Solar Power System Installed

[bastonjock]

7 hours ago, Marvin Boggs said:

I agree with Tommy, I love the idea of hydro if you have the land conditions for it.  There are some pretty interesting mini hydro setups on youtube, you can feed it with a pipe, or use one of the hydro rigs that just sits in the creek.  But it does seem like we have pretty ideal conditions here for solar.  

Small hydro systems are available in my home country for folks living on the more remote parts of Scotland,  on the island of eigg there are many who have these small systems , the gov grant to help almost paid for the equipment,  the systems are small providing up to 2kw 

65% of the year there is cloud cover over the western islands,  so solar out

 

[Jack Peterson]

1 hour ago, bastonjock said:

the gov grant to help almost paid for the equipment, 

 Let's Remember where we are EH? Government Grant ?

[Tommy T.]

17 hours ago, hk blues said:

If you're only interested in a back-up, i wonder why you wouldn't choose the less expensive option of a generator?  

Also, I hummed and hawed about installing solar power but the numbers didn't stack up for me as our power bills are circa 2k a month only.  Also, the power supply is pretty reliable in my area, with only a couple  of small outages a month and never more than a couple of hours so we can survive easily.  I realise this is location dependant but the situation is more likely to get better than get worse IMO. 

Given that, i'd opt for a generator before a solar system.  

As usual, HK you bring up valid points. I am still on the fence myself about what, exactly we will do for back-up power.

So far here in Davao in almost four years, the power outages have not usually lasted long - maybe an hour or two unless it's a planned outtage for repairs somewhere. So, technically, maybe nothing is needed. But I have a bit of survivalist in me that urges me to do a backup.

What I don't like about generators is that it is another mechanical device prone to failure. I would need fuel - gas or diesel, lubricating oil, spare parts (trying to find spare parts is, indeed, trying), filters... It would need to be run periodically in order to make sure it works and to keep internal parts lubed up properly - cycle through the fuel so it doesn't gum up the works... What I do like is, as you suggest - the smaller ones here are not so expensive - but I don't know how much I would trust one bought here. And service can be like getting parts - iffy... But it is a simple and direct remedy that would be strong enough to power the refer, freezer, lights, fans and maybe even one aircon unit?

You are also right that solar panels are expensive and quality batteries are still super expensive... so there's that. Then I think about the abundant sunshine, no real maintenance required following initial installation. Another flip side is the complexity and cost of controlling electronics/electrics.

Well, it's all sort of a moot point for a while seeing as there will be no extra money available after the build is complete, furniture and appliances purchased... We have lived without a generator for several years (her...a lifetime) so I think we can get along for a while longer. More time to think it through, educated ourselves and shop around for things. Meanwhile, the house will have wiring roughed in for a generator and a breaker panel for just generator-supplied items - so that's a start.

I appreciate Baston's comments about systems in UK - with subsidies - but, as Jack points out, there aren't as many or as large here. However, my landlord installed a small backup system like I think about and some of it was subsidized and his total cost was not very much in real terms. It's been over a year since I discussed it with him so I need to renew that conversation. It was his installation in his house next door that motivated me to think about solar power in the first place.

I am sure this will be an ongoing conversation and will keep you posted.

[Gary D]

I have grid tied solar in the UK and would possibly consider it here in the future, my only reason would be to offset electicity costs.

[intrepid]

40 minutes ago, Gary D said:

I have grid tied solar in the UK and would possibly consider it here in the future, my only reason would be to offset electicity costs.

That was my plan when we built our house and installed the grid tie system.  To off set the electric bill.  My 5.4 kWh system has saved me an average of P6,500 per month since in service Oct 2017.  There has been Zero maintenance or breakdowns.  At this rate it will pay for itself in just over 4 years.  I am considering adding another 20 panels in the near future.  No batteries, just sell back the excess and use it to lower the bill.  Also for those who don't know the Philippines has "net metering".  Your meter will not run backward.  You pay what you use and the excess that is put back into the grid is paid to you about half the price they sell to you.  I think I receive about p5.2 for what we sell.

[hk blues]

19 minutes ago, intrepid said:

My 5.4 kWh system has saved me an average of P6,500 per month since in service Oct 2017.  There has been Zero maintenance or breakdowns.  At this rate it will pay for itself in just over 4 years. 

For me, with a monthly bill of about 2-2.5k, the payback was going to be about 10 + years so it didn't make sense.  I'm not sure why our bills are so low - in addition to the usual stuff we run 3 A/C's but only at night and set to 27 degrees.  That might seem too "warm" for some but works for us.  

[Tommy T.]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

 but only at night and set to 27 degrees

Ahhh... there's part of the answer. We set our bedroom aircon for 21 at night and still only need a moderate cover. I just sleep better with the cooler air and so does L. If we cool the main part of the apartment in the late afternoon - like when I am cooking and it's been a hot day - then we will set it at 26 to cool things down and then maybe back up to 27 or 28 as the whole place cools. There are times when I touch the walls to the west in this building and they are very warm to the touch - so that's part of the problem...

Our monthly power is around 5-7k depending on aircon use and outside temperatures. With the new house, we expect that to be much lower by using quality doors and windows (with weather stripping) and hopefully some blown in insulation in the 2nd floor ceiling at some point. Now I am motivated to talk with the landlord again and get more info from him soon. When I get it, I will pass it on.

I think there will be some advantages to adding the solar power...but??? Still need more thought and knowledge...

Edited October 15, 2019 by Tommy T.

[jimeve]

18 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I think there will be some advantages to adding the solar power...but??? Still need more thought and knowledge...

Plenty of information for solar power, on youtube. I'm intrigued with the Lithium ion batteries , expensive at the moment but may came down in price in the future.

[Tommy T.]

2 minutes ago, jimeve said:

Plenty of information for solar power, on youtube. I'm intrigued with the Lithium ion batteries , expensive at the moment but may came down in price in the future.

Thanks, Jim... I will check it out... Yeah, me too. The battery technology has come a long way from my original gold cart batteries on the yacht 25 years ago!!! And so has solar panel technology. We paid a fortune for solar panels, re-combinant lead-acid batteries and the rest. So it probably is relatively cheaper now, but you need to pay more to get the best performance...right?

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Ahhh... there's part of the answer. We set our bedroom aircon for 21 at night and still only need a moderate cover. I just sleep better with the cooler air and so does L. If we cool the main part of the apartment in the late afternoon - like when I am cooking and it's been a hot day - then we will set it at 26 to cool things down and then maybe back up to 27 or 28 as the whole place cools. There are times when I touch the walls to the west in this building and they are very warm to the touch - so that's part of the problem...

Our monthly power is around 5-7k depending on aircon use and outside temperatures. With the new house, we expect that to be much lower by using quality doors and windows (with weather stripping) and hopefully some blown in insulation in the 2nd floor ceiling at some point. Now I am motivated to talk with the landlord again and get more info from him soon. When I get it, I will pass it on.

I think there will be some advantages to adding the solar power...but??? Still need more thought and knowledge...

Even at 27 degrees I find it too cold in the middle of the night.  The bedroom is at the rear of the house and only gets a little sun early in the morning so that helps a lot.  The living room is at the front and gets the afternoon sun so is much warmer in general thus the need for A/C but only from 5pm or 6pm - we always have to turn it off around 11pm as it's too cold!    We don't have insulation which would reduce our bills even further, but do have window blinds and curtains etc as well as a concrete tile roof - every little helps!  

We do get the units serviced annually, and I clean the filters every quarter - it does make a difference and only takes me 15 minutes to clean each set of filters.  Well worth the little effort.