What's the best solar-related item you bought in 2023?

[AntronX]

Victron smart shunt.

 

[wme]

A can of beer for my solar panel sun tracker

 

[a619]

Found an old, unused Sol-Ark 12k for cheap and I was able to AC couple my existing PV system. Added a few DIY batteries in nicer cases too.

 

[wildbillpdx]

Step 1: buy more panels and batteries

Step 1: buy more panels and batteries.
Repeat 11 more times for 12 steps.

 

[chrisski]

Solar for house: 9.6 kW of panels, Outback 8 kW inverter, 10 kWh of batteries.

 

[rpdom]

A couple of Waveshare RS485/MODBUS to Ethernet units, so I can have direct access to control my Solis inverter from a Raspberry Pi Zero.

Next year I hope to add a Pylontech US5000 battery to double my storage capacity. Prices are dropping and I heard that VAT on batteries used for solar may be 0% from next year.

 

[LydMekk]

Chargeverters was a nice addition this fall.

Ordered an extra group of 8 pcs. 555W panels. Might even be another 8 group in 2024 ^^
A 400A copper busbar to better route my battery cables.
Gonna need some more M10s and cable aswell but waiting until the busbar is here to fully plan it.

 

[Hedges]

24 pieces FullRiver 6V 250Ah AGM batteries (used) for $1800.

(previous years were better. Thanks again, Warren Buffet and DC Solar!)

 

[Hedges]

Expensive, but oh so nice:
View attachment 183399

With Flex probe, that's nice!
Flex is for AC only. Clamp for DC & AC.

Fluke 378 FC Clamp Meter: Non-Contact Voltage AC/DC with iFlex

Non-contact voltage True-rms clamp meter with power quality function. Get Fluke 378 FC price, manual, reviews, how to use and specifications.

www.fluke.com

I got the Fluke i2000 scope probe. 20 kHz upper bandwidth, good for capacitor and transformer inrush.
Shopping used hint: The yellow one has 20A, 200A, 2000A scales. The brown one I got is only 200A, 2000A.

Fluke i2000 Flex AC Current Clamp

The i2000 is an AC current probe utilizing the Rogowski principle. It can be used to measure currents up to 2000 A when used in conjunction with multimeters, recorders or data loggers. The flexible and lightweight measuring head allows quick and easy installation in hard to reach areas.

www.fluke.com

 

[Pi Curio]

The BlueSeaSystems 6006m battery isolator switch - 300A

Unlike the generic one I've used previously, everything about this one feels high-quality. Very smooth to switch on and off with zero play and, a proper contact area, and the stainless steel flange nut that comes with it makes for a very reliable connection.

 

[Quattrohead]

EG4 18kpv and just added 3 Powerpro batteries plus rehoused 2 DIY packs from wooden boxes into proper metal cases.
This was an experiment to see if I could run an all electric house in Florida off grid. You almost can ?

 

[OffGridForGood]

The best solar related item I bought in 2023 was the Victron Smart shunt 500A.
However, the best solar related item (not bought) was helping a friend of mine 'get into solar' to support his small business. (Priceless).

 

[OffGridForGood]

I got the Fluke i2000 scope probe. 20 kHz upper bandwidth, good for capacitor and transformer inrush.

But what do you do when the conductors are "more than 178mm diameter" LOL!

 

[ezwryder]

I did several upgrades this year but I think my favorite thing was a stack of pressure treated 2x4s. I used those to build new panel racks so I could relocate them from the front of the cabin to the roof of a nearby shed. That cleaned up the look of the property by a lot and the panels perform well in their new spot.

 

[Zwy]

Too many people there, too little nature. There are 1.3 million people living in and around Helsinki. I want to stay far away from there. Once you hit Germany, it only gets worse... Nein Danke

You know what us Germans say about Finns..........

You should hear what we say about Norwegians.

We did!
Step 1: buy more panels and batteries

Never hurts to have more panels and batteries.

 

[OPTIMALSOLAR]

Zendure super base 4600/sat. Looks good, moves good , works good. Heats and cools thru heat pump ac.

 

[timselectric]

Chainsaw

 

[Sanwizard]

A light-hearted thread for Christmas time...

As the title says... what's the best thing / what do you love the most that you bought this year. Either directly solar or a solar related tool, component etc...

I'll kick it off to say I love my new Raspberry Pi 5... amazingly powerful yet so small and power efficient. Lucky to get one as they're very limited supply over here. It will be put to good use for to handle some inverter RS485 comms in due course - once this old dog has learnt some new tricks, that is ?‍?

Vevor water tight enclosure to keep all my DC connections warm and dry

Great value:
VEVOR NEMA Steel Enclosure, 16 x 12 x 8'' NEMA 4X Steel Electrical Box, IP66 Waterproof & Dustproof, Outdoor/Indoor Electrical Junction Box, with Mounting Plate https://a.co/d/14hayfi

 

[shadowmaker]

I got my whole setup working in spring 2023, so I'd say best solar-related "item" I got was education. Didn't know anything about solar and very little about electricity in general. Still long way to go though. Can't say it has been free, but my ROI seems to be around 5 years, so hopefully someday it will.

 

[ricardocello]

Chargeverter ($399), so I can run the house and charge my batteries on
my 20 year-old Generac without having to deal with flickering lights and dropouts.