The Bez__ system - custom designed - not an off the shelf product.
Consists of two rows of solar panels about 80 feet long and 12 feet high
Sits on adjustable racks so we can slope it to accommodate the seasons - up for winter - down for summer
All aluminum. Well grounded and insured for damages at about 10 bucks a month.
We decided not to go with the sun tracking system as the initial expense was too much for the pocket book and we did not want maintenance issues. Now that there is a better system than the ones from before I would go for it - but at the time the maintenance and reliability issues with the trackers did not justify the expense.
Twenty year contract with Ontario Hydro.
Each rack of panels has its own inverter system
All cables come to the house - go through the inverters - does not enter our own electrical system - goes back out to the pole and up the pole through its own metre.
It makes us a return of around 13% on the initial investment if I remember right - payback is around 7.5 years.
I do not believe solar power to be anything other than a scam for commercial producers as there is no way to store power and it only works when the sun shines - however the politically correct group and the greens are happy to pay me for something I do not truly believe in.
Yes I have compromised my principles - but I love taking cash from idiots.
Puts out about 10KW per hour
Provides an income of about $1100 a month.
100% financed through Farm Credit Corporation - for all intents and purposes a federal ag bank - done with one phone call and two signatures - took about 5 minutes to get the money.
All loan interest is deductible
Total cost to put up - $84,000
I am paid $0.802 per kilowatt hour
I am contractually obligated to NOT produce more than 10KwH per hour - however our system is slightly overbuilt to produce about 11.3 KwH per hour.
That is because anyone telling you that a solar panel will put out "XXX" is not quite telling the truth - they are not 100% efficient and will probably on a max output day only hit about 85% of their posted out put. Often it will be less.
And they tend to deteriorate over time - so plan on about 3-5% per year reduction in output - so if you want to maximize your output and your income you need to be able to expand it over time.
That is all I can think of at the moment that might be of interest to folks
Questions?
Just ask.
Cheers
Bez__