Sold TSLA to buy a solar roof

[bwilson4web]

I sold all my TSLA stock to buy a solar roof:

• Elon has gone "Rainman" and has a scorpion on his froggy back.
• Capital gains tax (bought $80/share before 6x splits) is offset by solar tax credits while they last.
• Beat the scorpion tariffs that will make it much more expensive.

This is what I'm buying:


I'll meet with them face-to-face a week from Wednesday and we'll work out the final details:

• Large enough to significantly reduce my electric bill but small enough to avoid higher insurance and selling surplus to utility at "wholesale" rates.
• Integrated with existing, automatic, natural gas fueled, emergency generator.
• I'll take down the shade trees after the site survey and before they send the building crew.

Bob Wilson

 

[bwilson4web]

Solar project update:

The circles are the number of 400 W panels on each roof section. The 2 5, and 5 are all on Southwest facing roof segments. The walkway is just roof left bare for maintenance (i.e., bird nest removal.) The 3 group captures the early morning sun from the only access not blocked by neighbor trees.

The front yard trees are gone so this is what it looks like from the front yard:

• Latitude 34°
• Solar range above and below equator 23°
  • House solar angle -11° to -57° from vertical, 0°
• Roof pitch 28°
  • Panel angles to sun 17° to -29°

At least four times a year, 12 panels, 400 W each, will be normal to the sun giving 4,800 W. The other 3 are at an acute angle. My plan is to dump the electrical energy in preference:

• EV car batteries
  • Initially by time of day charging in the daylight
  • Eventually by ramping EV charge rate to panel production
• Solar project, buffer battery for any unused electrons

Any power shortage is coming from the grid, the utility company. This solar project is sized to not generate electrons sent back to the grid who can buy their own panels. Cost-avoidance from my electric bill is my profit ... which is not taxed.

Bob Wilson

 

[insightman]

Solar-power installation companies should be required to provide customers with drone photography of the finished project.

 

[bwilson4web]

I've been thinking about getting a Part 107 license and offering to become an on-call contractor or employee for the solar company. I would be happy with IRS mileage to and from the customer and minimum wage at the customer site.

Bob Wilson

 

[bwilson4web]

Since cutting down the front yard trees, I realized there is a higher risk of a lightning strike setting the house on fire. So I've got an electrician coming out to see what they can do:

• Two insulated posts at the apex of the highest roof
• Ground wire stretches between the posts
• The wire to ground passes to the right, through the attic over the bedroom
  • Opposite side of house from grid power lines.

Once the lightning rod is up, I'll consider a surge protector for Hot_1, Hot_2, and Neutral. A lightning strike will induce a significant EMF in the house wiring. Since the breaker box is on that side of the house, easy to connect them to the earth ground.

The equipment should arrive Wednesday and the installation crew the following Friday. I'll have hot Krispy Kreme to give them a sugar boost. The last task is "Permission To Operate" which makes it operational.

I spoke with the insurance company and they will increase the house value from ~$230 k to $350 k.

Once the solar project is operational, I'll look at a modified J1772 charger that adjusts its charging current to follow the solar array output. This will minimize charge-discharge cycling of the solar array, battery.

The J1772 charger uses a +/- 12 V square wave whose pulse modulation tells the car what current it can draw. So once I have the solar amps measured, I can spoof the square wave to shadow the array power. I may be able to do this with software once I have the application interface figured out. If not, a trivial problem for a microprocessor.

Bob Wilson