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Patcon

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Everything posted by Patcon

  1. Well that really depends. Lots of moving parts. What the system cost, if there are any tax credits or rebates, KwH costs and peak rate costs and such. For me, being a contractor, I opted for DIY. Now I got a couple of quotes from local PV installers in the $45k-$52k range for about a 10Kw system. Here in the states, in SC I get about 50% as a straight tax credit. So if I owe $5k and have a $5k credit, they offset each other and I pay nothing. So essentially the system costs half of what the initial cost was. Now, this is all provided you owe taxes and in a sufficient amount to be able to use the tax credit. For many years with a large family and relatively low income these number didn't work for us. I just couldn't make the numbers work for me at the quoted prices. So I found a complete system online and installed it my self. 24 LG 330w panels triple black with Enphase micro inverters and an Enphase combiner. This means that the power leaving the panels is AC current as the DC is converted as it exits the panel. This is much easier for me as I am familiar with working with AC power. DC is a lot more dangerous and cable sizing is completely different for DC power. I paid about $13K for a 7.9Kw array and had another $3k or so in misc, conduit, wire and labor to install it. After the rebates I figure it's paid for in about 60 months. So far I have been really pleased with getting much smaller power bills even with 3 teenagers still at home. I need to reroof the main part of the house and when I do that I will probably expand the system to be close to net Zero. I would also like to have a stand by battery system. Enphase has a new battery designed for their system. They are still quite expensive though. Battery backup adds more complexity too because you need magnetic transfer switches to protect utility workers. Chris, I am sure you are technically capable of doing this type of work! Whether your local municipality and power utility will let you is another question. The other issue is the roof work. None of he system parts are very heavy. Even the panels are only 30#s or so. But my roof is only 6:12 so 22 1/2d of pitch. Almost perfect for my latitude. A steeper roof would be more challenging but my coworker is still very young and his balance is good which makes it a lot easier. We took about 2 days for install but like many things we could probably do it twice as fast the second time. Hope that helps Sorry for the thread jacking
  2. I put a PV system on our house in December. I've been really pleased so far. I will probably expand it at some point
  3. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Interior
    Actually it's not that hard to do. They're not real wood anyway 😉
  4. Most of us don't want to watch videos on our phones!
  5. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Interior
    Paint looks nice! 500Hp is a lofty goal, even with a turbine...
  6. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Interior
    I think thats dirt down in the grooves. A brush and frequent bucket changes. See if it gets better. Maybe find a specialty cleaner from Meguiars or Lexall
  7. Yeah, so is my oven 😉
  8. $38k is alot of money for that car IMHO
  9. I use to use it in high school in my z for J turns. Very fun
  10. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Build Threads
    Love the vintage tools! Those'll make blisters on ya
  11. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Build Threads
    I noticed the axe collection too!
  12. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Engine & Drivetrain
    When the tranny gets tilted at a sever angle the fluid will leak out. Wait until its back in the car to fill it.
  13. Patcon posted a post in a topic in 510
    Thanks Then yes, its in backwards Will probably work better the other way! 😉
  14. Not necessarily! Diagnose one at a time. Use a meter check for voltage and ground
  15. All hand made! Very nice! I had wondered if you had a bead roller or something to work the edges with.
  16. Yes, Steve just answered that. The car originally had one key. It's 50 years old, The door locks could have been replace, the ignition could have been replaced. all the door locks might not even match. Who knows...
  17. Patcon posted a post in a topic in 510
    So I got the shifter cap off I tried to just bang it out with the shifter rod against a block but had to make an anvil and hit it with a brass hammer. So now I'm stuck again You can see the shaft seal right here but I can't get it out... It appears to have a brass bushing about 15mm long behind it. I didn't know if I could drive it all out? I tried to use a pick but it's stuck pretty good. Might be nice to replace the bushing if I could find a correct replacement @EuroDat @Dave WM
  18. Patcon posted a post in a topic in 510
    Here is the old bushing. Original, I believe... No holes
  19. Now that makes more sense
  20. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Engine & Drivetrain
    I used mine just the other day on the exact same seal. Took like 5 seconds
  21. Oh, I know but it just seems sort of silly when we already know what the car is pretty much gonna look like
  22. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Open Discussions
    Wayne, I had looked forward to coming this year but I just can't get all the parts pulled together. It's like a conspiracy or something to keep me from going. But I'm gonna get back one way or another!
  23. Patcon posted a post in a topic in Engine & Drivetrain
    Seal removal tool
  24. Ok so I would like a little tutorial on how you fabricated that battery tray! I can do some metal work but that is way beyond me!
  25. They do the car no favors to wrap it like that!!! They would just do better to paint it a great color and run it. It looks super bland in the car camo
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