Solar panel help

[abigalerose]

how would I go about finding out how much solar panels cost?

 

[MoonShadows]

How much electricity are you looking to generate? The more electricity you want, the higher the costs for panels, batteries, other system requirements. Do you plan to install yourself or have a company install. Where do you live....prices can vary from state to state. I have been looking at this for some time, but really don't understand all the ins and outs. Here are a few sites you can reference:
https://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/solar-power-basics.html
http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/...asic-components-of-a-home-solar-power-system/
http://news.energysage.com/how-much-does-the-average-solar-panel-installation-cost-in-the-u-s/
https://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-information/solar-cost
https://www.solarpowerauthority.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-install-solar-on-an-average-us-house/

 

[Hinotori]

The batteries tend to be the big expenditure when setting up solar. You also have to find out what type of solar works best for your climate.

MoonShadows posted a lot of good links there.

 

[abigalerose]

It would be, roughly, a 12x20 tiny house, with a fridge, stove, tv, hot water heater, 4 light fixtures, and then plug ins which would probably just have phone chargers, wifi router, maybe a lamp, and a microwave plugged in.
Potentially a washer and dryer (used once a week) and a maybe a deep freeze. But I could probably cut out both of those out if it makes a drastic difference.
I live in Missouri.
I don't personally know how to install them but someone from the Amish community might.
So does anyone have any rough ideas?

 

[MoonShadows]

First, you will need to find out how much power each item consumes while operating. Most appliances have a label on the back which lists the wattage. Specification sheets, local appliance dealers, and the product manufacturers are sources of information. How many hours per day will you use each of these items? You will need to determine how much wattage each of these will use per day. How many days per week will you use this item? How many watts will each one need per week.

Then you will need to determine the best type of battery bank for your needs and how much power you want to be able to store. Remember, not all days are sunny and there are "averages" for how much sun is really useful depending on you location and time of year. Things like temperature effect, depth of discharge, battery capacity, battery life, maintenance, etc. are factors in choosing a battery bank.

Depending on you location in MO, you can expect between 4.8 and 5.5 sunlight hours per day in the summer, 3.2 to 3.9 sunlight hours in the winter...for an average of about 3.7 to 4.3 sunlight hours per day over the course of a year.

Based on the above, you will then be able to size your system. And, for this, you are either going to need someone who really is knowledgeable about solar systems...like a professional, or be able to plough through and properly complete all the necessary steps on your own. There are work sheets you can find on the internet that will walk you through this process. Just Google Off Grid Solar Electric System Sizing

 

[abigalerose]

Hmm okay. I would say for little stuff like lamps, phone chargers, and wifi it'd be plugged in all the time. Hot water heater used throughout the day for little things, and one shower. Fridge would be on 24/7. Microwave maybe once or twice a day and stove maybe once a day. Tv wouldn't be used too often and lights would just be on in the evenings.
If I had a deep freeze that'd be on 24/7.
I'll probably skip on the washer and dryer.
But I did forget heat and air. With a 12x20 building one small window unit would probably cool it in the summer and one small heater or pellet stove would work for summer.
I'm just trying to get a rough idea, I don't even know what ballpark I'd be in for that. $500? $1,000? $5,000? $10,000?

 

[MoonShadows]

I have no idea. You would need to follow the steps I outlined in my last post.

Just Google Off Grid Solar Electric System Sizing

I don't think anyone here is going to be able to give you the answer for your situation. It is going to take some work on your part to figure it out.

 

[abigalerose]

Okay scratch what I said, I just talked to an Amish friend and he explained that if I use 12 volt lights and stuff, I could buy 3 big batteries (about $100 each) and 1 solar panel (about $200) and a controller? I think is what he said, for $85 and I could power all my lights and charge my phone and have the tv plugged in and stuff, and he said I could maybe get by with using a 12 volt fridge, but I won't count on that for now. Also, I think I'll do propane hot water heater and maybe a propane stove? Although those make me nervous. And I can do propane heat or a pellet stove. So now I'd just have to worry about my fridge and air conditioner. I'm trying to figure out if it would be cheaper to run those things off a generator or just pay an electric bill? Or maybe I could just have normal electric fridge and I'd have a really low electricity bill, and in the summer I can just use a generator for the AC. What does everyone think?

 

[lcertuche]

If you are wanting to live off grid then I would think having a generator defeats the purpose of being tied to a large utility bill. After all fuel is not cheap but I suppose it could be used to charge batteries in a pinch.