Henry Dover answers:

Http://www.gov.za/

http://www.info.gov.za/view/DynamicAction?pageid=528

If you do not find the information there, chance are there is no rebate.

One option for you is to wire your house to have a second set of wirring dedicated to the solar power system.

If it were me- I would not worry about connecting it to a grid, that is just social engineering to keep people attached to the grid.

Henry Dover answers:

It will depend on a variety of things. Since you live in CA you should get a great rebate through your utility. The size of system will depend on your location, any shade, roof orientation and usage. I can tell you a little about my system.

I have a 2000sf tri level home in No. CA, I got a 3.74 kwdc system which cost $26K, I got a $10K rebate and a $2K fed tax credit (would have been $7800 if I waited till this year). I am generating about 90% of my summer energy and 75% of my winter energy (shorter days, less light). It took my summer bill from around $250 to under $20. I should break even no later than 6 years, most likely sooner with the rate increases they are proposing.

There are programs in some areas that lease panels, but I advise you get a no cost no obligation quote from a licensed contractor. They should be able to advise a system that is right for you, let you know about local rebates, net metering (buying back excess energy) etc.

Henry Dover answers:

If you are grid-tied, then a standard solar electric system will always feed back into the grid if you are not utilizing more power in your home than is being generated by the solar panels and inverter system. It is possible that a grid isolation device designed to prevent direct back feeding is available, but haven’t heard of one in common use.

New laws in most areas of the US are now mandating that utilities allow grid-tied alternative energy systems. Double-check you local laws. Sometimes you can’t take the utilities word for truth–most will automatically say ‘no’ and will only relent when you show up with the law in hand.

Unfortunately, some utilities have figured out another way to shut down alternative energy pioneers–they demand multimillion dollar insurance policies covering damage that their equipment could sustain from your little PV system. Technically, they are still in compliance with the law, they just make it impossible for a homeowner to meet their requirements.

If you are getting the runaround, go to your state representative for help. It’s amazing how contrite those utility people can be when a state senator (or even US Senator) has just sent a letter asking them why they are stonewalling a law-abiding and well-meaning citizen.

Good luck, and don’t give up!

Henry Dover answers:

First you need to decide what appliances you want to use there. I would recommend propane heating and cooking to eliminate the big energy users. You can also find a propane refrigerator.

Figure out how many watts you need. Use compact fluorescent lamps to use less energy. If you want to watch TV, use a flat panel type and keep it small.

Let’s say you will use 300 watts on average. So you need 300 watts of combined energy output from your solar panels and wind power.

Ebay offers great prices on solar panels and wind generators.

You also need a charge controller, also on ebay. Get one that can handle 25 Amps or more. This will prevent over charging of your batteries and damage from deep discharging

Get a few deep cycle marine type batteries rated at 100 Amp hours each. These can be found at your local car parts store or anywhere they sell auto batteries.

Next you need a good inverter. Look for one rated at a minimum of 300 watts constant output energy. Get one a little higher than what you need. For your purpose, you need a grid-tie type inverter so you can wire it into your circuit breaker box. Your cabin can be wired normally since you will use the inverter to tie it all in.

Henry Dover answers:

Superglue