As soon as I figure out how to hoist my panels up...

jasonhc73 · Mar 11, 2020

In the meantime, it's a beautiful sunny Kansas day.

I have 119 kWh to go before I am back to Zero on the Net-Meter. I have been 100% solar charging on the batteries for 10 days today.

Still charging the batteries while running the house.
And about as perfectly in the balance, as can get with 16 cells of BYD.

I am running 9 of 12 panels now. DIY fashion - 3 in series, 3 parallel, 1 string.

And my grid-tied setup is zeroing out my grid bill. (6.2 kWp, it's gonna clip for at least an hour today at 5 kW of production, 20 panels of SolarEdge Optimized, 2 strings of 10 in series)

Time to go mow the grass with the Dewalt Electric mower and Dewalt Electric weedwhacker, and Dewalt Electric blower. I guess you could say I really screwed up on my Dewalt choice, I bought the 40V line about 3 days before they discontinued the 40V configuration! I'm fine though I paid about 1/3rd for the stuff on craigslist. If they ever die, I'm going with the 60Vmax stuff. Dewalt uses only the absolute best premium cells, so I doubt I will need to change for a few years at least.

By the way, this year all the big box stores seem to be pushing the 40V and 80V electric yard stuff pretty hard, even Harbor Freight has a line!

onemorebattery · Mar 11, 2020

I built a temporary sled out of scrap wood which used an extension ladder like a track. I had my son load panels and I pulled them up with a rope. It worked great. No dropped panels. No falling from ladders. No renting expensive equipment.

jasonhc73 · Mar 11, 2020

onemorebattery said:
I built a temporary sled out of scrap wood which used an extension ladder like a track. I had my son load panels and I pulled them up with a rope. It worked great. No dropped panels. No falling from ladders. No renting expensive equipment.

Inspired by Danny, I am going to copy this:

I already have the ladder and even a 12v winch.

jasonhc73 · Mar 11, 2020

The sled is ready to go

. My "helper" helping.

I reused the wood from another project.

The helper approves it.

All the measurements are "screwed in place" to have a loose fit. I have about 1/8" play for side to side slop.
I only used the tape measure to get the centers of the cross boards, to maintain a mostly balanced lift.
I put a couple inside skids at the top end, with the same "screwed in place" method to have a loose fit.

jasonhc73 · Mar 11, 2020

And now with about 90% less drag.
$6.00 worth of bearings from harbor freight.

onemorebattery · Mar 11, 2020

Well done!

kernel · Mar 12, 2020

jasonhc73 said:
And now with about 90% less drag.
$6.00 worth of bearings from harbor

jasonhc73 said:

And now with about 90% less drag.
$6.00 worth of bearings from harbor freight.
View attachment 8953 View attachment 8954 View attachment 8955

Click to expand...

Ive been torturing myself just carrying them up in the crook of my arm all these years!

jasonhc73 · Mar 31, 2020

Six up and six left to go.

I had to use a couple of double pulleys and a pull string/cord.

jasonhc73 · Apr 4, 2020

I clicked over to off-grid yesterday at about 1:30. I forgot to switchback to the grid when I normally do around 7:30.

So I figured, let's see if I can make it through till tomorrow for the sun to start recharging. At 10:50 am the bms shows the battery about 57%. The off-grid is powering the house and just started filling the battery back up.

It is a full on cloudy diffuse solar day. Just 200 w/m² at present.

As mid day nears and the fuzziness blows away or burns off the amps will only get better.

Sojourner1 · Apr 4, 2020

I'll bet it feels good living off rechargeable energy with your plan coming together.

Danny · Apr 17, 2020

jasonhc73 said:
The sled is ready to go

View attachment 8936. My "helper" helping. View attachment 8937

I reused the wood from another project.

View attachment 8938 View attachment 8940 View attachment 8941 View attachment 8942

View attachment 8943
The helper approves it.
View attachment 8944

All the measurements are "screwed in place" to have a loose fit. I have about 1/8" play for side to side slop.
I only used the tape measure to get the centers of the cross boards, to maintain a mostly balanced lift.
I put a couple inside skids at the top end, with the same "screwed in place" method to have a loose fit.
View attachment 8939

Really nice! This is a one single story right? In my application I needed to use an extension ladder. I like you sled better than mine.

jasonhc73 · Apr 17, 2020

Danny said:
Really nice! This is one single story, right? In my application, I needed to use an extension ladder. I like your sled better than mine.

Yes, a single story. I could have built it easier, but the best part to use is the ball bearing wheels from harbor freight. They made the pull about 1/2. My wench crapped out on me, so I was heaving-howing them up the ladder nearly verticle. I used two double pulleys, so it was pretty easy.

kernel · Apr 19, 2020

I place the modules in the crook of my elbow and grab the bottom rail like a waiter with a towel. Then billy goat straight up two stories..... when we have to. This is more better than billygoat.

jasonhc73 · Apr 26, 2020

320 miles of driving on solar PV energy.

I passed the zero on the net meter and now know for sure. I fully charge the batteries only from the sun. I turn off the grid about noon M-F. Spring and long sunny days are awesome.

I have already had two or three days where the car was full, the house batteries were full, and all my power running in the house 100% met, and the mppt had to turn off the PV panels!

Power from the grid.

Power sent to the house.

The net

This is purely from the solar, and doesn't go through the net meter!

jasonhc73 · Feb 28, 2021

All 12 up and running.

I just rewired. 2 Strings. 250V VOC, . Plugged into the LV6548's all is happy.

MountainMatt · Mar 1, 2021

jasonhc73 said:
All 12 up and running.

I just rewired. 2 Strings. 250V VOC, . Plugged into the LV6548's all is happy.

Pictures please or it didn't happen. LOL

jasonhc73 · Mar 1, 2021

9:50 AM my panels are at 5º incline and lined up 180º

MountainMatt · Mar 1, 2021

Now I believe you Jason ;-)
Still want to see the panels!

Hedges · Mar 1, 2021

jasonhc73 said:
Yes, a single story. I could have built it easier, but the best part to use is the ball bearing wheels from harbor freight. They made the pull about 1/2. My wench crapped out on me, so I was heaving-howing them up the ladder nearly verticle. I used two double pulleys, so it was pretty easy.

They will do that to ya.
We all fall for a pretty face, don't we?

OffGridGuy · Mar 1, 2021

Howdy, I posted this before....

I put 16 panels on my roof, using my tractor and ladder to make a ramp.
I strung a heavy rope over the top of the roof and used my lawn tractor to pull them up the ramp and onto the roof.
No fuss no muss.... A one person operation, 72 years old....

As soon as I figure out how to hoist my panels up...

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Git'r done!

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Git'r done!

Solar Addict

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Itinerant

Solar Enthusiast

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Solar Addict

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

M&M Overland Adventures

Cat herder, and dog toy tosser.

M&M Overland Adventures

I See Electromagnetic Fields!

Living the Dream - Off Grid

Attachments

Similar threads