Solar Install Pumping Out The Fusion-Powered Electrons

Unfortunately many won’t be able to be carbon-free until their utilities do it. But if you can’t now, hopefully you can eventually.

This new thing with solar providing backup power as part of a batteryless grid tie system will be something to keep in mind since it’s a two-fer at not much more cost than simple grid tie solar. I think that capability will help get more solar installed which helps everyone. It’s a (nearly) free backup generator included in the deal.

Solar has really changed over the years. The older systems were somewhat pieced together and had significant limitations. The systems now are engineered to be systems and transparent. Our solar panels just generate power. We don’t do anything. It just works.

20 year old solar hardware is very outdated. That’s unfortunate but these have been the most innovative years. Old hardware ran a long series string of panels which involves high voltages and anything shading a panel or a hardware issue can take down the whole string. My system has a smart inverter on every panel so each panel stands alone. Voltages are standard 240V. The system I got has a battery to provide power at night but also to let the system stand alone if a power failure. But to be fair, my own system has been somewhat superseded with these new inverters that don’t need a battery.

I’d recommend checking features. I don’t know what hardware you have but like I said, my system just works and my meter is running backwards most of the day. software balances the battery and grid to minimize my contribution to CO2 loading. I don’t know what issues you’ve had with your system but unless it’s been non-functional all this time it has done a lot to reduce your CO2 contributions.

These systems are now reliable, warranted, and if there are any issues or the system doesn’t work right, it’s a warranty repair. Other than that, these systems are hands-off. Except for a few boxes on the wall in the garage and disconnects outside, you couldn’t tell we are running on solar. No flickering, no power bumps. It’s all just seamless.

Also, don’t forget the backup solar thing is for times when the grid is down. If you didn’t have backup solar, instead of living within the solar panel power limits, you are dead in the water at best trying to find gas for a generator. And solar isn’t that limited. Typically arrays are sized to cover your average yearly use plus a margin for future needs. If your array is sized like that, you will have plenty of power to survive, keep food cold, cook, charge phones or batteries, etc. it may not have the surge to start an air conditioner but there are mods to A/C units to help them soft start where they can run on pure solar.

Older systems weren’t as capable as they are now. It’s too bad your experience wasn’t better but the technology has really changed and the systems take care of themselves. Mine even notifies everyone if there’s a hardware fault so repairs can get done ASAP.

The backup solar capability is brand new and an amazing feature. That would have literally been lifesaving in the more frequent heat and cold spells various regions have seen lately. Grid-tie solar was great for cutting into carbon contributions but the Achilles heel was it went down too if the grid went down. All that power generation capacity going to waste. That doesn’t have to happen now. The system doesn’t need a battery (which about doubles the cost) to be able to produce power with the grid down. That is revolutionary and turns solar into emergency generation capability. As the grid gets more fragile thanks to climate change putting it more in danger, backup solar can save lives, too.

To my thinking, reducing carbon and getting emergency backup power (even if it doesn‘t have the massive reserves of a grid) is amazing. If you would see surge issues from solar you would likely see similar issues with smaller generators. I’d rather have some (actually a lot) of power delivered free by the sun than have to go find gas in an emergency when gas might not even be available since station pumps are electric too.

@TheyShouldHaveVaxxed We upgraded the gas fireplace to a Valor system a few years ago. We've had power outages in winter lasting 5 days. This system provides enough heat to warm 4 rooms. The rest of our 1958 home is all electric. Sunshine is elusive where I live.

@Polly Plague Yeah, the sun isn’t so reliable or productive everywhere, unfortunately. Luckily I live in an area where it’s plentiful so solar panels are a viable solution for me and a lot others.

In other areas where the sun doesn’t shine so much, to get the same power takes more panels and $$$. But there’s still lots people can do - fuel-efficient vehicles, insulation, set-back thermostats, etc.

The thing is we all need to find ways to reduce fossil fuel uses but there are lots of ways to do that and as small as each thing to reduce our use may seem, they all add up. If everyone did something we could start moving the needle. A flood starts with individual raindrops.