Appreciate it 👍🏻 Good luck with your solar build. I am looking into possible alternatives, and if they check out, I'll be sure to share. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin. I am so happy to find your channel. Great video content. I am sure you are one of the honest solar men. You inspired me to build my own solar roof. Would you help me to build mine? Thanks in advance
Welcome aboard! I have tried to share as much as possible on what I did to build my system. I am glad that it's been helpful to so many people. I will continue to try to put out content to help out. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks a ton justin.I am following this video as guidance to what to buy for installing a solar system.This is very useful.Only additional cost for me may be is that i talked to roofers who said it will cost 100$ per solar panel for installing solar panels on the roof.If you know those costs please do share in the next video.But thanks a lot.Really appreciate your generosity in posting these videos.
Good luck with the installation. I am very pleased with our system. It was a great investment for the $$$ we spent to build it. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Be sure to keep every receipt. When you file, there will be a section on energy improvements made to your property. There you can add how much you spent on the system. All materials must be new and never used. If you paid someone for work, you can include that also. Hope that helps point you in the right direction. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin i to install ten kw system like your the solar company quote my total 59,000 before federal and state taxes incentive after the incentive almost 30,000 and finance for 25 years i see the riff off thank you for video
I am pretty sure those guys are inflating the cost simply because of the incentives. They are capitalizing on that massively. There are companies out there that do it for a reasonable fee but extremely hard to find. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@mikehill5678 It's doable, if you can do itself than you would save tens of 1000's and you hopefully will still get that 30% credit. That's pretty sweet deal!
Hey Justin great work! You make it look so easy! I'm slowly building an inventory for my project. So far I've purchased one case of iq8+ on eBay and made an offer on another case. I'll need three singles too. My plan is for three groups of 13 since that's what the iq8+ max panels says. I plan on mating them up with 400 watt panels here in hot Las Vegas. I'll need the cables, combiner box, envoy, and fused disconnect and maybe the white oval shaped thing that communicates with the app. I have a two story with S tile roof. Also planning on a patio cover that'll be 14X32. That should be ample room in all for three groups of 13 panels. Batteries aren't in the picture yet and may never be but hopefully I can add em in if need be. If you had any advice for me I'd be all ears! Keep up the great work! Regards, Eric
The IQ8+ will only produce 295w peak watts out of you 400w panels. I would suggest IQ8M's for optimal pairing. They produce 330w peak. The 400w panels should produce over the 330w for many years. I have 370w panels and wish I would have used Iq7X's or IQ8M'S. Although my system is producing very well, I think I am leaving a little production on the roof with my IQ7+'s. Don't get me wrong, IQ8+'s will definitely work out well with 400w panels. But rather than having a 15600w system it will be 11505watts peak. With M's 12870 peak. Hopefully, I'm not confusing you. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thanks for response! Yeah I might have jumped the gun with the 8+ MI's but I feel like I got em bought right. Maybe I can recoup and do the M's. The way I'm going at it is gonna be a slow roll either way as I'm using credit card and then hammering it out. By the time I'm done an iq8+ system will be antiquated. Worse comes to worse I'll have to be happy with an 11+kW system. Could I get a combiner with four circuits so I could add a fourth branch down the line? And would it have to be iq8+ or could it be a more powerful branch?
The tax credit only applies if you owe on your taxes, If you get a refund usually then you get nothing but i hear it applies if in later years you owe you can claim up to $3000 per year.
Your welcome! I installed the system also. So the numbers you see in the video is total amount investment plus my time and hard work. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Wow, amount of details you have shown is incredible. Did install it by yourself? How many paid workers did you have to finish the work. It would be nice to include the paid labor cost. Thanks again. Love to get a copy of your Excel part list. Thanks a bunch.
I have solar already on the house. Paid way too much for it. But i built a garage and want to add more panels to get back to 100%. I got estimates from 1 company but everyone else said since we still owe on them they wont touch it. I only need probably 3 or 4 more but dont have a clue how to get started doing it myself. Plus i have 2 panels on house one is not producing anything other 1 is very minimal. I need these figured out too. I know the one has both wires going to ground. Gotta figure out which one goes pos. Will explain how that happened in later communication if you are able to help
Hi Justin Great series. 👍I know that you did not pay anyone else to install the system but did you have any help from friends/family installing the racking & panels etc ? Trying to figure out how much physical help I will need, Thanks
Appreciate it. Yes, I had help from 3 family members on the day it went on the roof. 2 on the ground, 2 on the roof. I made a short on the solar hoist I made to get them on the roof. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
It would be great if you would upload your spreadsheet, just to give everybody a template to start with. I know, we can all just copy the text from your video, but since you've already got that done...
Thank you, sir. I love solar but was told years ago that you must have batteries. Has the technology changed so that they are not needed for some applications?
Everyone seems to think it's an amazing system. I wouldn't know yet unfortunately. So what about the batteries? Or is that an off grid thing? I'm a new first time homeowner and looking into solar for first time.
So much to learn, be patient and pick whats best for you. If you have questions be sure stop in and ask I'll do what I can to help. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Lyra designed your layout But who designs the layout for the main electrical panels as far as what solar breakers is needed? And if the main breaker needs upsize downsize or if a panel upgrade is required?
I designed the layout. Lyra created the package in a format that would be acceptable for an official solar permit. Everything was left up to me to figure out. It took a lot of research.
I’m thinking about doing a ground mount system in my next home, I really appreciate you sharing as much as you can. It’s helping me design my system step by step.
Justin, you really did an excellent job of sourcing all your parts. I also used Iron Ridge for my ground mount. For my system, which I included having a couple of electricians come out and replace my main breaker panel with a new one due to what I had was very old and outdated and a fire hazard. For my 5.865 kW system, I have invested $14,300 total. I had to purchase just over a $1,000 in 2" pipe to mount my panels on. The cost of pipe now is outrageous but it is what it is. Anyway, I also just watched your video on the new law that just passed and the 30% will help. You should take this knowledge that you have learned and offer up your services to other DIY type people. It is not rocket science!
Much appreciated 🙏 I so badly wanted a ground mount system but it ended up on my building roof 😁 Congrats on going solar! It feels nice right?! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Somethings are DIY , but not Roofing , HVAC , Engineering plans , Plumbing , New home carpentry and etc . Solar if you want the cheaper price I recommend doing a cash offer through solar company . If you never did any labor or know any workers that can drill into truss and not messing up your roof causing leaks and especially electrical you don’t want your home catching on fire . If you do what Justin did I recommend getting a local licensed electrical company , engineering company to stamps plans , and someone to submit plans to your local Buiding department that can easily be done by you . Justin knows what he’s doing but only 5-10% can actually install it correct to pass county inspections . Also before you buy need to find out what panels your county will accept because of wind code .
Appreciate it 🙏 Lot of good points. I have been building and learning all sorts of trades since I was a young teenager. I guess thats around 30 years now 😁 I did not figure this out overnight and I know there is always room to improve. Thats what keeps me wanting to learn and build new things. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I choose to use the power company as my battery storage because they pay 1:1 on overproduction and because the cost of the battery backup. Use a generator if the power goes out. It was my best option for returning my investment. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
The best overview of a solar project I’ve seen to date. Appreciate the information you shared. Got yourself a new sub and look forward to checking out your other helpful videos. Justin, your videos are a God send Buddy! Blessings to you and your family.
Much appreciated and I am glad it was helpful. Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit hope to bring some more helpful content soon. I have a couple of new things I am working on and look forward to sharing them.
Excellent description of the different parts and cost for a solar system. It sure looks like you saved a lot of money by sourcing the components and services and installing it yourself.
Are you looking for a true off grid system setup or a grid tied system that is available when the power company has an outage? There is some confusion on that, so I just want to clarify.
Justin, what a phenomenal job you did laying out all the parts and the prices. Greatly appreciate all the work you did to put this video together. Thank you very much! I’m looking at designing a solar system for my home in the Florida keys and your video was extremely helpful. Have you thought about installing a battery back up? That’s something I’m looking into for power outages during hurricanes and another inclement weather. I’d be interested to hear more about battery back ups if you have done the research or maybe a possible topic for a future video
Much appreciated 🙏 I have thought about battery back up but in my situation it's not really worth the investment. For you guys in FL, I would say its a must or atleast have a good generator to power the essentials in those times of bad weather. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@danonly55 Are you looking for budget panels or high-quality panels. What microinverters are you planning to use? Do you want black on black or standard frames, cells, and backing?
I want to use quality panels with the standard frames, not sure on cells or backing, any input you have would be great. I would like to use the IQ7+ inverters, I will probably install 16-18 panels 400W in a portrait layout@@JustinsProject
I did pull a permit and had an inspection. It was a fairly simple process. Cost total of $45. 11:32 - Is the segment I mention the software and permits - Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
@@JustinsProject Thank you for your reply. I was wondering if you needed a state licensed master electrician to pull the permit and pass city inspection. Also, where there any other structural inspection involved? All of those vary from city and state levels. How was your experience ? Thank you again
@@jaimeparadise I'm sure it could differ jurisdiction to jurisdiction. I personally did not have to do anything other than provide a 1 line diagram with my solar permit package before starting anything. Then get the inspection ordered after install was complete. My #1 tip to anyone looking to do this theirselves, start by making a couple calls. Planning and Zoning and your utility company. Find out what is required in your area. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin, how many KWH has this system produced so far? I’m impressed with what you have accomplished I know I could mount all the panels on roof myself but the electrical hookup is too out of my reach I should talk with my electrician because you saved thousands by doing this yourself so your payoff is short term congratulations man!
Your management software should show you, Justin, how many KWH total production you have received from your system. KW is the peak performance level. KWH is the total quantity of the energy produced. Can you please share that? (maybe you already have done that in another video) sorry, I just found your channel! 🙂
Great video ! I’m from india and I got the enphase system installed too 43 panels , iq7A.. 20kw .. got it done through a company .. cost me around usd 21k
Awesome! Found your videos today and will be following more as I have a new build next year and want to do as much as I can myself. Thanks for a great video!
Hi Justin I got the solar 2 years ago. But the guys install does the terrible job. Now it’s doesn’t work. I want buy the emphases box . He didn’t install the emphases box . I saw you install. Do you connected to the emphases center?
how is your system 10kw? iq7+ max continuous output power is 290VA, so max power would be 290*27 = 7830 watts. I am thinking about buying an iq6A for this reason (higher output power).
The solar array is 9990w. The max output is limited to the IQ7+'s output. You are correct on the 7800w. This is common practice to oversize the panel vs the inverter output. A healthy design will typically have a DC/AC ratio of something around 1.25 give or take. The system is performing great and I will have an updated monthly production video very soon. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Got a quote for a 12kw - 30 panel system for 52,000 = 4.33 per watt. Been paying 900 a month for oil and 350 for electricity and wanted to do solar to escape this drudgery but knew very little about it. Thanks to your blueprint I can now price any quote for accuracy. Appreciate the work you did to share this and educate us all!
Depends on the site layout and other factors. It's hard to give a quote on jobs like that without having a lot of the details. In my area, you can expect a minimum of $1 a watt for installation on a basic installation. That goes up depending on a lot of factors, though.
This is the most honest information and Real Facts. Thanks Justin for providing the sources Information. I want to build a solar system replace my fence using vertical bifacial XL panels of 530 W x 12 making it 6.36 KW. Let me know your thoughts
If positioned correctly and the tilt is desirable then I say go for it. I'm a little cautious of the super high output panels. I had bought 440w First Solar before eventually canceling that order to buy the 370w panels I have now. They are huge when handling them. I would imagine 530w panels would be massive. But every design is different. I was hell bent on the black on black on black. Only because I was initially doing an inground mount. The front, back and sides had to be black. Turns out the look pretty good on my black roof too.
Incredible, incredible, incredible. I started my solar/backup power journey last year after Texas went through our Snowmaggedon Event in Feb 2021. I purchased a 12kwh LifePO4 batteries coupled with two 3000W Inverters from Bluetti that can also accept DC PV power up to 2400W per inverter. I had this system wired into my home panel as a battery backup and it works great to power my emergency circuits, but I never added the actual solar component yet since my Inverter battery setup isn't like an Enphase or SolArk system. I am ready to seriously start pursuing putting solar panels on my roof for the purpose of replenishing my solar battery system and augmenting my home power as well. I so appreciate all the hard work you done to research all of this out - you are true DIY hero and I appreciate it.
Thank you for doing this video. You proved the solar companies are ripping people off. I plan to install my own system like you did, except I probably will do a ground mount rack system which I know will be a little more expensive. I am a retired person and feel much safer staying on the ground.
At the time I created mine, I was able to. If you are looking for a solar permitting software, you can use IronRidge's version, which is almost identical. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Dave here,what a great valuable Solar video! I want to install my own system. Watching your video really motivates me to do this. For me to get started because of time limitations with the NEM April 15th deadline, I need to get started on the application. I like the time stamp at 11:30. My question is to get started on the application, do I need to get the forms and the fees you mentioned for the NEM approval? I have a friend who wants to move forward also with me on meeting this timeline. Subscribed and watched your other videos too! Please get back to me on your recommendations. I have lived in my home for 40 years , done all the improvements with my wife's help. We have a 10 year old lifetime roof so I think that should be a good start. I do electrical, plumbing, appliance repair, heating and A/C installations and repair also.
I have been getting feedback that Lyrasolar is no longer accepting DIY'ers to create their own solar permits. That is a shame, but there is a better alternative I found. It is offered by IronRidge. That can be found at: base.ironridge.com/projects My main piece of advice that I can offer is to contact your planning and zoning department first, before doing anything. They will help guide you in the right direction and what steps to take in your jurisdiction. From there, definitely contact your power company and speak to someone about your project. From my experience, they were very helpful and it was actually required. I hope this helps get you started on the right foot. Thanks for watching, commenting, and being a subscriber. 👍
Very Cool, thank you for your hard work and for posting this. We are a group of Montana - Wyoming homesteaders teaching people to live off grid. I will refer my people to your website and channel...
Justin this video series is excellent! Thank you for taking the time to post it. Some of the pricing you listed such as for the inverters is hard to find. Any recommendations for where to buy the inverters, etc.?
I purchased most of the inverters off of eBay. It took some time to find the deals I found, but I was patient. I bought other components through various websites and marketplaces. Good luck in your solar journey. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I've also gone this route in putting up my own system. I had 32 panels at 370w each. I went with the string inverter though and came up at about the same ending price. My system clips quite a bit in the summer though. Thinking about adding more panels and another string inverter to get the full power out of the system. Love the information and may use the permitting system you used rather than drawing it up myself!
Doesn't it feel awesome! 👏I am also getting some clipping on those real sunny days. I am happy with the overall production though. I really liked the LyraSolar solar permit software. Very easy to use and saved me a ton of time. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@JustinsProjectLyra Solar says on their website it’s not for homeowners and only for professionals doing 5 or more projects a month were you hassled much by this?
Amazing video with real numbers!!! Thank you so much. I’m getting quotes for a 27 panel system almost identical to yours in OH in the $36K range. Probably better panels but rest identical. My ROI would be 21 years - crazy. My son keeps telling me to DIY. I said I don’t know how. After watching your videos I know I can. Still have to watch your video about plus vs A converter. A 410 panel on a 330VA inverter seems not ideal to me. Thx again for the inspiration. I’ll be in touch via your website….MM
It is definitely possible. Always safety first though. The only time I felt a little uneasy was when I was working in the main service panel. It is very dangerous if you are not familiar with working with electricity, and I am fairly comfortable with wiring circuits and things like that. If you are planning on using Enphase microinverters I would highly recommend completing the courses they have available for free. Look up Enphase University. It helped me in several areas when I could not find the answers anywhere else. Good luck! Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Great job with the explanation. My wife and I are trying to build out our solar project too. I'm trying to build out a 9KW system and already purchased the storage battery which is a LiPo battery. I would appreciate your assistance for helping build out our system and would be willing to compensate you for the work.
We were going to go inground but due to some special permits we put it on the roof. It also saved us around $3500. We were only looking at tilt inground systems though. Thats the real reason for the black on black on black panels 😁Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Ebay, OfferUp and lots of searching for deals on quality items ended up saving me 1000's. Hope you find some great deals! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I am under the impression, yes. People have commented they got credit for upgrades on their systems in other videos I put out on solar. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Are you looking for the actual part I used to build the connection inside the box? I purchased that off of Amazon at amzn.to/3CDBAqc - That is the exact one I purchased. It's a DK6N Dinkle Assembly. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
@@JustinsProject yes. Thank you! My god there are so many parts and the place I purchased from left a lot of stuff out 🥵. I’m using the Unirac system with Qcells 400W panels and enphase iQ8+. I wish I had found that link you provided to solar panels earlier. But honestly even though mine were $319/panel they do excellent in low light and I’m in northwest Ohio so I need all the help I can get. Still, I’m pushing $25,000 for a 15.6 kWh system. Which is double your cost. I did want to fully max out the back of my house. 30% tax credit now helps. Panels: $13,xxx, iQ8 microinverters: $5600, racking and wiring $5,106 and now all these miscellaneous inverter screws, clips, zip ties. On the plus side. I was quoted almost $50,000 for a 16.8 kWh system. So I’m really not doing too shabby. I also went with the Flashloc Comp roof attachment which costs way more than the other. But I’m saving on labor and feel very comfortable attaching those to my house so 🤷🏼♂️
@@zettel29 Awesome stuff! Love hearing others doing similar stuff. If you need any at all, send me a message. I try to respond asap. Congrats on building your own system. It is very rewarding!
Thank you for this video, it's been very helpful for comparing system costs and finding a good deal. Can you tell me why you chose a fusible ac disconnect? It may be cheaper to use a non-fusible ac disconnect instead and the main breaker panel circuit breaker would accomplish the same thing
I chose the fusible AC disconnect for added protection and ease of inputting that model into my solar permit. By using materials within the solar permitting software made building my permit application a lot easier. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hi Justin, Great job with your videos and explanations. No sales pitch! No goofy music! Just the facts! My situation and follow up question: I have an older install (12kw, about 14 yrs) on my current house. I used 190w Mage panels (which went bankrupt about 2 years after installation). I used a solar installer, that had been in the business about 10 years, that went bankrupt about 1.5 years after my installation. I used M190 and D380 Enphase inverters. These inverters have about a 80% failure rate and are a pain in the butt to replace (luckily they are still under warranty for another ~2 years) as they are on my roof and the house is 3 floors. I am currently building a new house and looking to add solar to it, probably a 10kw system. My research has indicated that Enphase is still the best for micro inverters, however I am concerned about the reliability of Enphase inverters given my history. Would appreciate your input on reliability of the "7As". Also warranty periods on the panels and inverters. Also, a question: If you have an inverter failure, will Enphase replace it even though you did not buy them from Enphase? Lastly, I would appreciate a video on just the wiring, especially from the "J" box to the house. Thanks!
Yes, Enphase stands behind its warranty even if you don't buy it from them. However, the microinverters must be installed by a certified Enphase installer. Anyone planning on doing their own system should take the classes on Enphase University. They are free. I have a couple other videos on wiring the system. Hope they help you out. Thanks!
Your welcome 🙏 Good question, stay tuned to the channel and I will answer that question. It's not as simple as pick one and go. There are a ton of factors to get it right. I am planning on sharing an update on that in the furtue. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Have you looked at the prices from Tesla with the Powerball? It doesn't seem bad at all now with the incentive. For 7.6kW system with one Powerwall that can power my house for 7 days it cost $11,000k installed after the incentive. Good job on your system.
11k installed on a 7.6kw system, that's a killer deal. Something seems off about that price. If you can get that for 11k installed, I'd recommend getting it asap. That's roughly $1.44 a watt out the door. Be careful on the tax credit, it's not a check. I have a recent video on that. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject I just checked their website again and the exact number are: 7.2kw system with 1 power wall $25,971 minus the state and federal incentives would be $11,687 excluding tax but including installation. Sadly Tesla doesn't do installs yet in my area of South Carolina.
@@juanmedinar20 @juanmedinar20 Hmmm with out doing a roof analysis, layout obstructions, wiring runs, main panel load capacity, conduit requirements, permits and a ton of other items its impossible to get a final $$$. My fear is that those prices are headlines and not the final $$$. That was my experience with all solar companies. Not saying their numbers are not true, because I haven't completed system with Tesla. I am just very cautious ⚠️ because those numbers seem very low and to go from 25k to 11k thats around 60% off. The numbers they are claiming seem fishy. I would love to hear from someone with a Tesla system on what final cost was and how big the system was.
@@JustinsProject South Carolina has a 25% tax credit too, that goes with the federal credit. If you are lucky enough to have Duke energy as your utility, they also have a rebate of $1 per watt DC of your system (I can’t remember the cap). Dominion offers bupkis, but does pay back your excess produced at like $.07 per kWh one time a year.
The average residential electricity rate in California is 30 ¢/kWh, which is 73% higher than the national average rate of 17 ¢/kWh. 85 ¢/kWh? Forgive me. But where is the savings?
My system saves me about $200 a month. every month. That is only factoring in a .097 cent per kWh cost that electric power cost in my area. If it were .30 cents per kWh I would be saving more than $600 a month. My system is a one time cost. I saved tons doing it myself so the ROI will net positive after about 5 years. Everything after that is money saved. 100%. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great overview. You helped me kickstart my project! One question, did you have to hire a structural engineer to calculate if the metal building supports the weight?
Much appreciated. When I designed my building, I made sure that the structure would support the solar system and a heavy snow load. Also, it's very important to space your racking system supports according to the manufacturers recommendation. I used ironridge racking because their technical support and customer service were supposed to be excellent. Turns out yes, they are. Good luck with your solar project. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hopefully you scan your video comments and will see my post below made on August 4th at 7:22 pm PST if not we'll may e Ill have to comment in your latest video.
Commenting for the algo to boost you. It's good to see an itemized list of costs. Hope you do follow-up vids on performance and surprise costs. So did you install it or did you have a crew for it?
Much appreciated! I designed, permitted, installed, and commissioned the entire system. Did not hire anyone, so that helped saved a massive chunk of 💰. This Sunday, I will have a new video on how I wired the complete system. Hope you check out it. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you!! Your other video regrading the tax credit might have saved my life! They wanted 63k for a solar system on my 2000 sqft. house…..had I not had a gut feeling and found your video i probably would have went for it and signed my life away. I was told some of the same things you said you were told, how I would get a 18k+ check from the irs with the 30% tax credit. After 2 minutes on google I knew that wasn’t true. Then I thought well what if I just did it myself. Of course you had a video on that too! You really changed how discouraged I was initially. Same for my wife. Watching this has us thinking not only is it possible to do ourselves but actually obtainable. Makes me want to follow behind that solar companies truck and show your video to every customer they are about to scam. I should have known immediately when they said you only need a 600 credit score to qualify for this loan 😂. I didn’t even sign with them and I feel bad for all the middle class people they have scammed.
63k... Was that with or without a battery backup? For either setup that is still pretty expensive. It is amazing how most solar companies (not all) are taking advantage of people out there. I am glad you stumbled upon my videos and it helped you. I wish I could get this out to everyone just like you mentioned. The scams we all are experiencing these days are mind-blowing. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
@@JustinsProject no batteries! My uncle over in San Diego went solar a few years ago and his system was half the cost. He literally got his system maybe 2-3 years ago and his was around 30k installed with the warranty and whatever else they say and no batteries. How in 3 years did it double in price. Not only that he lives in California where everything is overpriced and his still was half what they wanted for mine. Power is almost .60 cents a kw where he lives where I live about .12 cents.
I'm assuming you bought all new micro inverters just sourced around for the best price till you reached 27, how did that factor into the 25 yr warranty? is it a in-service thing when the warranty starts or off of the time of purchase?
Correct. Never used or commissioned, the warranty is only valid if installed by a Enphase certified installer. Yes, I became a certified enphase installer in a couple of hours at no cost. The warranty started when I commissioned them into service for the very first time. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
hey Justin, How do we get our hands on that spread sheet ? it would be nice for reference. I am in Tarpon Springs florida, and i want to install 30 panels with IQ8 and then add 30kw EG4 batteries later.
30kw battery backup? That's a lot of backup. Especially considering you are going to be utilizing the IQ8 microinverters. I guess it all depends on you consumption though.
Parents had installed 28 panels 3.5 years ago, using the enphase equipment and iq7+ microinverters.... They were never informed on how it actually works and what to expect, they just got a plug-in play situation. all these years later it was noticed that the electric bill is too high so we start investigating.... First step was to see what has it produced and exported and also consumed... Total lifetime produced as of today is 28.17 mwh and exported is 28.17 mwh.... no consumption recorded, so thats a red flag ok we realize we dont have the sensors to read what we consume but no one told us about it so how can we know ... But where did the electric go??? because we dont have batteries ... It went to the grid meaning sold to the electric company, called them and coming to find out we were not even set up on a solar plan for this to actually take place.... LOL WHAT???? are you kidding me so for the past 3.5 years i gave you free power 28.17 mwh worth and you ae saying its my loss ??? no way I refuse that... WHen the installed happend the solar installers and my father called the electric company before they begin the work at that time it should have been said ok you need a new agreement and so on not let us continue and years later say something that needed to be done... So the whole cost for this install was 15k and never applied for tax credits now , i need it all because they have been duped .. older folks ex[pecting to get a service that pay for and not receiving anything ... what do you think we should do??? the broker is dogging the calls the financing company are not having a easy time putting the puzzle together and the electric folks dont want to fork up 28.17 mwh credits .... I really dont just want the contract closed because so much money been wasted what do you think we should do because IM sure we can prove we exported the energy I mean enphase says so it has a graph on the report , so its clear we have had it an ex amount of time because of bill statements ...its almost a local news story ... p.s father has passed so we don't have him to say yes I did say this that and the third but it did actually take place.... So sir how do you think we should go about this??? Thank you for your videos very informative
Thanks for sharing. I am uncertain how to proceed in that situation. Have you contacted an attorney to get their opinion? If you don't have a net meter on your property not only did you produce that power you got charged for it as if you were using it. At the very least I would be reaching out to the company that installed that system. Read your contract word for word, then get the net tariff agreement and read it word for word. If things don't line up, reach out to an attorney to see what your options are. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject I have one more question for you sir.. Can you tell me how much does your panels produce ? something is not adding up , if i produce 900 kwh per month and use 700 of those during the days of that month i only have 200kwh as credit ... now i have to take in account the nights of service of that month lets say 500 kwh that should mean i have to pay for 300 kwh for that month... im not seeing the benifit of have these panels ,, how are people paying 20 30 40 bucks a month do they not use electric at night is that the case or what am i missing? btw thank you for help its been nothing but a headache , not having this service work the way it should and loosing like 5300 in power that we produced and exported who knows where . when its time to get answers from them no one wants to answer and spin you ..
Here is a video I put out a couple days ago. It might be helpful. Been sure to check out next months production and consumption. As I believe it will be better. th-cam.com/video/5tXwiQ7jUIs/w-d-xo.html
Great video and very informative!!! Amazing that you installed it your self and I don't know how you had the foresight to buy all the "right" equipment in order for you to complete the job. Since that is probably NOT the option for may of the users that are watching, what would you feel is the right value upcharge for an installation, would/should be??? I'm curious.
Appreciate it 🙏 It was a HUGE learning curve but I've built a lot of things in my life so it wasn't to bad. Very rewarding in the end. Depending on the size of the system you could expect to pay .80 - $1.20 per watt for the install. They may upcharge you on the materials also. Typically that is 15% for contractors that source the materials for you. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
How did you calculate you needed to connect your panels using three groups. I have two 150A MBPs, can I assume I can use at 30A breaker in each MBP to receive the juice from the panels, and would I need two combiner boxes and two disconnects? So my MBPs would limit me to 5700W for each MBP or a total solar array producing of 11.4kW. Seems that would be my maximum array without doing an upgrade of my service --- did I get this right or am I missing something.
Personally in that scenario I would consider upgrading service if possible. Doubling up on combiner boxes, disconnects, wiring and etc will get very expensive also. I guess the best question to start is how big of a system do you really need? Are you doing a grid tied with no batteries, grid tied with batteries, or an off grid system? All very important first questions in determining how many KW array you need. Then move into reviewing your past 12 months electrical statements. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
You may have missed some additional tax credit in the 4, 10% plus ups in the IRA bill. See below: Domestic content 10% tax credit adder Solar power projects eligible for the full 30% tax credit can increase their tax credit by an additional 10% – to 40% in total – by purchasing domestically produced hardware. Per the document, 100% of steel and iron must be US manufactured in the United States. For manufactured goods – like solar panels, inverters, and electrical gear – the goods must initially be 40% US manufactured, though this percentage will increase in the future. Historically, for goods to be classified as Made in the USA, they must be composed of at least 55% domestic content. The bill lists some exceptions to these requirements. Items that are not of satisfactory quality, or are not produced in sufficient quantities, may be imported. Items that would increase the project cost by greater than 25% may be sourced outside the US as well. These requirements, and exceptions, will apply to all project sizes. This report from the Congressional Research Service offers more refined answers. Project siting – 10% tax credit adder Projects that are located in former ‘energy communities’ can earn an additional 10% tax credit. Energy communities are first defined as brownfields, and secondly as locations associated with fossil fuels over the last generation. If there have been significant extraction jobs associated with coal, oil, or natural gas after December 31,1999, then the census tract – and its connecting census tracts – are eligible. If a coal power plant or mine has closed in the same window, the area and its surrounding tracts are also eligible. Language describing energy communities can be found starting on page 250. Clean electricity production credit For a long time, the wind industry has been given a tax credit on a per kilowatt-hour basis. Prior to 2007, the solar industry was also eligible for this production credit. The Production Tax Credit is now fully applicable to the solar power industry. In this document, it is titled the ‘Clean Electricity Production Credit’. If a solar power project meets the prevailing wage requirements, then it will receive a tax credit of 2.5 cents/kWh for the first ten years of a project’s life. If a project does not meet prevailing wage standards, it will earn only 0.3 cents/kWh before adjustment for inflation. Going forward, the production credit increases as it is adjusted for inflation. Language describing the production credit can be found starting on page 442. Domestic solar hardware manufacturing The Ossoff Manufacturing Credits made it into the bill – and then some. There are tax credits for manufacturing the various solar panel, inverter, and racking components, as well. For solar modules the credits are expected to include: Solar Cells – 4 cents per direct current watt of capacity Solar wagers – $12 per square meter Solar grade polysilicon – $3 per kilogram Polymeric backsheet- 40 cents per square meter Solar modules – 7 cents per direct current watt of capacity For inverters the credit would be applied per watt of alternating current: Central inverter – 0.25 cents Utility inverter – 1.5 cents Commercial inverters – 2 cents Residential inverters – 6.5 cents Microinverters – 11 cents Torque tubes for racking will receive 87 cents per kilogram, while structural fasteners get $2.28 per kilogram. Language describing the production credit can be found starting on page 414. 60% tax credit opportunity? There is also a 10% adder for solar power projects that sell their electricity via community solar projects to low-income individuals. If we add the 30% tax credit base, 10% for domestic content, 10% for being located in a former fossil fuel energy community, and 10% for selling the electricity via community solar to low income families – the tax credit could potentially reach 60%. Source: www.pv-magazine.com/2022/08/15/whats-in-the-inflation-reduction-act-for-the-solar-industry/
How much did you pay for the labor/equipment to install the system?: for panel placement, cable burial, electrical work, etc. If you did it yourself, more power to you!
Much appreciated! I installed the system. The numbers I provided in this video are my all-in cost for the system. Here is a video where I installed the combiner box and ac disconnect: th-cam.com/video/gKik5ZQC8dc/w-d-xo.html - The burial of the line conduit, I did that when I hooked up the 100 amp service in my building: th-cam.com/video/YO_JiDaHNqA/w-d-xo.html - Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍
For the average ALL electric home in the USA, you can double that in the south (20kW) and triple that in the north (30kW). Then if you want to be totally off-grid, which means you need a large battery bank, double any of the above. Enjoy. $80K for all electric 2800sqft home with 16-20 SEER heat pumps, 80 gal Std water heater. This is just a bare bones, cheap pv panel system. QCells G10 475W panels cost $305+ now! Then you can do like me, tell your power company to go pound sand. All you gotta do is tell your husband to give up that overpriced $80,000 Dodge, Chevy or Ford pick up truck with the gawdy big wheels, 4wd, 6” exhaust and the coal rolling diesel engine.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. My house and building are both powered by the solar system. It over produced last month. I have a video on that also. I assume that I will not over produce in the winter months Dec, Jan, Feb. But we shall see, I will keep you guys updated. You can find equivalent panels from overstock vendors and save a ton. It's harder saving on the inverters but it can be done also. I don't see how anyone recoups their money after spending 80k upfront. That was my number driver. Most roofs can not adequately house a 20kw system effectively (south facing). Thats a lot of panel space to find on one side of a roof.
Appreciate it! I have built things since I was a small kid. Figuring that out was the easy part for me. Rules and regulations, sourcing and supply chain limitations held me up some. Took me around 2 months to complete. Had a lot going on, worked on it when I could. Overall, it wasn't bad. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
You have enough data to see what you are actually going to produce in kWh for the year, to see when you will reach your return on the system? I’m leaning towards a self install too, especially after some of the quotes we’ve gotten.
Yes, with this system I can track the production down to even real-time. Do you mind sharing your quotes? It's always interesting hearing from others on how much some companies are inflating the cost. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject most were around the $50,000 range for between 14-16.5 kw system just depending which company did the system design. Almost none of them would give me an estimate with a cost breakdown. From what I could tell most of the salesmen are just trying to lock you in to the highest price they can then basically sub out the install to a solar installer that may work for several of the companies. Basically just head hunters when you can probably shave $1 per watt just reaching out to a local solar contractor & avoid the big companies trying to get you to lease or finance panels.
@@JustinsProject sorry, no those were between 10-11 kw systems. Like you mentioned I think they are basically adding the tax credit to the normal installation cost, & making it sound like you are just going to get this big fat check at the end of the year. None of them tell you it’s a credit against tax liability.
@@brianwester5385 Thanks for sharing! Definitely, if your hiring someone go local. 50k for 10-11kw is ridiculous. If you are good with building things doing it yourself shaved nearly 40k off of that. Crazy!
Thanks for making this video Justin! I'm in the research phase and hoping to have my pole building done soon to install a solar system here in Ohio. Is there a roof mounted racking system that is adjustable (manual operation) to better track the sun with the seasons? Can you if you haven't already make a video describing the net metering for your electric company? I have a co-op and mine will only pay me wholesale for the electricity that I produce so no incentive to produce above and beyond what I use.
I do have a lot of other videos on the solar, imcluding one on net metering. I also have a couple on my electricity bill that shows where the over production goes on my bill. Check out my solar playlist for all of those vids. I do plab on making more videos to help all the DIY'er out there. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hey Justin, how much time do you think you put into installing your system (prep time, seeking and ordering parts, certifications, permits, etc.) Could you put all that time into the final price of the PV system and, did you also get fed credit for all that time as well?
A lot of time was spent sourcing and designing. This was my first go at installing solar. I did not know anyone in the industry so it was hard to find some of the information I was looking for. The installation process came just after I bought a new property and built the building that the panels now rest on. I spents months on this. The new skill I learned is priceless and will continue to save me going forward. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Question for you Justin. Concerning Enphase 'University', when Im signing up are there scheduled online classes or can I through them at my own pace. Im having a hard time finding exactly what I need to do on Enphases website. Im a homeowner who is doing his own installation
You can go through the certification at your own pace. I found it very helpful. university.enphase.com/ You will need to login with your enlighten account. Then look for Enphase Solar PV installation certification. Goodluck!
Justin, awesome info. Could you elaborate on what you meant by you got a “certificate” saying that your microinverters where “brand new” after you bought them off eBay. Also I see you have factored sales tax on everything bought second hand… I didn’t think you paid sales tax if you bought it out of state? Why were you charged sales tax? Thanks!
On the receipt I got from the sellers states the item was new never used. Tax was charged for the state I am having the item shipped to not the state they came from. That is the way eBay calculates that now. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Wow . what a difference in cost , from the estimate you got . just one question , the building that the solar panels are on how long is the building it self. I plan on putting up a structure 50'x100' in the near future and i want to put solar on it as much as I can.
That building is a 36x56. You could do a massive system on 50x100 building. If you change the orientation of the panels you can get even more up there. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Yes, we had to switch the meter to a "NET" meter. I have a video on that also. You can find that here: th-cam.com/video/fKwvrZrunvE/w-d-xo.html - Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
Nice video. I'm overseas planning on setting up my system at home
Appreciate it 👍🏻 Good luck with your solar build. I am looking into possible alternatives, and if they check out, I'll be sure to share. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you!!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍
Great information looking forward to building 10.8k system soon
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Valuable info, thank you for the video
Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Wow, great video! Shows how much I over paid, ouch! Live and learn!
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin. I am so happy to find your channel. Great video content. I am sure you are one of the honest solar men.
You inspired me to build my own solar roof. Would you help me to build mine?
Thanks in advance
Welcome aboard! I have tried to share as much as possible on what I did to build my system. I am glad that it's been helpful to so many people. I will continue to try to put out content to help out. Thanks for watching and commenting.
thank you sir it is great info im buing the materials for my system to do it myself will contact you if a need your help
Awesome! Goodluck on your journey to going solar! Thank you for watching and commenting! 👍
Thanks a ton justin.I am following this video as guidance to what to buy for installing a solar system.This is very useful.Only additional cost for me may be is that i talked to roofers who said it will cost 100$ per solar panel for installing solar panels on the roof.If you know those costs please do share in the next video.But thanks a lot.Really appreciate your generosity in posting these videos.
Good luck with the installation. I am very pleased with our system. It was a great investment for the $$$ we spent to build it. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Absolutely 💯 loving your info
? What do you have to do to get the tax rebate?
Be sure to keep every receipt. When you file, there will be a section on energy improvements made to your property. There you can add how much you spent on the system. All materials must be new and never used. If you paid someone for work, you can include that also. Hope that helps point you in the right direction. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin i to install ten kw system like your the solar company quote my total 59,000 before federal and state taxes incentive after the incentive almost 30,000 and finance for 25 years i see the riff off thank you for video
I am pretty sure those guys are inflating the cost simply because of the incentives. They are capitalizing on that massively. There are companies out there that do it for a reasonable fee but extremely hard to find. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I would like to do the same project as you did for your home
@@mikehill5678 It's doable, if you can do itself than you would save tens of 1000's and you hopefully will still get that 30% credit. That's pretty sweet deal!
Hello Justing, very well-explained videos. Any chance of getting a copy of this excel sheet. Thanks
If I can find it in archives, I don't mind sharing. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hey Justin great work! You make it look so easy! I'm slowly building an inventory for my project. So far I've purchased one case of iq8+ on eBay and made an offer on another case. I'll need three singles too. My plan is for three groups of 13 since that's what the iq8+ max panels says. I plan on mating them up with 400 watt panels here in hot Las Vegas. I'll need the cables, combiner box, envoy, and fused disconnect and maybe the white oval shaped thing that communicates with the app. I have a two story with S tile roof. Also planning on a patio cover that'll be 14X32. That should be ample room in all for three groups of 13 panels. Batteries aren't in the picture yet and may never be but hopefully I can add em in if need be. If you had any advice for me I'd be all ears! Keep up the great work! Regards, Eric
The IQ8+ will only produce 295w peak watts out of you 400w panels. I would suggest IQ8M's for optimal pairing. They produce 330w peak. The 400w panels should produce over the 330w for many years. I have 370w panels and wish I would have used Iq7X's or IQ8M'S. Although my system is producing very well, I think I am leaving a little production on the roof with my IQ7+'s. Don't get me wrong, IQ8+'s will definitely work out well with 400w panels. But rather than having a 15600w system it will be 11505watts peak. With M's 12870 peak. Hopefully, I'm not confusing you. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thanks for response! Yeah I might have jumped the gun with the 8+ MI's but I feel like I got em bought right. Maybe I can recoup and do the M's. The way I'm going at it is gonna be a slow roll either way as I'm using credit card and then hammering it out. By the time I'm done an iq8+ system will be antiquated. Worse comes to worse I'll have to be happy with an 11+kW system. Could I get a combiner with four circuits so I could add a fourth branch down the line? And would it have to be iq8+ or could it be a more powerful branch?
The tax credit only applies if you owe on your taxes, If you get a refund usually then you get nothing but i hear it applies if in later years you owe you can claim up to $3000 per year.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
justin thanks for valuable inputs ... how much installation cost ...?
Your welcome! I installed the system also. So the numbers you see in the video is total amount investment plus my time and hard work. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
That's even great 👍
I am encouraged to do my own as well. How did you do your wiring? Did you DIY or hire an electrician?
I wired it myself. I have a video on that in my solar playlist. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Wow, amount of details you have shown is incredible. Did install it by yourself? How many paid workers did you have to finish the work. It would be nice to include the paid labor cost. Thanks again. Love to get a copy of your Excel part list. Thanks a bunch.
I did not include the cost paid for labor because there was no labor cost paid out. Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍
btw since enphase was pricy, I decided to use solaredge instead
SolarEdge is a good pick also. Congrats on Solar! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I have solar already on the house. Paid way too much for it. But i built a garage and want to add more panels to get back to 100%. I got estimates from 1 company but everyone else said since we still owe on them they wont touch it. I only need probably 3 or 4 more but dont have a clue how to get started doing it myself. Plus i have 2 panels on house one is not producing anything other 1 is very minimal. I need these figured out too. I know the one has both wires going to ground. Gotta figure out which one goes pos. Will explain how that happened in later communication if you are able to help
It is hard to say without knowing all the details. Is this a microinverter or string inverter system?
@JustinsProject each panel has a micro inverter
Hi Justin Great series. 👍I know that you did not pay anyone else to install the system but did you have any help from friends/family installing the racking & panels etc ? Trying to figure out how much physical help I will need, Thanks
Appreciate it. Yes, I had help from 3 family members on the day it went on the roof. 2 on the ground, 2 on the roof. I made a short on the solar hoist I made to get them on the roof. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
It would be great if you would upload your spreadsheet, just to give everybody a template to start with. I know, we can all just copy the text from your video, but since you've already got that done...
Where should I upload it, too?
How do you keep the snow off them
Still working on a solution for that. This will be my first winter. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you, sir. I love solar but was told years ago that you must have batteries. Has the technology changed so that they are not needed for some applications?
You do not have to have batteries for a grid tie system. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Everyone seems to think it's an amazing system. I wouldn't know yet unfortunately. So what about the batteries? Or is that an off grid thing? I'm a new first time homeowner and looking into solar for first time.
So much to learn, be patient and pick whats best for you. If you have questions be sure stop in and ask I'll do what I can to help. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Lyra designed your layout
But who designs the layout for the main electrical panels as far as what solar breakers is needed?
And if the main breaker needs upsize downsize or if a panel upgrade is required?
I designed the layout. Lyra created the package in a format that would be acceptable for an official solar permit. Everything was left up to me to figure out. It took a lot of research.
I’m thinking about doing a ground mount system in my next home, I really appreciate you sharing as much as you can. It’s helping me design my system step by step.
Awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin, you really did an excellent job of sourcing all your parts. I also used Iron Ridge for my ground mount. For my system, which I included having a couple of electricians come out and replace my main breaker panel with a new one due to what I had was very old and outdated and a fire hazard. For my 5.865 kW system, I have invested $14,300 total. I had to purchase just over a $1,000 in 2" pipe to mount my panels on. The cost of pipe now is outrageous but it is what it is. Anyway, I also just watched your video on the new law that just passed and the 30% will help. You should take this knowledge that you have learned and offer up your services to other DIY type people. It is not rocket science!
Much appreciated 🙏 I so badly wanted a ground mount system but it ended up on my building roof 😁 Congrats on going solar! It feels nice right?! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Somethings are DIY , but not Roofing , HVAC , Engineering plans , Plumbing , New home carpentry and etc . Solar if you want the cheaper price I recommend doing a cash offer through solar company . If you never did any labor or know any workers that can drill into truss and not messing up your roof causing leaks and especially electrical you don’t want your home catching on fire . If you do what Justin did I recommend getting a local licensed electrical company , engineering company to stamps plans , and someone to submit plans to your local Buiding department that can easily be done by you . Justin knows what he’s doing but only 5-10% can actually install it correct to pass county inspections . Also before you buy need to find out what panels your county will accept because of wind code .
Appreciate it 🙏 Lot of good points. I have been building and learning all sorts of trades since I was a young teenager. I guess thats around 30 years now 😁 I did not figure this out overnight and I know there is always room to improve. Thats what keeps me wanting to learn and build new things. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Any battery bank? Costs?
I choose to use the power company as my battery storage because they pay 1:1 on overproduction and because the cost of the battery backup. Use a generator if the power goes out. It was my best option for returning my investment. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
The best overview of a solar project I’ve seen to date. Appreciate the information you shared.
Got yourself a new sub and look forward to checking out your other helpful videos.
Justin, your videos are a God send Buddy! Blessings to you and your family.
Much appreciated and I am glad it was helpful. Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit hope to bring some more helpful content soon. I have a couple of new things I am working on and look forward to sharing them.
tried the Lyra design link and won't seem to work with a ONE-OFF DIY ?
You should be able to because I did a one off design using lyrasolar. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thanks for the info I can already tell you're what I'm looking for
Thanks! Appreciate you watching and commenting 👍🏻
Excellent description of the different parts and cost for a solar system. It sure looks like you saved a lot of money by sourcing the components and services and installing it yourself.
Sure did save a ton. Plus, I still get to take advantage of the tax credit. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hi Justin I have a question, if I was to do a off grid system with a battery setup would I need any inverters before or after the batterys?
Are you looking for a true off grid system setup or a grid tied system that is available when the power company has an outage? There is some confusion on that, so I just want to clarify.
Justin, what a phenomenal job you did laying out all the parts and the prices.
Greatly appreciate all the work you did to put this video together.
Thank you very much!
I’m looking at designing a solar system for my home in the Florida keys and your video was extremely helpful.
Have you thought about installing a battery back up? That’s something I’m looking into for power outages during hurricanes and another inclement weather.
I’d be interested to hear more about battery back ups if you have done the research or maybe a possible topic for a future video
Much appreciated 🙏 I have thought about battery back up but in my situation it's not really worth the investment. For you guys in FL, I would say its a must or atleast have a good generator to power the essentials in those times of bad weather. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Could you tell me the tech spec's of the panels you chose.
S-Energy panels. I would not recommend them since their customer service is impossible to contact.
Upon reflection, What panels would you recomend.@@JustinsProject
@danonly55 Are you looking for budget panels or high-quality panels. What microinverters are you planning to use? Do you want black on black or standard frames, cells, and backing?
I want to use quality panels with the standard frames, not sure on cells or backing, any input you have would be great. I would like to use the IQ7+ inverters, I will probably install 16-18 panels 400W in a portrait layout@@JustinsProject
How did you get around pulling the electrical permit and its inspection?
I did pull a permit and had an inspection. It was a fairly simple process. Cost total of $45. 11:32 - Is the segment I mention the software and permits - Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
@@JustinsProject Thank you for your reply. I was wondering if you needed a state licensed master electrician to pull the permit and pass city inspection. Also, where there any other structural inspection involved? All of those vary from city and state levels. How was your experience ? Thank you again
@@jaimeparadise I'm sure it could differ jurisdiction to jurisdiction. I personally did not have to do anything other than provide a 1 line diagram with my solar permit package before starting anything. Then get the inspection ordered after install was complete. My #1 tip to anyone looking to do this theirselves, start by making a couple calls. Planning and Zoning and your utility company. Find out what is required in your area. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin, how many KWH has this system produced so far? I’m impressed with what you have accomplished I know I could mount all the panels on roof myself but the electrical hookup is too out of my reach I should talk with my electrician because you saved thousands by doing this yourself so your payoff is short term congratulations man!
The total panel rating is 9990 watts. So 10kW. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Your management software should show you, Justin, how many KWH total production you have received from your system.
KW is the peak performance level.
KWH is the total quantity of the energy produced.
Can you please share that?
(maybe you already have done that in another video) sorry, I just found your channel! 🙂
Thanks, this and your other videos are informative.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Great video ! I’m from india and I got the enphase system installed too
43 panels , iq7A.. 20kw .. got it done through a company .. cost me around usd 21k
That is a great deal! You can't go wrong with that cost on a 20kw system! Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Great video Justin. I really like your attention to detail. The $85k bid from the installer is crazy!! You saved some serious $$$$!
Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
dam that sales man for the solar was trying to make commission for the entire year
Awesome! Found your videos today and will be following more as I have a new build next year and want to do as much as I can myself. Thanks for a great video!
Awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Wow, you saved a lot!! Great video highlighting all the costs when you purchase and build solars yourself.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hi Justin
I got the solar 2 years ago. But the guys install does the terrible job. Now it’s doesn’t work. I want buy the emphases box . He didn’t install the emphases box . I saw you install.
Do you connected to the emphases center?
I have a video in my solar playlist where I showed how I installed mine. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
how is your system 10kw? iq7+ max continuous output power is 290VA, so max power would be 290*27 = 7830 watts. I am thinking about buying an iq6A for this reason (higher output power).
The solar array is 9990w. The max output is limited to the IQ7+'s output. You are correct on the 7800w. This is common practice to oversize the panel vs the inverter output. A healthy design will typically have a DC/AC ratio of something around 1.25 give or take. The system is performing great and I will have an updated monthly production video very soon. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
thank you, you really found a good deal on those microinverters. Hope I can find something similar
Thanks for all the great information. During the video you said the shipping was to Kentucky. I am in Nicholasville,KY.
I know where that is, I lived in Lexington for a bit. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
WOW! I am just now looking into Solar. Can't wait to watch more
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻 Much appreciated 🙏
very good price
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Great Information!! Great Job! It was awesome that you were able to save that much money. Can't wait to do my solar system with your help.
Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Got a quote for a 12kw - 30 panel system for 52,000 = 4.33 per watt. Been paying 900 a month for oil and 350 for electricity and wanted to do solar to escape this drudgery but knew very little about it. Thanks to your blueprint I can now price any quote for accuracy. Appreciate the work you did to share this and educate us all!
Much appreciated 🙏 Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
$900 a month for oil? Is that heating in the winter?
how much you thin the cost of installing is!! for some of us that cant install it
thank you so much for the information man you are a true help
Depends on the site layout and other factors. It's hard to give a quote on jobs like that without having a lot of the details. In my area, you can expect a minimum of $1 a watt for installation on a basic installation. That goes up depending on a lot of factors, though.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
This is the most honest information and Real Facts.
Thanks Justin for providing the sources Information.
I want to build a solar system replace my fence using vertical bifacial XL panels of 530 W x 12 making it 6.36 KW.
Let me know your thoughts
If positioned correctly and the tilt is desirable then I say go for it. I'm a little cautious of the super high output panels. I had bought 440w First Solar before eventually canceling that order to buy the 370w panels I have now. They are huge when handling them. I would imagine 530w panels would be massive. But every design is different. I was hell bent on the black on black on black. Only because I was initially doing an inground mount. The front, back and sides had to be black. Turns out the look pretty good on my black roof too.
Incredible, incredible, incredible. I started my solar/backup power journey last year after Texas went through our Snowmaggedon Event in Feb 2021. I purchased a 12kwh LifePO4 batteries coupled with two 3000W Inverters from Bluetti that can also accept DC PV power up to 2400W per inverter. I had this system wired into my home panel as a battery backup and it works great to power my emergency circuits, but I never added the actual solar component yet since my Inverter battery setup isn't like an Enphase or SolArk system. I am ready to seriously start pursuing putting solar panels on my roof for the purpose of replenishing my solar battery system and augmenting my home power as well. I so appreciate all the hard work you done to research all of this out - you are true DIY hero and I appreciate it.
Much appreciated 🙏 Good luck with your system. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Man this video was awesome thanks
Appreciate that! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
You’re a freaking God dude!!!!!!
🤣 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you for doing this video. You proved the solar companies are ripping people off. I plan to install my own system like you did, except I probably will do a ground mount rack system which I know will be a little more expensive. I am a retired person and feel much safer staying on the ground.
Awesome stuff! Goodluck and thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
How did you use lyrasolar? They are only accepting retail installers.
At the time I created mine, I was able to. If you are looking for a solar permitting software, you can use IronRidge's version, which is almost identical. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Dave here,what a great valuable Solar video! I want to install my own system. Watching your video really motivates me to do this. For me to get started because of time limitations with the NEM April 15th deadline, I need to get started on the application. I like the time stamp at 11:30. My question is to get started on the application, do I need to get the forms and the fees you mentioned for the NEM approval? I have a friend who wants to move forward also with me on meeting this timeline. Subscribed and watched your other videos too! Please get back to me on your recommendations. I have lived in my home for 40 years , done all the improvements with my wife's help. We have a 10 year old lifetime roof so I think that should be a good start. I do electrical, plumbing, appliance repair, heating and A/C installations and repair also.
I have been getting feedback that Lyrasolar is no longer accepting DIY'ers to create their own solar permits. That is a shame, but there is a better alternative I found. It is offered by IronRidge. That can be found at: base.ironridge.com/projects
My main piece of advice that I can offer is to contact your planning and zoning department first, before doing anything. They will help guide you in the right direction and what steps to take in your jurisdiction. From there, definitely contact your power company and speak to someone about your project. From my experience, they were very helpful and it was actually required. I hope this helps get you started on the right foot. Thanks for watching, commenting, and being a subscriber. 👍
@@JustinsProject Thank you to all on TH-cam who follow your channel! What an amazing project you completed! I am off to do my due diligence. Thanks!
Very Cool, thank you for your hard work and for posting this. We are a group of Montana - Wyoming homesteaders teaching people to live off grid. I will refer my people to your website and channel...
Much much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching, commenting and sharing 👍🏻
Justin this video series is excellent! Thank you for taking the time to post it. Some of the pricing you listed such as for the inverters is hard to find. Any recommendations for where to buy the inverters, etc.?
I purchased most of the inverters off of eBay. It took some time to find the deals I found, but I was patient. I bought other components through various websites and marketplaces. Good luck in your solar journey. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I've also gone this route in putting up my own system. I had 32 panels at 370w each. I went with the string inverter though and came up at about the same ending price. My system clips quite a bit in the summer though. Thinking about adding more panels and another string inverter to get the full power out of the system.
Love the information and may use the permitting system you used rather than drawing it up myself!
Doesn't it feel awesome! 👏I am also getting some clipping on those real sunny days. I am happy with the overall production though. I really liked the LyraSolar solar permit software. Very easy to use and saved me a ton of time. Thanks for watching and commenting.
String inverter should cost you less than microinverter. Microinverters are expensive
@@JustinsProjectLyra Solar says on their website it’s not for homeowners and only for professionals doing 5 or more projects a month were you hassled much by this?
I thought the tax credit can only be applied to NEW hardware, it appears you purchased all used stuff. How does this work?
As long as it is new, never used. Everything I purchased was new, never used. So it did qualify. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Amazing video with real numbers!!! Thank you so much. I’m getting quotes for a 27 panel system almost identical to yours in OH in the $36K range. Probably better panels but rest identical. My ROI would be 21 years - crazy. My son keeps telling me to DIY. I said I don’t know how. After watching your videos I know I can. Still have to watch your video about plus vs A converter. A 410 panel on a 330VA inverter seems not ideal to me. Thx again for the inspiration. I’ll be in touch via your website….MM
It is definitely possible. Always safety first though. The only time I felt a little uneasy was when I was working in the main service panel. It is very dangerous if you are not familiar with working with electricity, and I am fairly comfortable with wiring circuits and things like that. If you are planning on using Enphase microinverters I would highly recommend completing the courses they have available for free. Look up Enphase University. It helped me in several areas when I could not find the answers anywhere else. Good luck! Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Great job with the explanation. My wife and I are trying to build out our solar project too. I'm trying to build out a 9KW system and already purchased the storage battery which is a LiPo battery. I would appreciate your assistance for helping build out our system and would be willing to compensate you for the work.
Much appreciated 🙏 Just let me know. I will do what I can to help. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thanks for the response. I sent you a message on your IG page. I'm very serious and willing to compensate you fairly!!!
@@nicolsonjean-francois6737 Visit my website, justinsproject.com contact me using the messenger chat. Let me know what you need help with. Cheers!
Awesome video. It gives me a good perspective on what to expect. I am considering ground mount but the metal roof seems like a great way to go
We were going to go inground but due to some special permits we put it on the roof. It also saved us around $3500. We were only looking at tilt inground systems though. Thats the real reason for the black on black on black panels 😁Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Time to set up some eBay searches!! Thanks for the information.
Ebay, OfferUp and lots of searching for deals on quality items ended up saving me 1000's. Hope you find some great deals! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Probably the most organized way you can teach people to build a solar system
Appreciate it! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Is it a one time credit? What if you add upgrades?
I am under the impression, yes. People have commented they got credit for upgrades on their systems in other videos I put out on solar. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Could you tell me inside the J box, where the connector came from where you hook the wires in that then run to your combiner box?
Are you looking for the actual part I used to build the connection inside the box? I purchased that off of Amazon at amzn.to/3CDBAqc - That is the exact one I purchased. It's a DK6N Dinkle Assembly. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
@@JustinsProject yes. Thank you! My god there are so many parts and the place I purchased from left a lot of stuff out 🥵. I’m using the Unirac system with Qcells 400W panels and enphase iQ8+. I wish I had found that link you provided to solar panels earlier. But honestly even though mine were $319/panel they do excellent in low light and I’m in northwest Ohio so I need all the help I can get.
Still, I’m pushing $25,000 for a 15.6 kWh system. Which is double your cost. I did want to fully max out the back of my house. 30% tax credit now helps. Panels: $13,xxx, iQ8 microinverters: $5600, racking and wiring $5,106 and now all these miscellaneous inverter screws, clips, zip ties.
On the plus side. I was quoted almost $50,000 for a 16.8 kWh system. So I’m really not doing too shabby. I also went with the Flashloc Comp roof attachment which costs way more than the other. But I’m saving on labor and feel very comfortable attaching those to my house so 🤷🏼♂️
@@zettel29 Awesome stuff! Love hearing others doing similar stuff. If you need any at all, send me a message. I try to respond asap. Congrats on building your own system. It is very rewarding!
Thank you for this video, it's been very helpful for comparing system costs and finding a good deal. Can you tell me why you chose a fusible ac disconnect? It may be cheaper to use a non-fusible ac disconnect instead and the main breaker panel circuit breaker would accomplish the same thing
I chose the fusible AC disconnect for added protection and ease of inputting that model into my solar permit. By using materials within the solar permitting software made building my permit application a lot easier. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin, this is incredible. Would you mind sharing your spreadsheet as a guide for us prospective DIY'ers?
Much appreciated 🙏If I can find it in my archived folders I will try to create a link for it. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
I'm working on adding 2 more enphase
Arrays. Quotes are 24k-27k so I'm doing it myself.
What size are the solar arrays? Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I did not see any batteries so what do you do when the grid goes down?
At this time, if the grid goes down, we will use a generator to supply power to the essentials. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hi Justin, Great job with your videos and explanations. No sales pitch! No goofy music! Just the facts!
My situation and follow up question: I have an older install (12kw, about 14 yrs) on my current house. I used 190w Mage panels (which went bankrupt about 2 years after installation). I used a solar installer, that had been in the business about 10 years, that went bankrupt about 1.5 years after my installation. I used M190 and D380 Enphase inverters. These inverters have about a 80% failure rate and are a pain in the butt to replace (luckily they are still under warranty for another ~2 years) as they are on my roof and the house is 3 floors.
I am currently building a new house and looking to add solar to it, probably a 10kw system. My research has indicated that Enphase is still the best for micro inverters, however I am concerned about the reliability of Enphase inverters given my history. Would appreciate your input on reliability of the "7As". Also warranty periods on the panels and inverters.
Also, a question: If you have an inverter failure, will Enphase replace it even though you did not buy them from Enphase?
Lastly, I would appreciate a video on just the wiring, especially from the "J" box to the house.
Thanks!
Yes, Enphase stands behind its warranty even if you don't buy it from them. However, the microinverters must be installed by a certified Enphase installer. Anyone planning on doing their own system should take the classes on Enphase University. They are free. I have a couple other videos on wiring the system. Hope they help you out. Thanks!
Thanks buddy. Yes I am researching solar before the new tax credit. How did you choose the solar panels you chose, and the micro inverters to use.
Your welcome 🙏 Good question, stay tuned to the channel and I will answer that question. It's not as simple as pick one and go. There are a ton of factors to get it right. I am planning on sharing an update on that in the furtue. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Have you looked at the prices from Tesla with the Powerball? It doesn't seem bad at all now with the incentive. For 7.6kW system with one Powerwall that can power my house for 7 days it cost $11,000k installed after the incentive. Good job on your system.
11k installed on a 7.6kw system, that's a killer deal. Something seems off about that price. If you can get that for 11k installed, I'd recommend getting it asap. That's roughly $1.44 a watt out the door. Be careful on the tax credit, it's not a check. I have a recent video on that. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject I just checked their website again and the exact number are: 7.2kw system with 1 power wall $25,971 minus the state and federal incentives would be $11,687 excluding tax but including installation. Sadly Tesla doesn't do installs yet in my area of South Carolina.
@@juanmedinar20 @juanmedinar20 Hmmm with out doing a roof analysis, layout obstructions, wiring runs, main panel load capacity, conduit requirements, permits and a ton of other items its impossible to get a final $$$. My fear is that those prices are headlines and not the final $$$. That was my experience with all solar companies. Not saying their numbers are not true, because I haven't completed system with Tesla. I am just very cautious ⚠️ because those numbers seem very low and to go from 25k to 11k thats around 60% off. The numbers they are claiming seem fishy. I would love to hear from someone with a Tesla system on what final cost was and how big the system was.
@@JustinsProject South Carolina has a 25% tax credit too, that goes with the federal credit. If you are lucky enough to have Duke energy as your utility, they also have a rebate of $1 per watt DC of
your system (I can’t remember the cap). Dominion offers bupkis, but does pay back your excess produced at like $.07 per kWh one time a year.
The average residential electricity rate in California is 30 ¢/kWh, which is 73% higher than the national average rate of 17 ¢/kWh. 85 ¢/kWh? Forgive me. But where is the savings?
My system saves me about $200 a month. every month. That is only factoring in a .097 cent per kWh cost that electric power cost in my area. If it were .30 cents per kWh I would be saving more than $600 a month. My system is a one time cost. I saved tons doing it myself so the ROI will net positive after about 5 years. Everything after that is money saved. 100%. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great overview. You helped me kickstart my project! One question, did you have to hire a structural engineer to calculate if the metal building supports the weight?
Much appreciated. When I designed my building, I made sure that the structure would support the solar system and a heavy snow load. Also, it's very important to space your racking system supports according to the manufacturers recommendation. I used ironridge racking because their technical support and customer service were supposed to be excellent. Turns out yes, they are. Good luck with your solar project. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hopefully you scan your video comments and will see my post below made on August 4th at 7:22 pm PST if not we'll may e Ill have to comment in your latest video.
I definitely try to keep up with all the comments and respond to every one of them. I responded to your other comment also. 👍🏻
Commenting for the algo to boost you. It's good to see an itemized list of costs. Hope you do follow-up vids on performance and surprise costs. So did you install it or did you have a crew for it?
Much appreciated! I designed, permitted, installed, and commissioned the entire system. Did not hire anyone, so that helped saved a massive chunk of 💰. This Sunday, I will have a new video on how I wired the complete system. Hope you check out it. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you!! Your other video regrading the tax credit might have saved my life! They wanted 63k for a solar system on my 2000 sqft. house…..had I not had a gut feeling and found your video i probably would have went for it and signed my life away. I was told some of the same things you said you were told, how I would get a 18k+ check from the irs with the 30% tax credit. After 2 minutes on google I knew that wasn’t true. Then I thought well what if I just did it myself. Of course you had a video on that too! You really changed how discouraged I was initially. Same for my wife. Watching this has us thinking not only is it possible to do ourselves but actually obtainable. Makes me want to follow behind that solar companies truck and show your video to every customer they are about to scam. I should have known immediately when they said you only need a 600 credit score to qualify for this loan 😂. I didn’t even sign with them and I feel bad for all the middle class people they have scammed.
63k... Was that with or without a battery backup? For either setup that is still pretty expensive. It is amazing how most solar companies (not all) are taking advantage of people out there. I am glad you stumbled upon my videos and it helped you. I wish I could get this out to everyone just like you mentioned. The scams we all are experiencing these days are mind-blowing. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
@@JustinsProject no batteries! My uncle over in San Diego went solar a few years ago and his system was half the cost. He literally got his system maybe 2-3 years ago and his was around 30k installed with the warranty and whatever else they say and no batteries. How in 3 years did it double in price. Not only that he lives in California where everything is overpriced and his still was half what they wanted for mine. Power is almost .60 cents a kw where he lives where I live about .12 cents.
@@0102460 Yes that is ridiculous.
I'm assuming you bought all new micro inverters just sourced around for the best price till you reached 27, how did that factor into the 25 yr warranty? is it a in-service thing when the warranty starts or off of the time
of purchase?
Correct. Never used or commissioned, the warranty is only valid if installed by a Enphase certified installer. Yes, I became a certified enphase installer in a couple of hours at no cost. The warranty started when I commissioned them into service for the very first time. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
hey Justin, How do we get our hands on that spread sheet ? it would be nice for reference. I am in Tarpon Springs florida, and i want to install 30 panels with IQ8 and then add 30kw EG4 batteries later.
30kw battery backup? That's a lot of backup. Especially considering you are going to be utilizing the IQ8 microinverters. I guess it all depends on you consumption though.
I gotta say....man you are on top of it in the comments Justin! Thank you man!
Much appreciated!
All I can think of is “Wow !”
😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Parents had installed 28 panels 3.5 years ago, using the enphase equipment and iq7+ microinverters.... They were never informed on how it actually works and what to expect, they just got a plug-in play situation. all these years later it was noticed that the electric bill is too high so we start investigating.... First step was to see what has it produced and exported and also consumed... Total lifetime produced as of today is 28.17 mwh and exported is 28.17 mwh.... no consumption recorded, so thats a red flag ok we realize we dont have the sensors to read what we consume but no one told us about it so how can we know ... But where did the electric go??? because we dont have batteries ... It went to the grid meaning sold to the electric company, called them and coming to find out we were not even set up on a solar plan for this to actually take place.... LOL WHAT???? are you kidding me so for the past 3.5 years i gave you free power 28.17 mwh worth and you ae saying its my loss ??? no way I refuse that... WHen the installed happend the solar installers and my father called the electric company before they begin the work at that time it should have been said ok you need a new agreement and so on not let us continue and years later say something that needed to be done... So the whole cost for this install was 15k and never applied for tax credits now , i need it all because they have been duped .. older folks ex[pecting to get a service that pay for and not receiving anything ... what do you think we should do??? the broker is dogging the calls the financing company are not having a easy time putting the puzzle together and the electric folks dont want to fork up 28.17 mwh credits .... I really dont just want the contract closed because so much money been wasted what do you think we should do because IM sure we can prove we exported the energy I mean enphase says so it has a graph on the report , so its clear we have had it an ex amount of time because of bill statements ...its almost a local news story ... p.s father has passed so we don't have him to say yes I did say this that and the third but it did actually take place.... So sir how do you think we should go about this??? Thank you for your videos very informative
Thanks for sharing. I am uncertain how to proceed in that situation. Have you contacted an attorney to get their opinion? If you don't have a net meter on your property not only did you produce that power you got charged for it as if you were using it. At the very least I would be reaching out to the company that installed that system. Read your contract word for word, then get the net tariff agreement and read it word for word. If things don't line up, reach out to an attorney to see what your options are. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject I have one more question for you sir.. Can you tell me how much does your panels produce ? something is not adding up , if i produce 900 kwh per month and use 700 of those during the days of that month i only have 200kwh as credit ... now i have to take in account the nights of service of that month lets say 500 kwh that should mean i have to pay for 300 kwh for that month... im not seeing the benifit of have these panels ,, how are people paying 20 30 40 bucks a month do they not use electric at night is that the case or what am i missing? btw thank you for help its been nothing but a headache , not having this service work the way it should and loosing like 5300 in power that we produced and exported who knows where . when its time to get answers from them no one wants to answer and spin you ..
Here is a video I put out a couple days ago. It might be helpful. Been sure to check out next months production and consumption. As I believe it will be better. th-cam.com/video/5tXwiQ7jUIs/w-d-xo.html
Great video and very informative!!! Amazing that you installed it your self and I don't know how you had the foresight to buy all the "right" equipment in order for you to complete the job. Since that is probably NOT the option for may of the users that are watching, what would you feel is the right value upcharge for an installation, would/should be??? I'm curious.
Appreciate it 🙏 It was a HUGE learning curve but I've built a lot of things in my life so it wasn't to bad. Very rewarding in the end. Depending on the size of the system you could expect to pay .80 - $1.20 per watt for the install. They may upcharge you on the materials also. Typically that is 15% for contractors that source the materials for you. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
How did you calculate you needed to connect your panels using three groups. I have two 150A MBPs, can I assume I can use at 30A breaker in each MBP to receive the juice from the panels, and would I need two combiner boxes and two disconnects? So my MBPs would limit me to 5700W for each MBP or a total solar array producing of 11.4kW. Seems that would be my maximum array without doing an upgrade of my service --- did I get this right or am I missing something.
Personally in that scenario I would consider upgrading service if possible. Doubling up on combiner boxes, disconnects, wiring and etc will get very expensive also.
I guess the best question to start is how big of a system do you really need? Are you doing a grid tied with no batteries, grid tied with batteries, or an off grid system? All very important first questions in determining how many KW array you need. Then move into reviewing your past 12 months electrical statements.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
You may have missed some additional tax credit in the 4, 10% plus ups in the IRA bill. See below:
Domestic content
10% tax credit adder Solar power projects eligible for the full 30% tax credit can increase their tax credit by an additional 10% – to 40% in total – by purchasing domestically produced hardware. Per the document, 100% of steel and iron must be US manufactured in the United States. For manufactured goods – like solar panels, inverters, and electrical gear – the goods must initially be 40% US manufactured, though this percentage will increase in the future. Historically, for goods to be classified as Made in the USA, they must be composed of at least 55% domestic content. The bill lists some exceptions to these requirements. Items that are not of satisfactory quality, or are not produced in sufficient quantities, may be imported. Items that would increase the project cost by greater than 25% may be sourced outside the US as well. These requirements, and exceptions, will apply to all project sizes. This report from the Congressional Research Service offers more refined answers. Project siting – 10% tax credit adder Projects that are located in former ‘energy communities’ can earn an additional 10% tax credit. Energy communities are first defined as brownfields, and secondly as locations associated with fossil fuels over the last generation. If there have been significant extraction jobs associated with coal, oil, or natural gas after December 31,1999, then the census tract – and its connecting census tracts – are eligible. If a coal power plant or mine has closed in the same window, the area and its surrounding tracts are also eligible. Language describing energy communities can be found starting on page 250. Clean electricity production credit For a long time, the wind industry has been given a tax credit on a per kilowatt-hour basis. Prior to 2007, the solar industry was also eligible for this production credit. The Production Tax Credit is now fully applicable to the solar power industry. In this document, it is titled the ‘Clean Electricity Production Credit’. If a solar power project meets the prevailing wage requirements, then it will receive a tax credit of 2.5 cents/kWh for the first ten years of a project’s life. If a project does not meet prevailing wage standards, it will earn only 0.3 cents/kWh before adjustment for inflation. Going forward, the production credit increases as it is adjusted for inflation. Language describing the production credit can be found starting on page 442. Domestic solar hardware manufacturing The Ossoff Manufacturing Credits made it into the bill – and then some. There are tax credits for manufacturing the various solar panel, inverter, and racking components, as well. For solar modules the credits are expected to include: Solar Cells – 4 cents per direct current watt of capacity Solar wagers – $12 per square meter Solar grade polysilicon – $3 per kilogram Polymeric backsheet- 40 cents per square meter Solar modules – 7 cents per direct current watt of capacity For inverters the credit would be applied per watt of alternating current: Central inverter – 0.25 cents Utility inverter – 1.5 cents Commercial inverters – 2 cents Residential inverters – 6.5 cents Microinverters – 11 cents Torque tubes for racking will receive 87 cents per kilogram, while structural fasteners get $2.28 per kilogram. Language describing the production credit can be found starting on page 414. 60% tax credit opportunity? There is also a 10% adder for solar power projects that sell their electricity via community solar projects to low-income individuals. If we add the 30% tax credit base, 10% for domestic content, 10% for being located in a former fossil fuel energy community, and 10% for selling the electricity via community solar to low income families – the tax credit could potentially reach 60%. Source: www.pv-magazine.com/2022/08/15/whats-in-the-inflation-reduction-act-for-the-solar-industry/
Thanks for watching and commenting!
How much did you pay for the labor/equipment to install the system?: for panel placement, cable burial, electrical work, etc. If you did it yourself, more power to you!
Much appreciated! I installed the system. The numbers I provided in this video are my all-in cost for the system. Here is a video where I installed the combiner box and ac disconnect: th-cam.com/video/gKik5ZQC8dc/w-d-xo.html - The burial of the line conduit, I did that when I hooked up the 100 amp service in my building: th-cam.com/video/YO_JiDaHNqA/w-d-xo.html - Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍
For the average ALL electric home in the USA, you can double that in the south (20kW) and triple that in the north (30kW). Then if you want to be totally off-grid, which means you need a large battery bank, double any of the above. Enjoy. $80K for all electric 2800sqft home with 16-20 SEER heat pumps, 80 gal Std water heater. This is just a bare bones, cheap pv panel system. QCells G10 475W panels cost $305+ now! Then you can do like me, tell your power company to go pound sand. All you gotta do is tell your husband to give up that overpriced $80,000 Dodge, Chevy or Ford pick up truck with the gawdy big wheels, 4wd, 6” exhaust and the coal rolling diesel engine.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. My house and building are both powered by the solar system. It over produced last month. I have a video on that also. I assume that I will not over produce in the winter months Dec, Jan, Feb. But we shall see, I will keep you guys updated. You can find equivalent panels from overstock vendors and save a ton. It's harder saving on the inverters but it can be done also. I don't see how anyone recoups their money after spending 80k upfront. That was my number driver. Most roofs can not adequately house a 20kw system effectively (south facing). Thats a lot of panel space to find on one side of a roof.
Nice video! Can you share how long it took you to do the installation and how you learned how to do it?
Appreciate it! I have built things since I was a small kid. Figuring that out was the easy part for me. Rules and regulations, sourcing and supply chain limitations held me up some. Took me around 2 months to complete. Had a lot going on, worked on it when I could. Overall, it wasn't bad. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
You have enough data to see what you are actually going to produce in kWh for the year, to see when you will reach your return on the system? I’m leaning towards a self install too, especially after some of the quotes we’ve gotten.
Yes, with this system I can track the production down to even real-time. Do you mind sharing your quotes? It's always interesting hearing from others on how much some companies are inflating the cost. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject most were around the $50,000 range for between 14-16.5 kw system just depending which company did the system design. Almost none of them would give me an estimate with a cost breakdown. From what I could tell most of the salesmen are just trying to lock you in to the highest price they can then basically sub out the install to a solar installer that may work for several of the companies. Basically just head hunters when you can probably shave $1 per watt just reaching out to a local solar contractor & avoid the big companies trying to get you to lease or finance panels.
@@JustinsProject sorry, no those were between 10-11 kw systems. Like you mentioned I think they are basically adding the tax credit to the normal installation cost, & making it sound like you are just going to get this big fat check at the end of the year. None of them tell you it’s a credit against tax liability.
@@brianwester5385 Thanks for sharing! Definitely, if your hiring someone go local. 50k for 10-11kw is ridiculous. If you are good with building things doing it yourself shaved nearly 40k off of that. Crazy!
Thanks for making this video Justin! I'm in the research phase and hoping to have my pole building done soon to install a solar system here in Ohio. Is there a roof mounted racking system that is adjustable (manual operation) to better track the sun with the seasons? Can you if you haven't already make a video describing the net metering for your electric company? I have a co-op and mine will only pay me wholesale for the electricity that I produce so no incentive to produce above and beyond what I use.
I do have a lot of other videos on the solar, imcluding one on net metering. I also have a couple on my electricity bill that shows where the over production goes on my bill. Check out my solar playlist for all of those vids. I do plab on making more videos to help all the DIY'er out there. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hey Justin, how much time do you think you put into installing your system (prep time, seeking and ordering parts, certifications, permits, etc.) Could you put all that time into the final price of the PV system and, did you also get fed credit for all that time as well?
A lot of time was spent sourcing and designing. This was my first go at installing solar. I did not know anyone in the industry so it was hard to find some of the information I was looking for. The installation process came just after I bought a new property and built the building that the panels now rest on. I spents months on this. The new skill I learned is priceless and will continue to save me going forward. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Question for you Justin. Concerning Enphase 'University', when Im signing up are there scheduled online classes or can I through them at my own pace. Im having a hard time finding exactly what I need to do on Enphases website. Im a homeowner who is doing his own installation
You can go through the certification at your own pace. I found it very helpful. university.enphase.com/ You will need to login with your enlighten account. Then look for Enphase Solar PV installation certification. Goodluck!
@@JustinsProject Youre the best man, thanks for the link and the quick response!
Appreciate it 🙏
Justin, awesome info. Could you elaborate on what you meant by you got a “certificate” saying that your microinverters where “brand new” after you bought them off eBay. Also I see you have factored sales tax on everything bought second hand… I didn’t think you paid sales tax if you bought it out of state? Why were you charged sales tax? Thanks!
On the receipt I got from the sellers states the item was new never used. Tax was charged for the state I am having the item shipped to not the state they came from. That is the way eBay calculates that now. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Wow . what a difference in cost , from the estimate you got . just one question , the building that the solar panels are on how long is the building it self. I plan on putting up a structure 50'x100' in the near future and i want to put solar on it as much as I can.
That building is a 36x56. You could do a massive system on 50x100 building. If you change the orientation of the panels you can get even more up there. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Justin, did your power company need to install anything on their end to make it work, such as a 2nd meter and was there any cost associated with it?
Yes, we had to switch the meter to a "NET" meter. I have a video on that also. You can find that here: th-cam.com/video/fKwvrZrunvE/w-d-xo.html - Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
Are batteries covered under the solar tax credit that you know of? Great content and thanks for all the links very helpful!
Yes, from what I have found batteries are to be included in the tax credit. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
Inquiring minds want to know... the panels have the following stats: 10 Yr Warranty, Power Output in Year 25 : 80%, Module Efficiency: 19.0%
😁 For more information on my panels here is a link: www.energysage.com/solar-panels/s-energy/2102/SN370M-10T/
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻