Hello all. Considering installing some solar panels on top floor of a 5 stories building. Anyone that's done it (or not) please share your input. The building will not have a access to the top floor other than the tenant next door and me, so theft is not a big concern. No emergency stairs to the roof. I believe in some threads I read that at some point EdeSur gets involved. Thank you all.
- Thread starter nyc dad
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Solar panels for top floor.
lots of sales and installers.... anywhere in the country.
They'll mount them on racks -- at 22-23 degrees to maximize the sun
Sto Dom is full of people from what I know and the price is good.
Many of us here are solar - some totally so
It works well.... where will you put your batteries?
You need a good sized bank of them
They'll mount them on racks -- at 22-23 degrees to maximize the sun
Sto Dom is full of people from what I know and the price is good.
Many of us here are solar - some totally so
It works well.... where will you put your batteries?
You need a good sized bank of them
Thanks. The building has Planta Full, would I still need a good bank of batteries? I just want to offset some of my electrical costs.
If you can sell your power from the panels back to EDESur, then you could offset your costs. If not, then you need batteries. You still need a way to get the DC provided by the panels turned in to AC if you can indeed sell it back to CDEE. I am not sure if no batteries are needed, but those with more solar experience will chime in.
The batteries are to store the energy...
If you plan on just running from solar power during the sunny days....
you won't need batteries
Check what your usage is day vs night....
If your consumption justifies the costs... you have an idea where you're going
Most power is night use.... lights, TV etc
If you plan on just running from solar power during the sunny days....
you won't need batteries
Check what your usage is day vs night....
If your consumption justifies the costs... you have an idea where you're going
Most power is night use.... lights, TV etc
I'm gonna be doing some heavy AC use
It is rarely recommended to use solar systems with batteries, charge controllers, and inverters to power AC units.
I think you best bet is to try and sell the power back to EdeSur with the least possible equipment possible if that is allowed.
The other option is to blend the power from the utility or generator to make up what might be lacking from your panels. Just thinking out loud and not sure what equipment would be needed or it is possible and practical.
If you can sell your power from the panels back to EDESur, then you could offset your costs. If not, then you need batteries. You still need a way to get the DC provided by the panels turned in to AC if you can indeed sell it back to CDEE. I am not sure if no batteries are needed, but those with more solar experience will chime in.
yeah, I did the deal where you sell your excess back to edenorte. And I'll never do that again. I had to have a special solar meter that cost 24,000 pesos and a special solar inverter hooked up to it, another bigger expense but I forget how much exactly, I think between $700 and $1000. What ends up happening with this equipment necessary to sell back to the grid is that they are able to spy on your total usage, and they do. First the bill starts out with your total usage. Then they make an adjustment on the bill after two weeks based on the numbers they get from your meter and the bill goes down, and then after a year you are supposed to get yet more credit in the form of a check. I have seen some people's checks so I am fairly sure they do that but it hasn't been a year for me yet. And they don't seem to be a windfall or anything, they aren't huge.
But when I ran the numbers between what I produced and what I used and what I paid, it seems they are still cheating me and making me pay for some of the power that I am producing myself. Granted, my bill is only about 1,200-1400 pesos or so, but they are cheats, nonetheless. It should have been half that. When you're on solar, your total usage is absolutely none of their business, you should be paying for what you use from them only, but they have this goofy setup where the office in Santiago is in charge of the meter in Sosua and nobody is capable of answering questions about it, in Santiago or Sosua. They conveniently pass the buck when it comes to questions and also play stupid when the questions get too specific. Okay, maybe they're not playing! But point is, it ****ed me off and I don't want them in my business ever again.
After this latest reaming I wised up and in my new house I am totally off grid. They will never know how much I use. Eventually, I will get a hookup for emergencies but for now I feel free at last. Edenorte has been the biggest pain in my ass of living here. Just know that if you sell to the grid they are spying on your total usage and charging you accordingly. Plus Santiago is extremely slow to come to Sosua to do anything to the meter. The local office won't touch it, says it's off limits to them, Santiago people only can touch it. If you have a problem with the meter, you are at their mercy and it could take weeks or months for them to come. If you are off grid you are only at the mercy of your local electrician.
If I knew all this beforehand I would never have agreed to it. I think maybe for huge systems it may be profitable to sell back to the grid but for us people with home systems it's not worth the exponentially higher degree of fuss.
forgot to mention, I have gringa type washer and dryer, halogen oven, energy saver fridge and new inverter type energy saver AC and everything is working wonderfully
Sounds like the only practical situation is if the OP can use the power he generates with panels as it is generated and supplement that with the power grid. IF possible.
That's exactly what I just want to do!!!
Catseye..... very enlightening........
hahaha
most of this group yelp about the stupidity , stubbornness and poor service of the power companies
It's the stupidity part I have disagreed with....
Dumb? Ya, like a fox.
So many people pay nothing for their power that when the chance to loop into a big user floats by.....
GOTCHA !!!
That's my take on it anyway....
I am off grid...
Plan B is a generator
No other options for me......panels and planta
hahaha
most of this group yelp about the stupidity , stubbornness and poor service of the power companies
It's the stupidity part I have disagreed with....
Dumb? Ya, like a fox.
So many people pay nothing for their power that when the chance to loop into a big user floats by.....
GOTCHA !!!
That's my take on it anyway....
I am off grid...
Plan B is a generator
No other options for me......panels and planta
I probably should have explained to OP why usage is so important. Our bills are based on usage as follows: first 200 kw charged at about 4 1/2 pesos, next 100 kw are charged at about 7 pesos, the rest over that are charged at about 11 pesos. BUT if you go over 700 kw, then everything is charged at the highest 11 peso rate. So that one extra kw that pushes you from 699 to 700 can cost you 2000 pesos. So many of us are real anal about using less than 700. And that's why the fact that they use the solar equipment to spy on my total usage and fabricate a bill from there is so aggravating.