Slightly off topic.
But curious if anyone has real data showing a significant drop in attic temp after installing solar panels on significant portion of their roof 
Delete if not allowed.
Thanks.
This was our #3 reason to get solar, besides cost savings and the environmental of not producing energy via fossil fuels. I didn’t take temperature readings, but I did use my thermal camera to take pictures of rafters and walls before and after. I haven’t gone through that SATA yet, but in my initial readings, the roof rafters looked like a 20° temperature drop after installation. Stand by and I’ll see about going through all the pictures in the next week or two.
1 Like
On the topic of SRECs, I’m not sure how I feel about them. If you weren’t going to get solar and they bring the price low enough that you do, then that’s great. But I feel like most people treat them as a plain incentive program, when you’re really swapping your solar power for someone else’s carbon emissions. So if you installed them to be “green” and join a SREC program for the cash, legally you’re still buying your regular utility power, and the utility (or some other carbon-emitting entity) is getting the renewable benefit. If you didn’t sell them the SRECs, they’d have to build their own solar (or equivalent renewable resource) to meet their mandated emissions targets.
So for that reason, I don’t personally like them. But they may be good for some people, I think you just have to decide what you want from having solar installed.
I have a smartthings water sensor in the pan below my AC unit in the attic which also measures temps. When I built my house, I originally insulated the level between my upstairs and my attic, the roof was vented by soffit and a ridge vent system When you would go in the attic in the summer, you could feel the heat the higher you were. It was so hot it was hard to breath. I then added solar panels on the sunny side and seen around 12 degrees drop (under the AC indoor coil ) with the same outside temps. It was still very hot in the attic… well above 100. This also help my AC unit run a little less. Im sure some of the heat from the attic was transferring to the top floor.
Since I have a 10/12 hip roof, I ended up building a knee wall, collar ties around 8 ft and putting OSB on the floor and insulating the roof. I used insulation baffles to get the air from the soffit to above the collar ties. If its 74 my upstairs section, my attic is less than 80 or so. The attic is currently 75. This helped the upstairs section of my house a ton… The AC and Furnace run a significantly amount less and its defiantly more comfortable in both the upstairs and the attic
2 Likes
As for the companies that install solar, they mainly do PPA and leases here… Pretty much they have an investor that will pay to have solar put on your roof. Instead of paying the electric company , you pay them. Obviously at some point they will profit after the equipment is paid off and the you are still paying your electric bill to them for several more years.
Before installing, I called trying to find modules locally. All of the companies would only sell me the panels if I agreed pay them to install and finance for 20+ years or pay for it all now. The one company quoted me $78,000 to put a system on my house. They also attempted to charge me $600 for a solar rooftop study… which was a printout of my roof from google earth. None the less. I’m positive I have less than 5k in my setup, which has my buyout under 5 years
You have Model/item number?
I have 2 of them that are pretty much the same. The one on the right is made by Smartthings … PN STS-WTR-250
The other is made by iris PN 3315-L.
The other one is under my sink which also has an instant hot water heater in the cabinet only runs during the day while my wife is here.
1 Like
Which is better?
Which protocol do they work on? ZWave or Zigbee?
The new ST water sensor is here and it’s Zigbee:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F951JDP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have the aforementioned and I also have these which work well and are a fraction of the cost:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D39MSZS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The Aqara devices DO NOT require the hub even though they claim as such! I have both connected to Hubitat without issue.
2 Likes
So both sensors I have are zigbee, they are virtually identical except the cover. I believe I can switch covers from one to the other. I think I bought both of these in 2015 or 2016 and the batteries last almost 2 years. I haven’t had to do anything to them. The one came with my starter kit/ hub then other I bought at Lowe’s for less than $20
I also have a utilititech zwave water sensor as well, but it doesn’t show temps and the water sensor is on a probe.
I purchased a few of the aqara sensors and they don’t do well with ST. They defiantly need a hub. Something to do with aqara’s mesh network compared to everyone else’s. You can disconnect all your repeaters and then pair, wait 3 hrs and then reconnect everything and you might get a month or 2.
Should be able to find the Aeotec zigbee water sensor fairly cheap (20-30$) …they work with ST and also monitor temps
Both sensors were made by Centralite and are identically other than cosmetics as you describe. Newer SmartThings sensors were made by Samjin and now Aeotec took over. All were Zigbee. Centralite sensors are available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Centralite-Sensor-SmartThings-ZigBee-platforms/dp/B072DYHPY7/