I have solar power. Do you?

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

So I'm guessing the normal pattern would be like a teardrop on both sides, whereas in this case in the morning the teardrop seems to have a bite taken out of it until just after 9:00 am...where you are maybe generating 30-40% of normal power? Am I reading that right?

 

[syscom3]

So can you help translate this a little? Looks like some baseline even at night, but I assume that is just noise. How much do light, medium and heavy clouds affect power generation by your panels? Are your panels facing south?

South facing. At nighttime after we go to bed, the battery draw is for the fridge and freezer. And whenever the house fan comes on to blow the cold air from the AC (which is still on grid power). Right now I can only see the effects of light clouds during the day and Thick clouds in the morning (that burn off by mid morning). I have no clue about thick clouds as we rarely have them except for when its going to be a heavy rain.

 

[syscom3]

So I'm guessing the normal pattern would be like a teardrop on both sides, whereas in this case in the morning the teardrop seems to have a bite taken out of it until just after 9:00 am...where you are maybe generating 30-40% of normal power? Am I reading that right?

Yes. Kind of hard to tell though. Its a matter of thick clouds and a bad sun angle.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Well we have our consultation scheduled next week. We'll see how it goes. The state has so many incentives it almost makes the panel install free, but the batteries are where it gets costly.

 

[syscom3]

Well we have out consultation scheduled next week. We'll see how it goes. The state has so many incentives it almost makes the panel install free, but the batteries are where it costly.

Batteries are what makes it worthwhile. I highly recommend it.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Batteries are what makes it worthwhile. I highly recommend it.

Yeah, but I'm not sure if I am ready to throw out 40K on the batteries.

 

[MIflyer]

I use solar power almost exclusively.

For drying laundry.

Note that in many areas of the US there are local laws and restrictions against hanging your laundry out to dry. In California you can poop in the street but you can't hang out your laundry to dry on your own property. I recall reading back when CA ran into a power shortage, a reporter asked one HOA chairman if they would change their rules and allow laundry to be hung on clotheslines. She replied, "No, doing that tends to attract undesirables. Instead we will be turning off some of our security lights at night."

Turning off security lights does not attract undesirables but hanging out your laundry does? If politicians were really interested in reducing the environmental impact of producing power they would pass a law canceling all of those "no clothesline" rules.

 

[syscom3]

I use solar power almost exclusively.

For drying laundry.

Note that in many areas of the US there are local laws and restrictions against hanging your laundry out to dry. In California you can poop in the street but you can't hang out your laundry to dry on your own property. I recall reading back when CA ran into a power shortage, a reporter asked one HOA chairman if they would change their rules and allow laundry to be hung on clotheslines. She replied, "No, doing that tends to attract undesirables. Instead we will be turning off some of our security lights at night."

Turning off security lights does not attract undesirables but hanging out your laundry does? If politicians were really interested in reducing the environmental impact of producing power they would pass a law canceling all of those "no clothesline" rules.

I've been drying my laundry outdoors for almost 20 years. But then there are no HOA's to stop me.

This sounds like something one of the "green" state law makers to get behind.

 

[Greg Boeser]

HOAs are notorious for their restrictive regulations. It's not necessarily a California thing.

 

[SaparotRob]

I've been drying my laundry outdoors for almost 20 years. But then there are no HOA's to stop me.

This sounds like something one of the "green" state law makers to get behind.

I think it has more to do with aesthetics (property values) and is a holdover from the post war suburban migration.

 

[MIflyer]

The clothesline restriction is true for some areas around me but not at my house and others. I am not the only one that uses clothesline but both here in FL and in GA it is not an uncommon restriction in some developments. In CA it is a quite common restriction. And yes, it is about what people like to see outside and their snobby attitude toward hanging out the laundry.

 

[Greg Boeser]

Which makes travel bingo really hard.

 

[MIflyer]

I'd like to hang out my washing on the Siegfried line but I don't know how to make one.

So I use a retractable line I bought at Lowe's.

 

[N4521U]

No.

 

[syscom3]

I just got my electric bill for July. $11.00 for the month. And that was with my air conditioner being used a lot. If didn't have solar, my bill would have been around $400.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

With the new federal law that passed I suspect there will be some new solar tax credits or other incentives soon

 

[syscom3]

My solar production for the summer. June 21 to Sept 22. Not bad at all. 3.1 Megawatts
generated with 1.9 Megawatts exported back to the grid.

Using basic astronomy skills, I can extrapolate what my generation was from March to June.
Basically double the figures. 6.2 MW and 3.8MW.

I'm going to look closely at the figures for this autumn. A decreasing usage of the air con,
and an increase in house lighting. Plus more clouds expected in the morning as the marine
layer rolls inland more frequently.

 

[swampyankee]

HOAs are notorious for their restrictive regulations. It's not necessarily a California thing.

HOAs and deed restrictions. If I remember, there was an effort in New Hampshire to void both types of restriction on clothelines by legislation.

 

[MIflyer]

One of my professors in college pointed out that that the Moon is actually much more useful than the Sun, because it gives you light at night, and that is when you need it.

 

[buffnut453]

One of my professors in college pointed out that that the Moon is actually much more useful than the Sun, because it gives you light at night, and that is when you need it.

Except when the moon is shadowed by the earth...which is pretty often (like every month). Oh, and there isn't a lot of light coming from the moon relative to the sun, so not a lot of electricity gets generated (my system does generate a trickle overnight but it's an incredibly small amount).

The real-world practical workaround is household batteries which can be used as a back-up in case of power failure and can offset mains electricity overnight.