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RE: Solar Update 30 days later

in Weekend Experiences2 months ago

Yes, The summer time bills a bit of a jump here for us as well. We've made some adjustments like cutting back on temperatures (no smart thermostats yet, just my smart fingers), reducing time on the pool filter, etc. but it's still high here in the summer time. That's one of the reasons we decided to pull the trigger. Plus we all know the electric prices will just keep going up, where now my Solar cost is static, will just result in more savings the more electric costs go up. The data is certainly facinating... I spend way too much time reviewing the real-time stats the daily and hourly stats, etc. lol.. It's very detailed, I may even do more of my own since it also provides excel spreadsheets of the raw data measured every 15 minutes for those that want to play with it more.

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I never recommend "smart" thermostats.. see what happened to your former neighbors!

https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/5/23337864/xcel-locked-out-customers-smart-thermostats-colorado-heatwave

Wow, yes I would never go with that type of "smart" ness. I do like one that let's me (easily) schedule the day vs. night temperatures though. That's all the smartness I need. I don't need it to "learn" it for me or definitely not give others control over it. That's one of the reasons we installed the Solar and battery backups is to avoid being without power during any brownouts or rolling blackouts like they've done in some cities.

Yeah that’s good to hear I’m glad! We have one of those thermostats where we can set 4 ranges in the day. Morning, afternoon, dinner and sleep. There’s also vacation mode which is nice. It’s a basic product but I really like it and want to get one for when we move that’s for sure.

That's really cool. I haven't gotten a smart thermostat yet either. I don't think this house is wired for it and I am not sure it would make too much difference given it is bilevel. You would almost need two sensors. If we eventually move to a ranch style home, I will definitely install one.

I've done them in a few older homes. some of them do need an extra "power" wire run, to power/charge them when the furnace fan is off, but 95% will work as is. They are generally pretty simple to connect. Some of the newer ones like the new google Nest actually come with a remote sensor and that capability. We may do that eventually here, we added vents into the garage which is now our workshop and quilting/embroidery area, no sensor out there. Would be nice to have one there eventually.

Yeah, I don't have the yellow power wire or whatever it is. I could get one of the ones that uses batteries, but I don't feel like having to replace them all the time. It's always freezing in our downstairs, especially when the A/C is on. We also get a lot of direct sun in the evening on one side of the house, so it heats everything up.