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I started out just wanting to keep the refrigerator cold over night without dragging out the generator, so inverter and batteries only. Then more batteries, and a couple of solar panels to cover for the conversion losses and keep the batteries topped off. Then left the fridge on the inverter...

I stacked 2 bars to get enough mass for 300 amps. edit to add, Blue Sea and BEP make link bars and joiner bars that are a little more substantial than battery bus bars, and are made precisely for what you want to do. Here's a link. https://shop.pkys.com/Link-Bars_c_699.html

Size the battery for the power (Watt Hours) needed, size the inverter to handle max amp/startup load (what if all 3 try to start at the same time), size the solar to refill the battery. ProTip: Use the EnergyStar sticker on the freezer of fridge to estimate how much kWh you will likely need...

My power company is currently building 2 huge solar fields. There may be another coming, all within 20 miles from my house. Solar power is fast to install and cheaper to operate than any other generation method. The permitting process is shorter by several years, they have no fuel costs and...

Not true at all. An engine driving a generator can run in it's most efficient range, where an engine driving a vehicle can't always do the same.

I have seen those fuses come apart when they get hot. They should only be used with the correct fuse holder. An MRBF fuse and holder bolted to the battery terminal would be more appropriate.

Hello. Last year we had about 3 weeks worth of power outages due to hurricanes, the longest being 6 days, so I decided to make some changes to how we do backup power. We have a small inverter generator that can handle our basic needs, but we need to move it around and run extension cords...

We had sun both days during the outage and didn't need lots air conditioning so we were fine. I loaned our gasoline generator to a neighbor because we didn't need it.

You really need to start with a FINAL plan, then see how you can break that up into smaller pieces that will eventually get you to the final plan.

I've had no issues, but I've only done up to 2/0. You don't need a bigger hammer, you just need to hit it more than once. The tone changes when you go far enough.

When I started researching all of this I wanted something with a proven track record. I looked at a lot of the cheap china stuff and I kept finding issues that made me not trust them. EG4 didn't even exist then. Maybe EG4 will get there some day, but it is just too early in their existence...

and yet, here we are. So, what happens if you unplug all the heavy loads?

Here is one way to do it. https://www.hotspotenergy.com/solar-air-conditioner/

An easy way to think of it is to make the same colors the same length. You are trying to make total resistance in each battery bank the same, so, you make ALL positive battery cables the same length and ALL negatives the same length. BUT positives and negatives do not have to be equal to...

Famous last words.

If my power outages were never more than 3 hours I wouldn't worry about backup at all. I went with a Victron based setup. I only back up 120 volt loads, and can charge it up from solar, or 120 volt grid connection, or generator. With solar we run some loads run off of the inverter 24/7, and...

There is a storm brewing in the gulf and we have a couple of days before it might get here BUT I hadn't really pushed the backup system since I doubled the battery, so, yesterday I plugged in the window air conditioner plus all the regular stuff I would want to run during a power outage. I ran...

I only wear cotton socks when welding, sythetic socks stick to you when they melt. ;) My Dad was a welder, so I grew up around this stuff. If I had a lot to do I would use more protection. This is lots of bending, looking, bending, looking ... and then a few seconds of sparks.

No air conditioning? I didn't say that. I can't tell if you are obtuse or just a moron. Rivian is a full size, 4 door pickup. Not what I want or need. But, maybe auto makers will finally make something reasonable now that battery prices are coming down? No, I want a 2 door, small, EV work...

I live in humid south louisiana. If my pores get more open you'll be able to see right through me.

Same.

If you pay a contract manufacturer to tool up for production of your product, would you want them to use your investement to turn around and start manufacturing a competing product before you even hit the market? I doubt it.

I already have a 2011 Ranger that does what I need. But I don't have a gas pump at home. I could charge an electric truck at home from my excess solar, and I would replace the Ranger tomorrow if I could find something comparable in an EV.

In an earlier iteration of my setup I used battery bus bars to make some connections. I was waiting on more parts. The bars on the disconnect were doubled, and I checked often for heating and voltage drop. No issues noted.

First Solar just broke ground on a new manufacturing plant in Louisiana ... I think they only produce solar panels for commercial applications. https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20230921973269/first-solar-breaks-ground-on-11-billion-35-gw-louisiana-manufacturing-facility

Just as I gained confidence in our setup and started ignoring it more, my wife started getting more interested. She is now checking on the batteries, sometimes a few times a day.

This text looks like an AI bot trained on a public relations textbook.

I don't see any capacity to cover cloudy days. Do you have a generator or grid connection to fall back on when the sun doesn't shine?