2024-05-01 Version Update
When I started this thread back in 2019, I did not realize it would turn into a build thread of my system. It documents What and Why I did things as well has How they were accomplished. It also shows designs that didn't work out, and also designs that did work out...
I don't know
I started my solar journey in 1992 when I found a copy of HomePower magazine and "ate it up" and eventually got all 183 issues
Installed my first house system in 2000. you can read about it via the link in my signature MY BUILD
I still refuse to do NetMetering. I want power...
Battery monitoring
I recently installed a new battery monitor and placed it just off the kitchen and showed my wife what it is doing.
Just today she mentioned a pattern of operation (large negative number is draining batteries while large positive number is charging batteries - she is getting...
Here is the link to the Cable clips 30mm I just received that I will be installing this weekend to tidy things up
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PGG6GQ5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And here is a pic of my battery monitor indicating 46+ amps @ 24v going into the battery...
paulypod said:
So the bottom line- from day one to now you have a negative return on your ‘investment’?
well, just like the ROI on buying a new 2020 Silverado for $90,000
my truck in my Avatar cost $16,000 to rebuild, er renew
I entered all this with my requirement of NOT getting money...
Original first post below:
Will, I love your energy of spirit and what you have done, researched and how you teach it is great.
When I build things, I generate a build log of what, how , where, when, who, why questions and answers for that build so that I can have a diary of you will of what I...
well when one gets old, there are times when one wakes up several times at night and cannot go back to sleep
not saying 400bird has that issue, but I sure do LOL
I learned (from YT https://www.youtube.com/@ElectricProAcademy)
torque once
loosen
move conductor back and forth
torque again
do that 3 times
it allows strands to fill voids
and yes, ferrule on fine strands all the time
it is a great feeling. I even have the range on solar. So far this year, the grid's breaker has been off 98% or so since April 1st. 97kwh grid total, with 56 kwh due to charging the batteries a couple of time this month and in Oct via the Chargeverter from the grid, due to more rain and...
Due to the dependencies of the various parts, the specific order of equipment purchasing needs to be laid out in carefully to keep the system running before full build out yet provide an upgrade path.
Steps:
1) Get the new charge controllers - Need 2 for $1080, but can get one at a time $540...
Here I have some thoughts and summaries of this project.
Earlier I posted a spreadsheet of the monthly totals for the past 2 years, of what I bought and what I generated. That data came from daily data I gathered from meter reading. For the month of August,I bought 258 kwh and generated 244...
I have 2 50 gallon electric water heaters. I have cascaded them (see videos below for what I found) so after my battery is full I use the PV power, via the AC inverter to heat the water. By 3PM or so I have 100 gallons of hot water 110F that is fed into my Nat Gas tankless water heater, saving...
it is the features I need not the money it costs that matters most to me
I am at 60kwh with my teslas, I want 100 kwh. at this time my current battery will go 2 days, I prefer 5 days of backup time
I have 4 charge controllers, one for each array. I use one of 4 as the controller of the water heater
Each one has an "AUX" port that has table of trigger operations. One of which is FULL BATTERY. I use that to enable a 12v auto relay, which in turns enables the SSRs, one SSR for each leg...
here is a pic of my AC side with a transfer switch I got off of ebay
Grid box incoming on upper left. A 60 amp breaker goes down to the 3 pole transfer switch.
another 60 amp breaker leaves the Grid box on its right and provides Inverter GRID IN
Transfer switch provides switching between...
Today the wiring is a LOT cleaner under the panels, with some final tidying still needed to do after I install the new ground wire.
Here looking west into the back of the panels. Imagine all that flex conduit spread out under the panels, vs
what is looks like today. (I have repented of my past...
BATTERIES and USAGE
That brings me up to the present and also recently I have been finding NEW (than my original system) Tech that I want to incorporate into my system.
First, my system is 24v battery and 24v panel based. It is was a compromise back in the day, as 48v based batteries is a...
Spent yesterday working on the improvements for Array #1. Got the grounding cable (50ft) this past we and needed to replace the old grounding cable.
In the first pic, now that the ground wire was finished, I buttoned up the combiner box. Have some PV Labels arriving tomorrow to put on it. I...
I recently found Jack Rickard on youtube. He has had some set of adventures for the past 20 years
In this youtube he uploaded he talks about how PGE in calif can throttle back those grid-tied solar systems by adjusting the line frequency from 60 hz to 61.2 hz. This feature was mandated by...
I found Jack Rickard on EVTV and Youtube and have found his insights great
He switches the model of things. Don't look at batteries as a "backup" to the grid, rather view the grid as the "backup" to your batteries. Live "Selfish Solar" and don't share yours with the grid. Just use the...
I had solar thermal, worked great in the summer, but in the cold of winter not so well. After 10 years my $500 copper heat exchanger developed leaks.SOOOO I looked at that roof space taken up by the collector and took it down.
I used that space to located PV panels. For my case, a much...
my first house assist install had 12 100 watt panels. Cost was $4-$5 PER watt, year 2000
recently sold them for $15 a panel, producing 50-60 watts, 23 years old
It is the FEATURES I want, not the cost, that matters most to me. Saving on the bill is my 5th level priority. My first is to have power when the grid is down. Insulin in my refrigerators is far more important to keep viable
this is me, my model as well
9kw of PV, in Utah, April to Oct now I am effectively "off-grid" in that the grid breaker is in the OFF position. Last winter was a winter where I used more grid assist than the prior 3 winters. One cause was the 3 weeks that took me to swap inverters from a...
I switched to this mode.
ignore the charger in the Sol-Ark and strictly just use the inverter to run your loads all the time -
I use the grid to power the Chargeverter to charge the batteries AND to run loads when needed. Due to snow here, I have NOT seen the sun for 3 days and my panels...