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series_hybrid t1_j1m4qke wrote

Reply to comment by daleelsayarat-cars in Is Solar Energy for Home Really Worth it in the US: Expert Answers by daleelsayarat-cars

I'm unfamiliar with the term. What does intermittency mean to you?

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daleelsayarat-cars OP t1_j1m7v3r wrote

intermittency (intermittence) problem (the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow), a problem for which there is, as yet no workable solution.

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Warm-Sorbet3937 t1_j1muk1j wrote

Our solar system can pull enough on a completely overcast day to run the house. At night, our battery covers most of our needs. Also have an EV. So our solar system powers the car.

We also have peace of mind that we will have power if the grid fails. Plus, we have a smaller carbon footprint.

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daleelsayarat-cars OP t1_j1mvlfp wrote

Okay, what if meteorologists say: that the next month will rain cats and dogs, what can you do in this situation? (If not connected to grid).

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Warm-Sorbet3937 t1_j1myxs5 wrote

Our system pulls enough power to meet our needs on cloudy and rain days. I have yet to see a day when this has not been true.

But we are connected to the grid, too. We pay a small fee each month to the utility company to maintain the connection. Our system automatically switches to utilty-provided power if our battery is depleted at night. This connection to the utility company allows us to give surplus power back to the grid- which is when our battery is recharged and our system is producing more than our needs. The rate for producing power is significantly lower than the rate they charge to produce power. However, even after covering the monthly utility fee and charging the car, we got money back from the utility company last month.

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series_hybrid t1_j1mbm3p wrote

I plan to buy a dual-fuel Gasoline/propane generator for those rare occasions when the battery has run out. Here's my plan:

  1. add a large battery and inverter to power the heater system when its cold. Battery will be 48V and expandable to add run-time. (I have inverter, plan to buy Nissan Leaf modules)
  2. Add dual-fuel generator ($1200?)
  3. Add solar panel array, basic 48V and ensure its expandable.

Edit: the reason for paying extra for dual-fuel is that gasoline is problematic in the winter, and propane is more likely to start during a severe cold spell. Also, relying on only gasoline or propane is limiting. In a power outage (which can happen at any time of year), I want to have options such as solar, gasoline, propane...

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DragonflySharp3811 t1_j1oma5s wrote

Does the electric grid not exist where you live? If so then it would pull from the grid IF the Sun stopped shining 365 days out of the year. Solar does need to run all day for it to generate power also. Within 10 years we should already be at a good enough point with battery technology that you can add it on later while still saving now if you did go Solar.

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