Wholesale Solar Price Quote!

[TheRoanBus]

How does this quote from Alden Silber at Wholesale Solar look? I think it's everything I'll need. I will be getting 150 cable and connectors somewhere else. Total is $1,924. I'm so excited!




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[Robin97396]

Sorry, can't read the document at all. How many watts are you getting from your panels and does the power management box come with your panels?

[slaughridge85]

Looks good to me, the free freight and shipping is a deal maker right there...

[Robin97396]

My mistake. It enlarges. So yes the power manager is included.

Seems kind of expensive to me but I'm no solar expert. Have you read the solar forum here?

[lucasd]

That looks pretty reasonable, especially considering the lack of shipping costs.

[jazty]

Yep, that's a fine deal! The prices they offer are good to start with, but free shipping?! I don't think you'll find a better deal elsewhere.

[questtodivest]

I'm also going the solar route though I'm just at the research stage... has anyone used Wholesale Solar before? How was the customer service? Any other recommendations?

[joeblack5]

I think it depends on what your thinking is.
One mppt midnite solar classic charge controller. not sure if you need to put the panels in series. That would make your system very sensitive to partial shading.
If you can put the panels in parallel then I still would prefer individual charge controllers. If one craps out you are not dead.
yes the shipping discount is great but I am sure you can find something locally. Would not surprise me if they ship from somewhere local close to you.
Solar is less then $0.50 watt if you look around


To compare with the 4 new panels mono 300 watt I bought for the Elfbus
300 watt mono crystalline $125 /piece Total $500
charge controllers Tracer 2215 2 units $ 120 ebay 240
lcd readout 1 unit $ 50 ebay 50

Just used automotive fuses between battery and charge controller.

I put only 2 up sofar, got one for spare. The last one will charge with a separate mppt step up controller a 48 Volt lithium battery
picture in elfbus thread.

later J

[TheRoanBus]

Originally Posted by questtodivest

I'm also going the solar route though I'm just at the research stage... has anyone used Wholesale Solar before? How was the customer service? Any other recommendations?

To me they are fantastic!! Talk to Alden Silber and tell him you were referred by Michelle Muller. They're very responsive and accommodating!


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[Iceni John]

They seem like a good company to me. I bought a refurbished Magnum MS2000 inverter/charger from them for MUCH less than the price of a new one, and it works just fine.

Buying everything from one vendor is certainly easy, but it's usually not the cheapest way. It just depends what your priorities are.

John

[ol trunt]

I spent the entire day studying solar and price chasing on ebay and amazon.
Once you are sure of what your needs are, you can without a doubt beat what you have shown us---by a lot.
Good luck. Jack

[questtodivest]

Awesome! Thanks!

I called earlier and Alden answered! It was before you responded and I didn't want to mention anything until I knew you had bought it lol but I will definitely tell him you sent me! I have some 'homework' to do and I'm e-mailing him tomorrow!

I assumed it would be more expensive to get a package as opposed to buying separate parts, but, sadly, I have limited faith in my ability to get it right the first time! I think for our first venture into the solar world a package is perfect... hopefully one we can build upon!

[superdave]

Originally Posted by questtodivest

Awesome! Thanks!

I called earlier and Alden answered! It was before you responded and I didn't want to mention anything until I knew you had bought it lol but I will definitely tell him you sent me! I have some 'homework' to do and I'm e-mailing him tomorrow!

I assumed it would be more expensive to get a package as opposed to buying separate parts, but, sadly, I have limited faith in my ability to get it right the first time! I think for our first venture into the solar world a package is perfect... hopefully one we can build upon!

before you venture you should study up on solar and its basic workings. it will save you money now and in the long run.

[PNW_Steve]

I think that the quote is very reasonable for what it is:

A package assembled with the assistance of a qualified solar professional that will have vendor technical support from a single vendor.

If you are not a solar guru yourself, having good vendor support can be invaluable.

If you have solid electrical skills and a good understanding of solar system design then you are less likely to need design assistance and ongoing support and can shop for the best deal on each component in the system that you design.

This route would be much cheaper but may be ill advised if you do not have the skill set to do it properly on your own.

[ol trunt]

Heaven forbid anyone should want to learn something new.
P.T. Barnum was right.
Jack

[questtodivest]

I've certainly done a lot of research, made spreadsheets, drawn up diagrams, talked to my friends who are more knowledgeable, but for the system they quoted, I can't seem to put together a better deal? Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong sites? Also, most of the appliances we'll be using are not purchased yet, so I'm definitely open to suggestions for cheaper solar, as well as appliances! Unfortunately, a lot of the appliances made specifically for solar are well beyond our price range! We'd like to upgrade in the future, but for now it's just not doable!

[dan-fox]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Heaven forbid anyone should want to learn something new.
P.T. Barnum was right.
Jack

It's a crapshoot, Jack. You can end up spending some serious tuition at that school, unless you've gone to another previously and done your homework. This place here is one such school; handybobsolar is another.

You pays your money and you takes your chances, but fortune favors the prepared. If the OP is not confident, he's not "prepared". Me, I've read enough on this forum to be confident taking on the care and feeding of a multi-liter diesel engine in a big shoebox with some solar panels on top. Not for everybody.

[Robin97396]

What I suggest is looking at the solar packages, then individually picking out equipment that matches or exceeds the specs of individual components on the solar package you're considering. Shopping for components is more work and may include some headaches, but you can end up with a better power manager and larger panels for about the same price.

It already sounds like you plan to expand your solar system in the future. You don't want to buy a second power manager later on. You'll likely want larger panels later on too.

I'm not familiar with your particular solar package, but I've previously spent days online trying to figure out the best way to go with solar. Some people have more money than time, so you may be right. Free advice is worth what you pay for it, and nobody knows what you need better than you do.

Good luck.

[joeblack5]

High Efficiency 60 Cell 300W Semi Flexible Frameless Mono Solar Panel 300 Watt

$89.00 for a limited time.

this is what I used, I paid still $ 125 all on flea bay
later J

[Iceni John]

It would be worth your time to learn all you can from the Northern Arizona Wind & Sun forum. The contributors there are very knowledgeable and know what works and what doesn't, and a few hours reading their collective wisdom and experience could save you some headaches in the future.

John