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Business Comments:
I am 100% retired after a nearly 35 year, self employed career designing, installing and maintaining solar electric systems in the local, Mount Shasta Northern California area. I specialized in off grid and battery backup grid-ties. I strongly believe in the importance of efficiency upgrades and conservation before solar pv, so let the new "expert$" do the lipstick on McMansion projects. I also do electrical wiring and some electronic repair.
My home system consists of four Array Technology dual axis trackers sporting:
12 Sun Tech 170's,
8 Sharp 185's,
4 Bluesun 370's and
12 (1989 vintage) Solarex MSX 60's
and 2 fixed racks totaling 9 Kyocera 140's
totaling 7.0 kW.
These feed an Outback GVFX3648 & an Outback GFX2024 grid-tied inverter.
The primary use of the system is to add resiliency to my homestead.
For years my basic household energy needs were been met with a 1.4 kW PV system feeding a single Trace SW-4024.
In 2004, I upgraded the system to more efficient Outback inverters and an additional 1.8 kW of PV.
In 2007 I added an additional 1.3 kW of PV.
In 2009 I added an additional .5 kW of PV.
In 2014 I added an additional 1.3 kW of PV.
In 2023 I replaced 12 failed Shell 80s with 4 Bluesun 370s = +520 watts.
The grandfathered in, yearly net-metering contract with PP&L allows me to bank surplus summer generation (around 4 MWh in 2014) for use in the mini-split heat pump for winter heating. Along with the addition of hydronic space heating from my surplus solar hot water (two 4 X 10 flat panels collectors) my home has been "zero energy" since around 2004 (~109%).
Including winter heating loads my home uses a miserly 15 kWh per day.
With peak oil, climate destabilization and national bankruptcy at our collective doorstep, focusing on resiliency is paramount. Because of this, I feel it is important to be able to generate my energy (including food) needs onsite.
Addendum:
I used to be very enthusiastic about "renewables" but after some 35 years of experience, I now understand these top of the technology pyramid systems are at best only "hydrocarbon extenders" since they are 100% dependent on the underlying, fossil fuel powered industrial mining and manufacturing foundation. The sad truth is technology cannot mitigate the "Limits to Growth" on our finite planet but they do add resilience to my homestead at an onerous and expensive maintenance treadmill.
And to illustrate the above mentioned issue, in 2024 the rack of 17 year old Shell 80's failed, necessitating replacement... so I now have more "green" waste to get rid of.
Last Updated: Aug 15, 2026
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