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As a solar novice, here are some of my first impressions of the EG4 6000 EX Inverter/Charger, the LL V2 batteries, and the battery racks. First, to set the stage, I recently purchased 2 ea. 6000 EXs, 6 ea. LL V2 batteries w/rack, 6 ea. LP4 batteries w/rack, and a Chargeverter (not arrived yet)...

I still insist on turning off anything that does not need to be on. I have become my father.... "Were you raised in a barn?"

2-7/8" welded drill stem frame, IronRidge racking .16 Blue Sun 460W bifacial panels. Array 1. Array 2 same construction as array 1. 1 & 2. EG4 racking on 6X6 posts for hybrid mini-split. Same panels. For now.

Hallelujah. One array down. Several to go. Long weekend, but finally producing power without the generator.

Did you hear about the magician named Miguel the Magnificent? He was on stage performing his famous disappearing act. He waved his wand as he said "Uno, dos..." and POOF!!! He disappeared without a tres.

If I am off grid, I will expect nothing from the POCO. They can expect nothing from me. If I am grid tied, I will have to pay a monthly minimum fee whether I use one watt, or not. You had better believe I will still expect it to be there to serve me when I need it, if I am paying for the...

Not everyone is able to get a good export agreement for one reason or another. If you do not have an agreement, and the POCO insists on absolutely zero export, what then? It doesn't matter if you "did things right" or not, they have a right to demand ZERO export. The solar customer also has the...

The SIMPLE answer for off grid grounding is that ANYTHING with a metal frame should be tied back to the system ground via a grounding conductor.

Signature Solar sells the 100A charger for $400. It smooths out dirty power.

Totality here is at about 1:40 central, but it is getting darker outside as the minutes go by. I was looking forward to seeing the eclipse, but at this rate, it will be too dark to see it by then.... ; )

Midnite Solar SPD. It takes up no breaker spaces. Comes in different voltages as well. AC, or DC voltage available. Edit: Signature Solar has them for 92ish bucks on sale.

But there's no place like home.

One weekend closer to producing PV power. Got the rack finished, IronRidge rails installed, and fuse/disconnect box installed, and conduit inside the building. Hopefully next weekend, I will install the panels, and wire them into the SCC. Definitely ready to get off the generator for battery...

Thank you for the replies. I am learning stuff with just about every comment. Still have a boatload to learn yet. The older I get, the steeper the learning curve gets.

I would go with the AC genny. You can use it for LOTS of things. The DC, not so much.

The absolute best way is to use an off grid inverter(s). You can parallel stack as needed. It is incapable of export.

Any improvement is a net positive for everyone. The cheaper the price, the more they sell, the more they sell, the cheaper the prices get. When enough people see that solar is getting affordable, many will invest in solar. That helps us all. If there is a market, manufacturers will cash in...

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

To the best of my knowledge, you cannot parallel different model units from ANY manufacturer. Edit: Talking about AIOs, don't know about separate components, like Victron.

I would vote for the solar death ray from The Man With the Golden Gun. It's fun for the whole family.

I have no problem with that. Just spell that out clearly in the sales info, and DON'T claim zero export. That's what I have a problem with.

Square D also makes SPDs that snap into the spot of a 2 pole breaker.

A good wood stove would work wonders for cutting your electric consumption. If you have a good supply of trees, it is a relatively cheap way to supplement heat. The electric units only come on when the fire gets low. Plus, who doesn't like watching a fire burn.

I have an off grid property that I visit on weekends. I do not leave my PV system powered up when I am not there. I got the EG4 hybrid so I can run the AC for humidity (and temp) control when I am not there. Before I got it, the room temperature would be in the mid 80s when I arrived in the...

I was actually a 463X0 Nuclear Weapons Specialist. We got to know the boom squad guys though for obvious reasons. They have guts in spades. Our job was, shall we say interesting. Theirs is next level interesting.

Solar products are not sales tax exempt, they (most of them) are just able to receive the 30% federal income tax credit. Edit: The sales tax on PV is also able to be included on the federal income tax credit. P.S. I am not a tax expert, don't take my advice when preparing your tax return.

I accidentally deleted my member "block" list. Guess I need to start over....

Just piggyback the wires to any 2 pole breaker.

Yeah, I would prefer one set of 4/0 per battery rack, but it is so hard to bend around my rack busses, so I will go with 2 runs of 2/0 instead. Plus I can run the 2/0 in 3/4" flexible conduit as well. That was where my original questions came from. That was the recommendation I got from them as...

Absolutely. Not cheap, but well worth it. Look at the videos comparing MidNite Solar to others.