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Sounds like a fun project too! I'll keep you all update on my progress. I will also look into the differences between separating my furnace with the hot water heater. I like that option a lot considering my existing combi unit crapped the bed and now only functions as a furnace lol.

I will look into SOL-ARK as an option. I have a budget for the project at $50k all in. We may end up never using that full amount (which would be amazing!) but I want to at least plan for that amount. I am partial to EG4, but not Sig. Solar due to the same issues most people have, shipment...

I love it, and really appreciate the in depth response and viewpoint. I'm a firm believer that there are more ways to skin a cat (or chicken, why the hell would we skin a cat? Gross.....). I have used gas stoves to cooking and will not budge on that one but I understand why people like them. No...

correct

I get it... I agree, I need to 100% focus on the demand aspect first then figure out everything else. Otherwise it's a big waste of time! I like the idea of using 3-4 6K XP's. They are stackable, meant for off grid use, and I am already familiar with them. Again, I need to back and figure out...

There will probably be a lot where we plan to build, at least that is what our friends are saying happens. I would like to keep my bottom row of panels at least 3-4' off of the ground. Maybe even designating the south facing portion of the house for roof mounts. I would want to make sure those...

I'm just messing with you of course:) Never say "No way I'd be using 114kWh" to an unknown moving target lol. But I really appreciate everyone's input, no matter how painful it might be to hear! 😂 😂 😂 ....:confused:😭

"Ain't nuthin' free in this world..."

@MisterSandals, where there is such crazy fluctuations on solar irradiance here in Maine, how on earth would I ever not over power my inverter and keep my system charged in the winter? I am thinking I would not need that much power in the winter too. There's no way I would be using 114kwh per...

Dear Lord! Bahahahah Well okay then.... Back to the drawing board I go!

Any thoughts on sizing my battery bank properly to the solar array? I would have a 114kwh battery bank and (60) x 370-480w bi-facial panels. I calculated the panels to produce 430w which could potentially produce 25.8kw of power. I would imagine this is plenty of power to fill the battery banks...

This setup would give me 24kw at the panel, 114kwh of back up power, and plenty of solar input. All for $43,507

I have. Based on consumption of our current house we use 100kw a day on the summer months and only 40kw in the winter. But these figures would be different assuming our new house would be more energy efficient and using a different method of cooling. I would like to see our power consumption...

I'm looking into using 4 EG4 6000XP's in parallel vs 2 KPV's also. Due to the fact that I don't need hybrid, 6K XP's might be a better fit. Plus I already have an extra one from my camp installation that I can use so I would only. need to buy 3.

I totally get it... No I don't think I'll need that much peak power, but then again I don't want to limit myself too much right off the gate. I realize most systems are expandable but I would hate to go down that road right away once we moved in. Regarding PV wire choices, 10AWG seems like my...

I found this solar wire on the site, seems like a good price for 500' of 10 AWG. https://temcoindustrial.com/10-awg-solar-panel-wire-sw0006-500-ft-ul-4703-power-cable-black-made-in-usa/ Or would you recommend 8AWG for the long run...

I'm started with three KPV's when I did my first calculations but I'm leaning toward two at this point. I will still invest in a large back up battery bank and/or generator but I'm leaning toward a smaller more robust system.

The only reason I'm even considering off grid is because I don't like being at the mercy of the utility companies. Energy costs shouldn't be this expensive considering we have the resource to supply our own power from the sun, wind, and water. Don't want to get on a rant so I'll leave it at that lol

Absolutely! I plan to build a timber frame structure, facing the south. Perhaps a shed style roof to allow good winter sun rays to heat the main area. Again, starting from scratch here. The main reason we are even doing this is because we need to get out of the city... Where we currently live is...

Not looking forward to that aspect of the expenses... While you mentioned it, do you have any suggestions on a good "reasonably priced" wiring supplier for providing the long runs of the string wiring? I'm estimating I will need between 300-400 feet minimum.

I have not built the house yet, I am still early in the planning stage. I am also looking into appliances that use propane to help reduce my overall electrical needs. I will be oversizing the solar array too because we go several weeks (sometimes months) without steady full sun especially...

I will look at these for sure, I hate the thought of building my racks from heavy PT:fp

I will be spending a lot of time planning and designing the system so that each inverter is connected to panels that are in the same group, not scattered throughout the array. Thanks for the tip

Yes, technically three each but I would most likely be wiring the first input with two strings making four separate inputs for one inverter.

I haven't made my mind up regarding ground mounts, I was thinking of either building my racks from PT or purchasing a ground mount kit. Any suggestions?

I'm weighing the costs of installing this system vs. paying the utilities company to bring in poles or underground wires. So far, my $40-50k solar costs are a LOT less than our local utility company which came in at close to $90k, plus I would have to pay for the cost of using the power.

Here is a quote I got recently from Sig. Solar. I need to modify the panel types though. I am thinking I will use two different types of panels for the three MPPT inputs.

I was planning to put the inverters and battery bank in the basement...Well away from my ears:)

Math was never my strong suit..... hahahahaha

Yes, you're absolutely right. 4.166kW x 24hours = 100kWh Also keep in mind, on my first post I had mention I'm hoping to install a more efficient cooling method than plugging in 6 12K BTU AC units 😂 😂 😂 That is why I have been using 100kwh per day at our current house

I'm sorry, 100khw for the day. 100/24hrs = 4166kw / hr My thought was this high amount of consumption would only be happening during the summer months when power from the sun would be able to supply power during the day without any battery storage needed. Over night, I would need at the worst...

I had done an estimate based on power consumption at our current house which is grid powered only. We have a 200amp service and it seems as though we don't use anywhere near 200amps at any given time which is why i stepped down to 36kw instead of the 48kw that we have now. Again, I am uncertain...

Thank you Tims!

Lol thank you for the tip! I would highly prefer to keep my inverters and battery banks inside my home! With high volt DC wiring, what is the distance I can go up to? I will need recommendations on wire sizing, best grounding methods for panels/racking, and fuse sizing for the solar wiring.