Solar Power SOB

Payback period is meaningless.  Look at ROI.  You can put your $ in a CD in the US and get what, 1.5%?  In Mexico maybe 4%.  Put it on your roof and get 15% or more!

David wrote:Payback period is meaningless.  Look at ROI.  You can put your $ in a CD in the US and get what, 1.5%?  In Mexico maybe 4%.  Put it on your roof and get 15% or more!

    

chinagringo you get off DAC when the rolling year is less than 3000kw it took us 6 months to get off DAC after we installed the system and then CFE did not read the meter properly so they overbilled us and after that we did not pay electricity for a year now we are now paying 100 pesos or so a month as you are billed monthly when you go solar.

In configuring the number of panels needed, keep in mind their efficiency deteriorates slightly over time. Course you could always add another panel later if you have the inverter capacity.

After almost two years I'm really happy with my 18 panel unit.

SunFan

P.S. My meter and CFE bill show only kwh sent to the grid and received from the grid. How do you determine actual usage???

Of course the reality is that Mexico will be slow to adopt solar or alternative power until they can reform C.F.E. It is a widespread practice for high consumption users to have their meters 'altered' by a CFE insider to anything the customer wants - as long as it is believable. They put a new gear in and a new security tag. Apparently the new digital meters have also been 'cracked' - this is one reason CFE is not insisting on their installation.

Many parts of Mexico are adopting solar power at a rapid rate; Lakeside, Guadalajara, PV, Mazatlan and other resort areas.  Big companies in Guad are installing huge solar arrays, e.g. HP is installing 5,000 panels at their facility.  The economics are compelling.

Intercasa wrote:What does a solar system cost in the Chapala area?  My bills are getting high although I do use AC and heat alot.  Bills are 2,000 pesos so perhaps something that generates 500khw every 2 month period?  

Spencer, PM or email me and we'll get you a great deal on a top quality system sized to meet your needs.    Your CFE bills change to monthly, FYI, once on solar with the new meter.    

We also have (to the other posts on lighting) LED bulbs of 7 watts / 650 lumens in warm white, pure white, and cool white for 175 pesos each, 50,000 hour life, getting great feedback on them.   Available at Chopsticks eatery in Plaza Bugambilias, Wed to Sat, 11 to 5.

We'll be at the Chili Cookoff and are again sponsoring the Northern Lights Music Festival; there will be a nice package to bid on to help support the musicians that will get someone a very good deal on any system of their choice.    Details coming up in the NLMF insert in an upcoming OJO.

SunFan wrote:In configuring the number of panels needed, keep in mind their efficiency deteriorates slightly over time. Course you could always add another panel later if you have the inverter capacity.

After almost two years I'm really happy with my 18 panel unit.

SunFan

P.S. My meter and CFE bill show only kwh sent to the grid and received from the grid. How do you determine actual usage???

Read your inverter's kWh production from the display on the front panel.    Take the total solar production for the time period you are interested in, subtract your "sent to CFE" and add your "used from CFE" amounts from your CFE meter for the same time period.

The result is your total use for that time period.    

For the folks who have the great i-energy micro inverters we distribute nationally in MX, they can get the same info via the internet, from anywhere, using the monitoring module, as the micros don't have screens to read.    They also have many other benefits including 25 year warranty and are very reliable and cost effective for small and medium size systems.

Large ones too - we installed a 30 panel system in PV with them in December where partial shadowing was an issue. As each panel / micro unit is independent of all the others, there is much higher efficiency as you don't lose a whole string to a shadow, like with a single large central inverter.

http://www.i-energyinc.com/en/products/i-micro-inverter.html

Great information Go Solar. Definitely things to consider when sourcing a solar system.

Each system type has it's features and benefits.  It pays to shop around and hear each company's proposal.

Energy Trend review & writeup:

http://pv.energytrend.com/research/iEnergy_20111114.html

Interesting fluff PR piece from over 2 years old.  In the technology biz 2 years is a lifetime.

Care for a drink?   Saucer of milk?    

In the inverter arena, apart from TL technology in central inverter lines such as Kaco and Fronius (which we also have and use, by the way) not that much new has happened in the past few years, apart from the rise of micros from Enphase and i-Energy.

Even most of the pricing action has happened on panels as opposed to inverters; that could soon change as mentioned in the article.

Another reason for solar, not sure if anybody has mentioned it but the CFE is changing their old meters out and forcing people to use cards that read their own meters monthly and then bring the card to the CFE or authorized location to then find out how much the bill is.  Then you bring the card back and the meter scans it to register the payment made and so that your electricity is not automatically shut off.  HUGE pain and no more bills, kind of funny in a land where everybody wants a copy of your utility bill.  I was told about the new system last week and today in Providencia the CFE guys were going house to house issuing the new cards.  They will layoff workers and burden the people more, I don't see any good coming out of it, another reason to go solar.

Weird deal on meter reading SOB, they charge approx. $4.00 USD  NOB and read it on line....new meters do not require a physical reading.  

Jim W wrote:Weird deal on meter reading SOB, they charge approx. $4.00  USD  NOB and read it on line....new meters do not require a physical reading.  

Many meters are radio equipped these days.