My solar adventures

[FrostyBeach]

This is on the controller displayView attachment 25052

If I'm understanding that display your daily output from PV is 0.755 kWh. You said you're running stuff during the day off the inverter, with that you will not fully charge the battery bank.
Also, don't connect any sensitive electronics to that inverter. They really don't like the modified sinewave output.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

If I'm understanding that display your daily output from PV is 0.755 kWh. You said you're running stuff during the day off the inverter, with that you will not fully charge the battery bank.
Also, don't connect any sensitive electronics to that inverter. They really don't like the modified sinewave output.

I'm only connecting devices with a 5-volt adaptor to this system, that acts as a buffer, I've researched using an ac conditioner to my system but if going that route Its cheaper just to buy a pure sign wave inverter, so far this is just a test and it’s actually working better than expected adding extra batteries

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I have 8 panels now, each 4 in a series and paralleled with each other and 400 amp hours of batteries

 

[Donoroto]

This is on the controller displayView attachment 25052

Shows you getting 51 Watts at that moment, about 3/4 of a kWh so far that day.

Two 100 Ah batteries can deliver 20 A for 10 hours until they hit 9.6 volts. In theory. That is 2kW, or 200 W for 10 hours. But a lead-acid battery at 9.6 V is being abused and won't last long.

More panel will provide more energy to the system. More battery will let you store more effectively and limit deep discharges.

All that is left is to calculate your power budget, which will let you size the system. In my case, I want to run a 10 W load (an LED lamp at night) for up to 15 hours in winter, and account for up to 4 days without sun. So 600 Watts of usable storage needed, with more than 150 W per day of panel. With 4 hours sun I can get away with 38 W of panel, but in reality that means a panel rating of about 120 W as a minimum.

Conservative, certainly, but my six 20 W panels and 100 Ah battery should do it. If I were to add a motion sensor to the light, the system would be a vast overkill.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I'm considering running a patio cover completely made up of solar panels

 

[Steve SPF]

I'm considering running a patio cover completely made up of solar panels

That's awesome

 

[GFHomebrew]

Another bloke I've been following a little while is this fella.

Australian not 100% what your trying to do there but similar and inspiring.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Another bloke I've been following a little while is this fella.

Australian not 100% what your trying to do there but similar and inspiring.

I've been following Will for years and a member of his forum, last year he went through building batteries but since then the price of cells went up and became scarce so I abandoned the idea

 

[GFHomebrew]

I've been following Will for years and a member of his forum, last year he went through building batteries but since then the price of cells went up and became scarce so I abandoned the idea

I thought he got some out of old laptops?

Yeah pretty cool stuff

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I thought he got some out of old laptops?

Yeah pretty cool stuff

I meant Will Prowse, he builds batteries also

https://www.youtube.com/@WillProwse

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

new toy to clean up the power, Tripp Lite LC2400 Line Conditioner 2400W AVR Surge 120V 20A 60Hz 6 Outlet

 

[Craigerrr]

new toy to clean up the power, Tripp Lite LC2400 Line Conditioner 2400W AVR Surge 120V 20A 60Hz 6 Outlet

View attachment 25116

Looks a lot like the Binford 3000!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Got the first of 3 of these, setting the whole place on solar eventually

 

[GFHomebrew]

Check this guy out Ozarks he's living off grid

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Check this guy out Ozarks he's living off grid

Yes I'm subscribed already, thanks

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Yes I'm subscribed already, thanks

Most people that use the set up I have now can't power a complete home without a huge battery and panel setup so I have mine setup to pull from the grid if needed

 

[Donoroto]

Most people that use the set up I have now can't power a complete home without a huge battery and panel setup so I have mine setup to pull from the grid if needed

Might as well let them provide backup power in case the sun burns out...

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Might as well let them provide backup power in case the sun burns out...

yes so I have mine set up to use the panels first then battery then as a backup use the grid as the power source, the grid also charges the batteries when the solar is below a certain point, seems to be working, I'll show a pic when more panels and batteries show up

 

[Donoroto]

yes so I have mine set up to use the panels first then battery then as a backup use the grid as the power source, the grid also charges the batteries when the solar is below a certain point, seems to be working, I'll show a pic when more panels and batteries show up

A friend in California gets a special power pricing plan, something like 25 cents between 6 and and 10 pm, then 7 cents at night. He has 2 tesla powerwalls and 12 kW on the roof. Days he runs the house off panels and sells excess plus all the battery power back (at 25 cents a kW) and at night he charges the batteries and runs the house with grid power at 7 cents. The plan is theoretically for EV charging but he turns a decent profit 320 days a year.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

my goal this year is to run all 120v lines with solar, next big buy is the ac/heat pump and possibly the water heater