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250 comments on DrumBeat: February 21, 2008

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Durandal on February 21, 2008 - 10:30am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

While you might be doing a grid-tie solution, I'm planning on going off-grid with my PV system. For me, it's not a matter of cost, it's a matter of having electricity no matter what happens to the grid, plus it forces conservation on my part. It also means I won't have an electric power guy on my land to read my meter, worry about having a licensed electrician do everything, etc, etc. I'm just crazy like that, though. ;)

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Don in Maine on February 21, 2008 - 11:22am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Exactly, I can't imagine not having some storage on site. The grid will go down. Even 4 or 6 100amp hour agms would be a blessing in that case. We started with the battery bank first, with inverter, and charge the batteries from the grid. Easy enough to add an alternative charging source at any time.

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shastatodd on February 21, 2008 - 11:53am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

"I'm planning on going off-grid with my PV system."

Why not install a grid tied with battery back up system? This would allow you to bank excess summer generation for winter use. The batteries can be sized to give you hours or days of backup power.

Not grid tieing will make your system less efficient as any surplus generation will be wasted rather than sold to the grid.

Todd

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