Most reacted posts

grundfos is the standard for DC/solar/off-grid well pumps. expensive, but worth it.

everyone can cry me a river, haha. In michigan, we have seen the sun 3 days since November. literally. zero production. if off-grid, I would be 100% on generator the past two months.

if the inspector requires UL listing for batteries, you won't have many affordable options. I would design and get the system approved as a "grid assist" without batteries and add them after.

Hi Everyone. as a part of my residential install research, I have spent weeks working to understand the laws/requirements for solar panel installations on the roof of an occupied dwelling (ie; a home) in the United States. Bottom line-- you need to have a listed solution to all of these...

the point is that government intervention is intentionally limiting (killing?) the implementation of a renewable energy option. if we believe climate change is real, we're running out of fossil fuels and we want to incentivize moving to solar, then this type of intervention is sending the...

Since installing my PV system this summer I have been starting to pay a lot more attention to solar conditions, overall. needless to say, for the past almost 3 weeks now... my 2kw array has produced between ZERO and 0.8kw a day. the cloud cover has been so thick that at peak production, I'm...

holy crap! you know you're doing something right when your history graphs start creeping up on 100Mwh! well done!

you'll need to check with your local housing authority to determine what rules apply. our rules here across 'the pond' are very different. 1. that depends on the voltage and amperage being run. you'll need to decide what panel array contifugration you're going with and what SCC you're sending...

the system is commissioned! the array went up as expected, overall. some minor delays, but i'm satisfied with the outcome. I'm getting 400-600 watts in full overcast which is higher than my current load, so i'm please with that. peak output so far is 1894w, so not bad at 95% efficiency...

wow. thanks for the writeup. that all makes sense. I have been seriously considering an outdoor wood boiler, which is the most common form of off-grid heating here in MI. but, for a completely fuel-less system, this is tempting. the need to process firewood is what is prohibitive in wood...

if i could re-do my current DIY install.... I would very seriously consider several smaller arrays strategically mounted at appropriate angles to maximize production for winter/less-productive months.

This project was a ton of fun and my first real dive into solar. I have a 25w QYT KT8900D for emergency comms purposes that I wanted the ability to quickly take anywhere. The added goal was to have both 12v and 120v power available as a solar generator for camping and grid-down situations. I...

You're in Michigan. so am I. IMO, you're wasting your time with solar if you don't already have a generator and critical loads transfer switch installed. Take my advice as a fellow Michigander... get a generator backup system in place first; then think about solar. why? there isn't any sun...

pretty much what I ended up doing. it was a matter of timing the 'key' reset with the wifi being available, and then not knowing the default passcodes of 12345678. absurd documentation. thankfully -- internet saves the day.

nuclear gets a bad rap. I personally see it as the solution to all of our problems. I vote we can start by not installing plants on fault lines on tiny islands, for one. #fukushima

150 has lower VOC, higher charge rates (96 amp vs 78amp for the 200) but doesn't support more than 48v batteries. i picked up the 200 for $50 less than the 150 on stellavolta.

yeah, you need airflow. I think it would be more effective to paint the roof white under the panels to reduce heat-soak.

PV to MC attic junction box. Thought I was going to be a huge fan of the dinkle terminals after watching this video but turns out... not so much. they're not particularly substantial, but got the job done.

no, tigo optimizers don't work, anyway. move/remove the TV antenna.

Good stuff! note to all the residential owners out there.... this is a nice way to bypass many of the issues related to panels on the roof of a home and the corresponding NEC requirements. only thing i would suggest changing is moving everything out to the detached shed instead of the...

Finished up the gable to racking wiring. water tight box and ground. everything is going to be protected under the panels.

you'll want to elevate the panels. doesn't the mfr specify a minimum of 3"? NEC/NFPA require >3" if i recall correctly for residential. what are they installed on?

they use to be quite common in Michigan. my ex-inlaws had one and used it at night for 10mins to cool the house before turning on the AC they work really well... depending on how you install them. you need to ensure the opening has an insulated cover, otherwise in the winter you're going to...

EG4 is a BAD CHOICE because it doesn't have AFCI built in. permitted installs on homes require RSD, AFCI and GFP compliance. none of which are built in to any EG4.

i'm just going to order a listed Midnite disconnect. not going to take any risks for $35.

eh... something fishy with all that rust on only one screw. so much corrosion suggests moisture. look at the top part of the outlet... squeaky clean. the bottom mounting tab below the wire.... corrosion. i'm betting some form of moisture was condensing on the wire, then running down to the...

I think a huge problem is large solar contractors using predatory sales and finance tactics to get people locked in to worthless contracts that will never have an ROI which is giving solar a very very bad reputation. additionally, we need advisors in politics that actually have the best...

I love breakdown videos where you take a popular product and rip it apart as well as bench test. That honestly was the main reason I went with a Chins lifepo bank. I also purchased a separate Weize lifepo battery per your breakdown, and so far, it has been awesome.

I would like to see videos on DIY solutions for those of us in the upper-midwest. I know you're not in the area, but many of the DIY projects you do are completely unrealistic for me in Michigan.

that would require massive infrastructure investment to get the power down those rails. not to mention, just about every rail system in the US has been neglected. agree it's a viable option, but again... no political will to invest in it. in MI we just had the Palisades nuclear plant...