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diy solar

DIY vs retail power station?

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jr23112

New Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2023
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Location
Chesterfield, Va
I'm sure this is covered elsewhere but I couldn't find it (please send link if so).

First, I'm just beginning my PV journey but I was wondering why I should go with a DIY option over purchasing a retail power station.

I'm not concerned about price differences and I know the larger the system, the smaller the price difference (generally).

As far as I can tell, building one on a dolly might be the better option for two reasons:

1) Ability to configure, repair and expand system.

2) Mobility - the retail versions I've seen have smaller wheels and don't seem as mobile as a dolly mounted system.

What am I missing?

Thanks!
 
jr23112 said:
...

What am I missing?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
What you intend to power. It does no good to spend money out and end up with something that does not meet your needs.

From what I have seen of the majority of these little battery box power systems is they tend to give you misleading ratings. They will take a battery that has 50ah and a 1000w inverter and say it is a 1000w system. What they do not say is if you actually try to run it at 1000w you will quickly deplete the battery.

W=VA a 50ah battery has at most 50ah X 12v = 600w for less than a hour (Peukert effect). So drawing at 1000 watts will likely give you about 20 minutes.
 
I would say you answered your own question with the exception of one thing. Maybe some pride from doing something yourself instead of buying something off the shelf at every Tom Dick and Harry can have as long as they have deep pockets
 
cdsolar said:
Cheap, fast, and reliable. Pick any two. ?
Click to expand...
jr23112 said:
What am I missing?
Click to expand...
Building your own will let you custom tailor the mobility you require. The money you save will be substantial. And the diy mobility if you can weld will knock it out of the park if you buy a hand truck/dolly and weld to that. DIY will be twice the power and depending on cost- half as expensive. Spend the same money (actually a bit more; batteries are expensive) and you’ll have roughly four times the power storage.

I have yet to see the logistical or economic benefit of buying an unwieldy premade yet poorly designed suitcase.
 
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Unless it's a tiny unit for phone charging and a camping light. Diy is better in every aspect. You can get more power for longer time. And design it for whatever mobility needs you have. Diy is always cheaper when comparing the exact same output ratings.
 
Unfortunately the original poster said he didn't care about the money. If that's truthfully it then I guess we each keep saying the same thing. You're going to be able to get a better built or more easily expanded and tailored to your size power box if you build it yourself. You can get batteries in many different size and amperages and pick and choose your poison ☺️
 
Wakintx said:
Unfortunately
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Unfortunately? Why is that unfortunate?

That guarantees that whatever he does will be suitable to his / her desires; if it doesn’t it will merely be unsatisfactory performance with a manufactured profit center I mean portable power supply and he’s going to have to build one.
Or an indicator that a second battery in the diy is required.

Unfortunate would be how I started out with 200W of panels that I knew was ‘just barely’ and was a stretch to buy to begin with.
 
Because so many replies talk about saving money.

Not his goal. That's why I said unfortunately
 
Wakintx said:
Unfortunately the original poster said he didn't care about the money. If that's truthfully it then I guess we each keep saying the same thing. You're going to be able to get a better built or more easily expanded and tailored to your size power box if you build it yourself. You can get batteries in many different size and amperages and pick and choose your poison ☺️
Click to expand...
I didn't say I didn't care about money. I said "I'm not concerned about price differences..." as in the long run, what's $500 dollars?

I addressed the expandability and customization of the DIY.

I'm only asking if there's something I missed.
 
12VoltInstalls said:
I have yet to see the logistical or economic benefit of buying an unwieldy premade yet poorly designed suitcase.
Click to expand...
Number of outlets, types of outlets, easier to fit in the car, warranty, aesthetics. Those are the only things pre-builts offer.

Energy density, customization, overall lower cost per usable watt, pride, lifespan, repairability/upgradability. That's the primary thing that a DIY system gets you.

Both have their Pro's and Con's.
 
From my experience, picking retail power station is expensive but more convenient than DIY, if you are not an expert but still interested in DIY, make sure that you stay safe during the process.
 
jr23112 said:
I didn't say I didn't care about money. I said "I'm not concerned about price differences..." as in the long run, what's $500 dollars?
Click to expand...
I would say what you are missing here is a whole lot of price difference, depending on your needs. Let's take this for example. You want 4000 watts of inverting power, which would pair pretty nicely with 15kwh of battery.

In this case, the difference between a homemade 48v 302ah battery pack and a 6500ex inverter... and 2 paralleled delta pros with a handful of battery packs is probably $4000-$6000 more expensive (maybe even more, haven't done the math). It all depends on your needs, and that is the only thing I think you are missing.
 
overl4nd said:
Found this old thread. While DIYs were substantially cheaper, but with discounts on Ecoflow delta 2 max etc., when you add a MPPT+AC charger+3000W inverter, you are pushing almost near to the cost of the retail system itself.
Click to expand...
Yeah I saw a few recent sales and was doing the mental math. You are dead on.
 
overl4nd said:
Found this old thread. While DIYs were substantially cheaper, but with discounts on Ecoflow delta 2 max etc., when you add a MPPT+AC charger+3000W inverter, you are pushing almost near to the cost of the retail system itself.
Click to expand...
The best balance I've found is the Delta 2 max and then expand battery capacity with 12V 100Ah LFP batteries versus their overpriced extended batteries.
 
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Being older, I can lift and move only so much. The stuff I build myself, I can and do design to be broken down into easy to move modules. Eventually, you'll need to load and unload your power station into a vehicle, or else relocate it into some other odd place. If it's of any size, you'll be very grateful if it can easily be moved in parts. Also, it's much easier to expand something you make yourself (reusing at least some of the expensive components) when your needs change or if you misunderestimated to start with. The advantages of commercial units are limited to ease of use and not having to learn nearly so much. The convenience is not to be underestimated-- I own a couple for this reason alone. But avoiding learning is liable to eventually bite you right in the butt.
 
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