I'm lazy

This just copied from last year's Google+ post.

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INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I view this as "Texas History Season" . It began in December 1835 when, due mainly to Ben Milam's efforts, General Cos surrendered San Antonio de Bexar to rather disorganized anglo colonists. General Cos and his solders were given medical aid and paroled under the condition that they return to Mexico and not contest the revolution. Santa Ana, with Cos and troops, marched on Bexar the following February eventually laying siege to Texans congregated in the Alamo. Today, March 2 1836, Texan representatives declared independence in Washington-on-Brazos. The Alamo was only a few days from falling with essentially all defenders being killed. My "Texas History Season" ends 45 days after the fall of the Alamo with the Battle of San Jacinto. Five months and the world changed.

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Well, I feel compelled to add a few words about The Runaway Scrape.   Essentially all anglos fleeing in mass toward Louisiana, abandoning their homes, burning crops and buildings to deny them to the Mexicans.  Driving livestock before them.  Fleeing for their lives.  Terrorized by the massacres at Alamo and Goliad.  Frustration at Houston for not turning and fighting; ever retreating before Santa Ana.

Getting in the power production business

Since I got my PowerWall I've been semi-seriously considering intentionally producing more PV energy than I can possibly use.  There is good indication that the electric utility, BlueBonnet Electric Coop, will be willing to buy at $.05-$.055/kwh though recently, under their old PV rate structure, they've paid only a bit more than $.04.

Rough numbers are that a ~245 watt panel costs me about $110 to get into production.  A not very long term average indicates that each panel might produce a bit more than 1 kwh/day.  About $.05/day.    About $18/year.  Around 6 years payback.

I'm in the process of installing about 50 panels within the next few months.  In the area of that install, 150-200 panels are possible.

3/18/19 Update
I now have about 50 panels installed and working; that is above the 26 roof top panels.
And, I'm having trouble.  With good sun, my ac voltage rises and shuts down some micro inverters.  After considering several possible trouble sources, I am beginning to suspect that my service from the transformer has insufficient capacity.  My static, no production, voltage is around 247.  With production, it starts rising and up around 8-11kw, voltage is around 260v and inverters start shutting down.

(more) Trouble in Paradise

Since the PowerWall install, I've been paying closer attention to my house PV production.  Normally, I look at my Curb monitoring on production as the sum of the "guerrilla" system (currently 29 ~245w panels each with an Enphase M215 microinverter) and the roof top system which is a nominal 8kw with 26 ~300w panels on a SolarEdge string inverter.  Looking at the roof top only, I was struck that there was a flat top on power vs time.  About 5kw.  So, I went out and examined the inverter.  Sure enough, "5kw".   With good sun, it looks like it is spending about 90% of the time during the best production hours pegged out at 5kw.

My experience with installers has been very poor and the one that did the SolarEdge was especially flaky.  So, I have no hope of getting the installer to fix it.  Something like "GoGreen".

Now, to decide whether the inverter is worth replacing with a more powerful one.  If so, how powerful?  I find 6kw listed but haven't seen a 8kw.

Typical "flat top" from too small an inverter:

V2G

I'll be watching this with GREAT interest!

https://www.pecanstreet.org/2019/02/v2g-2/

I would wager that their interest will be in Leafs, Bolts, etc when probably more than 90% of the EV battery capacity in Austin is in Teslas.

Rental cabins

Possible suppliers:

https://www.lonestarstructures.com/storage-buildings/cabins/

Finishing shells is likely to cost about the same as the shell:
https://sturdi-bilt-tx.com/
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NJBVtdVxq8fBc7KS8


https://ormeidacabins.com/

These people offer both finished out skid mount cabins and shipping container conversions:
 https://www.modularhomesaustin.com/
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RTZAJnHgZ2hcZ5pF7

I believe this is the successor to the company that built my guest house:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/rustic-cedar-cabins-of-texas-smithville
Website txcabin.com seems dead.

Off Grid

With my new found realization on how easy it is, with a PowerWall, to go off grid, I'm thinking of what might be done in remote places on my property.  I had my first epiphany on utility independence about 10 years ago when I put in my rainwater system:
 Austinfarm.us photos

For off site constructed housing, this seems like a good starting point.  Though alarmingly expensive.
 Mustang Ridge modular place

I'm thinking maybe a moveable PV carport kind of thing as the starting point for PV.

Back of my mind ideas: rental for horse riders, rental for COTA visitors,  a retreat for myself, another guest house.

Suggestions solicited.