I have been looking at solar that I can expand as funds become available.
Have a good southern roof exposure with a ridge running North-South.
This would be for decreasing monthly costs and since I would do the install over a period of time, I need to make sure standardized panel sizes will be available over an 18 month period.
Making sure that companies that are depended on taxpayer subsidies (government tax handouts) are not in my selections. Same thing happened to home owners at the end of Carterās presidency and just want to find companies that stand on their own.
Return on Investment (ROI) is less important than reducing monthly power expenses. Being able to add panels to the roofing grid work means knowing that I can get the same parts over many months.
This approach is totally feasible. Panels, inverters and rack systems are not on a very fast upgrade cycle. Proper research and your 18 month window would be no problem. If you take the approach of a string inverter you can get an inverter that is say double your needs and fill one string in the first run and add the second run of panels later.
The other alternative is to use micro inverters. With micro inverters you donāt even have to have matching panels (although most would want to for aesthetics). Micro inverters come in several sizes to maximize the output of the panel selected and just feed a common 240v trunk to your meter.
Iāve never seen a neighborhood comparison on my power bill. I would probably be at the low end as the fixed costs and taxes (what I call the fees I pay to be the monopolyās customer) during the shoulder months can be more than 20% of my bill. Even when I was training neural networks on multiple computers and had the windows open 24/7 in a Wisconsin winter to try and keep them cool I didnāt use that much electricity.
that looks just like the notifications I get! Iāve always operated under the premise that the electric company makes up numbers for fictitious neighbors just to try and guilt you into cutting your consumption.
I lost my job in November, and was hired a month later at a new company. I was originally going to have to drop my order because I am sadly still paying down my Glowforge while waiting. However, because I was hired so quickly, I didnāt have to drop my order yay!
With that said, my new job required a moveā¦ and with a move, that means total possibility. I am looking for a new home in MN, and will be requiring (with wifey approval) a shed to be built in the backyard, with heated floors. Something big enough to house my wood shop, print room, then some clean office space for the Glowforge and random 3D printing/design equipment. Nowā¦ if I could only find a decent place in my budget that allows for me to build such a havenā¦
How exciting! I would love to bring a new shop/office out of the hole from the ground up - with room for everything.
Good luck with the relocation, and the budget!
Depends on where in MN. In some places youāll find the typical home has larger and nicer out buildings than the main residence. Those places arenāt usually where the jobs are though, soā¦
Ha, quite literally where the name for my company came from. āBored in the Basementā. At least, in my last shop, the printing and crafting was done in the basement. Most of the woodworking and metal working was done in the garage. Time for a dedicated space.
If you donāt mind a slightly longer commute, and are willing to be patient, you may find something in the Lake Elmo-Lakeland-Afton-Cottage Grove-Hastings-Vermillion area. In among all of the identical subdivisions are still some older plots with an outbuilding or two, many heated and insulated. Or find something like my neighborās house and its 2x2 garage so you could wall off the front half and still have a 2-car garage. Wonāt find that in Woodbury of course, as it didnāt really exist twenty years ago and Iām not sure if detached garages are legal there, but maybe in Eagan or Inver Grove Heights.
Yeah, Iām moving from Roberts, WI (so, ten miles into WI from the MN side). So, the move was mostly to cut down on the commute. I would love to move to the Eagan area, but I havenāt been able to convince the family to move that far away from the extended family. Maybe Iāll just have to build an underground bunkerā¦
Sorry, it sounded to me like you were moving in from a couple states away and not from Bobtown. Iām glad I didnāt suggest western Wisconsin, I would have had you close to Ellsworth.
Haha! I still make regular trips for curds in Ellsworth. I donāt think that will ever stop. If you are familiar, or even near, that area. You should give their ānitroā cheese a go.
We have family there and stop in that shop when we visit (every couple of years). Havenāt tried āNitro.ā Have to remember that for the next visit.
The cheese is basically a pepper jack, but I think they use hotter peppers, and a more crumbly cheese. So it has better texture than what you would get commercially.
Perfect. Pepper jack is one of my favorite cheeses. (I almost said my absolute favorite, but then I went āWaitā¦ Brieās awesome. Oh waitā¦ Soās mozzarella. And so isā¦ Oh never mind.ā)
yay!