What size of system would I need to get if I use on average 500 kilowatt hrs a month I would like to do a tie in grid system I live in the states south central area of States any info or links to sites would be wonderful I am interested in this type of energy soure thank you
First find out from your electric company whether they allow grid tie systems. IF so then they can help you figure out what you need.
Since you are consuming 500 KiloWatts*hours (.5 MegaWatts*hours) per month on average, you need to find out how many KiloWatts per day, so 500 KWh*h / 30 days = 50 KWh per day. With an average of 2 hours of sunlight per day, or even more conservative of 0 hours of sunlight per day 50 KWh / 2 hours = 4.667 KW solar panel system 50 KWh / 0 hours = 5 KW solar panel system An average solar panel is 200W to 250W, so 5 KW / 200W = 25 solar panels 5 KW / 250W = 20 solar panels Solar panels are currently about $ per Watt, so 5 KW of panels is $5,000 A 5KW inverter that is about $5,000 Other incidentals are about $2,000 Total cost (not including labor) is $2,000 Price per KWh is about $0.0 per KWh for East South Central states. Savings per month is *at least* $50 since there are other charges in your electric bill other than usage that are tied directly to your usage as costs. So $50 / month * 2 months = $,800 per year $2,000 investment / $,800 per year = 6.67 years or 6 years, 8 months to pay off the system. Contact many Solar contractors in your area for competitive pricing of labor and for a more detailed analysis of your home.
I think if you have the land have a solar array on your land. Putting on the house could cause it to collapse! 400 kilowatts per week is a huge usage. Turn some stuff off and don't leave the entertainment stuff on standby. Fill empty spaces in your freezers with blocks of polystyrene and be sensible with usage.
