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After two friends decided to go solar, I followed suit, and my project was finally completed today. With almost 2/3 of the cost being covered by Pennsylvania and the Federal gov't, plus yearly Solar renewable energy credits providing thousands in income, it was hard to say no.

It is an 8.1 kW grid tied PV system, with microinverters (each PV panel gets its own computerized inverter).

Here's a few pics.

Solar breaker panel and meter for PA sunshine program
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1748.jpg

Roof rails and microinverters installed
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1752.jpg

Microinverter close up
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1754.jpg

Inverters strung together
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1757.jpg

180W Panels
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1758.jpg

Almost all in place. They finished, but I wasn't able to get a pic before it started pouring
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1764.jpg

I got to see the meter spin backwards for a bit before the sky got darker. I'm still waiting for the monitoring system to detect the rest of the inverters.

Now to wait for an electric car....... :rolleyes:

Way to go. I wish Florida had a program. I got the solar water, and had hoped to get the photovoltaic, but the program funds ran out. Nevertheless, great job!

What was your total upfront cost?

Beautiful!

Beautiful!

Seconded.

Sweet! Looks great!

Thanks guys.
@Oph: approx 18k out of pocket on a 46k system.

That's sweet!

Very nice!

My roof is jealous.

Oh, what a glorious sight! I'd love to have a setup like that. More questions:

How does the system handle shading? It looks like some of the panels above the garage would be in shade some of the time.
What's the expected lifespan of the system?
Any maintenance needed? Like washing dust off the panels?

-Simon

Great move Rich! We will be anxious to hear of what the system is doing.

How does the system handle shading? It looks like some of the panels above the garage would be in shade some of the time.
What's the expected lifespan of the system?
Any maintenance needed? Like washing dust off the panels?
-Simon

Because of the individual microinverters, any shaded panel won't affect the output from the others.
The only parts of the system that get 'used up' would be the panels and microinverters. The entire system is warranted for 10 years, inverters for 15 and panels guaranteed to 80% output for 25 years.
No maintenance required, we don't get too much dust where I am, but pollen buildup can be an issue in the spring. Fortunately it also rains often in the spring so it should all get rinsed off. Due to the dark PV cells and frames any snow should melt or slide off quickly.

@msirach: So far today I've seen 7460W max, which isnt too bad for mid september sun angle.
Here's a youtube of my meter spinning backwards. It hasn't been replaced by the utility with a digital one yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUOOTBKjqZM

Here is a completed pic:
http://home.ptd.net/~richxku/Solar/Img_1765.jpg

Robert isn't the only one with a jealous roof!!! :D:thumbs_up:

Man... if I had 18k... heh, I don't know for sure I'd do it ;). I wonder if you can recoup any of that if/when you decide to sell the home? Does it raise your property tax?

It pays for itself in about 6 years with Energy credits alone. The money I save on electricity or sell back to the grid is just gravy. The system should increase the home's value by a minimum of what I paid out of pocket. Since Pennsylvania's credits are winding down, it will only get more expensive.

It pays for itself in about 6 years with Energy credits alone. The money I save on electricity or sell back to the grid is just gravy. The system should increase the home's value by a minimum of what I paid out of pocket. Since Pennsylvania's credits are winding down, it will only get more expensive.

Good deal then. Personally, I'd love to have the full shebang. I'd sock in a GeoThermal heating system, PV on the roof, and a Wind Turbine in the yard. However, the turbine would likely get axed for aesthetic reasons. The only reason I can see not doing it, is our house is just too small for our family anymore, and we're likely to move before adding on. If I had a "forever" home, this would be darn attractive though.