Big Sky Solar Design

05/26/2022

Stories like this are frustrating . . . and in some areas, all too common.

If somebody tries to sell you a solar system--especially door-to-door--do your due diligence. Make sure they perform an exhaustive analysis of your property/living situation and explain everything to you, including their rationale for all recommendations. Be prepared to walk away immediately if you see any red flags. Or if they evade your questions.

For example . . .

* Unless you have an exceptionally energy-efficient home with new windows, lots of insulation, home wrap, and Energy Star appliances, there is almost zero chance that a solar system is going to ELIMINATE your reliance on the electric company. Offset costs? Yes. Eliminate your electric bill? No.

* Unless you have that exceptionally energy-efficient home AND a huge solar array, there is basically no way you are going to MAKE MONEY from your solar system.

* Don't believe promises or estimates from anyone who doesn't lead you through a detailed energy audit. They should ask to look at your electric (and gas, if applicable) bills for at least the last year; get a complete list of your appliances, electronics. and other power-consuming devices; and gather details of those devices so they can determine their wattage and efficiency.

* They should absolutely ask how you heat and cool your home. Air conditioners consume a lot of juice. And if you have gas heat, that's a whole different story usage-wise than if you have electric baseboard heaters. How about a clothes dryer? Gas or electric?

* Be wary if they don't ask to see your electric meter and electrical service panel. Particularly if you have an older home, some significant re-work might be necessary. If it is, who pays for it?

* RUN if they tell you you'll be able to sell your electricity back to the power company but can't explain what kind of net metering scheme will be used. They shouldn't need to ask you to explain the question. They should be able to answer clearly and intelligently. Phrases like "retail rate" and "wholesale rate" should be part of the explanation. Ask if there are any restrictions on who is eligible for net metering in your area. Not all utilities allow you to sell electricity back to the power company. It varies from state to state (and even company to company).

* Ask about relevant electrical/fire codes and inspection requirements in your area. If they say it's not necessary, they're wrong. The only way you won't need an inspection is if you have a fully off-grid system. And even then, sometimes inspections are required depending on local laws.

There are many more topics that a reputable solar installer (or designer) should discuss with you. But these are the big ones. A company like Big Sky Solar Design will perform a thorough analysis of your situation, educate you on each component of a potential system, and explain the rationale for every decision.

Solar systems have a 20-year usable life. Be an educated consumer before making such a commitment.

A hidden camera FOX 5 I-Team investigation takes the shine off some big promises made to Georgia homeowners about solar power.

05/10/2022

Have you been approached by a door-to-door salesperson offering free solar panels for your home? More and more people are encountering them. But you need to be careful.

Anymore, the solar panels themselves are actually the least expensive part of a solar system. People making such offers are probably using the "free" panels as a leader to sell

- the necessary installation services,
- the associated hardware like inverters and mounts, and/or
- batteries (if it’s an off-grid or hybrid system).

Getting the panels for free might seem like a good deal. However, be wary, because the company is going to make up that cost somewhere else.

Maybe they'll provide low-quality, no-name panels with a stellar warranty from a company that probably won't be around next year. What is that warranty worth? Also, disreputable companies will sometimes install used panels, which can be dirt cheap--perhaps as low as $50 for a 350W panel. Unfortunately, you often can't tell the difference between new and used panels by sight alone. You have to test the "open-circuit voltage" to see how it compares to the panel's specs. In all fairness, used panels can still work well and be a good deal, but not if you think you’re getting new!

Finally, "free" might simply mean no up-front cost--or just no up-front cost on the PANELS. However, you might need to sign a long-term lease agreement. That is a perfectly acceptable business model. Just be sure you know all the terms (including what happens to your roof if the panels are removed). And do some solid calculations on whether the lease cost will exceed your energy savings over the term of the agreement.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always work with a reputable company that will explain everything to you, answer any questions, and openly discuss the tradeoffs of different options.

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Photo Jrouse5, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

05/07/2022

Previously, we posted about a cool specialized bracket for mounting solar panels directly to a stationary structure's metal roof without using rails--and potentially without drilling any holes in the roof. But how do you mount solar panels to the metal roof of a van?

In this video, which is part of a full van-build series from Alluvium, Inc., you can watch the process of mounting two 200-watt solar panels on a Dodge Promaster--one of the three most popular campervan platforms. The Promaster's design comes with pre-installed attachment points (studs?) that can be used to mount an after-market rooftop cargo carrier. Alluvium uses a bit of ingenuity (along with parts from the local Ace Hardware and a trusty angle grinder) to repurpose the cargo carrier into solar rails. And he does it all without drilling a single hole in the van's roof. Well, until he needs to run the solar cables into the van, but that's unavoidable.

NOTE: For this video, focus on the mounting--not the wiring. Depending on the specs of the panels, that part might not be optimal. Also, he probably could have done more in the area of rust prevention, which is huge with vans. Attaching the bracket to the factory studs on the Promaster's roof should have involved a barrier to prevent the bracket and its bolts from rubbing directly against the van's roof and eventually exposing bare metal (which will rust).

Promaster Van Build Episode 2. The Best Way to Install Solar Panels! Max Air Fan install and Rear Door Ladder Install.If you missed Episode 1 watch it here: ...

05/07/2022

Proper solar-panel orientation is critical to ensuring maximum power generation. In a perfect world, you can "track" the sun as it moves across the sky during the day, and there are systems that support that. But at an even more basic level, you want to tilt your solar panels so they're perpendicular to the sun's rays at your latitude during the current time of the year.

That's challenging enough for a roof-mounted solar array on a stationary structure. But at least a roof usually has some pitch. For vans and RVs, you generally mount panels flat on the roof and hope for the best. And when possible, you plan your travel so you're north in the summer and south in the winter so the sun's as close to directly overhead as possible.

Ladi and Margaret, who are based in the Czech Republic, are a pair of very popular YouTube vanlifers who document their van and e-bike builds. Ladi is a high-end cabinet maker by training, but he is also a phenomenally creative problem solver and engineer. His actuator-driven solar panel tilter is an engineering marvel that will likely make any vanlifer drool just a little.

When you have half an hour, grab a beverage and settle in for a fascinating watch of how Ladi and Maragaret are powering their off-grid adventures.

THE BEST DIY SOLAR PANEL LIFT for OFF GRID VANLIFE! The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/ladim...

05/07/2022

The most common method of installing solar panels is to mount long rails directly to your structure's roof. Then, you attach the individual panels to the rails either in fixed position or with mounting brackets that can slide along the rails.

If you have a metal roof, you can actually use your roof as the rails--particularly if it's of the "standing seam" design. You don't even need to drill holes, because the mounting brackets can securely attach to the seams using compression only.

At about $7 per attachment point for the mounting hardware, the system seems like it could get quite pricey. However, according to the manufacturer (S-5!), their PVKIT uses 70% fewer components, which ultimately REDUCES the total material costs. Plus, eliminating the rails reduces the weight of the mounting system by 85% and provides 25% better load distribution. Those are important factors to consider when installing panels.

At Big Sky Solar Design, we're big fans of metal roofs; our friends, family, and colleagues absolutely swear by them. The S-5! PVKIT provides yet another reason to love them.

Attach solar panels & rails directly to standing seam metal roofs without drilling using S-5!'s PVKit 2.0. Save up to 50% on material cost & installation time!

05/07/2022

How Solar Panels Generate Electricity (the photovoltaic effect)

05/07/2022

Let's generalize this: ANY time you feed your electrical panel (or circuits connected to your electrical panel) with a device that generates AC power, you MUST use a transfer switch (backfeed protector). The device generating AC power in the video is a standard gasoline generator. However, the same rule applies to a solar system and backup batteries that supply power through an inverter. Consider it to be a "solar generator."

If you DO NOT use a transfer switch to isolate your power generation, you inadvertently create a grid-tie system. A real/intentional grid-tie system requires special UL-listed equipment, professional/licensed installation, permits, government inspection, and power company approval. If you don't meet those requirements, you could kill someone. You might also be subject to serious fines and liability for damages incurred by the power company.

BTW, the transfer switch they install in this video is a pretty basic model that requires manual operation and powers all or nothing. There are AUTOMATIC transfer switches that sense when power goes out and switch between sources in anywhere from 12 milliseconds to 90 seconds. You can also have an electrician install a transfer switch that supplies backup for only "critical circuits," thereby allowing you to use your backup power most efficiently.

This video is about the importance of properly installing your generator. Back feeding electricity onto the power grid puts many people in danger and can ki...

05/06/2022

Vanlifers and RVers rejoice! It looks like you'll soon have the option of reliable, high-speed Internet access anywhere you roam. You can boondock to your heart's content without obsessing over your cell-phone provider's coverage maps every time you embark on a new adventure. Plus, you should receive vastly superior performance and reliability.

Along with sufficient electrical power, reliable high-speed Internet access has been one of the major obstacles keeping many people from exploring a full-time life on the road. Or truly venturing off the beaten path.

Those who live or vacation off-grid in insolated stationary locations--e.g., a cabin in the mountains, a homestead in the Arizona or New Mexico desert, or a ranch in eastern Montana--have been loving StarLink for a while. Now it's the techo-nomads' turn.

You might say that, much like us here at Big Sky Solar Design, StarLink will soon be helping you power your off-grid adventures! And Big Sky Solar Design can help you power your StarLink!

SpaceX internet in remote spaces.

05/06/2022

There's an interesting new battery technology on the market, and DR Horton's support and adoption will definitely help push it to the forefront.

But to be clear, America's largest builder is choosing it over lithium ION (like the Tesla PowerWall)--NOT over lithium IRON phosphate (LiFePO4). Big difference. LiFePO4 is gradually replacing lithium ion for solar and backup installations. The batteries are safe, they can store a lot of power, they have an effective life cycle of 10 years, and they provide consistent voltage.

Lithium ion does have known fire risks, which is why DR Horton has decided not to use them. Additionally, the associated cobalt mining has all kinds of environmental, political, and moral/ethical issues, and lithium ion doesn't last as long as LiFePO4--although it does charge more quickly.

The brother of the founder of the US' largest homebuilder D R Horton's has chosen zinc-ion battery storage for his pipeline of new builds.

05/06/2022

This is an awesome idea: using decommissioned landfills as solar farms. They're generally wide-open tracts of land, they're cleared of trees, and they're basically poorly suited for other types of construction. Unfortunately, what makes using landfills attractive in the first place is potentially their greatest challenge: the ground is prone to shifting and settling. As a result, you have to take extra measures to ensure that fixed solar arrays remain . . . well . . . fixed.

Closed landfills offer an incredible opportunity to accelerate local solar energy, revitalize underutilized sites, and reinvest in communities.

05/04/2022

If you want to understand off-grid energy, you need to know the law! No, not the government's law . . . Ohm's Law.

This is our favorite t-shirt. But to make it complete, there should be a stack of the little green guys on the output side with a label of "watts." Because volts x amps = watts.

Electricity Explained....

05/04/2022

This two-minute video from Metal Roofing Academy provides a great overview of how solar (photovoltaic) panels convert energy from the sun into power you can use in your home, van, or RV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP-hYTyls9k

S-5!, the company behind Metal Roofing Academy, manufactures and sells some amazing fasteners that make securely installing panels on metal roofs easy and non-invasive (i.e., no holes in the roof).

Photovoltaic comes from the Greek word – φως (fo̱s) – light. Voltaic comes from the inventor of the electrochemical battery – Alessandro Volta. Some synonym...