The Grier Photovoltaic Solar Project
Updated September 2010
I have come to believe that our society is faced with huge environmental and national security issues that revolve around power use and production. There are numerous articles on these subjects in print and online. I won’t repeat the issues and arguments here.
In June of 2007 I decided it was time to put into action a contribution, small though it may be, with the goal to help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of power, and to reduce my own “carbon footprint.”
I choose to add a 3 kW solar photovoltaic array on my home’s roof. There were several considerations that entered into the decision.
· How much roof space receives full sunlight, at least most of the year?
· How much space is required for the DC/AC inverter and other electrical equipment that must be added?
· What physical changes would I have to make to accommodate the system?
· What is the incremental cost for smaller or larger systems?
· And, how much can I afford to spend?
For
the full story, download the PDF here.
Golden Solar, LLC installed our system.
Go online at Fronius Solar Web to view up-to-data details of the system. After creating an account, you can send me email to request access to my data.
Major System Components
Fronius IG3000 Inverter (grid tied)
Fronius Datalogger
Sharp 170U1 solar panels