What you describe already exists. Smart panels can switch over to battery only automatically upon grid failure, and you can specify circuits that are priority and which ones get shut down to save power.
Otherwise, you can turn on/off circuits with an app.
Perfect. My work here is done.
Of all the things I want my phone to do, controlling the circuit breakers is waaaay down on the list
Of course, I also still have manual door locks and keys
Ecoflow makes a smart sub-panel which would probably be a good match for their batteries.
Yeah, I don’t need to change things on an hourly basis. But I expect that it would be convenient to change them occasionally.
I’ve been pondering this as we’ve been discussing it, and I’m not sure a smart panel achieves much for me. I don’t have a problem with manual killing circuits at a dumb breaker box if I was switching to backup power.
I’d have to go outside to switch over the generator lockout anyway, so flipping a few extra breakers while I’m there is simple.
If I was installing solar, I’d probably want to replace the breaker box so it would then make more sense to upgrade to a smart box to monitor power usage.
Power back about an hour ago. Feeling almost back to normal.
I like our solar system and the batteries, but the system was very expensive. As I recall the system will pay for itself in year 12 or so, just before we have to replace it in year 15. The batteries will never pay for themselves and will die in year 10, but they’re a real convenience. I’d do it again, but (1) when I did it I could afford to, (2) it works over the long haul, but you’d get a better return in any given money market fund, and (3) a big reason it works is because of the tax credit.
Most of this discussion has been well above my head. I have had solar panels for almost all of the 11 years I have lived here. The system was upgraded once after a hail storm and roof replacement, but I do not know any of the technical details about the system. I do know that my electric bills are $0.00 for several months. Seems like a miracle to me.
One of the things I love about Vermont is that they don’t throw anything of value away. Local churches have maker/fixer events all the time so you can easily get your favorite lamp or vacuum repairs by the local tinkerer or a new zipper sewn into an old jacket. They will also put out by the street things like bikes or skis or rims/snow tires from a car they sold. Never junky. Just good stuff. They have digital versions where people give away flat screen TV’s when they upgrade, chickens, furniture, etc… and my latest/greatest find today:
This is what lying about FEMA does:
The issue with installing solar panels for many homeowners (myself included) @HudsonHawk was pointing out is that it costs somewhere between $20,000-25,000 to get them installed in a loan structure like he suggested. I had numerous young adults come to my door soliciting on behalf of solar companies after Hurricane Beryl hit Houston this summer, and their pitch was the same: Install solar panels for around $20,000 over a period of so many years and your monthly electric bill would be such and such.
It wasn’t going to save us enough monthly to make it worth the upfront cost, especially considering we are looking to possibly get a bigger home in a few years. Plus, my mother sells electricity as an independent contractor and gets my wife and I the best rate she can a few months before our existing contract expires.
My system cost $7000 new and the upgrade was $1500. 2400 sq ft house. Bought it late 2013 or early 2014.
Low interest loan from the City’s credit union partner at the time, which I paid off fairly quickly. Tax credit. Some benefit from the City, maybe a rebate, but I do not remember it.
