We'll have 12 panels, which weigh in at 230 Watts each, for a 2.8kW system. Each panel is a little over 3'x5', so our entire system will be somewhere around 12'x15' in area. Since we have no grid to tie to, the panels will feed a bank of 16 batteries that we'll store down in the back room. We'll also be able to charge the batteries from the generator on those not-so-sunny days.
Cost-wise, the project is pretty much split between three major items: the panels (roughly $9,000), the inverter (roughly $4,500) and the batteries (roughly $5,500). Everything else is a minor cost in comparison to those three. The project certainly won't pay itself back in the first couple of years, but it'll save us money in the long run, especially as diesel prices continue to climb. The other thing it will save, though, is the generator noise; I think I'm more excited about that than anything.
On a side note, I may be away from the blog for a couple of days; I'm attending the Environment Virginia conference down at VMI for the better part of this week, and I don't know what the internet situation is at the B&B where we're staying.
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