View Full Version : Crap...I broke my electric meter!
w3bny
08-22-2011, 01:31 PM
Damn thing just stops and sometimes runs freekin backwards. A neighbor came over and pointed out the problem on my roof...
Bastards!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/Bunnieman/chezw3bny.jpg
Nice shingles. Touch shiny, are they? :evil:
...one of these days when I have the spare shekels, I'm going to do the same thing on my back roof, nice job...
KK4AMI
08-22-2011, 01:48 PM
Beautiful Installation. What about batteries, do you have a room full of those? What is required for yearly maintenance on something like that?
KK4AMI
08-22-2011, 01:50 PM
PS - Not that I know you that well, but great looking tomatoes and plants too!
PA5COR
08-22-2011, 01:51 PM
Congrats on the solar installation.
;)
A neighbor came over and pointed out the problem on my roof...
Probably that antenna thing. Those damned ham radio operators cause all kinds of problems.
KC2UGV
08-22-2011, 01:59 PM
Probably that antenna thing. Those damned ham radio operators cause all kinds of problems.
I second this! There was an issue in my hometown, and we narrowed it down to Fred, who had a ham radio in his basement, talking to people who talked like Bugs Bunny all the time.
Fred tried to say it was a sidebander voice or something like that... I don't trust him, I think he's a commie.
Congrats on breaking the power meter though :)
w3bny
08-22-2011, 02:13 PM
Beautiful Installation. What about batteries, do you have a room full of those? What is required for yearly maintenance on something like that?
1. Thankees! But I didnt do it but will speak up for the crew who did it.
2. No batteries whatsoever. Grid tie system
3. Spray the panels down with windex no-rinse window cleaner from a ladder. Other than that, I have no maintenance.
Honestly, my 5Kw system is leased thru SolarCity I paid my 20 year lease up front (robbed an IRA) and will see my ROI in about 2~3 years. For the next 20 years, they monitor the system, if anything goes wrong, there green truck comes out and they fix it. Kids baseball...fixed Hurricane...fixed! Interested, go here! http://tinyurl.com/3kjgdfn
W1GUH
08-22-2011, 02:15 PM
1. Thankees! But I didnt do it but will speak up for the crew who did it.
2. No batteries whatsoever. Grid tie system
3. Spray the panels down with windex no-rinse window cleaner from a ladder. Other than that, I have no maintenance.
Honestly, my 5Kw system is leased thru SolarCity I paid my 20 year lease up front (robbed an IRA) and will see my ROI in about 2~3 years. For the next 20 years, they monitor the system, if anything goes wrong, there green truck comes out and they fix it. Kids baseball...fixed Hurricane...fixed! Interested, go here! http://tinyurl.com/3kjgdfn
They gonna be around 20 years from now?
w3bny
08-22-2011, 02:32 PM
They gonna be around 20 years from now?
If not, the panels are mine.
After 20 years according to the lease, if they call me within 30 days of the lease ending, they take the panels back they must return the condition of my roof and electrical system to its as was condition. If I call them same thing. If no one calls each other. Mazltov! Its mine. Either way, the panels are mine.
N2CHX
08-22-2011, 05:22 PM
Nice!
KG4CGC
08-22-2011, 05:24 PM
Crispy.
ab1ga
08-22-2011, 05:37 PM
Damn thing just stops and sometimes runs freekin backwards.
Now you've done it; the power company is going to charge you a gazillion dollars to replace that meter. So much for the ROI. :-)
Jerry
08-22-2011, 05:58 PM
The bottom line is - those panels are only about 33% efficient, due to the fact that they cannot tilt to follow the sun and they do not produce any power at night.
As far as breaking the meter or making it spin backwards, I threw out a bunch of old electric meter pictures of ones that were struck by lighting or were squeezed by people who drew too much power through them.
The problem with the electric company is very simple - the electric company is there to sell electricity, unless you have an agreement for them to purchase your electric - at a fairly reasonable price - they are not going to pay you for the electric that you produce.
I can quote you Psalm, Book, Verse and Chapter of a guy I know, who is a ham, who connected his power source to the electric meter, blew the meter, electric company came and replaced the meter.
One month later - it blew the meter again.
This time when they went to read the digital meter - and it had a smaller number then the month before, they charged him not only for the electric he didn't use - but they also charged him the same rate as if he had used so much power that the meter spun until it went back to zero and then to the number it displayed.
The electric bill was in the thousands of dollars.
When he didn't pay it, they shut his electric off.
When he thought screw this - and figured he could live off the battery bank, they got a storm that lasted most of a week and he lost everything in the deep freeze.
When he borrowed a generator to try to save what he had in the fridge and freezer - it cost $20.00 to run the generator for 8 hours.
The bottom line is - you don't get anything for free.
Even a windmill has its draw backs.
When the wind doesn't blow - you get no electric.
When the wind blows too hard, the electric company locks the brakes and shuts them down to protect the bearings - you get no electric.
The only real electric that you could produce cheaply would be if you had a boiler which could burn coal or wood, which you had a perpetual source of free fuel, where you could burn the boiler 24 / 7 / 365 and create your own power.
Unfortunately - this is already the outdated mode that the electric company would like to get away from. Even with this type of production - you still have to shut it down every year or two for maintenance of the turbine and boiler.
When you ask me how I know all this, both my brothers works for Siemens.
The one repairs the sub stations ( project manager) and the other is a steam turbine blade mechanic. ( welder )
ad4mg
08-22-2011, 06:19 PM
Sorry, Jerry. federal law disagrees with you. From a ZDNet review of SolarCity:
And the electricity produced by the solar panels can be “net metered.” That is, sold back to the local utility company. That is required under federal law: homeowners and businesses generating power with solar or wind or gerbils-on-treadmill are allowed to sell back any surplus power to the utility company. In some cases this is simply done via a reversible electric meter.
The ability to change fuses or weld does not an attorney make ...
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/green/solar-power-no-money-down-could-prove-profitable/1172
Cool deal Ren! Sounds doable and I think a good move. You now have the ole "I put my money behind my mouth" for stepping outside the box.
Kudos to ya.
I ran the numbers for an off grid (storage and the works) 10 kw system a few years ago. The payback was long and now my biggest problem is I would not subject my fam to a DIY project of magnitude. I just ain't that effin good going down the aged road. This sounds like a well covered option. Hope it goes smooth. I would have to go through a contractor at this point.
I have 2 service entries one for the big house and one for the playground. I would like to do a small supplemental project on the playground. I have yet the balls to go scale, but your setup seems a good one. I think the panels will get better and better over time and upgrades should be no biggie (I woulld just guess this anyway). Our dinkmo county has a PV panel manufacter opening a plant next year and will create ca 300 jobs...I wish them well. The facility will be about 2 miles from here..maybe I can get nosey and do some diving for rejects to play with...who knows.
Good luck with it man..hope it saves you some!
rot
KK4AMI
08-23-2011, 06:19 AM
Sorry, Jerry. federal law disagrees with you. From a ZDNet review of SolarCity:
The ability to change fuses or weld does not an attorney make ...
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/green/solar-power-no-money-down-could-prove-profitable/1172
Well I know for a fact the Gerbils don't work. The little smart asses would always escape by marching in sync until they shook the whole tread mill to pieces.
W1GUH
08-23-2011, 07:11 AM
Well I know for a fact the Gerbils don't work. The little smart asses would always escape by marching in sync until they shook the whole tread mill to pieces.
Besides, once you wrap them in duck tape, they're just not good for anything at all exept...well, you know.
kb2vxa
08-23-2011, 04:07 PM
Green, green, it's green , they say
On top of Teh Bunneh hutch
Green, green, the meter say
The juice is greener still
Must be avocado...
"Well I know for a fact the Gerbils don't work."
You need a short course in electrical engineering.
"The little smart asses would always escape by marching in sync until they shook the whole tread mill to pieces."
They're smart alright, they know if the alternator isn't synchronized it'll go up in flames. You just need a sturdier treadmill.
Well hoping you are buzzin through Irene with no damage there Ren. It would be damn cool if you can bounce back with the Sunshine cause ole Sol is fired up down here.
Best to ya.
rot
W3MIV
08-28-2011, 09:39 AM
Besides, once you wrap them in duck tape, they're just not good for anything at all exept...well, you know.
Tasty li'l morsels on the grill.
n6hcm
09-04-2011, 05:04 AM
i think about this but i worry that i don't have enough daytime sunshine ... the marine layer comes in along i-280 ... it burns off by midmorning and returns in the early evening ...
i think about this but i worry that i don't have enough daytime sunshine ... the marine layer comes in along i-280 ... it burns off by midmorning and returns in the early evening ...
'Frisco is my home town, know that fog well. It's not the best place in the world for solar power.
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