Frequent Questions about the Solar System
About the Solar System
We have 24 Panels, 8Kw. It is a self-installed kit from mysolarpod.com. They are based in Burnsville, Minnesota. We called, placed an order and picked it up in a few weeks. It took us about a week to set it up. The electrical work was done by Vision Electric in Baxter. Crow Wing Power specified how to connect it to the grid.
How much did it cost?
$15,000 for the equipment, about $3000 for the electrical work, $500 for the monitoring device and iPhone app. Additional expenses for cables, anchors, excavating, tree trimming.
How much power does it make?
For us, one sunny day in the summer, makes a week’s worth of the energy that we use. The house should be net zero for energy use. Crow Wing Power has a $26/month basic service charge that everyone pays. We will not make enough power to cover the service charge.
Are you off the grid?
No, we are connected to power like a normal house. The typical off grid home requires expensive batteries that only last 5 to 7 years and they need maintenance. The TESLA battery is interesting, but it’s not cheap. Being off the grid forces significant changes in energy use – think about the toaster, hair dryer, stove and refrigerator all running off the batteries. Kind of like a camper.
What happens to the energy you don’t use?
If we don’t need all the power the panels are making, it goes back onto the power line. The nearest house calling for power gets it. Do they work in the winter? Yes, but not when covered with snow. Also, our panels will be shaded by the neighboring trees, so in December, January, and February, they won’t generate much power anyway.
Is Minnesota a good place for solar panels?
Yes, the summer days are so long here that we can generate a lot of power in the summer to compensate for the winter. We have panels at our home in south Texas and the solar production is about the same as northern Minnesota.
How do I know if solar will work at my house?
Google has mapped solar potential of roofs in many of US cities. You can see if your address is good for solar: https://www.google.com/get/sunroof
National Renewable Energy Laboratory has a calculator that will help predict how much energy panels will make: https://pvwatts.nrel.gov
