BTW...This is not my first foray into the world of Solar Power.
A few years ago I had a job that allowed me to ride my motorcycle all over America and Canada. All I needed was cell phone and internet access. Keeping the devices charged was a challenge for my wattage handicapped Suzuki V-Strom. So I built what I called my "Solar Powered Moto Office"
A small Pelican case on the back of the bike with a 12v battery, inverter and various jacks to power up devices:
The lap-Top sat right there, running off its internal battery or the backup battery:
The cigarette lighter plug in the above picture, plugged into the bike and charged the devices if the bike was running.
But at lunch stops or if I was on a picnic table in a rest stop on a long winded conference call, the solar panel I had mounted to the top was doing the charging:
I also have a motorcycle trailer that I haul to track days and various motorcycle events. A solar panel on the roof keeps motorcycle batteries charged and a battery in the trailer for a couple LED lights.
And the grand whazzoo is my house. I had a 10,500 watt back feed system installed last September:
This system simply backfeeds the meter for credits during the day. No battery storage. I haven't had an electric bill since February, an now I actually have a credit with the power company for a bit over $200. And I have a full blown machine shop in the garage with Lathe, Milling Machine, Compressor, Grinders and MIG and TIG welders. My electric bill was averaging about $230 a month. Since the install, my largest bill has been around $60 and that was January with snow on the panels most of the month. Solar City did the install and to say I'm pleased with the whole deal would be an understatement.
Yup, I'm a Solar Junkie....And proud of it!...:B
