Solar Prius

I'm curious too. I have a small house in San Diego without air conditioning, and I'm usually in SDGE's Tier 2, so a full-scale solar panel installation doesn't make sense financially. Are there any mini-solar systems that might make sense for charging a PiP?

 

a ~200 watt panel runs about ~ 2.5' X 5', there is room for height and width variations. some have mini inverters that are built in, the other route is a inverter fed by 16 to 22 panels, depending on the panels wattage output. Then multiples of that to build up to the size you need.
I do not know what "Mini" means to you, but you will need a substantial footprint of area to install a proper system.
I run a 7.5 kW package, 60 panels, 3 inverters. It takes up a good chunk of my roof. Thankfully it's a flat roof, I have no problems accessing the system for routine washing, and other required maintenance.

 

By "mini", I meant a small system that would generate only enough power to charge a PiP. Not something for an entire household. I suspect that a "mini" system would not be cost-effective, but I'm curious enough to check around.

 

My utility company is marketing "solar city" with leases.......The "net" metering by the trans line provider's in my (state,county,city) are not friendly or progessive. I do not like paying utility "market" kwh price but then when "reselling" electric back into grid to get a discounted "market" kwh price......

 

You're probably charging the PIP at night when solar doesn't work, especially if you're on time of use rates which solar owners usually are. It makes more sense to think about replacing, during high power cost daytime, some of the energy (and energy cost) that you use up at night for the PIP.

The normal solar installation works in parallel with the power grid, so it puts extra power back into the grid (the "meter runs backwards"). Although most people want to generate as much electricity as they use, actually the most cost effective systems are smaller ones that replace the high tier kilowatt-hours you'd otherwise use.

It can get complicated, with tiered time of use rates and more generation in summer than winter. Solar vendors should be able to give you a better analysis - though doing it really well is horribly complex. But the bottom line is that a small installation can do you a lot of good.

 

I work at home and would be charging my PiP during daylight hours. In San Diego we have tiered-usage but not time-of-day rates, at least for now for normal homeowners. And my little house with no A/C doesn't use enough electricity to justify a whole-house solar installation. Hence my curiosity about a dedicated solar installation for the PiP. My hunch is that the PiP would require an installation of several solar panels plus associated equipment, probably costing more than I'd save on my SDG&E bill. But I'm not sure, and that's why I'm asking.

 

Oregon legislature passed an incentive bill in 2010 requiring PGE and Pacific Power to pay for solar generation. I have a 15 year contract with PGE where they pay me $.585 per Kwh of generation and I pay them $.105 for energy used. Last year my system generated 7354 Kwh. Of course I had to pay for my system myself. Cost roughly $5 per KW for a 7700 KW system. The system also qualified for a federal tax credit of 30%. Payback should be about 7 years with the last 8 years profit.

 

Thanks! That answers my question.

 

Dedicated charging for the PIP - it just doesn't work that way. You'd be throwing away probably 95% of the electricity you generate by only using the panels when the PIP needs charging. The only sensible solar panel installation is a grid-tied system.

I suggest you see what tiers you wind up in when you add the PIP to your existing load. Wait until you see the bills for December and January because electric usage (with no A/C) goes up in the winter and solar generation goes down. Then ask some solar vendors what size system you would need to put yourself in a lower tier in the winter. It'll also put cash back into the grid in the summer.

 

One of the things that I'm really love'n here is how the PiP (and Volt) are seriously bringing folks into considering PV. You get to charge your PHEV ... and help out our pathetically anemic grid.

:rockon:
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