In Chula Vista, we sat through 5 solar panel sales pitches trying to decide between buying, PPA loan, and leasing. Once we decided we would purchase the solar system and the size of the system based on past use, I sought out the cheapest and highest quality system. Once Tesla dropped their prices for solar panels to ~$8500 total ($6000 after tax credit, 26% fed rebate) for a 4.080 kw system, it was a no brainier to go with them. From all of the other companies, they were $3000 less than any other installer. We chose not to go with battery since I still feel the battery system is on its way for more improvement and will be more cost effective in the future. Granted I didn't need a new roof. The main issue I had with going with Tesla was that I needed to put $100 down to start the process, unlike, any other company, where they quoted me for free. Regarding timeline, I started my order process July 17, received drawings for review July 21, scheduled my installation July 23, received HOA decision Aug 6, installation Aug 11, inspection from SDGE Aug 12, permission to turn the system on from SDGE Aug 17. Let me know if you have further questions. I'd be happy to tell you about more of my experience with Tesla or any of the other solar companies I sat through, but I basically received free information from them to be able to get to a place where I was comfortable with moving forward. In San Diego and the size of the system I have, based on calculations, the solar will pay for itself in 3-4 years. For anyone considering Tesla, feel free to use my link. ts.la/carlo32516 Full disclosure, I get $100 if you use it and end up going with them, but feel free to reach out to any other Tesla owners that your friends with, and I'm sure they'd be happy to send you a link.
Check out Paul’s hardware . He did this swap. He’s a tech youtuber. He vlogged the whole thing. For self sufficiency I think a propane ( or another fuel) generator (generac) is going to win everytime........ Don’t go for one of those uber SEER split units . It never pays off they tend to be less reliable and don’t actually hit those numbers that often except for IMO fringe cases. Look for a unit in high teens low 20s. Those OLMO units you see on amazon for example are rebranded by Carrier (the biggest HVAC company aside from maybe Honeywell) and are really good. Self installed one in the basement for
Billy Billington also this....... If you do solar now you are paying to build the infrastructure and learning for the future not actually solving the “issues” also seems lately like buying tesla stock vs their stuff is a way better bet right now hahahaha
I know a few 100% off grid folks I aspire to be like. They run solar off connected batteries. I been holding out for better quality solar panels and solar glass for greenhouses. Deep cycle batteries are more affordable from auto Wreckers than new at about $30 each instead of $150. They can be less than a year old too. These could be great on your shed(s) ...ua-cam.com/video/kQC2HDjkDCk/v-deo.html
Dude, I love that you're covering more than just the thoughts, questions, and issues that pop up with growing plants on this channel. For real, this is super helpful stuff. Even with Ben having his own channel that I might have stumbled upon, having a kind of curated expert on here helps narrow down the search of who to listen to and trust. Looking forward to more crossover episodes on here in the future. Also, it hit me as we were leaving the sale on Sunday. Your dragon fruit cuttings are going to be all over San Diego now. That's crazy. A ton of people are going to have dragon fruit cuttings growing up and getting split off to create more. Like, that's a hell of a legacy man. And a little sneaky in that now your dragon fruit vids are going to get way more views.
Hi Kevin, Ben did a pretty good job explaining the most common type of solar installation today and some of the pros and cons but I will add a couple of additional things just to think about. One thing you might consider is ground mounting your array. Everyone is used to seeing roof mounted arrays but there are some significant benefits to having a ground mount array if you have the space (which I believe you do). For instance: you might find that you can site your PV array in a better location that maximizes daily and annual energy output (not the same thing). Code requirements are quite different for ground mounts so you may find that there is a significant cost savings on hardware and installation. It is fairly easy to vary the inclination of a ground mounted array which can get you an additional10-15% more power compared to a fixed array even if it is only adjusted twice a year. Finally you might even get clever and utilize the ground array for rain cachement in addition to your roof thereby increasing your annual rain collection totals as well. As for batteries... Yeah, everyone loves Tesla Powerwalls. Lets see if they still do 10 years from now when they have stopped performing well and need to be replaced. As someone who has replaced my main battery bank 3 times over the last 22 years I can tell you with absolute certainty that those batteries will not last forever. All batteries eventually degrade and how they are sized, how they are used, the environment in which they live and how they are managed will determine just how long they survive. You may get rebates for the initial install but you will not get any sort of rebate when it comes time to replace them and they are very expensive so factor in that cost over the estimated lifetime of the house bank so you won't get a rude surprise somewhere down the road. And don't automatically dismiss lead acid batteries as an option. They are significantly more tolerant of abuse and many times cheaper than fancy, hi-tech, sexy Li batteries. Just do your homework and make sure you understand the advantages and the disadvantages of the various battery types. Last bonus tip(s): Before you go any farther in your quest for solar you need to determine what your energy use actually is and what you think it will be in the future. It isn't that hard- just make a list of every electrical device that you own and guestimate how many watts it uses and how long you run it over a given period of time. Multiply the 2 and you get the amount of watt-hours you use over that time. Normalize the entire mess over the year and that is the amount of total power you need. Divide by average number of hours of sun in the year at your location (google it- lots of charts online) and by the number of days in the year and now you have the required size of your array. Divide by the efficiency of the system and add an additional 25% for load creep and system degradation and you will have all the power you need for the rest of your life at that location. Hope this helps a little. Take care and all the best from the San Francisco Bay Area :)
@@epichomesteading I don't know how much detail you can get on your power bill, but here it also usually tells you how much you used over that billing period. If you're fairly consistent about your power usage throughout the year, you can just take that and multiply it by how many billing periods you have in a year to get an average estimate. And then you'll probably want to try for 1.5-2x that amount to play it safe if you want to go entirely solar.
Fully agree re batteries, they age pretty quickly, especially if you don't actively cycle them, and are very costly to replace. Since I had no intention of ever going off grid, I decided against them. We have flat electricity rates here so there's little incentive to bank the power.
You know hearing you guys talk about all the natural disasters that happen in California is making me feel a bit better about my short canadian growing season
Ben’s solar system it’s awesome!!! Mate, your project it’s amazing, I can’t wait to see what you come up with and all the progress in your new house! If you manage to get such a system over your homestead, the potential it’s unlimited! Thanks for sharing this live conversation with Ben as I’ve got lots of information that I didn’t know. Keep it going bro 👊🏻👊🏻
We live in Melbourne Australia and have a 10 kW system on our house. For most of the year, we don't pay anything for electricity. We get lots of credits and they often take us through the winter. We want to get a battery for the house but can't decide what yet. We did it, not for the cost, as the system we have cost us a lot of money, but we did it so we didn't have to rely on coal-generated electricity from the grid. We did it for environmental reasons. The bonus of free electricity is good too. It has changed the way we live in some ways, in that now we tend to do things like put the dishwasher on when the sun is out, or the clothes dryer, those sorts of things. It has been great. We have a flat roof that is covered with 34 solar panels. We will do a battery as they keep predicting every summer that the grid will go down, so we want to protect ourselves and we suspect that if we get one we may never have to pay for electricity again.
I had a friend who purchased rooftop solar years ago. He lived in California in the Thousand Oaks area, I believe. It was sunny most of the time except when there were fires in the area. He told me that his solar would work even if it was cloudy or the sun was obscured by the smoke. It just needed to be daylight. Maybe solar is different now than back then. I thought this was an interesting video. So many states seem to be discouraging the use of alternative energy. It seems California isn't one of them.
We went with sunrun through Costco. Amazing, well designed system. First true up was $5.00. Costco is another layer of guarantee and they give a Costco credit (gift card) on parts which helps bring the overall price down.
Just got to the design stage of our system. Getting two Tesla power walls (we’ve got a well). There are massive rebates from the state of CA for the batteries right now. I researched multiple companies and finally picked. Very happy so far!!
Epic Urban Homestead we are on the outskirts of jamul, up a little higher in elevation. The temp swings wrecked our cucumbers. Thankfully, we get another shot soon! Haha. Going to try the dragon beans you recommend as well. Thanks for all you do!
I've been researching solar, and grid tie systems for some time now. This video was VERY informative, and addressed some topics I hadn't thought of. Thanks for sharing.
As someone who has had solar panels in Australia for 12 years some of these facts aren't correct. The panels themselves last around 10 years before they start to corrode. You should be cleaning your panels at least twice a year if not more (think of how dirty and dust your car and outdoor furniture get - this is the same as the roof which affects your solar. We had a 2kw system but it corroded, so we upgraded to a 9.9kw system. Our last quarter 'bill' the electricity company owed us $270 (its winter here so not using the aircon) but in summer one of our aircons is 7kw per hour. In Australia our voltage is higher than yours (double) so a Tesla would fully charge in 6-8 hours.We are still looking at batteries though
In the US we use 240V for everything except wall outlets and lights. Every major appliance is 240V including EV chargers (except the little one that comes with the car that pugs into a regular outlet). So a Tesla can charge just as fast here as anywhere else. In the video the time he quoted was if you only charge straight from solar without using the grid.
Great info for a person who knows not a lot and is a beginner wanting to get started with solar. Although I still don't understand how it all works his explanation was not overwhelming and he seems patient at relaying the info.
Just got hit up at a local grocery store about solar and they couldn't answer a lot of these questions for me. This is timely and extremely helpful. Thanks!
Don’t forget to take advantage of your vertical space...by digging DOWN into the ground. Years ago, my mom decided she wanted a 9’ x 14’ greenhouse, to shelter the hundreds of orchids she’d taken to growing, which were taking over the dining room. The HOA, however, prohibited the construction of anything more than 5’ tall in the backyard. So, my brilliant dad used his imagination and then designed and built the greenhouse, 9’W x 14’L x 9’H. He was able to do this, and to get it permitted and approved by the HOA, because he sunk it 4’ into the soil first, so that the top of its roof is exactly 5’ above ground level. Its “basement” walls are made of cinder blocks, concreted and coated with Xypex, which is used to seal concrete in pools, basements, dams, etc. Sika works just as well. I’ve used both, on our retaining wall and, as an additive, in our concrete patios when they were poured, and each brand has products that can be used even in drinking water storage. (See the links below if you’re curious.) The greenhouse also has plenty of drainage both under and around it so that, even in a downpour, it never floods. He later installed its ventilation and irrigation, and set it up so it could be monitored and controlled from the house. Since it looks like you’re going to be growing a lot of food on your property, perhaps you’ll want to consider creating a root cellar or other subterranean storage space. Because, unless there are laws/codes prohibiting such things in your area, you needn’t be automatically limited, in your structure choices, by height. Even the pre-fab shed you’ve ordered could probably have a section in it that opens DOWN into the ground, without compromising its structural integrity. Think of the possibilities. 🙃 www.xypex.com/products/the-xypex-advantage www.sika.com/en/construction/waterproofing-systems.html
How cool is this! I've been following Ben Sullins and Teslanomics for a while now and I recently discovered your channel because of my newfound interest in home gardening (thank you Covid). Great collab! I just turned on my solar system 2 weeks ago (right before the Bay Area fires started) and I'm glad because there were quite a few blackouts in my area. My only regret so far is that I didn't get a bigger system, but that aside, I'm happy to be able to generate my own electricity and help ease the grid a bit.
Oh gosh I was recommended this channel not because I sometimes watch your gardening videos but because I watch homesteading videos also. The UA-cam algorithm is with it tonight 😂
Your dream woodshop will pull a ton of power. Dust collection, saws, and routers are all high amperage. I can see you getting into CNC fabrication, which means router + dust collection running for hours at a time.
This is awesome! We have Tesla solar and the powerwall backup. It's expensive, but it means we're more self sufficient, pay $0-$10/ month for electric between April-September, plus there's the sweet tax rebate (not sure if that varies per state). When the grid goes down, sometimes we don't even notice it.
I adore my eGolf. It taught me a lot and to get to know the charging station landscape. I live in L.A. so it’s a great city car. It’s zippy too! My solar is not much savings with all the city fees. This was really informative. Thanks!!!!
Not sure if you own your eGolf but I have a Nissan Leaf EV. After my EV battery can't charge the car for more than 40 miles full charge I'm planning on using that big 'ol battery (24kwh) and design a solar array to store solar energy in my EV car battery instead of buying a powerwall or other like it. I doubt I'm going to be on the grid so will design my system with an inverter.
So in South Africa we have rolling blackouts, we call it load shedding. That means no electricity for up to 12 hours a day on bad days. So solar plus battery is definitely the way to go here in order to keep security systems up and water pumps going.
Incredibly interesting! Thanks for sharing your initial walkthrough, I'd love to get on some more sustainable energy but it's so expensive to start. I definitely want to look into the battery walls more, too. And definitely cool to know roof repairs can be wrapped in!
Thanks for including us, the viewers, in your solar exploration. 😊 Just FYI, the federal tax credit is currently at 26%. (Go to www.energy.gov for more details.) You’ll want to make sure your roof can safely support the number of solar panels you want before committing to buying them. We actually had structural issues with our own roof, which required us to repair/replace it before we could install our array. Because we made sure that was well-documented, we were able to use the federal tax credit on the both the full cost of the array and the roof repairs. (Having the roofer as a sub-contractor to the solar installer, bundling the entire cost, can also serve this purpose. Check with your accountant first though. Also, to protect the integrity of our new roof, we coordinated the roof work and solar installation. We did this by first having our roofing contractor mark all the rafters on the tar paper, so that the solar company could install the panels’ standoffs. Once the standoffs were in place, the roofer came back and finished the roof work. Only then did the solar company come back to install the panels and complete all the electrical work for the array. (All the work was permitted.) By doing it this way, the solar company didn’t have to cut into our new roof. Your roof will likely be rolled, but you could probably do something similar, if you’re so inclined. Also, most people who go solar will start using 10% more electricity than they are now. Apparently, having solar power makes people feel less guilty about using it. LOL. If you’re calculating how much electricity you’ll need to be producing, however, don’t forget to account for the things you haven’t thought of yet. Your electrical panel will need to be able to accommodate any additional circuits that might be installed later down the line. Some examples of new additions to your home are: a jacuzzi, a Tempur-Pedic bed - we love ours - and even power tools, should you catch the woodworking bug and decide to start building things for your homestead. An electric car is another obvious example, which you’ve already thought of, but what about the electrical consumption of a SECOND person living there with you? Hey, “life happens...” Just a thought.
I love everything solar. My advice to you is; like purchasing a greenhouse, go as big as you possibly can. In summer we put way more energy back into the grid than we use, but the electrical company still charges us for being connected to the grid. I am saving up for a battery so we can essentially live off grid. Only problem I have with the current commercially available batteries are that they don't last too long. Each battery only has a set amount of charge-discharge cycles. With solar radiation also not being constant throughout the day, there are power fluctuations, counting as charge-discharge cycles, essentially "weakening" the battery. But this issue is not as bad as it used to be several years ago. Ideally you would want a vanadium ion based battery system. You basically get infinite charge-discharge cycles and they are better than the current Lithium based ones. But! They are very very big (small shipping container sizes). I would still invest in solar and a battery if I were you and had money 👍
A link to a company doing research into vanadium batteries if you want to read a bit more (I am not affiliated with them in any way): www.australianvanadium.com.au/vanadium-batteries/
Hey! I install solar. One thing I dont think I heare mention was the amps. That is the limiting factor for batteries. We dont do the Tesla wall. We have actually been installing LGs version. It is pretty good. But there are significant draw backs, such as the amperage. You can have all the watts in the world, but if you dont have the amps, the power ain't doing nothing. Keep that in mind. Also, every little bit counts when it comes to what is actually being put on your solar circuit. I cannot tell you how many people I have talked to that didnt have a goot 10 year plan, added something huge that sucks power, then complained that the solar isnt doing enough. If you are not planning for the future, you are planning to fail. In the same vein, if you need to get a new roof, do that before solar. If is not worth putting solar up, just to take it down and do a reinstall. We understand that a new roof is a good thing. Old leaky roofs are liabilities that are not always worth it. Since your roof is flat, the panels will have to have stand offs. That just adds the optimum pitch. Some solar companies do service deals. Do that. Inverters go out like nothing else. Along with that, be careful what brand you go with. We use SolarEdge for our tie in systems. I really like them. They have been really good at getting replacements asap. Also, they allow you to see what each panel is producing. It is super nice. Panels dont really NEED to be cleaned. They do get less efficient over time. I have seen some short out or stop working. I have even had to replace once where the glass just broke on its own. Nothing is impossible. I could go on for a while now. If you have specific things, reach out. I will help as best as I can.
Appreciate this feedback, those are fantastic tips and ideas. Roof seems like the right play in the interim, but also locking in some rebates makes sense too...thoughts?
@@epichomesteading Ya. The rebates are nice, but they might take a while. The first rounds of rebates were all used up in like a week or two. We have been installing systems for people who applied, but are not guaranteed rebates, so the result is they usually have to sit on a smaller system in hopes of getting the money. Not knowing your finances or how long you would have to wait for a rebate makes it tricky.
I definitely think the battery is the way to go. We currently have just solar and only get about 2-3 months a year (spring) where we are in the negative for electric. Some things to know is without a battery you get paid much less for the electric you sell to them than what you buy from them so even if you use the same amount of kw that you produced that day you'll still be paying for it. SoCal Edison also charges a $10 monthly (admin) fee if your bill is negative (you generated more than you used) that month so they pretty much steal a big chunk of your savings for those months. When you are on the solar plan you pay your electric bill once a year, they just keep adding and taking away all year and then you owe the whole amount on the 12th month. This usually ends up being over $1k for us so I tend to just pay every month to avoid a big bill due. Without the battery I think solar is just a better environmental choice and hope that the electric company treats solar customers better at a later date. We use Sunpower for our panels and install and we really liked them. We used Sunrun for our last house and there was a lot of things they didn't tell us and our bill ended up being much more than the electric bill would have been. We have 2 adults working from home (even before the the quarantine) and 2 kids in the house with central ac set to 80 and mini splits in the offices and bedrooms.
Can't wait to see it all develop, have been really interested in solar for a couple simple reasons: To basically power my aquariums/terrariums and to power my computer. Just cutting down on the power usage would be neat so seeing this is really nice and informative!
Love your content man! Thanks so much for what you do. I'm putting solar up at my house right now. We too have a flat roof, and my contractor highly reccomended doing a balustered system. It will get more life out of your panels. Especially out here in Southern CA. The heat bounces up off the roof and absolutely nails those things. If you have them up and on a rail it will do a world of good and extend the longevity of your investment! Just passing on a suggestion that was given to me that figured like a long term better play. If you're going to make the investment might as well spend a little more upfront and have it pay off long term especially with the rebates that are out there! Blessings, Matt (Rebuilt Ruins Ministries) PS if ya ever want an ordained pastor to bless your property, I'd be happy to. 🙂🙏🏽
I have solar panels on my house. I live in a smaller single level house with only two people and we are gone during the day at work. We turn off everything during the day. We usually put out most energy during the day when the sun is out so we balance out pretty evenly. But with the heatwave and fires in the Bay Area right now, the sunlight is blocked by smoke so less energy being put out. So we are using more than we put out right now. Hoping the smoke clears soon in the Bay.
My suggestion is for you to call a company named EMP SHIELD, they sell a product that will protect your solar energy. If you spend so much to invest in solar it just makes sense to me to protect it. They also have a government contract for the USA power grids too.
I have heard from a couple of expert sources (one of them who was formerly chief technical officer for the US army & currently owns the largest solar powered boat in the US) that the best brand on the market is Sol Ark. Sadly not much is really going to be able to protect you from an EMP weapon going off overhead, but if you're not attached to the state grid it can protect you from lower level CME events & cascading grid failures.
Wow I can't believe I missed this episode. Panels are better absorbing light when angled towards the sun. It would be cool if they were computer controlled to angle toward the sun oscillate able like your tower garden and for greater efficiency and utilization of space...mounted on your rebuilt fences!
I was totally looking to go full solar with the power walls for my system, but for the size of usage in my place, in the summer I spend $45 - $65 per month in electric and $20 in gas, vs the increase to $45 - $55 (in the coldest month) or so in winter for gas. Overall it doesn't make financial sense for me to invest in solar (even when I get A/C added to my furnace) because I won't see a break even at all even when selling back to our local utility. Plus the fact that you are leasing the solar panels from most companies so you don't own the system for 25 years or so at which point they will be well out of technical specs for the future updated technology. On top of it I am renovating so all LED lighting, drip irrigation which I am hoping to be partially gravity fed, and it is only me and a few cats. I have a great southern exposure so it is very feasible, but just not financially.
Stephen Doerk you own the system if you purchase outright. If you take out a loan the bank holding the note owns it. It’s rare the installers would end up owning your system!
@@Lauradicus That's interesting as I have heard it differently from different people (though that shouldn't be surprising). Regardless I wouldn't have the money to buy it outright so would have to loan. We will see down the line (and I know government rebates are decreasing rapidly over the next couple to few years) but I just can't justify it right now. Appreciate the updated info though!
If you're able to generate enough solar to create a credit most days then you'll never have a power bill again, so adding a battery is zero cost saving, it's just an expense and a big one. That's the situation I'm in. Working all this stuff out needs some mad spreadsheet skills, research into available deals, and knowing your own power usage accurately. I agree with your mate's first plan, just fill your roof with panels and enjoy big solar generation. You can always add a battery later if you want.
Make sure you get panels that can handle partial shade. Most cheaper panels can't handle partial shade. And make sure that there is good airflow since most panels are more efficient the cooler they are.
Thank you for the informative video on home solar power. I live a couple of miles from a solar farm, so I know they would work for me. I just didn't know how. How, I know a little more. 😉
Suggest checking out Sullivan Solar Power in the SD area. The solar field is still a bit Wild Wild West in terms of how companies are run but they seemed pretty good when I checked them out a few years ago. Definitely check out every company you consider and look for stories of lawsuits, etc.
Definitely go with a well know installer. Go to Tesla Solar’s website and get a quote from them as a baseline. If anyone is incredibly more expensive it’s an obvious flag but really cheap is bad too. Companies who can’t answer your questions in one phone call (maybe with transfers) are another red flag. Local installs should be numerous, you should be able to do a drive by to check by eye. Absolutely get references and follow through on checking them out. Talk to people about customer service as well as install and performance. Upsells are a common practice to make sure your contract specifies everything you need to order from the get go. “Hidden cost guarantee” is what we called it when we had the roof redone. Anything outside of industry standard is a red flag. (Do your homework!) You want high efficiency and long warrentees, workmanship as well as hardware. You want to be able to use the system if you don’t have internet. Your equipment should be warranted against loss of efficiency over time. When new Tesla’s panels efficiency rating is 90%. At the end of 25 years they are 75%. So they don’t go bad, the lose efficiency. The battery loses its storage capacity over time. At the end of the warranty your battery should be charging to 75-80%. You want batteries with a high kWh rating, not only storage capacity but cycling capacity. You really don’t want it to take a long time to charge your battery and you want a return delivery that doesn’t make your computer screen flicker! Definitely programmable usage/delivery/charging management. Definitely easy to monitor. Not necessarily being about to manage it from Peru but from the kitchen for sure. Even if you have decided to purchase multiple batteries upfront ask the company about adding one later and what the costs are... an opportunity to gouge you. If in that conversation they don’t mention the possibility of having to upgrade other supportive hardware... another red flag. Find out if they have a referral program too. If I think of anything else I’ll let you know. Be ready to go bug eyed with the research, hoarse too. Lists and lists and lists. Notes about who said what when. And to get lost every once in a while. It can be overwhelming. More power to you!
Tax credit in 2020 is 26% including batteries, goes down to 22% in 2021. There is a solar easement in WA, don’t know about CA, but if there is an easement you might be able to do something about that shade. EDIT: also in WA we don’t pay sales tax on anything solar. Since your roof is so small you might want to consider a ground mount array. Might be tricky around the planner orchard but should be workable with the size of your lot.
Also thought it would be nice to add a couple of DIY panels to a shed so I could have lighting and charge my tool batteries off grid, but where the shed is going will be near trees and with the smaller panels blocking even one or two of the solar cells in the panel significantly effects the efficiency of the panel right away and decreases dramatically from there... Maybe down the road I will be able to do something..
Love Ben and Teslanomics... so weird he popped up with you. You should definitely do some garden tech nerd stuff. Hopefully, I’m not the only one out there. Let me know if you need ideas.
Epic Urban Homestead Ok... Tertill the weeding robot, WiFi valve/ watering controller, Garden camera setup (Time lapse plant growth and animal capture), automated outdoor hydroponics systems (aquaponics would be even better for the homestead), WiFi garden sensors like Edyn, Led night time controllable garden lighting (decorative, party, working), Garden tracking planning apps... I know this stuff isn’t required to have a successful garden, but it’s so fun to tech it up a bit.
It would be nice to be able to get solar, but i am intimidated by everything about it. I learned more about it in this video, but theres still so much i dont know/want to learn about, so i can't wait for further episodes.
It is great that you are lookinh even for solar energy. But given the climate emergencies that happen frequently in California I think it would really help you to get your house to run fully passive just with a battery for the minimum essentials. I would focus on that strategy if I had to work in a project like your house (Im a sustainability consultant, so maybe I was a bit gueeky)
Very exciting stuff man! Just a heads up, Tesla's battery day is on september 22 and they are most likely going to announce a new version of their power wall.
Beware that replacing a roof after the panels are installed can be a hassle. Roofers won't take responsibility for damage to panels, so the Solar Company needs to remove them and reinstall them. For us, that costs $100. per panel; plus the coordination between the Solar Co., the Utility Co and the Roofing Co.
Thanks for this super informative video. I live in North County coastal San Diego, and we've reached a point of paralysis by analysis on solar (and air conditioning during this heat wave). I'm looking forward to part II. You also mentioned mini-split air conditioning in the video. Could you elaborate with a description and best purchase practices on this sort of set-up in a future video? What are the pros/cons? Thanks, and love your channels.
Apparently, some providers of off-grid systems (i think Tesla is one) force you to go online from time to time, which means in a Zombie Apocalypse, their system will eventually become defunct, unless the dial-home can be bypassed..
Have you considered nitrogen producing plants or cover crops to help with the corn and beans? I'm taking sustainable landscape design at Saddleback College and it's one of the strategies to skip the introduction of chemicals/nutrients.
I’m currently researching with ASPIRE at Utah State University so I’ve been learning a ton about energy usage in cars and this was a really good perspective from a consumer’s view. I’m really glad people are open to sustainable energy! Also here’s a link to what ASPIRE is: ua-cam.com/video/iOUQ90AzjGU/v-deo.html
Just find a company that maintains the panels and fixes them for free. If you buy the panels outright, you own them and if there is a problem you will have to pay$ to have it fixed The batteries don’t last for ever and there’s not a warranty. the company won’t cover if the battery takes a dump. They batteries aren’t worth $20,000 + . Due to the short lifespan the battery won’t pay for itself. You basically sell your power back to either the stall company or powers company (I forget) pennies on the dollar. That’s why the panels are free. You still have to pay $200ish to the power company each month. Even with solar panels In short , you will still have to pay a fee to a power company. Don’t think your selling back your saved power at cost. Ca law also says after signing contract you have 3 days to get out of if with no consequences.
Look out for how much energy you are creating. The utility company may only allow you a certain number of panels for the energy that you consume. Here in MN with Xcel Energy we can only generate 20% over what we consume. Their infrastructure can’t handle everyone over producing. not enough storage space. Also, check with the solar company to see if in the event that you have to move and you’re still paying on your solar loan if the new homeowners can assume your solar loan. We’re almost 60 and you never know what will happen. Ours can transfer to the new homeowners if they want to finish paying it off. Or we would have to do it for the sale to go thru. We’re hoping to have it paid off long before we move. Make sure that you look at their weather testing results. Our panels can handle a baseball size hail at 50mph before it fails. Tree branches etc. too. Some panel products are a lot less than that. We almost never see that size of hail. It’s all hooked to our smartphone and we can watch all the panels do their thing. We are also hooked up to the Solar company and they get a warning when one of the panels or a portion of the panel isn’t working or working like it should. They notify us that one of them isn’t up to snuff and tell us they are coming out to fix it. Make sure that the solar company is licensed to work in your city and is insurance bonded. Our city required a permit. Also ask if your roof need a repair, even after a new roof is put on, if they will come out to remove and disconnect the panels for the roofers and then come back to reconnect and reinstall. Some companies won’t do that for you. Any trees from the neighbors that might interfere with the sun getting to the panels, you can trim those branches that are hanging over the property line. That’s at your cost. Just be sure to notify them that your going to have that done. If I think of anything else I’ll let you know.
Also if this is a concern for you, remember that in general solar panels and batteries are really environmentally destructive to produce. Not that that's always a reason to not do it, but keep that in mind!
ok so I live in a double wide moble home and according to solar people I cant have on because my roof isn't strong enough so whats my option I have less than 3/4 Ac
If you have any solar experience, drop it down below!
In Chula Vista, we sat through 5 solar panel sales pitches trying to decide between buying, PPA loan, and leasing. Once we decided we would purchase the solar system and the size of the system based on past use, I sought out the cheapest and highest quality system. Once Tesla dropped their prices for solar panels to ~$8500 total ($6000 after tax credit, 26% fed rebate) for a 4.080 kw system, it was a no brainier to go with them. From all of the other companies, they were $3000 less than any other installer. We chose not to go with battery since I still feel the battery system is on its way for more improvement and will be more cost effective in the future. Granted I didn't need a new roof. The main issue I had with going with Tesla was that I needed to put $100 down to start the process, unlike, any other company, where they quoted me for free.
Regarding timeline, I started my order process July 17, received drawings for review July 21, scheduled my installation July 23, received HOA decision Aug 6, installation Aug 11, inspection from SDGE Aug 12, permission to turn the system on from SDGE Aug 17. Let me know if you have further questions. I'd be happy to tell you about more of my experience with Tesla or any of the other solar companies I sat through, but I basically received free information from them to be able to get to a place where I was comfortable with moving forward. In San Diego and the size of the system I have, based on calculations, the solar will pay for itself in 3-4 years.
For anyone considering Tesla, feel free to use my link. ts.la/carlo32516 Full disclosure, I get $100 if you use it and end up going with them, but feel free to reach out to any other Tesla owners that your friends with, and I'm sure they'd be happy to send you a link.
Bought a Tesla system with 2 batteries a year ago. With this heat we are having in NorCal, best decision I ever made.
Check out Paul’s hardware . He did this swap. He’s a tech youtuber. He vlogged the whole thing.
For self sufficiency I think a propane ( or another fuel) generator (generac) is going to win everytime........
Don’t go for one of those uber SEER split units . It never pays off they tend to be less reliable and don’t actually hit those numbers that often except for IMO fringe cases. Look for a unit in high teens low 20s.
Those OLMO units you see on amazon for example are rebranded by Carrier (the biggest HVAC company aside from maybe Honeywell) and are really good. Self installed one in the basement for
Billy Billington also this.......
If you do solar now you are paying to build the infrastructure and learning for the future not actually solving the “issues” also seems lately like buying tesla stock vs their stuff is a way better bet right now hahahaha
I know a few 100% off grid folks I aspire to be like. They run solar off connected batteries. I been holding out for better quality solar panels and solar glass for greenhouses. Deep cycle batteries are more affordable from auto Wreckers than new at about $30 each instead of $150. They can be less than a year old too. These could be great on your shed(s) ...ua-cam.com/video/kQC2HDjkDCk/v-deo.html
Dude, I love that you're covering more than just the thoughts, questions, and issues that pop up with growing plants on this channel. For real, this is super helpful stuff. Even with Ben having his own channel that I might have stumbled upon, having a kind of curated expert on here helps narrow down the search of who to listen to and trust. Looking forward to more crossover episodes on here in the future.
Also, it hit me as we were leaving the sale on Sunday. Your dragon fruit cuttings are going to be all over San Diego now. That's crazy. A ton of people are going to have dragon fruit cuttings growing up and getting split off to create more. Like, that's a hell of a legacy man.
And a little sneaky in that now your dragon fruit vids are going to get way more views.
I'm stoked about the dragonfruit propagation...that 1 plant will now have dozens of relatives!
Hi Kevin,
Ben did a pretty good job explaining the most common type of solar installation today and some of the pros and cons but I will add a couple of additional things just to think about.
One thing you might consider is ground mounting your array. Everyone is used to seeing roof mounted arrays but there are some significant benefits to having a ground mount array if you have the space (which I believe you do). For instance: you might find that you can site your PV array in a better location that maximizes daily and annual energy output (not the same thing). Code requirements are quite different for ground mounts so you may find that there is a significant cost savings on hardware and installation. It is fairly easy to vary the inclination of a ground mounted array which can get you an additional10-15% more power compared to a fixed array even if it is only adjusted twice a year. Finally you might even get clever and utilize the ground array for rain cachement in addition to your roof thereby increasing your annual rain collection totals as well.
As for batteries... Yeah, everyone loves Tesla Powerwalls. Lets see if they still do 10 years from now when they have stopped performing well and need to be replaced. As someone who has replaced my main battery bank 3 times over the last 22 years I can tell you with absolute certainty that those batteries will not last forever. All batteries eventually degrade and how they are sized, how they are used, the environment in which they live and how they are managed will determine just how long they survive. You may get rebates for the initial install but you will not get any sort of rebate when it comes time to replace them and they are very expensive so factor in that cost over the estimated lifetime of the house bank so you won't get a rude surprise somewhere down the road. And don't automatically dismiss lead acid batteries as an option. They are significantly more tolerant of abuse and many times cheaper than fancy, hi-tech, sexy Li batteries. Just do your homework and make sure you understand the advantages and the disadvantages of the various battery types.
Last bonus tip(s): Before you go any farther in your quest for solar you need to determine what your energy use actually is and what you think it will be in the future. It isn't that hard- just make a list of every electrical device that you own and guestimate how many watts it uses and how long you run it over a given period of time. Multiply the 2 and you get the amount of watt-hours you use over that time. Normalize the entire mess over the year and that is the amount of total power you need. Divide by average number of hours of sun in the year at your location (google it- lots of charts online) and by the number of days in the year and now you have the required size of your array. Divide by the efficiency of the system and add an additional 25% for load creep and system degradation and you will have all the power you need for the rest of your life at that location.
Hope this helps a little.
Take care and all the best from the San Francisco Bay Area :)
this is solid advice.
Fantastic suggestions, thank you so much this is going into my consideration!
@@epichomesteading I don't know how much detail you can get on your power bill, but here it also usually tells you how much you used over that billing period. If you're fairly consistent about your power usage throughout the year, you can just take that and multiply it by how many billing periods you have in a year to get an average estimate. And then you'll probably want to try for 1.5-2x that amount to play it safe if you want to go entirely solar.
Fully agree re batteries, they age pretty quickly, especially if you don't actively cycle them, and are very costly to replace. Since I had no intention of ever going off grid, I decided against them. We have flat electricity rates here so there's little incentive to bank the power.
@@bennettmarshall6141 Mine does, mind you, I submit metre readings because I'm on a metre for gas, electric and water.
I love the fact that you are showing all of us how to amazing do stuff and yet you are so humble about how much you know! Thanks Kevin!
I appreciate that!
You know hearing you guys talk about all the natural disasters that happen in California is making me feel a bit better about my short canadian growing season
Ben’s solar system it’s awesome!!! Mate, your project it’s amazing, I can’t wait to see what you come up with and all the progress in your new house! If you manage to get such a system over your homestead, the potential it’s unlimited! Thanks for sharing this live conversation with Ben as I’ve got lots of information that I didn’t know. Keep it going bro 👊🏻👊🏻
Thanks brotha! Yeah I am SO stoked
This is like when you have 2 friends and just find out that they already knew each other.
Shout out to all the butterflies in the background, you did that dude, keep it up!
Thanks, will do!
We live in Melbourne Australia and have a 10 kW system on our house. For most of the year, we don't pay anything for electricity. We get lots of credits and they often take us through the winter. We want to get a battery for the house but can't decide what yet. We did it, not for the cost, as the system we have cost us a lot of money, but we did it so we didn't have to rely on coal-generated electricity from the grid. We did it for environmental reasons. The bonus of free electricity is good too.
It has changed the way we live in some ways, in that now we tend to do things like put the dishwasher on when the sun is out, or the clothes dryer, those sorts of things. It has been great.
We have a flat roof that is covered with 34 solar panels. We will do a battery as they keep predicting every summer that the grid will go down, so we want to protect ourselves and we suspect that if we get one we may never have to pay for electricity again.
I had a friend who purchased rooftop solar years ago. He lived in California in the Thousand Oaks area, I believe. It was sunny most of the time except when there were fires in the area. He told me that his solar would work even if it was cloudy or the sun was obscured by the smoke. It just needed to be daylight. Maybe solar is different now than back then.
I thought this was an interesting video. So many states seem to be discouraging the use of alternative energy. It seems California isn't one of them.
We're def not!
We went with sunrun through Costco. Amazing, well designed system. First true up was $5.00. Costco is another layer of guarantee and they give a Costco credit (gift card) on parts which helps bring the overall price down.
OMG this is awesome to watch Ben Sullins on your show, it’s like a crossover of two of my favorite YT channels.
Just got to the design stage of our system. Getting two Tesla power walls (we’ve got a well). There are massive rebates from the state of CA for the batteries right now. I researched multiple companies and finally picked. Very happy so far!!
SO jealous on the well!
Epic Urban Homestead we are on the outskirts of jamul, up a little higher in elevation. The temp swings wrecked our cucumbers. Thankfully, we get another shot soon! Haha. Going to try the dragon beans you recommend as well. Thanks for all you do!
I've been researching solar, and grid tie systems for some time now. This video was VERY informative, and addressed some topics I hadn't thought of. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
As someone who has had solar panels in Australia for 12 years some of these facts aren't correct. The panels themselves last around 10 years before they start to corrode. You should be cleaning your panels at least twice a year if not more (think of how dirty and dust your car and outdoor furniture get - this is the same as the roof which affects your solar. We had a 2kw system but it corroded, so we upgraded to a 9.9kw system. Our last quarter 'bill' the electricity company owed us $270 (its winter here so not using the aircon) but in summer one of our aircons is 7kw per hour. In Australia our voltage is higher than yours (double) so a Tesla would fully charge in 6-8 hours.We are still looking at batteries though
Appreciate this!
In the US we use 240V for everything except wall outlets and lights. Every major appliance is 240V including EV chargers (except the little one that comes with the car that pugs into a regular outlet). So a Tesla can charge just as fast here as anywhere else. In the video the time he quoted was if you only charge straight from solar without using the grid.
Great info for a person who knows not a lot and is a beginner wanting to get started with solar. Although I still don't understand how it all works his explanation was not overwhelming and he seems patient at relaying the info.
Just got hit up at a local grocery store about solar and they couldn't answer a lot of these questions for me. This is timely and extremely helpful. Thanks!
Glad it helped!
markaholden ha! A real red flag when they can’t answer questions about the system and hardware they are selling!
Don’t forget to take advantage of your vertical space...by digging DOWN into the ground. Years ago, my mom decided she wanted a 9’ x 14’ greenhouse, to shelter the hundreds of orchids she’d taken to growing, which were taking over the dining room. The HOA, however, prohibited the construction of anything more than 5’ tall in the backyard. So, my brilliant dad used his imagination and then designed and built the greenhouse, 9’W x 14’L x 9’H. He was able to do this, and to get it permitted and approved by the HOA, because he sunk it 4’ into the soil first, so that the top of its roof is exactly 5’ above ground level. Its “basement” walls are made of cinder blocks, concreted and coated with Xypex, which is used to seal concrete in pools, basements, dams, etc. Sika works just as well. I’ve used both, on our retaining wall and, as an additive, in our concrete patios when they were poured, and each brand has products that can be used even in drinking water storage. (See the links below if you’re curious.) The greenhouse also has plenty of drainage both under and around it so that, even in a downpour, it never floods. He later installed its ventilation and irrigation, and set it up so it could be monitored and controlled from the house.
Since it looks like you’re going to be growing a lot of food on your property, perhaps you’ll want to consider creating a root cellar or other subterranean storage space. Because, unless there are laws/codes prohibiting such things in your area, you needn’t be automatically limited, in your structure choices, by height. Even the pre-fab shed you’ve ordered could probably have a section in it that opens DOWN into the ground, without compromising its structural integrity. Think of the possibilities. 🙃
www.xypex.com/products/the-xypex-advantage
www.sika.com/en/construction/waterproofing-systems.html
Such a good idea. thank you for this
Wow this is not a cross over I expected. Love Ben's Teslanomics channel. Love his wife's car reviews too. Very insightful.
Been friends for a while!
How cool is this! I've been following Ben Sullins and Teslanomics for a while now and I recently discovered your channel because of my newfound interest in home gardening (thank you Covid). Great collab!
I just turned on my solar system 2 weeks ago (right before the Bay Area fires started) and I'm glad because there were quite a few blackouts in my area. My only regret so far is that I didn't get a bigger system, but that aside, I'm happy to be able to generate my own electricity and help ease the grid a bit.
So glad you're having a good time w/ the solar!
Oh gosh I was recommended this channel not because I sometimes watch your gardening videos but because I watch homesteading videos also. The UA-cam algorithm is with it tonight 😂
This is immensely useful! I feel like I know where to start with getting solar panels.
It’s great to hear the pros and cons, possibilities and caveats and different methodologies!
Absolutely love the video, and really appreciate the time stamps!
Glad you enjoyed!
Your dream woodshop will pull a ton of power. Dust collection, saws, and routers are all high amperage. I can see you getting into CNC fabrication, which means router + dust collection running for hours at a time.
Plz upload more videos I’m literally checking every second your channel
This is awesome! We have Tesla solar and the powerwall backup. It's expensive, but it means we're more self sufficient, pay $0-$10/ month for electric between April-September, plus there's the sweet tax rebate (not sure if that varies per state). When the grid goes down, sometimes we don't even notice it.
FishFreak it’s a federal rebate. Some state have incentives too. Best to check!
I adore my eGolf. It taught me a lot and to get to know the charging station landscape. I live in L.A. so it’s a great city car. It’s zippy too! My solar is not much savings with all the city fees. This was really informative. Thanks!!!!
Not sure if you own your eGolf but I have a Nissan Leaf EV. After my EV battery can't charge the car for more than 40 miles full charge I'm planning on using that big 'ol battery (24kwh) and design a solar array to store solar energy in my EV car battery instead of buying a powerwall or other like it. I doubt I'm going to be on the grid so will design my system with an inverter.
So in South Africa we have rolling blackouts, we call it load shedding. That means no electricity for up to 12 hours a day on bad days. So solar plus battery is definitely the way to go here in order to keep security systems up and water pumps going.
Incredibly interesting! Thanks for sharing your initial walkthrough, I'd love to get on some more sustainable energy but it's so expensive to start. I definitely want to look into the battery walls more, too. And definitely cool to know roof repairs can be wrapped in!
gonna have to watch this several times to understand what your friend said. Need to know this. Thanks.
That dude's pluggin for Tesla hard lol but glad to hear you're going with solar. Def a great decision 👍
Tesla's huge here in CA!
For a reason too- Tesla’s contract is the best out there of everyone specially if you want to resell your house/own your panels etc.
he mentions several times that there are other brands.
@@clothescircuit ok?
Thanks for including us, the viewers, in your solar exploration. 😊 Just FYI, the federal tax credit is currently at 26%. (Go to www.energy.gov for more details.) You’ll want to make sure your roof can safely support the number of solar panels you want before committing to buying them. We actually had structural issues with our own roof, which required us to repair/replace it before we could install our array. Because we made sure that was well-documented, we were able to use the federal tax credit on the both the full cost of the array and the roof repairs. (Having the roofer as a sub-contractor to the solar installer, bundling the entire cost, can also serve this purpose. Check with your accountant first though. Also, to protect the integrity of our new roof, we coordinated the roof work and solar installation. We did this by first having our roofing contractor mark all the rafters on the tar paper, so that the solar company could install the panels’ standoffs. Once the standoffs were in place, the roofer came back and finished the roof work. Only then did the solar company come back to install the panels and complete all the electrical work for the array. (All the work was permitted.) By doing it this way, the solar company didn’t have to cut into our new roof. Your roof will likely be rolled, but you could probably do something similar, if you’re so inclined.
Also, most people who go solar will start using 10% more electricity than they are now. Apparently, having solar power makes people feel less guilty about using it. LOL. If you’re calculating how much electricity you’ll need to be producing, however, don’t forget to account for the things you haven’t thought of yet. Your electrical panel will need to be able to accommodate any additional circuits that might be installed later down the line. Some examples of new additions to your home are: a jacuzzi, a Tempur-Pedic bed - we love ours - and even power tools, should you catch the woodworking bug and decide to start building things for your homestead. An electric car is another obvious example, which you’ve already thought of, but what about the electrical consumption of a SECOND person living there with you? Hey, “life happens...” Just a thought.
Fantastic thoughts. Thank you so much for this...much to consider!
Stooooked to see this!!! Up my solar/roofing game haha
Thank you for this video. So informative! We just started doing some research on all the different off grid options.
I would also like to see you experiment with a few panels over a part of your garden and see how that effects your crops.
This is really interesting, I’m in the UK and am renting, but it’s great to learn about it. Hopefully all houses will have solar roofs in the future
I love everything solar. My advice to you is; like purchasing a greenhouse, go as big as you possibly can. In summer we put way more energy back into the grid than we use, but the electrical company still charges us for being connected to the grid.
I am saving up for a battery so we can essentially live off grid. Only problem I have with the current commercially available batteries are that they don't last too long. Each battery only has a set amount of charge-discharge cycles. With solar radiation also not being constant throughout the day, there are power fluctuations, counting as charge-discharge cycles, essentially "weakening" the battery. But this issue is not as bad as it used to be several years ago.
Ideally you would want a vanadium ion based battery system. You basically get infinite charge-discharge cycles and they are better than the current Lithium based ones. But! They are very very big (small shipping container sizes).
I would still invest in solar and a battery if I were you and had money 👍
A link to a company doing research into vanadium batteries if you want to read a bit more (I am not affiliated with them in any way): www.australianvanadium.com.au/vanadium-batteries/
Those sound amazing!
Hey! I install solar. One thing I dont think I heare mention was the amps. That is the limiting factor for batteries. We dont do the Tesla wall. We have actually been installing LGs version. It is pretty good. But there are significant draw backs, such as the amperage. You can have all the watts in the world, but if you dont have the amps, the power ain't doing nothing. Keep that in mind.
Also, every little bit counts when it comes to what is actually being put on your solar circuit. I cannot tell you how many people I have talked to that didnt have a goot 10 year plan, added something huge that sucks power, then complained that the solar isnt doing enough. If you are not planning for the future, you are planning to fail.
In the same vein, if you need to get a new roof, do that before solar. If is not worth putting solar up, just to take it down and do a reinstall. We understand that a new roof is a good thing. Old leaky roofs are liabilities that are not always worth it.
Since your roof is flat, the panels will have to have stand offs. That just adds the optimum pitch.
Some solar companies do service deals. Do that. Inverters go out like nothing else.
Along with that, be careful what brand you go with. We use SolarEdge for our tie in systems. I really like them. They have been really good at getting replacements asap. Also, they allow you to see what each panel is producing. It is super nice.
Panels dont really NEED to be cleaned. They do get less efficient over time. I have seen some short out or stop working. I have even had to replace once where the glass just broke on its own. Nothing is impossible.
I could go on for a while now. If you have specific things, reach out. I will help as best as I can.
Appreciate this feedback, those are fantastic tips and ideas. Roof seems like the right play in the interim, but also locking in some rebates makes sense too...thoughts?
@@epichomesteading Ya. The rebates are nice, but they might take a while. The first rounds of rebates were all used up in like a week or two. We have been installing systems for people who applied, but are not guaranteed rebates, so the result is they usually have to sit on a smaller system in hopes of getting the money. Not knowing your finances or how long you would have to wait for a rebate makes it tricky.
Did you mean tax credits or rebates?
I definitely think the battery is the way to go. We currently have just solar and only get about 2-3 months a year (spring) where we are in the negative for electric. Some things to know is without a battery you get paid much less for the electric you sell to them than what you buy from them so even if you use the same amount of kw that you produced that day you'll still be paying for it. SoCal Edison also charges a $10 monthly (admin) fee if your bill is negative (you generated more than you used) that month so they pretty much steal a big chunk of your savings for those months. When you are on the solar plan you pay your electric bill once a year, they just keep adding and taking away all year and then you owe the whole amount on the 12th month. This usually ends up being over $1k for us so I tend to just pay every month to avoid a big bill due. Without the battery I think solar is just a better environmental choice and hope that the electric company treats solar customers better at a later date. We use Sunpower for our panels and install and we really liked them. We used Sunrun for our last house and there was a lot of things they didn't tell us and our bill ended up being much more than the electric bill would have been. We have 2 adults working from home (even before the the quarantine) and 2 kids in the house with central ac set to 80 and mini splits in the offices and bedrooms.
Appreciate this feedback!!!
We went with SunRun for our install
Glad your doing solar only makes sense here in San Diego county but get the batteries
Can't wait to see it all develop, have been really interested in solar for a couple simple reasons: To basically power my aquariums/terrariums and to power my computer. Just cutting down on the power usage would be neat so seeing this is really nice and informative!
This guy is so knowledgeable! So informative! Thank you!
He's great!
Good questions and suggestions 👍
I LOVE this channel. So inspiring and educational
Thanks so much for this. We’re downsizing and hoping to put solar panels on new house. I learned a lot from this episode.
Glad it was helpful!
Love your content man! Thanks so much for what you do. I'm putting solar up at my house right now. We too have a flat roof, and my contractor highly reccomended doing a balustered system. It will get more life out of your panels. Especially out here in Southern CA. The heat bounces up off the roof and absolutely nails those things. If you have them up and on a rail it will do a world of good and extend the longevity of your investment!
Just passing on a suggestion that was given to me that figured like a long term better play. If you're going to make the investment might as well spend a little more upfront and have it pay off long term especially with the rebates that are out there!
Blessings,
Matt
(Rebuilt Ruins Ministries)
PS if ya ever want an ordained pastor to bless your property, I'd be happy to. 🙂🙏🏽
Fantastic suggestion, I will have to look into that!
Bloody great information bud, keep up the good work
Growers Love BU
I have solar panels on my house. I live in a smaller single level house with only two people and we are gone during the day at work. We turn off everything during the day. We usually put out most energy during the day when the sun is out so we balance out pretty evenly. But with the heatwave and fires in the Bay Area right now, the sunlight is blocked by smoke so less energy being put out. So we are using more than we put out right now. Hoping the smoke clears soon in the Bay.
So informative....I had no clue how this all worked! Amazing info! Thanks Ben!
Glad it was helpful!
My suggestion is for you to call a company named EMP SHIELD, they sell a product that will protect your solar energy. If you spend so much to invest in solar it just makes sense to me to protect it. They also have a government contract for the USA power grids too.
I have heard from a couple of expert sources (one of them who was formerly chief technical officer for the US army & currently owns the largest solar powered boat in the US) that the best brand on the market is Sol Ark. Sadly not much is really going to be able to protect you from an EMP weapon going off overhead, but if you're not attached to the state grid it can protect you from lower level CME events & cascading grid failures.
Wow I can't believe I missed this episode. Panels are better absorbing light when angled towards the sun. It would be cool if they were computer controlled to angle toward the sun oscillate able like your tower garden and for greater efficiency and utilization of space...mounted on your rebuilt fences!
Siri interesting video. Love the way the Homestead is coming together
I was totally looking to go full solar with the power walls for my system, but for the size of usage in my place, in the summer I spend $45 - $65 per month in electric and $20 in gas, vs the increase to $45 - $55 (in the coldest month) or so in winter for gas. Overall it doesn't make financial sense for me to invest in solar (even when I get A/C added to my furnace) because I won't see a break even at all even when selling back to our local utility. Plus the fact that you are leasing the solar panels from most companies so you don't own the system for 25 years or so at which point they will be well out of technical specs for the future updated technology. On top of it I am renovating so all LED lighting, drip irrigation which I am hoping to be partially gravity fed, and it is only me and a few cats. I have a great southern exposure so it is very feasible, but just not financially.
Yeah, that makes sense in your situation!
Stephen Doerk you own the system if you purchase outright. If you take out a loan the bank holding the note owns it. It’s rare the installers would end up owning your system!
@@Lauradicus That's interesting as I have heard it differently from different people (though that shouldn't be surprising). Regardless I wouldn't have the money to buy it outright so would have to loan. We will see down the line (and I know government rebates are decreasing rapidly over the next couple to few years) but I just can't justify it right now. Appreciate the updated info though!
🤯 what are you going to do? So much to consider. Very informative.
If you're able to generate enough solar to create a credit most days then you'll never have a power bill again, so adding a battery is zero cost saving, it's just an expense and a big one. That's the situation I'm in. Working all this stuff out needs some mad spreadsheet skills, research into available deals, and knowing your own power usage accurately. I agree with your mate's first plan, just fill your roof with panels and enjoy big solar generation. You can always add a battery later if you want.
Yeah, that might be the route I go for now
We have panels through Tesla and have been happy. (You're not social-distancing or wearing a mask!!)
Make sure you get panels that can handle partial shade. Most cheaper panels can't handle partial shade. And make sure that there is good airflow since most panels are more efficient the cooler they are.
Great tips, thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Exciting! I was just thinking about solar panels the other day!
2020 has a 26% federal rebate, 2021 has a 22% federal rebate, and it goes away for residential in 2022.
they should renew it, seems like more californians should be encouraged to get it with those black outs n the natural diasters
Thank you for the informative video on home solar power. I live a couple of miles from a solar farm, so I know they would work for me. I just didn't know how. How, I know a little more. 😉
Suggest checking out Sullivan Solar Power in the SD area. The solar field is still a bit Wild Wild West in terms of how companies are run but they seemed pretty good when I checked them out a few years ago. Definitely check out every company you consider and look for stories of lawsuits, etc.
Appreciate it!
Definitely go with a well know installer. Go to Tesla Solar’s website and get a quote from them as a baseline. If anyone is incredibly more expensive it’s an obvious flag but really cheap is bad too. Companies who can’t answer your questions in one phone call (maybe with transfers) are another red flag. Local installs should be numerous, you should be able to do a drive by to check by eye. Absolutely get references and follow through on checking them out. Talk to people about customer service as well as install and performance. Upsells are a common practice to make sure your contract specifies everything you need to order from the get go. “Hidden cost guarantee” is what we called it when we had the roof redone. Anything outside of industry standard is a red flag. (Do your homework!)
You want high efficiency and long warrentees, workmanship as well as hardware. You want to be able to use the system if you don’t have internet. Your equipment should be warranted against loss of efficiency over time. When new Tesla’s panels efficiency rating is 90%. At the end of 25 years they are 75%. So they don’t go bad, the lose efficiency. The battery loses its storage capacity over time. At the end of the warranty your battery should be charging to 75-80%.
You want batteries with a high kWh rating, not only storage capacity but cycling capacity. You really don’t want it to take a long time to charge your battery and you want a return delivery that doesn’t make your computer screen flicker! Definitely programmable usage/delivery/charging management. Definitely easy to monitor. Not necessarily being about to manage it from Peru but from the kitchen for sure.
Even if you have decided to purchase multiple batteries upfront ask the company about adding one later and what the costs are... an opportunity to gouge you. If in that conversation they don’t mention the possibility of having to upgrade other supportive hardware... another red flag. Find out if they have a referral program too. If I think of anything else I’ll let you know.
Be ready to go bug eyed with the research, hoarse too. Lists and lists and lists. Notes about who said what when. And to get lost every once in a while. It can be overwhelming. More power to you!
Thank you so much for this, Laura!
Tax credit in 2020 is 26% including batteries, goes down to 22% in 2021. There is a solar easement in WA, don’t know about CA, but if there is an easement you might be able to do something about that shade. EDIT: also in WA we don’t pay sales tax on anything solar. Since your roof is so small you might want to consider a ground mount array. Might be tricky around the planner orchard but should be workable with the size of your lot.
Thank you for this tips here!
You’re welcome - any time I can help you! Well, you deserve it. 😊
Also thought it would be nice to add a couple of DIY panels to a shed so I could have lighting and charge my tool batteries off grid, but where the shed is going will be near trees and with the smaller panels blocking even one or two of the solar cells in the panel significantly effects the efficiency of the panel right away and decreases dramatically from there... Maybe down the road I will be able to do something..
Love Ben and Teslanomics... so weird he popped up with you. You should definitely do some garden tech nerd stuff. Hopefully, I’m not the only one out there. Let me know if you need ideas.
Would love some!
Epic Urban Homestead Ok... Tertill the weeding robot, WiFi valve/ watering controller, Garden camera setup (Time lapse plant growth and animal capture), automated outdoor hydroponics systems (aquaponics would be even better for the homestead), WiFi garden sensors like Edyn, Led night time controllable garden lighting (decorative, party, working), Garden tracking planning apps... I know this stuff isn’t required to have a successful garden, but it’s so fun to tech it up a bit.
It would be nice to be able to get solar, but i am intimidated by everything about it.
I learned more about it in this video, but theres still so much i dont know/want to learn about, so i can't wait for further episodes.
Totally agree w/ you hahaha
Yes
It is great that you are lookinh even for solar energy. But given the climate emergencies that happen frequently in California I think it would really help you to get your house to run fully passive just with a battery for the minimum essentials. I would focus on that strategy if I had to work in a project like your house (Im a sustainability consultant, so maybe I was a bit gueeky)
Very exciting stuff man! Just a heads up, Tesla's battery day is on september 22 and they are most likely going to announce a new version of their power wall.
Fantastic heads up!
Beware that replacing a roof after the panels are installed can be a hassle. Roofers won't take responsibility for damage to panels, so the Solar Company needs to remove them and reinstall them. For us, that costs $100. per panel; plus the coordination between the Solar Co., the Utility Co and the Roofing Co.
Solar energy is a milestone in self sufficiency
alternate idea...shade trees and a generator for power outages
Thanks for this super informative video. I live in North County coastal San Diego, and we've reached a point of paralysis by analysis on solar (and air conditioning during this heat wave). I'm looking forward to part II. You also mentioned mini-split air conditioning in the video. Could you elaborate with a description and best purchase practices on this sort of set-up in a future video? What are the pros/cons? Thanks, and love your channels.
I feel you on analysis paralysis! So overwhelming, the options
Apparently, some providers of off-grid systems (i think Tesla is one) force you to go online from time to time, which means in a Zombie Apocalypse, their system will eventually become defunct, unless the dial-home can be bypassed..
Have you considered nitrogen producing plants or cover crops to help with the corn and beans? I'm taking sustainable landscape design at Saddleback College and it's one of the strategies to skip the introduction of chemicals/nutrients.
Very interesting.
I’m currently researching with ASPIRE at Utah State University so I’ve been learning a ton about energy usage in cars and this was a really good perspective from a consumer’s view. I’m really glad people are open to sustainable energy!
Also here’s a link to what ASPIRE is: ua-cam.com/video/iOUQ90AzjGU/v-deo.html
Nice im wanting to get land but need energy this helps thx
What website for the quotes? Energystage?
I’m not sure if solar is worthwhile in colder climates? I’d love to do it, but not sure if it’s worthwhile for me
Just find a company that maintains the panels and fixes them for free. If you buy the panels outright, you own them and if there is a problem you will have to pay$ to have it fixed
The batteries don’t last for ever and there’s not a warranty. the company won’t cover if the battery takes a dump. They batteries aren’t worth $20,000 + . Due to the short lifespan the battery won’t pay for itself.
You basically sell your power back to either the stall company or powers company (I forget) pennies on the dollar. That’s why the panels are free.
You still have to pay $200ish to the power company each month. Even with solar panels
In short , you will still have to pay a fee to a power company.
Don’t think your selling back your saved power at cost.
Ca law also says after signing contract you have 3 days to get out of if with no consequences.
ReefMimic oooo, your batteries should have a warranty!
Can you make more videos about planting bags
Yup :)
Nice 👌
You should make a well so you can water the plant directly from the well fun fact well water has more nutrients than tap water
Done some updates on that, well is out of the picture :(
Epic Urban Homestead noooooooooooooo
You can at least add a plastic well or something to make it look as it
my question is what about wind? adding a wind turbine to the system as well?
Something to research!
Try planting date trees
Look out for how much energy you are creating. The utility company may only allow you a certain number of panels for the energy that you consume. Here in MN with Xcel Energy we can only generate 20% over what we consume. Their infrastructure can’t handle everyone over producing. not enough storage space.
Also, check with the solar company to see if in the event that you have to move and you’re still paying on your solar loan if the new homeowners can
assume your solar loan. We’re almost 60 and you never know what will happen. Ours can transfer to the new homeowners if they want to finish paying it off. Or we would have to do it for the sale to go thru. We’re hoping to have it paid off long before we move.
Make sure that you look at their weather testing results. Our panels can handle a baseball size hail at 50mph before it fails. Tree branches etc. too. Some panel products are a lot less than that. We almost never see that size of hail.
It’s all hooked to our smartphone and we can watch all the panels do their thing. We are also hooked up to the Solar company and they get a warning when one of the panels or a portion of the panel isn’t working or working like it should. They notify us that one of them isn’t up to snuff and tell us they are coming out to fix it. Make sure that the solar company is licensed to work in your city and is insurance bonded. Our city required a permit.
Also ask if your roof need a repair, even after a new roof is put on, if they will come out to remove and disconnect the panels for the roofers and then come back to reconnect and reinstall. Some companies won’t do that for you.
Any trees from the neighbors that might interfere with the sun getting to the panels, you can trim those branches that are hanging over the property line. That’s at your cost. Just be sure to notify them that your going to have that done.
If I think of anything else I’ll let you know.
Thanks SO much for this info, Rhonda!
Also, see I your homeowners insurance covers damage done to the panels during storm or fire. Our does. Solar panels are considered part of the roof.
Also if this is a concern for you, remember that in general solar panels and batteries are really environmentally destructive to produce. Not that that's always a reason to not do it, but keep that in mind!
Yes!
BTW. I've been missing your alerts when you upload a new video. Don' t know how to fix this yet.
Click the notification bell then go to -> all notifications
Are there commercials more often now?
I have Tesla panels in SD.... customer service isn't the best but when everything running fine they crank production.
Thanks for the heads up!
Try wise orchard
Not like anything bad would ever happen in 2020, right guys? Right? Right?!
Please add another lav when you have an interviewee style video like this. Ben has terrible echo issues. Thanks for content though. Cheers.
Sorry, was impromptu but working on this
💚
you should also look into super capacitor batteries. E Musk bought one ot the top company's recently and the tech is working now.
You should make a chicken coop
ok so I live in a double wide moble home and according to solar people I cant have on because my roof isn't strong enough so whats my option I have less than 3/4 Ac
I would imagine going on ground is your only option in that case, or DIY panels
Yep, ground array works