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How would I go about installing home solar, and adding batteries to store power?

 
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I just bought a home in Sacramento, CA, and I need help finding installers, and going through everything...? What do I do??
 
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John, welcome to permies!

The Solar forum might offer some help for your questions:

https://permies.com/f/109/solar


Here are a couple of threads that might be helpful:

https://permies.com/t/77166/Solar-Panel-System-Tutorial-Buying


https://permies.com/t/40911/DIY-Solar-Installation-Permitting-Experiences
 
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I would decide what you need your system to do. Grid tie, grid tie with backup, load defection from the grid, grid zero (no backfeed, just grid as backup for places with politics or rates that do not prefer solar), off grid, etc.

Then look at the installers in the counties around you, call them or better yet drop in for a visit. You want to find the airplane mechanic/utility/ quasi hippies or the engineer types that have a solid team of fun people that like the biz, i know it when i see it!

The smooth business shmoozer and the high pressure salesman can be disregarded for the proprietor and enthusiasts, generally.

So many companies want "$10 an hour guys" that will mule haul the money home for the office overhead....
those systems are corrupted with all kinds of bad mojo.

Look for the company still offering american pv modules or high quality and non slave labor/trade war junk as far as imports.... germany, poland, etc.

Have 3 or so seperate quotes and do not tell the various companies.

Have a renewable energy systems integrator design the whole thing breaker to solar panel. Allowing most electricians to do this is usually going to be ugly and or not up to snuff for specialty parts use and wire size.

Wire size is just about the only thing that can be improved on as far as equipment. Grid tie inverters need to have 1% loss or less to feed efficiently and its for the entire service life of the system, most owners will never know and most installers will not realize why the system underperforms.... skimping on wire electrician style in might meet code, but will not pass true renewable energy installations muster. Its another thing that i know it when i see it...electrician hooked it up for the company instead of a company electrician.
 
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OK, thanks for the tip, I just checked out a site that helped me enough to get my questions answered, but I will refer them to you here if it works out!
 
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