For years I have been designing and building devices and items to take in electricity and to output light of one kind or another. So to break tradition and mix it up I felt it was time to try it backwards. So I built something to take in Light and put out electricity.
So as soon as the inspector oks it and the power company swaps my meter for it. This is the latest time sink I have been working on. Hope you enjoy.
The porch has a new view!
A few facts :
It is 12,000 watts or 12KW
It is made up of 48 250 watt panels.
it will produce more power than our house uses and will in fact provide a small check back to us form the power company.
Dad, my boys and I built it (DIY) so the cost was a fraction of the cost to put on in normally.
I ordered the panels and hardware online.
It uses Enphase M215 microinverters so each of the 48 solar panels has it own inverter mounted under it. This allows me to monitor the whole thing right down to the voltage, current, and temp of one panel and the AC power output of that panel and inverter.
It took us about 6 weeks of hard work nights and weekends to build.
It is very heavy duty do to us being in Florida we have to meet hurricane building codes so it is made from 3 inch steel pipes and they piers are 6 ft into the ground with 12 inches of concrete. Its not going anywhere soon!
It will save us enough in about 6 years with the current rate increase of duke energy to pay for it all.
It is all warrantied for 25 years and there are systems 40 years old still putting power out.
In a few weeks when I can bring it permanently online I will post a link so any of you that want can see the current and post output of the system online.
RJ
