r1559
New Member
Hello, first wanted to take a moment to thank everyone on this form for the great information and professionalism I've come to know.
I have a newbie question about planning a system in the Santa Cruz mountains of California, making the best use of a generator, energy from solar, and a battery (when I say battery, I mean a battery of batteries / power wall / whatever you want to call it).
We have what, to me, is a complicated scenario that requires some good system planning. As an example, we have maybe 4-5 times during the summer, a 2-5 day power outage during clear, sunny weather. This is either due to rolling grid power outages due to the extreme fire danger, or because we're at the end of a power line that runs up a very steep and densely forested canyon that is very prone to deadfall. In the winter, we have frequent big storms that destroy grid equipment. It is normal to have 2-3 outages during the winter that last 5-8 days, with no sunlight to produce solar energy.
I did a really nice power system for my RV so I know a thing or two about solar, battery, and 'shore' power; as such, I'm stepping back from this and I want to pay a professional to plan and install the system. The RV was fun but planning a system for my house with the crazy weather we have is above my pay grade.
I would love to hear from you guys about how to get this project rolling. I had an electrician & certified Generac dealer come out a while back and want to sell us a 20kW propane generator. I've put in some calls to a few local solar companies who haven't bothered to call me back in months. And just now I put in a profile on EnergySage and am flooded with quotes for large NON-local solar companies who seem ready to come out, slap some panels on my roof, and run away.
Are my needs simple enough that a decent solar installer can plan and install it? Do these companies also work with generators, or is that a "oh you'll have to call Generac and let us know once it's installed" kind of thing. Is it a thing, to find and hire an independent solar planning consultant who understands the local weather and situation, and can manage the work done by a solar installation company? I guess I really don't know where to start with this.
I have a newbie question about planning a system in the Santa Cruz mountains of California, making the best use of a generator, energy from solar, and a battery (when I say battery, I mean a battery of batteries / power wall / whatever you want to call it).
We have what, to me, is a complicated scenario that requires some good system planning. As an example, we have maybe 4-5 times during the summer, a 2-5 day power outage during clear, sunny weather. This is either due to rolling grid power outages due to the extreme fire danger, or because we're at the end of a power line that runs up a very steep and densely forested canyon that is very prone to deadfall. In the winter, we have frequent big storms that destroy grid equipment. It is normal to have 2-3 outages during the winter that last 5-8 days, with no sunlight to produce solar energy.
I did a really nice power system for my RV so I know a thing or two about solar, battery, and 'shore' power; as such, I'm stepping back from this and I want to pay a professional to plan and install the system. The RV was fun but planning a system for my house with the crazy weather we have is above my pay grade.
I would love to hear from you guys about how to get this project rolling. I had an electrician & certified Generac dealer come out a while back and want to sell us a 20kW propane generator. I've put in some calls to a few local solar companies who haven't bothered to call me back in months. And just now I put in a profile on EnergySage and am flooded with quotes for large NON-local solar companies who seem ready to come out, slap some panels on my roof, and run away.
Are my needs simple enough that a decent solar installer can plan and install it? Do these companies also work with generators, or is that a "oh you'll have to call Generac and let us know once it's installed" kind of thing. Is it a thing, to find and hire an independent solar planning consultant who understands the local weather and situation, and can manage the work done by a solar installation company? I guess I really don't know where to start with this.