Smallest UL approved grid tie inverter?

[LowGear]

Let me digress for just one entry.

How are you going to sync the generator power with the grid - legally or during the hours of darkness?

Casey

[BioHazard]

The inverter will never know whether the sun is shining or not...it will still get power.  I just hope there isn't any kind of timer on the meter they give me....(guess I'll have to get a wind turbine too )

Now that I think about it, it might be wise to use an inverter that will accept rectified 60v output from an ST head...

[Carlb]

If you are planing to run the power from your generator through that little enphase inverter it won't work.  I assume you are going to use a larger grid tie inverter for this purpose. 

[LowGear]

Where I'm from Solar Panels put out DC and Generators put out AC.  It's the challenge of modern America to get SMALL SCALE generator power synced with the all-mighty grid.  No sarcasm intended - the grid is a beautiful, wonderful and giving thing.  No free lunches though.

Casey

[BioHazard]

Right...after I get the panel(s) going and the netmetering agreement made, then I can start experimenting. Right now I just want it hooked up "by the book", cheaply, get it inspected and a couple new meters installed, then I can play with it.

I've got a lot of different ideas on creating power in place of the solar panels but I really don't know what I'll do yet. First I need to know what kind of meter(s) I get, and how much of a tattle tale they can be.   All I can really say is the prime mover will be natural gas.

But for generating DC to pump into the grid tie inverter, I see an alternator, maybe a 48v system. I'd have to use a different inverter than the little one for my solar panel. At $0.47/kw, it's not a big deal to buy another inverter....

[DanG]

Isn't the non-wholesale per kilowatt rate only up to what you actually consume then it drops to 3 or 5 cents per?

[BioHazard]

Isn't the non-wholesale per kilowatt rate only up to what you actually consume then it drops to 3 or 5 cents per?

Right now I'm on a "time of use" billing plan that makes it cheaper at night, but I may have to drop that for the netmetering thing, I'm not sure yet. With the solar buy back thing at almost $0.47 I can only sell back the same amount that I use in one year.

Edit:
If my math is right, and I use 12,000kwh in one year on average, that cost about $1200. I can then sell 12,000kwh back to the grid for $5600 minus fuel cost...plus free heat. Of course the power company would notice something was up if I did it that much...

[Carlb]

Isn't the non-wholesale per kilowatt rate only up to what you actually consume then it drops to 3 or 5 cents per?

Right now I'm on a "time of use" billing plan that makes it cheaper at night, but I may have to drop that for the netmetering thing, I'm not sure yet. With the solar buy back thing at almost $0.47 I can only sell back the same amount that I use in one year.

Edit:
If my math is right, and I use 12,000kwh in one year on average, that cost about $1200. I can then sell 12,000kwh back to the grid for $5600 minus fuel cost...plus free heat. Of course the power company would notice something was up if I did it that much...

We used 20,000kwh last year and still had 8,000 to sell back to the utility.  In New Jersey they only pay you wholesale for the excess you sell back but for every 1,000 your generate you get one solar energy credit which you can sell.  We sold 28 credits this year @ 654 dollars a credit for a total of 18,312 dollars got a check back from the utility for 437 dollars and heated and cooled our house for the year for nothing.

[cujet]

Here in South Florida (you mentioned it's similar solar rating) we have 4.7 hours of viable solar sunlight per day, annualized. This accounts for clouds, winter, summer and so on.

I don't know if this applies to non tracking panels or fixed panels.