System design with Solar
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:05 pm
Requesting assistance to identify what I need for a system.
Description
I built my house in 2007 and have had solar installed since day 1 with extra electricity generated fed back into the grid but I've always had an electrical bill where the low is about $110 and the high is about $250. The initial intent was to zero-out the electrical bill. I've questioned numerous times why I have such a high electricity bill but nobody (the power company or the solar company) was able to answer my questions. I have an all electric house
1- Elect water heaters - I have two 80 gallon heaters one of which is turn off and bypassed. Initially it was suggested that I install two heaters but later realized that I only needed one for just my wife and myself. When the heaters were installed we took care to plumb so either water heater could be removed/by-passed and each are on their own electrical circuit. One heater is turned off and by-passed.
2- For cooling/heating we installed a Trane heat pump and if I recall correctly it is either a sear 17 or 19. At the time (2007) it was the top of the line unit.
3- We do have gas coming into the house but it is only for kitchen stove and gas fireplace which we don't use.
4- The exterior walls are aerated composite blocks 8 inches thick and if I recall correctly I have about an R40.
5- Foam spray insulation was applied to the underside of the roof thus the house sealed like a thermos bottle.
6- I have 32 solar panels on the near-flat roof of my house. These connect to two Sunny Boy inverters, see the following.
(It seems that I have hit some posting limit and cannot add more images, I'll create another post with these images.
My outside panel that services the house is a 200 AMP Panel, see the following. In my garage for my woodworking tools I have a sub-panel, see the following The main panel is inside the house, see the following What I desire as a system
1- monitor all circuits, 24x7 and be able to see the usage
2-connection to my PC. I may require some wireless units. The main house panel is beside and back-to-back to my ethernet wiring panel. The garage workshop panel and main house service panel are within three feet of each other where the house service panel is on the outside and the workshop panel is on the inside wall in the front of the garage. On the far back wall opposite the workshop panel I do have an ethernet port and it would be possible to run an Ethernet line from the Ethernet wiring panel to the workshop electrical panel. Thus I could go either wireless or wired.
Current thoughts
1- I was thinking of using the Micro-100 for the CT mainly because it is High Accuracy.
2- Most likely I will be doing the installation. I'm not a licensed electrician but I have done quite a bit of house wiring and it has all passed electrical inspections. If necessary I will get assistance.
3- At this time I'm at the design stage ready to move forward.
I just noticed that the pictures are being rotated 90 degrees when I submit the post.
Description
I built my house in 2007 and have had solar installed since day 1 with extra electricity generated fed back into the grid but I've always had an electrical bill where the low is about $110 and the high is about $250. The initial intent was to zero-out the electrical bill. I've questioned numerous times why I have such a high electricity bill but nobody (the power company or the solar company) was able to answer my questions. I have an all electric house
1- Elect water heaters - I have two 80 gallon heaters one of which is turn off and bypassed. Initially it was suggested that I install two heaters but later realized that I only needed one for just my wife and myself. When the heaters were installed we took care to plumb so either water heater could be removed/by-passed and each are on their own electrical circuit. One heater is turned off and by-passed.
2- For cooling/heating we installed a Trane heat pump and if I recall correctly it is either a sear 17 or 19. At the time (2007) it was the top of the line unit.
3- We do have gas coming into the house but it is only for kitchen stove and gas fireplace which we don't use.
4- The exterior walls are aerated composite blocks 8 inches thick and if I recall correctly I have about an R40.
5- Foam spray insulation was applied to the underside of the roof thus the house sealed like a thermos bottle.
6- I have 32 solar panels on the near-flat roof of my house. These connect to two Sunny Boy inverters, see the following.
(It seems that I have hit some posting limit and cannot add more images, I'll create another post with these images.
My outside panel that services the house is a 200 AMP Panel, see the following. In my garage for my woodworking tools I have a sub-panel, see the following The main panel is inside the house, see the following What I desire as a system
1- monitor all circuits, 24x7 and be able to see the usage
2-connection to my PC. I may require some wireless units. The main house panel is beside and back-to-back to my ethernet wiring panel. The garage workshop panel and main house service panel are within three feet of each other where the house service panel is on the outside and the workshop panel is on the inside wall in the front of the garage. On the far back wall opposite the workshop panel I do have an ethernet port and it would be possible to run an Ethernet line from the Ethernet wiring panel to the workshop electrical panel. Thus I could go either wireless or wired.
Current thoughts
1- I was thinking of using the Micro-100 for the CT mainly because it is High Accuracy.
2- Most likely I will be doing the installation. I'm not a licensed electrician but I have done quite a bit of house wiring and it has all passed electrical inspections. If necessary I will get assistance.
3- At this time I'm at the design stage ready to move forward.
I just noticed that the pictures are being rotated 90 degrees when I submit the post.