SilverbackMP
Solar Addict
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2022
- Messages
- 941
So I'm willing to invest quite a bit of money into a new system for my mom's house.
My parents have been running on a genset and small 12volt Trace/Outback system for close to 25 years.
I'd like to gut that and start over.
Bottom Line Up Front - Load Calculations:
Using an online load calculator, to install the new comfort of life additions, it looks like this will use 40,843 watts per day with a peak of 5878 during the summer and 23,963 watts per day with a peak of 3,939. With 3.28 Winter Sun Hours/Day, the calculator is suggesting that I build a 12.67 KW system.
Current Situation:
The heat is wood with a propane supplement. The refrigerator is propane and was on its last legs 10 years ago. The (now broken dryer) is/was gas (this doesn't necessarily have to be replaced and wasn't included in load calcs). The existing solar array is peak and feeble and she has to run her genset most days. Either to get some AC (window unit) relief in the summer or from dark and dreary days in the winter. And the current Genset is much, much too big - 30kw. So most of its power is being wasted. (I got a hell of a deal on a slightly used Ingersol Generator Trailer unit after their old generator died.)
The current inverter and deep cycle lead batteries are in the house. This will be relocated.
Comfort Improvement Plans:
I'd like to replace the propane refrigerator with a 20 cubic feet Energy Star conventional electric top freezer model. I would like to add a 20 cubic feet electric freezer. The major additions would be 3 Pioneer (Energy Star) mini-splits. One 22 BTU for the open plan downstairs (36x32 or 1152 square feet including a bathroom and utility room) where my mom also has her bed (moved it down to take care of my dad before he passed and she has no intention of moving it back). This one will stay on for a good chunk of the day in the summer. The second mini-split (9 BTU) will be installed in the room I use upstairs (the total upstairs is only 36x18) when I'm in town.
The third (9 BTU) will be installed in a 10x12 outbuilding where the new inverter(s) and batteries will be installed - both for AC and heat - so this one will run a tad bit in the winter to keep the temperatures up in the lower 50s. This outbuilding currently has a panel box that the generator feeds 110 vol power into. It sends 110-volt power to a second outbuilding (no additional) and to the house to the inverter. There is a second breaker panel in the house as well.
I plan on insulating this building and installing the inverter(s) and batteries here along with the freezer. It will also serve as a spot for long-term food storage. That 3rd mini-split will be used to keep the area conditioned for the inverter, batteries, and food.
The other catch to this is that the future panel array(s) will be a minimum of 120 feet away. Maybe further is I need to erect more than one. So I am thinking that I will need a fairly high voltage charge controller?
Systems I'm looking at:
1. Sunny Island - probably this MidNite Solar enhanced system:
Pros: Beefy; simple, not as complicated as others.
Cons: Cost
Question: Would I need to swap out the MidNite Classic 150s for 200s or 250s? To allow for more voltage to cross that 120 feet+ of wire to the inverters.
Question: Is there any way to (easily) connect remote monitoring? Even if it's just to the house so my mom can check the battery charge without going out to "the shed."
(I soooo wish that I had been working on this a few years ago and got in on the liquidation deals).
2. A pair of Schneider CONEXT XW PRO 6.8kW plus Schneider or MidNite Solar Charge Controllers and bit and bobs.
Pros: Beefy; remote monitoring
Cons: Perhaps overly complicated.
3. Growatt 12k
Pros: Most plug-in play, low cost, remote monitoring
Cons: I don't necessarily trust it.
- But I could buy four or five of them for the costs of the other systems. I doubt I'll go this way. Perhaps for a future shop building with its own system...but I need this shit to be bulletproof for my mom.
- The other option that I was considering was 2x Outback Radians, but that might be overkill and would cost more.
Batteries:
TBD. Around 40KwH of rack-style Iron Lithiums.
Solar Panels:
TBD. Probably something like Canadian Solar 390 watts. Maybe those 310 watt used panels if they are still around in a couple of weeks. Sure would save some cash.
Racking:
Probably going to build a large, large lean-to pole barn-style carport. Something between a ground mount and roof mount with the low side being around 6 ft. It will be overbuilt. I ain't an engineer but I'm not going to skimp on something that resembles an 18 x 40 foot kite.
Other Notes:
I'm assuming that the Genset will need to be reconfigured to send 240 volts instead of 110.
Other Questions:
- Given a convention break box panel is both the outbuilding and the house, can I send 240 volts to both locations from one set of inverters and have the separate breaker boxes split them apart like a regular box would from grid power? And offer 240 volt and 110 volt in both locations?
- Can any of these systems absorb more generator power than the others? To take advantage of the current generator's power.
Electrical is not my forte and I plan on doing the grunt work and the direction of the family friend electricians.
Also, no grid power is available, and would cost around $200k to bring it in. And neither of two power companies, a mile away in either direction, seems too enthused to do it.
I've attached a layout of what the property looks like.
Been researching this shit until I'm blue in the face - it's about time to start asking questions cause I would like to install this in May.
My parents have been running on a genset and small 12volt Trace/Outback system for close to 25 years.
I'd like to gut that and start over.
Bottom Line Up Front - Load Calculations:
Using an online load calculator, to install the new comfort of life additions, it looks like this will use 40,843 watts per day with a peak of 5878 during the summer and 23,963 watts per day with a peak of 3,939. With 3.28 Winter Sun Hours/Day, the calculator is suggesting that I build a 12.67 KW system.
Current Situation:
The heat is wood with a propane supplement. The refrigerator is propane and was on its last legs 10 years ago. The (now broken dryer) is/was gas (this doesn't necessarily have to be replaced and wasn't included in load calcs). The existing solar array is peak and feeble and she has to run her genset most days. Either to get some AC (window unit) relief in the summer or from dark and dreary days in the winter. And the current Genset is much, much too big - 30kw. So most of its power is being wasted. (I got a hell of a deal on a slightly used Ingersol Generator Trailer unit after their old generator died.)
The current inverter and deep cycle lead batteries are in the house. This will be relocated.
Comfort Improvement Plans:
I'd like to replace the propane refrigerator with a 20 cubic feet Energy Star conventional electric top freezer model. I would like to add a 20 cubic feet electric freezer. The major additions would be 3 Pioneer (Energy Star) mini-splits. One 22 BTU for the open plan downstairs (36x32 or 1152 square feet including a bathroom and utility room) where my mom also has her bed (moved it down to take care of my dad before he passed and she has no intention of moving it back). This one will stay on for a good chunk of the day in the summer. The second mini-split (9 BTU) will be installed in the room I use upstairs (the total upstairs is only 36x18) when I'm in town.
The third (9 BTU) will be installed in a 10x12 outbuilding where the new inverter(s) and batteries will be installed - both for AC and heat - so this one will run a tad bit in the winter to keep the temperatures up in the lower 50s. This outbuilding currently has a panel box that the generator feeds 110 vol power into. It sends 110-volt power to a second outbuilding (no additional) and to the house to the inverter. There is a second breaker panel in the house as well.
I plan on insulating this building and installing the inverter(s) and batteries here along with the freezer. It will also serve as a spot for long-term food storage. That 3rd mini-split will be used to keep the area conditioned for the inverter, batteries, and food.
The other catch to this is that the future panel array(s) will be a minimum of 120 feet away. Maybe further is I need to erect more than one. So I am thinking that I will need a fairly high voltage charge controller?
Systems I'm looking at:
1. Sunny Island - probably this MidNite Solar enhanced system:
MidNite Solar MNSI6048D-2CL150 Pre-Wired 12,000 Watt Sunny Island Inverter System
MidNite Solar MNSI6048D-2CL150 Pre-Wired SMA Sunny Island Inverter System Rated For 12,000 Watts
www.solar-electric.com
Pros: Beefy; simple, not as complicated as others.
Cons: Cost
Question: Would I need to swap out the MidNite Classic 150s for 200s or 250s? To allow for more voltage to cross that 120 feet+ of wire to the inverters.
Question: Is there any way to (easily) connect remote monitoring? Even if it's just to the house so my mom can check the battery charge without going out to "the shed."
(I soooo wish that I had been working on this a few years ago and got in on the liquidation deals).
2. A pair of Schneider CONEXT XW PRO 6.8kW plus Schneider or MidNite Solar Charge Controllers and bit and bobs.
Pros: Beefy; remote monitoring
Cons: Perhaps overly complicated.
3. Growatt 12k
Pros: Most plug-in play, low cost, remote monitoring
Cons: I don't necessarily trust it.
- But I could buy four or five of them for the costs of the other systems. I doubt I'll go this way. Perhaps for a future shop building with its own system...but I need this shit to be bulletproof for my mom.
- The other option that I was considering was 2x Outback Radians, but that might be overkill and would cost more.
Batteries:
TBD. Around 40KwH of rack-style Iron Lithiums.
Solar Panels:
TBD. Probably something like Canadian Solar 390 watts. Maybe those 310 watt used panels if they are still around in a couple of weeks. Sure would save some cash.
Racking:
Probably going to build a large, large lean-to pole barn-style carport. Something between a ground mount and roof mount with the low side being around 6 ft. It will be overbuilt. I ain't an engineer but I'm not going to skimp on something that resembles an 18 x 40 foot kite.
Other Notes:
I'm assuming that the Genset will need to be reconfigured to send 240 volts instead of 110.
Other Questions:
- Given a convention break box panel is both the outbuilding and the house, can I send 240 volts to both locations from one set of inverters and have the separate breaker boxes split them apart like a regular box would from grid power? And offer 240 volt and 110 volt in both locations?
- Can any of these systems absorb more generator power than the others? To take advantage of the current generator's power.
Electrical is not my forte and I plan on doing the grunt work and the direction of the family friend electricians.
Also, no grid power is available, and would cost around $200k to bring it in. And neither of two power companies, a mile away in either direction, seems too enthused to do it.
I've attached a layout of what the property looks like.
Been researching this shit until I'm blue in the face - it's about time to start asking questions cause I would like to install this in May.
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