Hey everyone! I'm diving into a ground-mounted solar setup with great sun exposure and minimal shading during peak hours, aside from early mornings and late afternoons. I've been researching quite a bit and I know I'll need solar panels, inverters, an AC switch panel, and to tie it into my meter. The installation will be around 150 to 300 feet from my house, so I'll need to plan for trenching and running a main connection as well.
Here are a few questions I have:
1. Should I convert to AC right at the solar array before sending it to the house?
2. Are microinverters a better choice for this setup, considering their possible higher upfront cost but potential benefits in terms of less downtime for the system?
3. What else do I need to set up at the house, or is it just connecting to the meter socket and a switching panel?
3 Answers
You've definitely done your research, which is a great start! Ground mounts are fantastic for getting the best angle and keeping your panels cool. But with a 150-300 ft run, voltage drop can be an issue.
Using microinverters is a solid choice because they help optimize each panel individually and make system monitoring easier. However, they might be more expensive upfront. If you convert to AC at the array, you can run 240V to your house, which helps reduce voltage drop, but you'll need to ensure you're using thicker cables. For inverter options, if shading isn't a concern, traditional string inverters might save you some money in the long run. Just make sure to put the inverter at the array to keep DC line losses low. At your house, you generally just need a subpanel or a critical loads panel if you consider adding batteries later, plus the connection to your main meter, depending on your utility's rules on net metering.
If shading isn't a concern and you don’t have rapid shutdown needs, microinverters might not be necessary. You could go with a simpler setup and save some cash.
It really depends on your local regulations! The higher the voltage, the lower the current, which means less loss and you can use cheaper wire. But, the higher the voltage, the more stringent rules you might encounter, like needing extra protection for the cables. If you’re in a place with 110V, your panel voltages could be higher than that, which might make it worth exploring high voltage DC, but be sure to check your area’s requirements.
I've got to check mine too, but luckily there aren't any zoning restrictions in my town.
I got a quote from a local company two springs ago for solar trackers, and it was about $34k for one tracker with panels. They also planned to run the wire the same distance, using 4-3 aluminum service cable.