Posts: 761
Threads: 40
Joined: Nov 2014
Am finally getting around (a little late, but couldn't be helped) to going solar. We already have a solar water heater. We are leaning toward staying on-grid due to a foundness for running a window-AC unit in our bedroom on warm nights. Any recommendations appreciated*.
*Please limit recommendations to exclude expressing political and/or philosophical views regarding global warming, big oil, tree-hugging hippies, HELCO, geothermal plants, people who reside in oil producing countries, race, incompetent local government, terrorism, and recent arrivals to the Big Island. Mahalo!
Posts: 403
Threads: 26
Joined: May 2012
I would not recommend this, as under the new PUC rules (passed in October), Solar is now an awful deal. Instead of "net metering", where you would pay nothing if you generated exactly the same amount of electricity as you used, the new regulation is that you buy electricity at retail, and sell at wholesale. What this means is you need 2x to 2.5x the panels you used to need.
Off-grid is the only viable solution going forward.
Leilani Estates, 2011 to Present
Posts: 255
Threads: 7
Joined: May 2006
IMHO, There is only one option for a Solar Install done right.
Call Solarman at 982-5708
Posts: 966
Threads: 61
Joined: Jan 2006
having solar and not tying in to hello is the way to go. neighbors spent 25K with a big system with helco tie-in. during the hurricane they were over and heard my water pump come on. wondered how i still had power when they didn't and we all were without for a week. well it runs on my own batteries. keep your helco, but lower your bill by just putting a few items on. build it green in hilo is very helpful, seem to have good prices and they can refer contractors if you are not inclined to do yourself. just my 2 cents..
Posts: 1,179
Threads: 7
Joined: Jul 2012
get real solar, go offgrid
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
Posts: 1,513
Threads: 18
Joined: Oct 2014
quote:
Originally posted by Big_Island
IMHO, There is only one option for a Solar Install done right.
Call Solarman at 982-5708
I've been doing business with Paul/Solarman for decades and he's always come thru.
In an area with plentiful sunlight like Hawaii, there really is no reason not to go totally off-grid. My system installed by solarman has been running trouble free for three years with only occasional watering of the batteries. If a solar system will not meet your energy needs, you may want to examine your lifestyle and assumptions. The era of cheap energy is going away.
---------------------------
You can't fix Samsara.
Posts: 761
Threads: 40
Joined: Nov 2014
So is a small window AC unit in our bedroom is incompatible with an off-grid system? We only run the unit on warm summer nights. Our electric bills run about $140/month in the winter, and about $180 in the summer.
FWIW, if we go with staying on grid, we will aim to install enough panels to have a bill of zero (except for grid fees, of course). If doing so means generating more power than we use, so be it.
Posts: 255
Threads: 7
Joined: May 2006
if its staying connected to the grid you want, ask Solarman about HBX. You would be building an off grid system with Helco as a backup. Meaning if at night your batteries get to their low, Helco picks up the load till the sun comes out and charges the battery bank to a certain point, at which time it switches Helco off and resumes power through the inverter and battery bank.
Posts: 907
Threads: 12
Joined: Apr 2012
quote:
Originally posted by Lodestone
So is a small window AC unit in our bedroom is incompatible with an off-grid system? We only run the unit on warm summer nights. Our electric bills run about $140/month in the winter, and about $180 in the summer.
FWIW, if we go with staying on grid, we will aim to install enough panels to have a bill of zero (except for grid fees, of course). If doing so means generating more power than we use, so be it.
I think the real, energy-efficient choice for you would be to move uphill, and buy a couple blankets. That lifestyle choice would require the least amount of energy. No more AC units required. I don't think an AC running at night is that realistic off-grid, unless you get a good sized system, with quite a bit of battery back-up.
