-directional meters, deducting your kwhs for the full sale price, but they have been reducing your pay, and since 2020 they pay nothing, meaning that you can give them your kwhs,but they will only take them for free; this for individuals; for registered businesses they pay around 25pct of the price they sell them the KWHs for.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry to hear that. That is always a possibility here but I hope they keep it the way it is.

But, most people pay a lot more for buying electricity than they will get from selling their solar derived power back to the grid! So the batter can keep you from buying electrical power as little as possible.

If you have solar you should have batteries. You are putting a lot of trust into the utility without them.

Buy a Ford Lightning and there's the battery!

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

I like your thinking!

I would only do batteries. Hate that stupid buy back crap. The one where their watt is worth way more than your watt. Screw the grid. Screw the masters.

@laszloszell8753

Жыл бұрын

Exactly

No it's more like you are food for the grid

Oh yeah cook with that lol no

So you r not off grid, you r simply saving the electric bill.

Kinda misleading title for some people who do solar systems for independence off grid

I have solar and when you agree to have then installed you sign an agreement that you will feed the grid and you are not allowed to have battery backup. This is agreement is only to benefit sce and the then homeowners. If you were to decide to add the batteries you will be taken to court and forced to have them removed. This happened to a man who did exactly what I did and went 100% solar.

@FrugalRepair

2 жыл бұрын

Where is that at? I don’t have that stipulation in my net metering agreement.

8.40 minute advertisement

I'm in Lithuania and best plan is 1 : .88. Give 1kwh and get .88kwh back free of charge. Still not bad.

@FrugalRepair

Жыл бұрын

It’s better than other places. Hopefully the will switch to 1-1

You missed the market. You could have been a millionaire if you could target places like Africa with no electricity.. Your invention is good but you need to think outside the box..

Off grid, when the grid is down, like hurricanes....blah blah....I can`t afford to run a tiny air conditioner....blah.....