this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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My utility power isn't on the chopping block (yet?) but skyrocketing rates have finally pushed me to install a real PV system.
Currently sitting on 2.4 KW of PV and 32 KWh of battery storage. Still in the process of installing as the specific mounts I need have been out of stock, but should have those hopefully by June and can finally begin the install in earnest. Once I have the mounts, I'm going to get a few more panels and will have about 3.5 KW of PV on the roof. Would like to do more, but that's all the south-facing roof real estate I have to work with. Planning on a ground mount setup for another 3 KW or so but need to get the base system going first.
I'm tempted to go ahead and buy some more battery capacity because I have a sinking feeling the demand (and price/availability) for those is going to increase dramatically in the next few years.
Out of curiosity, what are you using all of that power for? That sounds like a huge system.
The battery is huge, the panels are small.
Even 12 hours of constant sun, can't charge 32 kWh battery with just 2,4 kWh panels.
We have 11 kWh panels and 7,5 kWh battery. The reason the battery isn't twice that size is that battery was expensive when we had our system installed. But we would not be able to utilize more than 15 kWh battery for our household.
Realising it was 2.4 to 3.5 on the roof, not as well. Plus the 3 on the ground. Still a fair size though.
With 3.5 on the roof, and 3 on the ground it is enough if there is a lot of sun. And most places it should be enough at least during the summer.
That much would pretty much cover my usage in winter, summer I would be exporting the vast majority of it.
Which I probably should do, my provider gives not awful export rates. So might be worth just going pure solar for now and look at batteries later if export rates fall. IIRC it is like 60% or so what you would pay to buy energy you get for selling it. So if my panels make more than I use and I can shift a good amount of usage to daytime, free energy for a few decades after it's paid for the install.
Sounds liberating! You did it the installs yourself or through contractors? How many years do you reckon it takes for that scale of solar to pay for itself?
Fully DIY unless I reach a point where I think I've bitten off more than I can chew. I haven't started moving circuits from the main panel yet, but I'm confident I can do that and meet code. I may call in an electrician when it comes time to convert the old main panel into just a main breaker and wire its output to the PV inverters, but that's mostly just to make sure that part is safe and up to code.
Not fully sure. I've got about $7,000 invested so far just in components and materials plus probably another $1,000 or so on the horizon for another 4 panels, wiring, and other accessories. The two 16 KWh batteries are the largest expense since grid-tie isn't an option for me. Electric rate is currently $0.26/KWh and rising, so this is mostly a way to insulate myself from further rate increases as well as provide backup power (I re-allocated the money I was saving for a whole house generator to the batteries for this).
Very, very rough math estimates at current rates, break even is just under 9.5 years. That's $9,000 cost divided by $0.26/KWh divided by 10 KWh per day (5 hours @ 2 KW) divided by 365 days in a year. That break even time could be reduced by adding more panels (already planning to) and/or electric rates rising more (they sure aren't going down anytime soon/ever).
Damn, an inspiration to us all.