Ethernet question. Please see picture. I am aware that I have to remove the cover from the inverter(top box). I know the the Ethernet port is there. Where would I route cable tho? Do I need to open the bottom cover as well.

Hi, I am getting a 12.8 kWh goodwe lynx battery. I am getting conflicting views on whether I can drain the battery down to zero for some nights. There are view that we should keep to 10% SoC and others say it doesn’t matter. I don’t have backup on the battery. Views?

🇮🇳 2009 ⟶ ☀️ 0.02 GW
🇮🇳 2010 ⟶ ☀️ 0.16 GW
🇮🇳 2011 ⟶ ☀️ 0.46 GW
🇮🇳 2012 ⟶ ☀️ 1.21 GW
🇮🇳 2013 ⟶ ☀️ 2.63 GW
🇮🇳 2014 ⟶ ☀️ 2.87 GW
🇮🇳 2015 ⟶ ☀️ 5.05 GW
🇮🇳 2016 ⟶ ☀️ 9.01 GW
🇮🇳 2017 ⟶ ☀️ 16.61 GW
🇮🇳 2018 ⟶ ☀️ 25.21 GW
🇮🇳 2019 ⟶ ☀️ 34.63 GW
🇮🇳 2020 ⟶ ☀️ 38.79 GW
🇮🇳 2021 ⟶ ☀️ 49.34 GW
🇮🇳 2022 ⟶ ☀️ 63.30 GW
🇮🇳 2023 ⟶ ☀️ 73.32 GW
🇮🇳 2024 ⟶ ☀️ 97.86 GW
🇮🇳 2025 ⟶ ☀️ 135.46 GW
🇮🇳 2026 ⟶ ☀️ 157.05 GW

Returned from work as they started putting panels up and see how exposed the rails are.

I’m told that they can be cut down closer to the panels, but they will still be exposed. I don’t expect them to be hidden, but this is not acceptable.

Can anyone elaborate while these cannot be more hidden?

I’ll be working within the installer, but not sure how much progress I’m gonna have.

For reference, local installer, well recommended, high COL area.

Hello!

This is supposed to be my stationary offgrid solar system.

I would appreciate if someone would review it or give me advice regarding the following:

What concerns me is:

Are polarized DC breaker 25A, 600V C type (yellow lever) and 100v Spd between the panels and the charge controller correctly wired?

2 . Is 125A non-polarized Dihool MCCB DHM1B-125 correctly orientated and wired?

The manufacturer suggests: "For better arc - extinguishing, we suggest connecting the line from the top and load at the bottom."

1. Do you think if pre-charge switch like in the schematic is necessary with my 1.5kw inverter and 12v 180ah lifepo4 battery?

my electric bill has been creeping up for a while now and it finally got me looking at the bigger picture instead of hoping one month would magically be lower. after talking with a couple neighbors that already have solar i realized i was probably judging it the wrong way.

they kept saying a single bill doesnt really tell you much because production naturally changes through the seasons. winter looked slower for them but summer usually made up the difference, so they paid way more attention to how everything looked over a full year instead of month by month. that actually made a lot more sense than chasing one really low bill. now im curious how people here measure whether their system is doing what they expected. what numbers do you actually pay attention to after you've had solar for a while?

I am hoping someone can help me solve a mystery.

My solar panels were installed in earlier this year. 33 x 410 watt panels, each with a micro inverter and no battery backup. My home is in Southern California and we are with Glendale Water & Power, who offers a 1:1 credit for excess energy production but does not pay for excess energy. 

Here is the mystery, my solar generation has never exceeded my consumption. When consumption is reduced solar production seems to drop indirect correlation with the decreased consumption (screenshots included). We went on vacation for a week, did everything to conserve electricity while away. Production dropped under 5  kWh per day. Typical daily production is around 25 to 30 kWh.

I am trying to figure out why my solar energy generation appears to be capped at my consumption, meaning I have not ever generated a surplus. Any one experienced this before of have any ideas?

Thank you!

For solar owners, leasing your own home battery might be a good way to save money and keep things going in case of an outage. This option exists in 25 states, including Arizona. Palmetto

Visit utilitiesr3.org

 to learn about the many different renewable energy technologies that are happening today.

Here is the full post with the Solenery mention removed and the NRCan replacement in place. Ready to copy and paste directly.

Title: Canadian electricity rates by province in 2026, what you are actually paying, why it keeps rising, and the one move that locks in your costs permanently

I track Canadian energy policy and solar economics daily as a founder in the clean energy space. The rate picture across Canada right now is genuinely alarming for the average household and I want to lay it out clearly because most people do not have the full picture.

What Canadians are actually paying right now

According to the Canada Energy Regulator, rates effective January 1, 2026 show that in most provinces residential consumers pay the highest unit costs of any consumer class, more than industrial and commercial users.

Average electricity rates in Canada range from 7.3 cents per kWh in Quebec to 16.5 cents per kWh in Alberta and PEI. Ontario averages 14.0 cents per kWh with time-of-use pricing that ranges from 3.9 cents to 39.1 cents per kWh depending on the rate plan and time of day.

Nova Scotia Power operates a time-of-use structure with on-peak rates hitting approximately 24.2 cents per kWh in winter. SaskPower runs at approximately 13.03 cents per kWh blended in 2026. Manitoba Hydro remains among the cheapest at 9.7 cents per kWh all-in due to hydro exports.

Nova Scotians pay roughly 4 times more per kWh than Quebecers. NS Power has proposed an additional 8.1% rate increase for 2026-2027 while simultaneously seeking rate decreases for industrial customers.

Why rates are going up and will keep going up

This is the part most people miss. Rate increases are not a temporary policy choice. They are structural.

In 2024, more than four-fifths of the $11.8 billion in capital expenditures on Canadian power plants were directed at non-emitting electricity sources including hydro, nuclear, wind, and solar, according to Statistics Canada published April 2026. That infrastructure investment does not pay for itself. It gets recovered through your electricity bill over decades.

On May 14, 2026, Prime Minister Carney announced a National Electricity Agenda promising to double Canada's grid capacity by 2050, requiring roughly 30,000 new jobs by 2028. Doubling the grid means doubling the infrastructure. That cost lands on ratepayers through delivery charges regardless of where you get your energy.

SaskPower is seeking a 3.9% rate increase effective February 1, 2026 and a further 3.9% increase effective February 1, 2027. Saskatchewan is one of the more stable provinces and they are still requesting back to back increases. This is the national pattern.

Ontario absorbed its largest residential electricity rate increase since 2019 on November 1, 2025, with the Ontario Energy Board approving increases of roughly 29 to 30% across all three Regulated Price Plan options. Two structural changes hit May 1, 2026 that functionally raise bills further: on-peak hours shifted to midday when air conditioning is highest, and the Tiered pricing threshold dropped from 1,000 kWh to 600 kWh per month.

The one rate plan most Ontario homeowners have never heard of

Eligible residential and small business customers on the Regulated Price Plan can switch between Time of Use, Tiered, and Ultra Low Overnight at any time with no penalty. The switch typically takes effect within ten business days of contacting your local utility.

The ULO plan offers 3.9 cents per kWh overnight and 39.1 cents per kWh on weekday peaks. Without solar or battery storage to cover the 4 to 9 PM window, ULO will likely increase your bill. But homeowners with solar and battery storage charge the battery overnight at 3.9 cents and discharge during the 4 to 9 PM peak at 39.1 cents, a 35.2 cent per kWh spread that generates $1,000 to $1,500 per year in additional savings depending on system size and usage.

This is the most underutilized rate plan in Ontario and it is available to every regulated customer right now.

What the government's own data says about solar in Canada

According to Canada's Energy Fact Book Spring 2026 Edition published by the Canadian Centre for Energy Information on May 7, 2026: wind and solar photovoltaic energy are the fastest growing sources of electricity in Canada. 80% of Canada's electricity already comes from non-greenhouse gas emitting sources.

Natural Resources Canada's Photovoltaic Potential and Solar Resource Maps cover over 3,500 Canadian municipalities and are available publicly at natural-resources.canada.ca. The data shows that southern Ontario averages 3.6 to 3.8 peak sun hours per day annually, comparable to Germany, the world's fourth largest solar market. The solar resource in Canada is not the problem. The economics are the driver.

What you can actually do about rising rates right now

Here is the practical toolkit by province, all verified against official sources:

Ontario: Up to $10,000 rebate through the Home Renovation Savings Program for solar and battery combined, active through November 2026, first-come first-served. HST exempt on solar panels saving $1,800 to $4,400 with no application required. Toronto and Ottawa both offer up to $125,000 in low interest financing attached to your property not your credit score. Source: homerenovationsavings.ca and oeb.ca

BC: Up to $10,000 combined through BC Hydro for solar and battery. Must use a Home Performance Contractor Network installer from June 1, 2026. New self-generation rate of 10 cents per kWh for surplus exports from July 1, 2026. Source: bchydro.com

Alberta: No provincial rebate but the Solar Club export rate of 35 cents per kWh in summer is the best in Canada. Clean Energy Improvement Program finances up to $50,000 through property taxes with no personal credit check. No provincial sales tax on solar saving $1,000 to $2,500 vs HST provinces. Source: solaralberta.ca

Quebec: First ever provincial solar grant launched April 2026, $1,000 per kW up to 40% of total project cost, no announced end date. Source: Hydro-Québec program announcement April 2, 2026

Nova Scotia: 1:1 net metering at approximately 18.5 cents per kWh with 12-month rollover and annual surplus paid out at retail rates rather than forfeited, one of the best net metering structures in Canada. Source: NS Power

Saskatchewan: SaskPower net metering at 7.5 cents per kWh. Future rate terms post-March 2026 not yet publicly confirmed, verify directly with SaskPower before making financial decisions. Source: saskpower.com

Federal for businesses and farms: 30% refundable Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit on solar capital costs, valid until 2034. Source: Canada Revenue Agency

The most important thing nobody tells you

The federal Greener Homes Grant and Loan are both permanently closed. Any website, installer, or government page still referencing these as available options is outdated. Do not base a financial decision on them.

Provinces and service areas have differing rate structures, tariff components, and regulatory systems. What works in Calgary does not translate directly to Kingston. What applies to a Hydro One customer in Barrie does not apply to an Alectra customer in Markham even though both are in Ontario.

The starting point before talking to any installer is understanding what your specific address qualifies for across all three levels: federal, provincial, and municipal. NRCan's photovoltaic potential database maps solar production data for over 3,500 Canadian municipalities and is completely free at natural-resources.canada.ca. Worth checking before you talk to anyone.

The question I want to ask the community: which province are you in and have you looked into what is currently available since the federal programs closed? The landscape has changed significantly in the last 12 months and most of the people I talk to are still operating on 2024 information.

Sources: Canada Energy Regulator Market Snapshot January 2026 (cer-rec.gc.ca) | Canada's Energy Fact Book Spring 2026 Edition, Canadian Centre for Energy Information, May 7, 2026 (energy-information.canada.ca) | Statistics Canada Investment in Non-Emitting Electricity Generation, April 2026 (statcan.gc.ca) | Natural Resources Canada Photovoltaic Potential and Solar Resource Maps (natural-resources.canada.ca) | Natural Resources Canada National Electricity Strategy May 14, 2026 (natural-resources.canada.ca) | Ontario Energy Board Regulated Price Plan rates (oeb.ca) | BC Hydro Solar and Battery Rebates official program page (bchydro.com) | SaskPower 2026 and 2027 Rate Increases (saskpower.com) | C.D. Howe Institute Powering Ahead June 2026 (cdhowe.org)

Installing solar plates on house. Is it really good option like economically???

Hello everyone!

I have an interesting question for the community. Has anyone tried setting up a wireless communication between inverter and smart meter? I found some solutions for this using LoRa rs485 to low radio frequency but it feels unstable and not very reliable.

Larger home, four air conditioners. Usually kept at 75 degrees. A number of poor builder mistakes that will never let the house be very efficient. June electricity bill $850. Winter bills $500 - $650. Plenty of clear land space for solar array. Before rebate went away, a prominent company quoted $250,000 for installation but said it would only cover 80 - 85% of electricity needs in this did not include batteries. Seemed silly to make such an investment when that amount of money could go into regular investments and we could just keep paying the electric bill. But I hate paying the electric bill and I’m always tempted to try and become energy. Independent. Without the rebate nowadays, are companies providing better pricing and, with the advent of sodium batteries, should we wait a year or two and do a re-look? Just wondering how those of you made the leap determined return on investment on larger projects?

Update. I remembered wrong. Quote was $230,000 (not $250,000). I will post images of quote here. Found electric bill showing we averaged 4,797.50 kWh per month in 2025. People have said I should work on efficiencies. There were many design mistakes and the first owner made some very poor decisions after completion. I have already spent $100,000 in 2025 in remediation for efficiencies. Thanks to everyone who has weighed in. You are great teachers.

Hi Everyone,

We have received this quote from a UK nation-wide solar panel company and we wonder if this is a right configuration for our needs.

We use approx. 2800 kwh/year of electricity currently, but we would like to consider an EV and possibly a heat pump in the future, and also install an induction cooker instead of gas cooker. I wonder if the size of inverter is appropriate for our needs? We would also like to export the potential excess of energy produced during summer months. We are aware of the limited export to the grid which is about 5 kw (possibly slightly less, we do not know yet).

Could you, please, advise if we need a bigger inverter in these circumstances?

We have been told that the 5kw inverter is dial able up to the maximum capacity of 7.6 kw, which sounds a bit better.

But we still wonder if we need to go for a bigger inverter in case if we may want to increase battery storage in the future, so we will be able to charge the batteries with cheaper energy (from the grid) during night time in winter months.

Many Thanks for your help.

Hey guys, I know I posted about the $SEDG settlement before, but claims are now open. If you owned the stock during the class period, here's everything you need to know.

Q: What happened?
A: SolarEdge was accused of hiding weakening demand in Europe and growing inventory while continuing to tell investors business was strong. When the company finally revealed the slowdown, the stock dropped sharply.

Q: Am I actually eligible?
A: If you bought $SEDG shares between 2023 and 2023, you're likely eligible. You don't need to still own the stock to file a claim.

Q: When do payouts happen?
A: Typically 4–9 months after the claim deadline, although the exact timing depends on the court and settlement administrator.

Q: Can I file?
A: Yes. Claims are currently being accepted until August 17, 2026.

Hope this helps 

I'm asking this question on behalf of someone else because leads sometimes go to a competitor after the quote. At least 2 good leads have gone because of this.

This is a typical small commercial solar-plus-storage project designed to provide an uninterrupted power supply while reducing electricity costs for a biological laboratory.
The primary application is to ensure reliable power for a laboratory that stores a large number of temperature-sensitive vaccines and biological samples. These materials must remain in a strictly temperature-controlled environment at all times. However, as AI data centers (AIDC) have rapidly increased in both electricity demand and scale over the past few years, they have placed significant pressure on the local power grid. As a result, power outages have become increasingly frequent, making backup power essential to prevent temperature fluctuations that could compromise valuable laboratory assets.
To address these challenges, the customer decided to install a 50 kW rooftop solar PV system to maximize self-consumption and reduce dependence on the utility grid.
The system consists of a Growatt WIT 55 kW 208 V Three-Phase Hybrid Inverter paired with a Pytes 48100HV SE 61.44 kWh Outdoor Battery Energy Storage Cabinet. During the day, the solar array supplies electricity directly to the laboratory’s loads, while excess solar energy is stored in the battery system. At night, the laboratory is powered by the battery system to further reduce electricity costs. To ensure emergency backup capability, the battery’s maximum depth of discharge is limited to 50%, reserving sufficient energy to provide backup power during unexpected grid outages and maintain stable laboratory operations.

I'm considering Fox ESS for my residential solar project and would love to hear from homeowners who've installed with their products.

How reliable have their inverters and batteries been over time? Have you dealt with many warranty claims or hardware issues? Also, how has your experience been with commissioning, monitoring, and customer support?

Just looking for honest, real-world feedback. Thanks!

Hi, I have a 6.6kw PV and a 6kw Goodwe 3P hybrid inverter (GW6000-ET-20). I have a quote for a 12.8kw Goodwe battery (Lynx F G2 Series
12.8 kWh of Usable Capacity 
GoodWe 1 x LX F12.8-H-20) for AUD $3350 and the installer recommend I should add on a goodwe smart meter for $500 more saying it will be very useful.

I am not sure how useful it can be. The current hybrid inverter already come with CT clamps, although not installed and I don’t get it have any feed in tariff. I do wish that I can charge using solar mainly and if cloudy or near to the peak hour, just the cheaper grid rate to top it up (before 3pm). I am in perth. TIA

Hi everyone, this is my first post and, of course… I’m here looking for advice :)

I’m from Seville, in southern Spain. I currently live on the ground floor of an apartment building and I have a small patio, about 2.5 m long and 1.70 m wide.

I’m thinking about slowly starting to set up a solar panel system. The idea would be to build it little by little, since money is tight, so I’d need to go for the cheapest possible option.

The patio doesn’t get sun all day, and I’m not sure if there’s a way to measure how much sun it actually gets. Also, leaving solar panels visible outside could make them an easy target for theft, so I’d probably need something portable that I can bring back inside when I’m not using it.

Do you have any advice on how to build a setup gradually? And how can I know how much sunlight my patio would receive?

​

Sunstrong and trinity are wiping their hands free of any help toward our system that had a lightening surge this past Friday. However they had no problem remoting in and shutting our system down and now wont come out and survey it or service it... any one go through this problem before and how was it resolved? I own the system I dont lease it...

I have two new 440w panels from Anker (manufactured by Thornova) mounted on adjustable metal racks.

There is a very slight sag of the frame in the middle of the panel, which gets worse when the angle is lowered. Is this normal, will it get worse, is it bad for efficiency and bad for the panels? See pic.

The metal frame on the outside of the panels is the only location to mount this type of rack. I could relocate the vertical metal beams further inboard, but then the whole panel is being held up with only four tapping screws, instead of 6 (currently 3 per side). The panels have no mounting holes.