I'm pleased to announce that my Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system has achieved a significant milestone - it has produced its first 1 Megawatt (MW) of electricity since activation last year. This is a notable achievement, and I'm excited to share the journey and what it signifies.
When I installed the PV system last year, my primary goal was to reduce my energy bill, not necessarily to achieve net-zero energy consumption. My system, with its seven solar panels, was designed to produce about 2 kW and on an average day, generate roughly 12 kWh of power. However, the journey to 1 MW was not smooth sailing due to shortening days and cloudy weather.
The significance of this achievement is twofold. Firstly, this milestone demonstrates the potential for renewable energy sources like solar to reduce reliance on the grid. By producing 1 MW, my system has generated a meaningful amount of clean, renewable energy that helps the grid offset some risk. Spreading out electrical production contributes to overall grid resilience from peak demand spikes. Furthermore, each PV system contributes to the overall decentralization of electrical production, which reduces the likelihood and impact of major points of failure.
Secondly, reaching 1 MW of production has a direct financial impact on our household. With my new Retail Energy Provider (REP), I am now able to sell back excess electricity at wholesale prices. Even though the buyback price often lingers well below $0.10/kWh, it still provides some compensation that would otherwise be lost. The surplus energy that I do not use during the day is credited to my account and used to offset my electricity consumption in the evenings. Thus, while I may not receive a direct payment for surplus energy, I still benefit from lower energy bills.
Looking ahead, I am optimistic about the rest of the year. Given that we are heading towards longer, sunnier days, I anticipate that my system's daily energy production will increase until summer solstice. In fact, based on my system's current performance, I estimate that it might produce at least 3 MW of electricity annually, effectively providing about three months of "free" energy. Furthermore, as my system continues to produce and export energy to the grid, the savings on my energy bill will accumulate, leading to significant long-term savings.
In conclusion, reaching the 1 MW production milestone is significant in that it demonstrates a meaningful contribution towards grid reliability. Secondly, this milestone signifies a quantifiable savings on our electricity usage. Furthermore, which I had not mentioned, this PV system is setting the baseline for future decisions to invest in more energy products. I will re-evaluate my outlook when we have reached our next Megawatt.
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Congratulations on reaching an energy milestone. I'm glad solar has become more affordable for a family to implement. The update from you over the summer should be very interesting. Texas summers are seriously hot with many sunny days which should make for electric bills which you actually look forward to opening.
Do you understand the difference between Energy (E) and Power (P)?
Hint: P = E/t
I appreciate that you read the blog post. But engineers are not the intended audience for the blog post. The system puts out 2 kW. But it's out of scope to explain how that becomes 12 kWh. The translation between what the PV system puts out and how I'm billed by the meter is a topic for a whole other blog post.
Even non-engineers would know the difference between:
'How many horsepowers does this car have?' (Pmax)
and:
'How much gas is left in the tank?' (E)
I came here because you replied to me somewhere else and gave me a lecture about what witnesses do... While I have myself have signed like 3000 blocks and missed like 400, being a backup witnesss before it was cool 😅
Anyways, I'll leave a follow, and will keep correcting on the W and Wh confusion that has taken over the world and drives me insane, frankly.
Once we start measuring Energy in [W] and surface in [football-fields] we are doomed as a civilization.
Greetings from Germany.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to come across as lecturing. I think it might have been about why we have 20% HBD interest. As far as I can tell, it's just a random number the witnesses chose.
As for mixing up energy and power, I understand. And I do not disagree. You are correct. I am an amateur radio operator and I have also undergone training for PV systems. Both require a knowledge of:
All are variations of the interplay of power, voltage, resistance, and current.
But this blog post is about celebrating a small victory. For this, I have low technical standards.
It's funny. When I talk to my amateur radio friends, we constantly talk about the nerdy stuff: power, attenuation, SWR, ground planes, etc. But that switches off in mixed company. I guess this is a similar situation.
I didn't know until now, that you guys use (V) - In Germany it's (U)... [V] being the unit
I just memorized:
U = R * I (pronounced 'oory')
P = U * I (pronounced 'pooy')
And then I convert/insert until I get to whatever value I am looking for.
Anyways, congratz on the energy you harvested over time :)