Yo. I'm not a pro at this, but I'll provide what information I can on the situation.
A solar rollout can be modular, with you adding on components as you go along. The hardest part of it is - the speed of technology. Similarly with IT, the landscape has changed a lot over the years. While some names are still in the market, newer technological advances have driven the cost of lesser brands down. The established brands that just work - you won't find those prices coming down anytime soon.
Let's get into it. You'll basically need the following items.
- Solar Panels.
- Inverter.
- Charge Controller.
- Batteries.
Here's where things get tricky.
You can have too much of any item there. You need the panels to generate/harness the power. You need the batteries to store the generated power. You need the charge controller to ensure that the batteries are not overcharged. You need the inverter to convert the solar or stored energy from DC back to AC which you use.
The more panels you have (output wattage/voltage of the panels combined) then the more charge controllers you'll need.
The more batteries you have, the more panels you'll need to properly charge them. Undercharging the batteries may cause them to degrade or fail over time.
It's better to go panel heavy than battery heavy - because you can regulate the charge going to the batteries.
It is possible to set up a daytime only system without batteries, but that will be susceptible to frequent switching.
You really only need one inverter, but the input/output on that inverter is another thing. Will the input of the inverter be 12V/24V/48V? Will the output be 110V/220V? Those are things you need to figure out beforehand. The current ones are usually 24V/48V. Some of the 110V can be "doubled up" to generate 220V. So you can buy one now at 110V and buy another later to get the 220V as needed.
Now. If you want to set up properly, you'll need to get lightning/surge arrests on both the AC side and the DC side. The AC side may get feedback from appliances or through shared links to JPS - if you aren't fully off grid. The DC side can generate high voltage during the high light flashes of lightning in the night. This can create surges. You'll also need a changeover switch - to switch from JPS to solar. The changeover switch can be automatic or manual - depending on your setup and preferences, one may be more desired than the other. You'll need a second electrical panel to separate items on solar versus off solar. It may be possible to set up using a single panel, but you'd need to check with your installer on that.
On the "proper" setup - you should also get DC breakers for the panels and batteries. You need one set per charge controller - or one for the inverter if it has build-in charge controller. Then there's the wires and all that - DC versus AC - and the connectors for the panels. Rails. Etc.
The average cost of a panel is 20k-30k. The average cost of a battery is 40k-60k. Charge controllers vary based on the type. The older technology (PWM) can go for 15k-30k. Those usually support less input from the panel output - so less panels can be added. The newer technology (MPPT) can support more panels. The inverter costs....vary. You can get an inverter that has built-in charge controller for around 200k depending on the brand. Some of the more established brands may cost that without the built-in charge controller.
So yeah...
Advice is to go with a small setup first. Either an inverter that has built-in charge controller, or a single bank of batteries to start. Enough panels to charge the batteries. Just wire off the important stuff. Maybe the lights and some important plugs. Then you can build out and add on as you need. So....
On the lower end.
Inverter (integrated charge controller) - 200k.
Batteries - 4x - 160k.
Panels - 4x - 120k.
TOTAL: 480k.
That's for a basic setup. That does not include wires, panels, breakers, rails, etc. Setting up solar can easily be 500k or more. If you want to start small and build - check with an established installer and see if they have clients changing out stuff. You can get used batteries for 10k each instead of 40k-60k each. You can get used panels and such at reasonable prices. I would still recommend getting new panels, because the output on those will differ from older ones. The biggest challenge with that is...even in one year, the panel output increases. This is good, but you shouldn't mix the panels in the same way you shouldn't mix the batteries.
Think of it like RAM frequencies. If you put faster and slower RAM in the system, it'll operate at the slower speed - for modules that support slower speeds. With batteries, it will take longer to charge. With panels, you may get higher output ones basically cutting their productivity when linked to lower output ones.
I recall some credit unions or banks had "solar loans" going on. Maybe you can check on that if you want to do it all new. Going through a big business as well - maybe they will have payment plans you can use. If you get it fully built out with a loan or on payment plan, it may work out better for you. Basically you'd pay them what you'd pay JPS normally, and it'll pay for itself over time.
That's all I got. Hope the info helps. As always - check with an expert.
Knowing the solution doesn't mean knowing the method. Yet answering correctly and regurgitation are considered "learning" and "knowledge".
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