Isabel Mascareñas had a tale to tell when she wrote her post for 10 News yesterday, 22 September 2017. Folk in Sarasota, Florida were mopping up after Hurricane Irma’s devastation. Isabel remembered an interview she ran with the Colliard family after they installed solar the previous March. She wondered how the combination of Hurricane Irma and batteries panned out.
The Colliard Family’s Solar Power System
The Colliard’s had been facing a $300 monthly electricity bill for their 3,700-square-feet house. George Colliard was clearly not a man for cutting corners. He installed 63 solar batteries panels on his roof, 4 Tesla batteries in his garage, and the necessary voltage controllers and connections to the utility grid.
Then he added a 30-kilowatt standby generator fuelled from a 1,000-gallon propane tank buried underground. He seemed prepared for anything. But, what would happen if the big storm came in hurricane season?
In Opposite Corners, Hurricane Irma and Batteries
Sarasota County escaped the worst that Hurricane Irma dumped. However, 60% of the grid failed causing major inconvenience.
But the Colliards were spared, thanks to their home being on solar 24/7. “We didn’t realize there was an outage. The solar power never went out here, things automatically switched,” George Colliard told Isabel Mascareñas.
The Colliard installation cost $120,000 although there was a 30% tax credit, which helped. Each Tesla home battery cost $12,500 installed so 42% of the total gross. The system produces more power than they consume, so they get an income from the utility. “Our bill last month was $8. It previously was $300,” George told the reporter.
George Colliard chose to do a top-end job. Thus, we calculate a payback of well over 20 years. He could have eliminated the generator and used a home battery costing a third of what he paid. However, his decision provided more certainty, and peace of mind is precious. Moreover, he sure levelled the playground between Hurricane Irma and batteries.
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Preview Image: Eye of Irma
