What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

Changing attitudes are half the battle. My better half no longer feels that solar panels are unacceptably ugly. 

The increased push toward electric vehicles and increasing stress on the power grid due to a variety of issues have made me want to add battery storage to my solar installation.  The recent passage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” in the US makes battery storage installations eligible for the 30% Federal Tax Credit.  I see batteries in the near future .

ralphjy  I know that you will, but please do your research before you purchase a battery storage solution.  I have two different sets here at work and they are vastly different although there is only a slight difference in price.

One system really only charges from the grid while it's marketing material alludes to it charging from solar.  Sure your solar can be tied to the grid at the same time you are charging the batteries, but with no grid, your solar cannot charge your batteries.  When running from batteries, it must be the only source of power.  If you have to use a transfer switch... that is not the system I would recommend for you.

The other system can use the batteries to mimic the grid and allow AC coupled solar to still function.  It can also call for generator - although it uses the generator in lieu of utility and solar.  Generators can't handle reverse power.

All the battery storage systems I've researched require a sub-panel.  One thing I do not like about these systems is that they are not fail-safe.  When your inverter shuts down, you are isolated from ALL sources.  Darkness prevails.  Just some lessons from a guy that had to run back to work in the middle of the night a few times because the BMS shut the system down and it powered the furnace.  When it's single digit temperatures outside, it doesn't really matter if it's C or F.  You need heat.

Hi Mike,  I'll definitely do some research before choosing a battery solution.  I'll need to check with my local utility to see what they allow for grid reconnection after power loss.  I have a "Secure Power Supply" feature on my inverter to allow it to run when the grid is down, but I need to shut the inverter down before I reconnect after grid power is restored.  I know someone with a Tesla Powerwall (and a Tesla to go with it ), so I'll check with him to see how that setup works.

The NEC will update next year, so I'll need to see if there will be new requirements.  The Rapid Shutdown Switch was a new requirement for 2017 and I had to order one at the last minute after all the other system components had delivered.

I've thought about adding generator capability to power the house, but in that case I would probably just switch it in manually and not require it to charge the battery.  Probably the setup you described...

Ralph

Looks like Quint has progressed from his domestic rainwater gutter turbine generator to a solar powered pump hydro scheme.

Storing Solar Power on my ROOF!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMR9z9Xr8GM

Pumped Storage - What I Learned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtD_pJBZIWw

Lessons learnt - you get to find out what your neighbours really think of your activities...

My Neighbor's Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8p-bO61X-Q

I don't know what my neighbors think about my activities. They are all in bed when I am working at 3 am. My better half does have a veto on anything that doesn't pass her aesthetics standards. That drum on the roof for example wouldn't fly without some serious architectural enhancements.

To be fair he did attempt to fit a cloaking device towards the end of the video...