diy solar

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  • Post in thread: Do I need Single or 3-Phase Grid Tie Inverter To Run 240V

    No you don't need a 3 phase inverter. If it is a residence then almost certainly it is single phase. If you had a house the size of Bill Gate's house, it might be three phase. Sometimes town houses, condos and apartments are fed with a three phase service but even then, the feeders to the...
  • Post in thread: 120/240 Dryer

    I would recommend a solar clothes dryer. They work well, are low cost, low maintenance, and very reliable. Mars
  • Post in thread: Grounding of solar panel

    There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about grounding. I wish I has more time to write about it. But let me toss out some basic concepts that will go a long ways in making things safer. First, our language about "grounding" is confusing. Let me separate that into two separate...
  • Post in thread: Electricity Question for you experts: Which is better high watts at a short time, or low watts for a longer time?

    Low wattage for longer time. System losses are based on I^2 x R. If you cut the current in half, the system losses are cut by a factor of four. Ask Santa for one for xmas. :LOL: Mars
  • Post in thread: So here is My DIY "Kill-A-Watt" meter

    If you are looking for more of an energy monitoring system, check out Open Energy Monitor. https://openenergymonitor.org/ I built something like this a few years ago for my well control system. My system used some of the basics from the OEMon project but it does a lot more than just energy...
  • Post in thread: Sealed Inverter?

    Morningstar makes an epoxy encapsulated inverter that would be good for the tropics. Morningstar 300 Watt 12 VDC Pure Sine Wave Inverter https://www.solar-electric.com/morningstar-si-300-115v-ul-inverter.html But if you can get rid of the inverter and go straight DC that would be a better choice.
  • Post in thread: Copper pipe, 1/2-inch. What is max current capacity?

    I looked at the ampacity of copper pipe when I used some copper pipe for bus bars and came to the conclusion that the copper pipe was good for something between 150 and 285 amps. I also realized the copper pipe was not likely to be the limiting factor. The limiting factor would be the connection...
  • Post in thread: Does anyone know of a way to make a solar powered pool chiller?

    Like svetz said, use evaporation to cool the water. Even in high humidity you can get significant evaporation and cooling from a waterfall.
  • Post in thread: Who is using solar 100% in a vehicle or house?

    I have a grid tied system that produces 100% of our electric needs and our house is heated with passive solar. I also have a small off-grid system for backup power. The passive solar is great. Our house is very comfortable. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When we put in the PV...
  • Post in thread: Grounding of solar panel

    A separate ground is TOTALLY WRONG. It is a fire and safety hazard and violates NEC requirements. NEC requires all ground rods and other grounding electrodes to be connected together. Mars
  • Post in thread: Mc4 removal tool

    I use two screwdrivers. I have a few MC4 removal tools but I usally have two screwdrivers handy and don't bother looking for the MC4 tool. Mars
  • Post in thread: Schematic/diagram/drawing tools for Solar

    I use IntelliCAD. It is like AutoCAD. It is not simple or cheep. For simple and cheep, I would recommend Dia. https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Dia For circuiting diagrams, I also use KICAD. It is cheep but not simple. If I were to design a custom BMS, This is the software I would use...
  • Post in thread: Finishing attic

    If I were doing something like that, I would run at least two 3/4" conduits between the attic and basement. One for power and one for network and/or control. With conduit you do not need to know all the details now. And in 10 years from now when you want to upgrade or change things around, you...
  • Post in thread: Solar Panel mounts

    For my RV, I made my own Z brackets by taking two L brackets and bolting two of them together. The bolts holding the brackets together are easily accessible so I can remove the modules. These also hold the modules up above the roof enough that they get some airflow and cooling which is important...
  • Post in thread: Need help ebike setup

    I looked at taking a solar panel on a bike packing trip on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and quickly came to the conclusion that it did not make sense. I could not see being able to ride and collect solar at the same time. A big issue is that a 100W module just is not going to produce...
  • Post in thread: Need help ebike setup

    That sounds like a good ratio. I would stick with that unless you are planning to do any riding in mountains or big steep hills. Switching to 40T chain ring is a massive change. Although the low end gear ratio is similar, you will be putting a whole lot more stress on your chain. I would not do...
  • Post in thread: Who is using solar 100% in a vehicle or house?

    And it is a 12 year contract.
  • Post in thread: DIY BMS

    As an example, I would want to shed water heating, refrigerator, water pump, lights, controls in that order.
  • Post in thread: New 12kw install but the numbers don't make sense

    I like Enphase systems because they greatly simplify the design. They are modular so it is easy to match the system size to the energy demands and are easy to expand.
  • Post in thread: My generator is producing naughty or dirty power

    Is the generator running at less than 50% load? If so you could try adding an electric heater.
  • Post in thread: It is easy and inexpensive to make home wiring into extension cords! Is this code compliant?

    I don't think it complies with the electrical code. You can download the electrical code from https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/safety.html But due to the NFPA and others making a copyright claim on the law, some of the codes are missing. You might be able to find them in the web archives...
  • Post in thread: Lifepo4 Prismatics - diagnostics

    I use a bench power supply for charging batteries for testing. It works for charging pretty much anything. Here is a link to the one I have. https://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi3005sm.html If I bought one today, I might consider a higher amp capacity unit. Mars
  • Post in thread: Help me understand overpaneling

    I would not call it "over paneling". That is misleading. I have always referred to the ratio of the solar array DC wattage to the watt rating of the grid tied inverter or charge controller as the load factor. In the past I have designed systems with a target load factor of 120%. The last system...
  • Post in thread: kill a watt monitor

    I have a few of this model. How accurate do you need to be? I have never noticed that these were not accurate. I think I would have noticed if they were way off.
  • Post in thread: IoT: Voltage dividers & Arduino

    Assuming all the voltage monitoring points are physically in the same location, you should not have issues with varying negative (voltage reference) points. If you wanted to measure something remote, where the current in the negative wire x the wire resistance is going to affect your reference...
  • Post in thread: Insecure web site

    It looks like everything now redirects to https. Thanks!
  • Post in thread: Upgrading Toyota RV electrical for full-time living/boondocking, seeking advice on configuring power and appliances

    My 1990 V6 Toyota RV (Odyssey) has 200W solar, 2 x 100 Ah group 27 deep cycle marine batteries, 1100 Watt inverter. My loads seem to be similar to yours except no microwave and add a drip coffee maker and an entertainment system that includes TV, DVD player and sound system. I also power my...
  • Post in thread: New 12kw install but the numbers don't make sense

    It looks like I was looking at the specs on a GW10KT-DT instead of the GW10KL-DT inverter.
  • Post in thread: The Serendipitous Life of Ed Mazria

    Here is an interesting video about Ed Mazria. He is one of the early pioneers in passive solar energy. He wrote The Passive Solar Energy Book. https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/ed-mazria/
  • Post in thread: Looking for a dual line NEMA 5-15R

    Standard duplex receptacles have tabs that connect the two receptacles together. Just use a pair of pliers to break off the tabs and you have two receptacles on one yoke that can be wired to separate circuits. That is not the case for GFI receptacles like you show. What is "an RCD"?
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