Anyone on here ever install a solar power system?

I'm thinking of doing it. I have a barn up north. The south side would be an ideal spot to mount the panels. I can put the controls in the barn. I'd use the power just for LED lights in the barn and run a cord to the garage for some LED lights there too, and a separate underground line to the house. I'm not going to hook it to the grid. They want too much to do that. I'm thinking I'd run the power to a small hot water heater and just collect the excess that way. Most of my electric bill right now is for hot water. If I had extra power left over I suppose I could use it for heat in the barn or house in the winter. Same idea, a small hot water heater and a coil of copper tubing. Fill it with propylene glycol and let it go. I'd leave the grid stuff for outlets. It wouldn't need to be a big system. The barn is 30 feet wide so what is that, 8-10 panels? I thinks that's about 1 kW peak. It's 30 feet tall so I can add more panels if the inverter can handle them.

mounting hardware, wire, Panels, inverter, breakers, and breaker box

That's probably around $2-5K??

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MethDozer · M

Yes, yes I have.

MethDozer · M

You're going the wrong route using the electricity generated to heat water. You're better of from an efficiency and material cost having a solar water heating system and running the pumps for it off your solar cells.

Tastyfrzz · 61-69, M

I do have a spot on the south wall of the house that that would work well on. Could use it for the Jacuzzi in the sunroom. Yep, I stuffed one in there.
I even have some small 12 VDC pumps. It just gets so cold up there in the winter that I doubt that it would heat up much. 35 below is not uncommon.

Tastyfrzz · 61-69, M

@MethDozer Did you grid tie or use batteries?

MethDozer · M

@Tastyfrzz You'd have to look at the designs. They make models that work even in very cold temps. They are vacuum insulated so.
Heating anything with electricity is incredibly inefficient so you're going to really be using a lot of panel for it. You'd be better off getting a propane or wood fired water heater.