Before beginning our DIY solar power system, an evaluation needed to be done to determine the amount of solar energy available at our site and our power requirements. We needed to calculate what size system would get us close to our target and be the most cost efficient with optimum payback period. There were many design requirements and options in PV systems that needed to be evaluated. For example, should we use wood or steel frames? We found it is best to layout questions and variables first. After that, we could proceed in a logical path forward to capture the best system for the lowest price and fastest payback.
Listed below are the basic design requirements we used for our system. While we will explain our requirements, we also include comments to you the reader — to help with your own requirements. We believe these requirements are best for a robust survivable system. With these requirements, even when the power grid goes down, the system will be up and running.
Renewable free energy was the key driver for us. The alternative was to use carbon fuel reserves whose price will skyrocket as dwindling supplies are exhausted. Using renewable resources also allows us to do our part to take care of the earth (Genesis 2:15).
Off-grid has no connection to power grid. If we were off-grid, we would need to produce all of our electricity. Being off-grid would save us 11 cents per kWh which is the cost of purchasing our electricity from the local utility company. However, if we were on-grid we would receive all of our power from the power grid and sell our PV produced power to the utility company. The utility company would then subtract what we produced from what we purchased from them.
Originally we intended to do a mix with part of our home off-grid, and part of our home on-grid. However, the utility company representative explained that this was inefficient. With this mixed/partitioned system, in the summer we would have all the electricity we needed. However, any excess power would be wasted. In the winter we would not have enough power and would need to purchase electricity. He suggested we be totally on-grid with off-grid capability. Our excess power could then be banked at the utility company and withdrawn (from our power account) when our production was low and our demand was higher. We appreciated the explanation and decided to go with their recommendation.
An added benefit to being on-grid with off-grid capability was that if the power grid went down, we could quickly throw a transfer switch to go off-grid and use our own power stored in our battery bank. Being on-grid also made us candidates for Washington State tax free incentives which would pay us for producing electricity.
Based on our current analysis we’ve realized a savings per year of $950 in reduced energy cost from 2012 (just by being aware and conserving our energy usage); plus $985 for solar produced energy at 11 cents per kWh (our local utility rate); plus a Washington State incentive at 18 cents per kWh for all the green energy generated. This gave us about $1,615 (tax free). The net result of using on-grid with off-grid capability is $2,600 savings per year. With the incentives, we believe on-grid with off-grid capability was an excellent choice.
3: Determine large critical electrical loads.
Large critical electrical loads may have a loss of life impact. We are on a water well. It was critical that our deep well pump run, even when the power grid failed. We had two options to run the deep well pump. One was to use our PV system (using the underground wiring from our house to the well pump house). However, the PV system would only work for two days in some low solar power conditions (i.e. dark cloudy days) — because we would be running off of our own battery backup with two days of storage. Therefore we needed a secondary option. For this, we chose a diesel generator (which we house in a Faraday cage)
4: Identify off-grid loads.
House electrical loads such as water tanks, pool pump, etc. from our house subpanels A & B were identified and used to design the house wiring for the PV system.
Additionally, we identified what loads would be imperative to work should the power grid fail. These included light loads which were needed to maintain life year around. In the summer additional available solar power could expand this list. PV power is expensive to install, so it is not practical to oversize. It is better to reduce loads/needs.
5: Design solar power system to satisfy the following criteria:
5.1: To run light house loads all year long 365 days.
5.2: To run about 50% of yearly power bill.
The light load list we came up with shows 20 kWh are needed. Our 8 kW system will produce about 25 kWh (299 kWh / 12 = 25 kWh). Yearly estimates for our 8 kW system, was 299 kWh per year which is well over 244 kWh.
Every kW was and is significant — reducing electrical usage is an ongoing job. Our estimated power reduction amounted to 288 kWh a year from life changes.
6: Design battery back-up to last for two days.
Design your battery back-up system to store power in the event you experience two days with no sun. Your batteries should be sized to power 2,000 watts of your critical electric loads for at least 6 hours. Energy storage can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Since PV systems generate excess power on sunny days, this excess power can be stored in batteries. Lithium batteries are good, but expensive. Sealed 12 volt batteries are convenient but don’t have enough amp hours. Golf cart 6 volt batteries are good and inexpensive, but they do not have the cycle endurance of 6 volt marine batteries. Large lead acid unsealed 6 volt marine batteries offer an inexpensive deep cycle capability that should last for over ten years if regularly given an equalization voltage to de-sulfate.
Storage capability is necessary in order to have electricity available for emergency situations when the sun is down or the PV system is not producing. With storage capability, power is readily available even when the power grid fails or, of course, if one is choosing to be off-grid.
Note: If one is on a reliable power grid and has a reliable generator for back-up, it is possible to run on only one of the two battery banks connected in parallel. This would provide a 48 VAC and 370 Ah instead of 740 Ah — a savings of over $2,000.
7: Solar system design is a function of, and must address the following variables.
• Tree interference
• Air temperature
• Cloud cover
• Solar energy available at site
• Panel tilt angle and azimuth angle (should these be automated)
• PV panel efficiency, system efficiency, age degradation, debris on glass
• Battery storage system performance and maintenance — must match inverter and charge controllers. Overheating and freezing prohibited.
8: Add net meter and production meter with adjoining external disconnect switch to run on-grid in sell mode.
The utility company allows us to bank power with them to store excess summer power and to withdraw power if needed (such as in the cold winter months).
Washington State incentive payment is 18 cents for every green kWh we produce. The utility company manages these incentive payments and they send us an incentive check once a year. The incentive payment should generate about $1,600 and helps to get a short 8.5 year system payback.
Correct sizing is important in order to have excess power to bank for winter usage. We monitor our PV energy production using net and production meters from the utility company. The utility monitors these meters and provides us with an online chart that show us daily what we are producing and using.
9: Design life should be at least 25 years.
It is always a good idea to design a reasonable system lifetime so materials and parts will not fail prematurely and cause high maintenance issues. PV panels should have a lifetime of 50 plus years with some degradation of performance, but likely will not need replacement. If corrosion were an issue for us we would have used stainless steel and corrosion resistant materials, instead of aluminum.
10: Design for wind speed.
Wind speed of 80 plus MPH is a recommended standard for most locations. We designed for 40 MPH because our site is not windy due to 120 foot fir trees surrounding it. Your site may be in a location that requires a design for higher wind speeds.
11: Design should consider limited snow loads.
In winter our panels are rotated vertically and snow loads are not possible. The frame we use is basically a truss in vertical orientation and has a lot of inherent strength.
12: Must vent battery cabinet automatically with a backup system to protect from hydrogen explosion.
The cabinet fan system must run continuously due to the lead acid batteries. A fail safe fan with alerting system was installed for safety. We were aware that this was a critical inspection issue.
13: Plan on inverter noise, humming, fan noise, and heat requiring cooling.
Be aware that the inverter produces significant humming noise, there also is fan noise, and excess heat which requires cooling. Design a fan system capable of removing system heating. We used a screened door on our cabinet to cool the battery cabinet room off on hot summer days.
14: Choose solar panels manufactured in the U.S. to receive rebates.
United States manufactured panels are required by law for the federal 30% rebate. We also found a Washington State incentive for 18 cents per kWh. Check your state for other incentives in your area. Sales tax rebates also may be in effect.
15: Satisfy all building and electrical codes.
The PV system must meet local building and electrical codes. These include International Residential Codes (IRC) and National Electrical Codes (NEC) with specific solar requirements. Check for local electrical codes.
16: Identify all electrical inspections needed.
Solar energy systems must meet not only the NEC and IRC codes, but also local codes. Inspections were a key concern. Permits must be purchased before any work is started.
17: Cost limits and goals need to be set and understood, and system size adjusted as needed.
Costs must be reasonable and within budget. Less than a 10 year system payback was our target — we came in at 8.5 year payback. The PV panels needed to cost less than $1 per watt and our overall cost was $4.12 per watt. Our system could cost approximately $70k if done with outside contractors but we came in at $33,000.00
18: Schedule needs to be set and understood.
The federal rebate for us could only be taken after the system was operational. We kept a tight self-imposed six month schedule to keep our project on track. The last two months went from cable bury to final inspection and operation.
Reprinted with permission from DIY Photovoltaic Solar Power for Homeowners: How We Designed and Built Our Own 8kW System by Doug and Jennie Ostgaard and published through CreateSpace, 2014.
Originally Published: December 2014
At MOTHER EARTH NEWS for 50 years and counting, we are dedicated to conserving our planet's natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $5 and get 6 issues of MOTHER EARTH NEWS for only $12.95 (USA only). 
Hi GA – Great comments and clarification on a Bimodal Solar Electric ('PV') System. We agree that this is the best way to go and with the most flexibility and grid independence.
re: Comment about "The utility company representative explained that this was inefficient. With this mixed/partitioned system, in the summer we would have all the electricity we needed. However, any excess power would be wasted. In the winter we would not have enough power and would need to purchase electricity. He suggested we be totally on-grid with off-grid capability." Ironically, the utility rep. is correct! This describes a Bimodal Solar Electric('PV') System which is both "On-Grid" + a "Back-up PV Power" systems in one system. With a Bimodal solar electric system you get two types of PV systems in one complete PV system, and the "best of both worlds" with the most of efficiency of 'Grid-tied' operation + back-up power without normally using your energy storage! Normally, 'Grid-tied only' operation will power house loads, and send excess power to utility. (Energy storage part, usu. a battery bank, will be on 'stand-by' while in 'send/sell-only' mode.) If the grid fails, then the Hybrid inverter system (usu. automatic) will transfer(isolate grid input) and then use only 'Off-grid' mode of your PV power system (array + and energy storage power for your dedicated ('critical') house AC loads your desire to have during 'emergency' power outages! If you decide to live completely off-grid later, you can add to a hybrid PV system as needed (more array and/or, gen-set, energy storage capacity, etc.), disconnect utility power, then connect all house loads desired to live within your 'means'(daily PV production) to produce all your electricity using only the sun! True Independence! (with responsible power usage & correctly sized PV system for all weather!) GA
Thank you for your question Rita. We highly recommend saving up for the system so you do not have to borrow money. Our book should be helpful for this – chapter 7 offers energy savings ideas for the home. We saved significantly on electricity (about $100 a month) using these ideas. If you save for the system first, a payback like 8.5 years (which is what we got and write about in our book) is not an issue – after payback, you will have it paid for and should be saving or making money in the future. In our state, we have an 18 cent per kWh green energy subsidy. You will want to see what is available in your area. Being cautious about TV ads for solar is wise. For example, the cost of Hyper X-2 panels, in our opinion, turn out to be about twice what we paid using Solar World SW 240 panels (see our earlier comments). Our book provides the cost breakdown and discusses panels and equipment needs. After the 30% federal rebate, our cost for our system was about $22,000. You could reduce this cost by building a smaller system (ours was a large 8 kW system) and by buying SW 240 or smaller panels (or used panels) – perhaps something around 68 cents/Watt versus the 99 cents/Watt we paid. Additional savings can be gained by buying four golf cart 12 volt batteries (perhaps from Costco) and then upgrading batteries in the future when you can afford it. An additional savings of about 30% on panels would be to build only two of the three frames (which we used). You could add a third later if desired. The estimated savings from this would be about $4200. This cost includes one charge controller. With one less frame and four batteries only, the cost could probably be reduced down to about $17,000 after a 30% federal rebate (for an on grid/off grid system) Do-it-yourself saves a lot of money. Our system, we estimated, would have cost $70,000 if we hired it done. Please feel free to email us at our website - http://www.ostgaardresources.com/
Thank you for your question Rita. We highly recommend saving up for the system so you do not have to borrow money. Our book should be helpful for this – chapter 7 offers energy savings ideas for the home. We saved significantly on electricity (about $100 a month) using these ideas. If you save for the system first, a payback like 8.5 years (which is what we got and write about in our book) is not an issue – after payback, you will have it paid for and should be saving or making money in the future. In our state, we have an 18 cent per kWh green energy subsidy. You will want to see what is available in your area. Being cautious about TV ads for solar is wise. For example, the cost of Hyper X-2 panels, in our opinion, turn out to be about twice what we paid using Solar World SW 240 panels (see our earlier comments). Our book provides the cost breakdown and discusses panels and equipment needs. After the 30% federal rebate, our cost for our system was about $22,000. You could reduce this cost by building a smaller system (ours was a large 8 kW system) and by buying SW 240 or smaller panels (or used panels) – perhaps something around 68 cents/Watt versus the 99 cents/Watt we paid. Additional savings can be gained by buying four golf cart 12 volt batteries (perhaps from Costco) and then upgrading batteries in the future when you can afford it. An additional savings of about 30% on panels would be to build only two of the three frames (which we used). You could add a third later if desired. The estimated savings from this would be about $4200. This cost includes one charge controller. With one less frame and four batteries only, the cost could probably be reduced down to about $17,000 after a 30% federal rebate (for an on grid/off grid system) Do-it-yourself saves a lot of money. Our system, we estimated, would have cost $70,000 if we hired it done. Please feel free to email us at our website - http://www.ostgaardresources.com/
I really like and want to live in a solar-based home. But my income is very limited ($450/mth)...What can I do to acquire solar panels and such? I see tv ads for a company which is suppose to be reasonably priced...unsure of them though...any help will be appreciated...thanks
Thank you for your question Ray. PV technology has and will continue to evolve - subsequently prices should continue to fall to the betterment of the consumer. We designed and built a state of the art do-it-yourself system and released our book on our DIY project just a few months ago. The Hyper X-2 panels are too expensive, as we were after high reliability in PV panels at less than $1.00/watt. We paid 99 cents per watt for Solar World SW-240 panels – with inverter and two charge controllers the cost came to about $1.65 per watt. The Hyper X-2 panel 340 cost about $2.30/w to $2.85/w with one inverter and optimizers. This would add approximately $1/watt x 8000 watt = $8,000 more to our cost. The Solar World panel has a thirty-five year heritage and has been tested to high quality standards. They should last from fifty to one hundred years. The Hyper X-2 has been in work and development only about four years, at best. The reliability, in our opinion, is uncertain. The size is 83% of the Solar World panel and that is not much of an advantage in our project. The Hyper X-2 has a less than ¼ inch thickness and that is a big concern (and a show stopper in our opinion). Aluminum frames support the SW-240 panel on all four edges, providing impact protection and strength limiting mid-span deflections. SW-240 panels have greater than ¼ inch glass with edge support and are capable of many times the load of a less than ¼ inch glass sheet only. Glass is notch sensitive and needs edge protection. If the manufacturer saved cost making it without frames and backing that is a red flag to us. From a structures standpoint the SW-240 frame thickness of 1.22 inches is much better than no edge. A plastic back also provides greater protection from many degrading environments. Also, in the Hyper X-2 advertisements we’ve seen, the system appears to be grid tied only. A battery backup bank would need to be added and a different inverter selected for a DIY project such as ours with grid/off-grid options. In their ads we also noticed their claims regarding temperature performance. We believe our book has an excellent discussion on temperature effects in chapter 3. In conclusion -- Solar World 315 M panels can be found today for $1/w - in our opinion, they are a better way to go. http://www.ostgaardresources.com/
One of the first things to consider is the advancement stage of the PV technology that you're considering. Are you considering the installation of old fashion aluminum framed, lower efficiency solar panels that uses a plastic backing that only produces power from the front side of the panel or are you considering actually paying less money for the latest technology that uses a frameless, glass on glass. higher efficiency design that produces power from both sides of the solar panel, Hyper X 2 bifacial solar ?