What do you use solar power for?

[user 2656]

do you have a battery back up?

Yes all but 1/3 of our system is backed up by the lithion ion batteries.

The last 1/3rd panels (added last also) have microprocessors so cannot be backed up but their efficiency is huge.

 

[Haertig]

My son has a couple of Holosun sights that charge via sunlight. Also a Seiko chronograph/watch that charges the same. A solar retrofit on my existing house is probably not financially feasible, but if I move to a new place out in the middle of nowhere then solar would be a definite research area before that move.

 

[Biggkidd]

Solar has been my primary power source since 2008

 

[havasu]

We are prohibited by law to unplug from the grid. Honestly, if i went all the way in on solar and lithium batteries, I'd unplug and let them throw me in jail. People have tried it, but once you quit the So Cal Edison payments, they put a lien on your house.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Time to move.

 

[Tirediron]

I have a few small solar panels that keep the batteries for the 2 winches on my wood processor charged enough to function. once in a while If I think about it to charge a battery

 

[montanabill]

We are lucky to live where the sun shines a lot....of course it doesnt rain much either. I had one of the salesmen come by who put panels on your roof and grid tie it..After I told him how much electricity we used and by the way we belong to a electrical co op.
He then closed his sales book and moved on. With the co op our rates are really low, the co op was originaly formed to serve farther out places that werent profitable for the standard electric companies. But now everyone is moving around us so we are expecting the rates to go up any time.
We have some panels and batteries stashed currently and just the minor driveway alams and motion activated lights that are charged by the sun. I also rig up yard lights with fairly large panels in my motor homes so it looks like someone is living in them. I have quite a few fresh yard lights stored that would function well for room lighting and reading lights if the power went down tonight.. I find the lights that have a on and off switch so they can be used then turned off. I also have a well pump that will run direct off my panels and pump from 200 ft down.