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  • 1.  Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 06-01-2023 05:48 AM
    Edited by william fitch 06-01-2023 06:47 AM
    Just thought I would expose the incredible sunshine we have had here in central PA this past month. I broke a new production record for any month and year, 2591KWH's. We have had PSD's (Perfect Solar Day) or near PSD level sunshine for more than 2 weeks straight. I feel like what it must feel like, in the sunny mid-west for places like Arizona or New Mexico where its always sunny.
    The energy out to the grid has been racking up 60-80 KWH's per day. My check at the end of May from PPL was $207 this year. It is the first time I have gotten over $100 from them since we changed over to EV's, using all our extra for driving. As I put more production on line at current rates, I should eventually get over $1000 from them each year when I break over 30MWH's a year total produced.
    It may be coming to an end though after today. Showers in the forecast. We'll see....
    May sunshine



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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  • 2.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    ASES Life Member
    Posted 06-02-2023 09:21 AM

    Wow! That's so awesome!  A huge "solar spill"!!



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    Dara Bortman
    Sustainable Solar Systems
    Philadelphia PA
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  • 3.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    ASES Committee Member
    Posted 06-02-2023 02:31 PM

    Good to see your graphs, Looks like a perfect solar month



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    Venkata Pulugurtha
    Researcher
    Siddhi Solar Technologies
    Budd Lake NJ
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  • 4.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    ASES Life Member
    Posted 06-03-2023 12:06 PM

    I had similar results for May, best May ever for PV here in NE Ohio.  Not as good as yours Bill but I have some shading issues and (I believe) less capacity at 16.5kw.  Total net export for May was 891 kwh

    Daily net export minus import in kwh


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    Mike Curran
    Retired EE
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  • 5.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    Posted 06-03-2023 12:51 PM
    Edited by Timothy Mcbride 06-04-2023 12:35 PM

    Yes it is always nice to see those Sun Hours go thru the roof or more correctly stated come down as electricity from the roof, or whatever one has out under the sun on tap.   Also here the sun really helps with pumps to irrigate crops when there is less rain to do that passively.   Keep up the good works there Bill and thanks for the info.  



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    Timothy Mcbride
    CEO/Owner
    Sol-Era R & D
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  • 6.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 06-03-2023 01:32 PM

    Hi:

    My May export for the May billing period (24th to the 24th) was 779KWH's, which is pretty high. Not sure if its the highest ever because in the days before EV's, I used to get $400 and $500 dollar checks from PPL. 

    I am still testing my barn array (East/West) on the ground (Messy) and I just upped the string from 8 to 9. Tomorrow I will put the other 9 down in parallel (5800watts) and see if the charge controller can handle at its maximum DC rating 4800watts. The voltage under MPPT hits around 490-500VDC. Max MPPT voltage is 510VDC, so I am just under the wire. It will still run from 510-550VDC but not under MPPT.  OCV is about 560-570'ish. Max feed voltage is 600VDC. I may have to put some Zenier diodes across, rated at about 560VDC, just to beginning to "clip off" if it heads for 600VDC on cloud edges if on "standby" no load, or off grid with full batteries.

    My arrays are 11.77 tracking and what was on the ground for May, 2.6KW flat.

    I love problems that are related to too much SUN...LOL...



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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  • 7.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    Posted 06-05-2023 01:04 PM

    Hi, 

    I am new to tracking solar production.  We have just moved into our Design Certified Phius ZERO 2021 house.  In May, we were positive and exported 1.4 MWh to DTE.  No checks, the Michigan Public Service Commission and DTE are locked in a discussion around Solar Renewable Energy Credits for distributed generation customers.  It has been very sunny and dry.  We have had .92 inches of rain in May.  Normal is 3-4 inches.  



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    Albert Bell
    Professor
    University of Michigan
    Birmingham MI
    [EmailAddress][EmailAddress]
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  • 8.  RE: Unbelievable sunshine string in May!

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 06-05-2023 06:51 PM

    Hello. Your house sounds interesting. Tracking is a love hate relationship. 30-40% more energy but a system that now moves over static. Most people today just throw more panels at the energy required rather than track. Goes to cost per watt. When panels were expensive, tracking was approached more eagerly. Cheap panels, why bother to get more TOTAL energy per sq. foot of active "collector". I enjoy though the flatter production of a tracking system. Has "value" when in off-grid mode, not being so peaky.

    Weather with allot of sun, seems to come at a precip cost, here to.

    Regarding your states electron tug of war; you must remember, it is demand destruction for the utility monopolies, knocking at their homes door, ever louder. And with it comes the increasing rumbles of 'socialize the grid'.



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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