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0 pointsjmole4mo ago0 comments

"I built my house without any inspection or licensing and connected to the electric grid"

Where exactly do you live? I'm not saying you're lying, but this smells like a tall tale. You can easily buy solar panels and batteries, and if no government inspectors are coming by anyway, then it doesn't matter.

Maybe what you're saying is, "my power company wouldn't let me use grid-tied solar without it being permitted." ?

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mothballed4mo ago

Rural AZ

>"my power company wouldn't let me use grid-tied solar without it being permitted." ?

Nah they didn't give a shit what I connected it to. I literally stubbed a 200 amp service entrance on vacant land then just went wild connecting it to whatever I like. I shot the shit with their engineer when they ran secondary off the power pole and that was it, I've never seen them again.

> no government inspectors are coming by anyway, then it doesn't matter.

I don't know for certain but having an unpermitted solar panel visible via satellite would likely trigger a visit.

jmoleOP4mo ago

Great, so it sounds like installing unpermitted solar at your house is about as illegal as jaywalking, and you probably shouldn't worry about it so much.

boredumb4mo ago

just never upset the wrong person that knows they have leverage over you keeping your home.

mothballed4mo ago

As long as it's not visible by satellite, yes.

_ea1k4mo ago

What law governs this? I'm familiar with a lot of restrictions on grid-tie systems, but I've never heard of it being this strict for something that could (presumably) be done without a back feed.

I mean, are you saying that someone sticking up a few panels+batteries to run an electric fence, gate, and camera system has to have permits?

This all seems strange.

mothballed4mo ago

For example, here is the one that to install certain PV you need permit with roof and building plan, which is impossible on my house because I have none (literally built my roof off the cuff after thumbing IRC).

https://www.azleg.gov/ars/11/00323.htm

1 more reply

kazinator4mo ago

Don't people have guns in AZ, especially rural?

I wouldn't want to go to someone's home to hassle them about their DIY solar installation.

xboxnolifes4mo ago

People have guns in all of the US. Sure, AZ ownership might be around double that of CA, but that's just going from 1 in 4 to 1 in 2. The odds are high either way.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

mothballed4mo ago

Rural AZ

>"my power company wouldn't let me use grid-tied solar without it being permitted." ?

> no government inspectors are coming by anyway, then it doesn't matter.

I don't know for certain but having an unpermitted solar panel visible via satellite would likely trigger a visit.

jmoleOP4mo ago

Great, so it sounds like installing unpermitted solar at your house is about as illegal as jaywalking, and you probably shouldn't worry about it so much.

boredumb4mo ago

just never upset the wrong person that knows they have leverage over you keeping your home.

mothballed4mo ago

As long as it's not visible by satellite, yes.

_ea1k4mo ago

What law governs this? I'm familiar with a lot of restrictions on grid-tie systems, but I've never heard of it being this strict for something that could (presumably) be done without a back feed.

I mean, are you saying that someone sticking up a few panels+batteries to run an electric fence, gate, and camera system has to have permits?

This all seems strange.

mothballed4mo ago

https://www.azleg.gov/ars/11/00323.htm

1 more reply

kazinator4mo ago

Don't people have guns in AZ, especially rural?

I wouldn't want to go to someone's home to hassle them about their DIY solar installation.

xboxnolifes4mo ago

People have guns in all of the US. Sure, AZ ownership might be around double that of CA, but that's just going from 1 in 4 to 1 in 2. The odds are high either way.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse