peba
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 5
TL;DR looking for suggestions on what should I build to power this tiny house where only relatively small appliances will be used like a laptop and a cellphone.
Hey everyone!
Yup, yet another guy asking for guidance from the pros! Well, that would be me
I come across this board and thought it would be a good idea to share my story and include some pictures to make this thread a bit more interesting on the long run.
Who am I?
Since this is going to be my first post on this board, let me give you a real quick introduction. My name's Balázs and I'm a 32 yrs old software developer from Hungary. I've been messing with electronics for a few years now, nothing extraordinary but I believe I have a good understanding of how electricity works (both DC and AC). I put my hands on every resource I could find to learn and to understand how this amazing phenomenon works, and man I gotta tell you I just love it, it's so freaking cool! I've been playing with Arduinos, ESP boards, I know how to use a multimeter, how to solder, burnt LEDs, resistors and the likes, you get the idea.
While I'm not new to this world, I'm certainly not a professional, more like a hobbyist.
Why am I posting here?
I figured I have enough general knowledge to tinker with electrical gear on my own but every once in a while I need some external help to figure out "what's next". This kind of approach was fruitful before (I was restoring a gaming console) so why wouldn't it be the same with solar? This community here on this board seems to be a solid one, and I'm pretty sure there are amazing people out there willing to help.
Some background
I have a tiny house in a remote place. It's sitting on top of a wine cellar, my grandpa built it cca ~30 years ago. Unfortunately the winery part of this area is pretty much gone (it's a shame) but I like to go and spend some time there once in a while simply because it's quiet and relaxing (plus childhood flashbacks). I guess just by looking at the photos you must have already figured it's a place located off-grid, the nearest powerline is about 3 kilometers away, so traditional ways of brining electricity there is off the table. I'd like to spend more time there, like 3-4 days a month so I could bring my laptop, cellphone (got 4G coverage) and once I'm done with work I can shut my computer and let it charge (well, I need to charge it while working too). But right now it's impossible.
What am I trying to accomplish?
I'd like to build a tiny solar system as cheap as possible to power a few, low-power appliances while I'm there.
These are:
A lot. Practically there are no shadows on the roof at all.
And on a winter day?
Not much. You know, it's just daylight, but sometimes it's a sparkling sunshine. You never know.
Additional information
Since I am using developer tools, WiFi and video calls on my laptop, it's draining it's battery quite fast.
Same applies for my smartphone when it's sharing internet on WiFi.
My assumptions
Since I'm planning to stay there for just a few days in a row occasionally, I guess my best shot is to have a rather big battery or battery bank that I can drain with my appliances so it will have plenty of time to recharge even with a smaller solar panel.
Looking forward to read your posts. Thank you.
No electricity here, all we have is sunshine, wind and some occasional water flow from the roof when it's raining
We can build something to the roof to hold the panel(s)
Can't beat the view!
This can crank up my laptop's battery in no time
Same applies here, 50% charge in like 30 minutes
Hey everyone!
Yup, yet another guy asking for guidance from the pros! Well, that would be me
I come across this board and thought it would be a good idea to share my story and include some pictures to make this thread a bit more interesting on the long run.
Who am I?
Since this is going to be my first post on this board, let me give you a real quick introduction. My name's Balázs and I'm a 32 yrs old software developer from Hungary. I've been messing with electronics for a few years now, nothing extraordinary but I believe I have a good understanding of how electricity works (both DC and AC). I put my hands on every resource I could find to learn and to understand how this amazing phenomenon works, and man I gotta tell you I just love it, it's so freaking cool! I've been playing with Arduinos, ESP boards, I know how to use a multimeter, how to solder, burnt LEDs, resistors and the likes, you get the idea.
While I'm not new to this world, I'm certainly not a professional, more like a hobbyist.
Why am I posting here?
I figured I have enough general knowledge to tinker with electrical gear on my own but every once in a while I need some external help to figure out "what's next". This kind of approach was fruitful before (I was restoring a gaming console) so why wouldn't it be the same with solar? This community here on this board seems to be a solid one, and I'm pretty sure there are amazing people out there willing to help.
Some background
I have a tiny house in a remote place. It's sitting on top of a wine cellar, my grandpa built it cca ~30 years ago. Unfortunately the winery part of this area is pretty much gone (it's a shame) but I like to go and spend some time there once in a while simply because it's quiet and relaxing (plus childhood flashbacks). I guess just by looking at the photos you must have already figured it's a place located off-grid, the nearest powerline is about 3 kilometers away, so traditional ways of brining electricity there is off the table. I'd like to spend more time there, like 3-4 days a month so I could bring my laptop, cellphone (got 4G coverage) and once I'm done with work I can shut my computer and let it charge (well, I need to charge it while working too). But right now it's impossible.
What am I trying to accomplish?
I'd like to build a tiny solar system as cheap as possible to power a few, low-power appliances while I'm there.
These are:
- a 2016 Macbook Pro (it's charger is USB Type-C, wall charger is 61W, 20.3V, 3A)
- a regular Huawei smartphone (with a fast charger)
- some LED stripe lights
- (maybe) a small water heater (to make coffee and tea)
- (maybe) a digital clock
- (maybe) webcam with a Raspberry + SIM card 4G internet thing just for fun
A lot. Practically there are no shadows on the roof at all.
And on a winter day?
Not much. You know, it's just daylight, but sometimes it's a sparkling sunshine. You never know.
Additional information
Since I am using developer tools, WiFi and video calls on my laptop, it's draining it's battery quite fast.
Same applies for my smartphone when it's sharing internet on WiFi.
My assumptions
Since I'm planning to stay there for just a few days in a row occasionally, I guess my best shot is to have a rather big battery or battery bank that I can drain with my appliances so it will have plenty of time to recharge even with a smaller solar panel.
- Can I get away with cheaper panels I can buy on eBay or AliExpress?
- What type of battery should I use?
- Should I invest on a more robust one instead?
- What kind of cables should I use to interconnect the parts together?
- What type of charge controller is ideal for this setup?
- Do I really need an inverter to power my appliances? (I mean these are having their own batteries afterall except the water heater)
- Can I leave this system "on" even if I'm not visiting the place for months?
Looking forward to read your posts. Thank you.
No electricity here, all we have is sunshine, wind and some occasional water flow from the roof when it's raining
We can build something to the roof to hold the panel(s)
Can't beat the view!
This can crank up my laptop's battery in no time
Same applies here, 50% charge in like 30 minutes
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