If you are wanting to add a small photovoltaic system to your
home or business to help keep a lid on your utility bill -- or to
just doing something to become ‘greener’, this may be the system for
you! It features a 700W grid-tie inverter, and it’s the
smallest unit available for a utility-tied system
that will work without batteries. Here’s how the system breaks down.
Sunny Boy 700U Inverter
$1459
Fan Kit
$89
8 - Sharp 123W Solar Modules @ $675 ea. $5400
2 - 4X A-frame Roof/Ground mounts
w/Adjustable legs
$738
Square D AC and DC Disconnect
$175
SOV Lightning Arrestor
$42
6 - 33” #10/2 Module Interconnects @ $18 each. $108
2 - Wire Kits @ $50 each
$100
Total System
$8111Not included are freight, installation, concrete (if ground
mounted), wire nuts, roofing material/caulk, or site specific items
necessary for the installation.
This system will provide ~3.5 kilowatts for five hours of full
sun.
In this system, we specified eight of the Sharp 123W modules since
that still keeps us under the 1000W max limit of the inverter’s 1KW
rating, and the maximum power point window of the SB700U 200
inverter (100 to 200V) is a good match for eight Sharp 123’s (8 x
17.2V = 137.6V). In the worst case scenario, the maximum open
circuit voltage output of the Sharp 123s (8 x 21.3V x 1.25 = 213V)
won’t exceed the inverter’s maximum DC input voltage (which is
250V). When all is said and done, typically you get about ~75% of
the nameplate wattage of a grid-tie system when the array is in full
sun. There are several factors taken into account for typical system
losses: dust, clouds, module power mismatch, temperature, wire loss,
inverter inefficiency, etc. Under certain conditions (cold
temperatures with bright sun), your solar array may make up to 25%
more power than its nameplate rating--which helps counteract the
system losses. The inverter may even limit (or ‘clip’) the power a
little bit at such times.
The Sunny Boy 700U is the smallest, batteryless inverter
available to us at this time. If you are looking for more output
or a battery-based system for powering important loads in an
emergency situation, call us and we will design a system to suit
your project, or e-mail mark@oasismontana.com
for more information.
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