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Old 01-19-2019, 01:23 PM   #2 (permalink)
Snax
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Eugene, OR, USA
Posts: 382

Lord Vader - '15 BMW i3 REx
90 day: 35.06 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snax View Post
- Do you have them?
- Are you seriously planning to get them?
- Do you use a battery backup?
- Do you directly charge an EV with them? Would you?
- Is/was having solar power a factor in deciding to own an EV?
- What would you do differently now if starting from scratch?
I have a 4.96kW array that I had installed early last year, and I am currently working on a DIY addition of another 1.2kW (as Grape Solar is based here and has some scratch and dent panels I'll be picking up on Monday).

I will probably add even more panels down the road, but at significantly more cost with the need for a second inverter.

Mine is grid tied for whole house use with no backup and single net metered at 1:1 pricing.

I did not get the EV because I suddenly started thinking green about solar. There was no correlation of the two.

I do wish I had made a provision for battery backup, not for extended use, but to keep the array functional if/when the power does go out. It hasn't happened in the nearly 3 years I have lived here, but Cascadia quake zone and all, staring at 6.2kW of dead panels on the roof would be a soul-killer post disaster. I also want to be able to charge my EV in that event. :\

I also wish I had gone with a larger inverter from the start, but that's not a huge cost factor to future expansion. My current one will likely be at 100% capacity with the additional 1.2kW I am adding, but I have roof and ground space for more.
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2015 BMW i3 REx
2011 Ford Flex SEL AWD
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