What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Check with local solar power installers. There are restrictions in some places that will not allow to disconnect from the grid that way.

The local installer is who I purchased my current system from... I have not had a good experience with them and they are the ones who changed the setup from what they initially told me to begin with

 

[TJAnonymous]

If the panels spin your meter backwards, and there is NOT an additional meter there, then it already should be powering YOUR stuff first then whats left over goes to the grid. If you time it right you can charge your battery off YOUR power too then whats left over goes to the grid.

Id have to actually SEE your setup to know for sure, because that is one dirty trick they LOVE to do, send the power thru the meter first, THEN sell it right back to you at full price. if you moved the breaker to your distribution box your inverter would let it pass right thru when there is excess but the rest would be running YOUR stuff first, then extra goes to grid.

Aaron

No, it doesn't work that way. The grid is actually powering my inverters which are on each panel. If the grid goes down, I have no power. Well, no power without the backup generator which is run by propane. But point being that my panels are useless if the grid goes down.

 

[TJAnonymous]

If the panels spin your meter backwards, and there is NOT an additional meter there, then it already should be powering YOUR stuff first then whats left over goes to the grid. If you time it right you can charge your battery off YOUR power too then whats left over goes to the grid.

Id have to actually SEE your setup to know for sure, because that is one dirty trick they LOVE to do, send the power thru the meter first, THEN sell it right back to you at full price. if you moved the breaker to your distribution box your inverter would let it pass right thru when there is excess but the rest would be running YOUR stuff first, then extra goes to grid.

Aaron

Oh, almost forgot... Arkansas passed a law that the utility MUST pay you an equal amount as what they charge you for every kWh. So they can't pay you 50 cents but charge you a dollar, as an example. If they are charging the consumer a dollar, then they HAVE to pay a dollar for each kWh you give them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Gardeners, I do have one green pepper growing. Try to get a picture today so surprised did it in the last week.

 

[Ascholten]

No, it doesn't work that way. The grid is actually powering my inverters which are on each panel. If the grid goes down, I have no power. Well, no power without the backup generator which is run by propane. But point being that my panels are useless if the grid goes down.

It's doable. not the best way to get there but is possible. Get a grid tied inverter that is also a stand alone, they call them hybrids in places. grid goes away for whatever reason, that inverter uses b attery power. becomes the grid, and whatever the micro inverters make goes to that, charges your battery, and IF they are working right, the master inverter should start sweeping the freq to shut them down or curtail them.

This was a HUGE problem in california, slimy solar dealers sell clueless people their 'dream solar' not telling them that the moment the grid burps, their 60k solar setup is worthless.

Depending on the inverter you 'could' use your generator and not have to leave it totally out. Outback makes decent inverters that take many inputs and have varied outputs and can handle this. Schneider has inverters too but they get VERY tempermental and Id have to recommend a different unit than Schneider with what you got.

aaron

 

[Ascholten]

TJ how good are your electrical skills?
If you are comfortable working with inverters, 240 vac, and stuff like that DM me and I can probably walk you through some help but if you are not absolutely comfortable then I really can't do much for you because what I'd tell you to do, you need to KNOW what you are doing

Aaron

 

[Sally PB]

I planted my multiplier (potato) onions and garlic today. The ground was nice and damp from the 2" of rain we've had in the past few days, so they can root. I covered them with a few inches of fluffy mulch. Another garden task done.

My neighbor doesn't want her pine needles, so I'm raking them up and using them as mulch. Wow, are white pines shedding a LOT this year! I raked the area yesterday, and you couldn't tell this afternoon. We did get some heavy rain last night, and it's windy, so that's bringing them down fast this year.

I'd still like to get some mulch spread around the garden, but if I don't, it's ok. I feel pretty good about what's going to be waiting for me in the spring.

Oh. Right. I still need to move a couple asparagus plants yet. Just waiting for them to go night-night for the year.

 

[Ascholten]

I planted my multiplier (potato) onions and garlic today. The ground was nice and damp from the 2" of rain we've had in the past few days, so they can root. I covered them with a few inches of fluffy mulch. Another garden task done.

My neighbor doesn't want her pine needles, so I'm raking them up and using them as mulch. Wow, are white pines shedding a LOT this year! I raked the area yesterday, and you couldn't tell this afternoon. We did get some heavy rain last night, and it's windy, so that's bringing them down fast this year.

I'd still like to get some mulch spread around the garden, but if I don't, it's ok. I feel pretty good about what's going to be waiting for me in the spring.

Oh. Right. I still need to move a couple asparagus plants yet. Just waiting for them to go night-night for the year.

This will be their third year for my asparagus come spring time. I let them basically grow wild the past two years I think I only culled one or two stems. I do find that you can pick the leaves off them when they finally do open up and those are pretty tasty themselves and don't kill the plant like cutting the stalk does.

I need to add more soil to the pot they are in so once we get a hard frost that takes them down for the season, im going to throw probably 8 or 9 inches of mulch on them and let them come up thru and hopefully be good to go come spring time.

Aaron

 

[NewBoots]

The lady finished our mural today and we love it!

One of our friends has already asked her to come to their place to paint one for them. We're a small (tiny) town that's largely a tourist economy and just barely off the main highway so I'm thinking a town full of beautiful murals would help bring in more possible tourists. More are planned for various businesses, the library has a completed one of the native flowers, and there's a half-completed one on the side of the tavern taken from an historic picture of a stage coach coming into town.

 

[Iluveggers]

Got over 100 garlic planted and mulched today. Tomorrow will top off with litter from the chicken run. Also bagged up 6 bags of leaves, will pull out a bag a week or so once we have snow on the ground, and dump in the chicken run to give the girls something to do, and hopefully keep the ground dryer once it starts melting. Will try to bag a bunch more tomorrow. We have woods covered in leaves, so no rush on grabbing them!