Solar Centex

10/05/2026

Really didn't plan on Monday starting with extracting stray kitten out of conduit one size too small for its head.

Three of the four siblings now rounded up and the fourth isn't going far without her family.

Good job to guys this morning pulling our pile of left-over conduit apart piece by piece so nobody got crushed.

Ps.dish soap is how you get 2" kitty head from 1.5" conduit.

09/29/2026

"Re-powering" means replacing inverters that are beyond their warranty / technical support life. That varies by manufacturer.

Here at this Salado home, we're replacing original Solarbridge microinverters with an AP Systems microinverter setup. As my very original Solar bridge customers know, that former Austin-based company was bought by a larger competitor and long-term support disappeared.

The AP System microinverter (MI) is a value-smart choice in this case. One MI replaces powers two modules. Like the Solarbridge company before it, AP Systems is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

We'll let you know how these perform for your future re-powering needs.

09/15/2026

This is the big variable in system design and quoting today: solar module price.

We're not trying to be guarded when we say module selection is more fluid these days. We'll always pick top tier-1 modules but the market supply seems to adjusting to the new normal.

09/09/2026

This is what 45KW of solar looks like on a metal barn.

590-watt bifacial "glass-on-glass" modules means a bit heavier than traditional panels so we were fortunate to have equipment to get them up there. Paired with Fronius inverters, this should make about 72,000kwh per year.

09/03/2026

Big thank you to Carlos and Manny from Goodwe inverters for visiting us at this Belton home with a new 11.4 inverter and dual LG Prime 16kwh batteries.

We're new to using these Goodwe inverters so learning 'best practices' is part of any new product.

Best part is that we know that we can DEPEND on Goodwe. I promise you some manufacturers are imposible to get face-to-face support like this from.

Amazing value and great support = wonderful combination for Central Texas homeowners. And to top it off, it's a beautiful inverter if I might say.

09/02/2026

Here is what batteries can do on the "energy management" side of the equation.

We had upgraded from 19kwh to 32kwh of battery storage and the previous month - not too bad at $62.56 - was the 'gap month' as we made the materiel switch.

This $21.51 bill is first full billing cycle where we largely lived of solar batteries. You can see that average daily usage dropped to just 4kwh per day.

Half the bill was the $9.95 plan fee but the REP needs to be covered for its costs of course.

The other side of the equation is backup capability.

You always get both energy management and backup with battery storage.

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09/01/2026

Pleased to say we installed a solar system at this Veteran's home for free back in 2017, to recognize what he did for others.

Mr. Martinez was pretty selfless back then and I'm happy that the NFL has likewise noted his character in helping others today.

SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — A San Angelo resident has been recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work helping veterans across the Concho Valley. Luis Martinez III, ch…

08/28/2026

WOW - WOW - WOW

The price of inverters and energy storage continues to decline. Jus had one of my distributors show a price special on a very well known brand.

If you ever wanted 12KW of solar and 32kwh of energy storage, now is your chance to get it at just under $30,000.

$2.50ish per watt-installed and you pretty much get the 32kwh of battery energy storage for free.

08/27/2026

Two ways to look at this. Either you think Texas government is charging another license fee to make a buck...I'm perhaps a little bit in this camp...or you think that a nominal fee to register as a solar salesperson might reduce the number of door knockers.

This was part of the consumer protection bill that passed the Legislature last session. Solar CenTex has a company-level registration too (and it's substantially more costly) so I think this ought to reduce the fly-by-night outfits and door knockers. Glass half-full. I supported this consumer protection bill that our Texas Solar Energy Society advocated for.

08/14/2026

The Horses said, "let there be light!" and with their command, we turned on this simple off-grid system.

For years, this barn - far from the main home in Salado - needed electricity for lights, hot water heater, and washing machine for the tack room.

An 8KW array of Solaria solar panels, a Homegrid 19.2kwh lithium battery, and this customer-supplied 10KW inverter all came together. Final programming this morning.

The horses rejoiced. So did the owner.