Most reacted posts

My wife and I have been off the grid for 5.5 years now and neither of us wants to go back. We bought 40 acres in Wyoming, with the nearest power pole about four miles away. Paying for the grid to come to us was definitely not an option. We started with Trojan lead acid batteries and I killed...

I ordered and installed a Pioneer 12k Diamante Inverter + in July of '23 and have been very pleased with it. Summertime performance was great, especially compared to the 12k window shaker it replaced. What has absolutely amazed me, however, is the cold weather performance. Right now Wyoming is...

After discovering Will Prowse and his videos on lifepo4 batteries and their assorted accoutrements, and visiting this forum religiously for about six months, I felt ready to take the plunge. As of yesterday, I've ditched my old Trojan L-16's and switched over to 280ah of lifepo4. The route I...

This post prompted me to check my Midnite SCC, and after nearly 5 years off-grid we've produced 7.264 MWh. Doesn't really sound like much to me, but we don't lack any amenities and are 100% AC-driven (no 12v/24v appliances, etc...)

I have read multiple occurrences of forum members having issues with two (or more) 12 volt lfp batteries in series. Generally, the problem is with the batteries falling out of balance with each other. Avoid the series connection and get a 24 volt battery.

I fully understand what you're talking about. I too started with the L16 Trojan batteries when I went off-grid. We (wife and I) were constantly watching/tending to these things. After switching to the LiFePO4 chemistry it was literally life-changing! I do still monitor the two batteries...

Wow, I'm impressed with the system you are planning! Much more elaborate than my 24v off-grid setup. I'm currently, and for the foreseeable future, using a Schneider CSW4024 inverter/charger with my puny 280ah lifepo4 battery. If you go into the "advanced" menu, select the "custom" setting...

That's pretty much what I settled on for my system. I've programmed my Midnite 200 to absorb until I get to 25A tail current (510ah system) and/or 75 minutes and float at 27V (24V system).

That could certainly work, however it is much more than you need. Do yourself an energy audit and find out what you will be using, then you will know how many amp hours you need to replace. Will these batteries be used 24/7? Just weekends? I'm also concerned about your water pump. Is this a...

I ordered eight (24 Volt system) of their Eve LF230 ah cells. Top balancing them now!

I don't have the requisite threshold for stress. I just got my last order yesterday from 18650 Battery Store. Less than a week total time and came in at $91.50 a cell after shipping.

I'm admittedly not familiar with the Pylontech batteries, however, that being said, generally any battery of corresponding chemistry (ex. LiFePO4 with LiFePO4) added to the system will work. They should be similar in amp-hour capacity, but that can be stretched somewhat. I have two separate...

Fully off-grid since 2018. Just the wife and I. 2400 watts of solar and 12.2 kWh of batteries (more coming when my social security kicks in in August!). We've briefly used the backup genny maybe a half dozen times since winter started. You're right about load management, and it becomes...

I'd like to add another voice to those recommending the 120v option. I've been off-grid here in Wyoming for three years now and have zero regrets with my decision to to go that route (120vac vs 12vdc). Yes, you will lose a small amount of efficiency passing through the inverter, however, you...

Depending on the intricacy of the system, you can monitor it via the internet. My system is not capable of this, however, when I'm gone I just point a Blink camera toward my SCC and the Schneider SCP and check in as I feel I need to. I'm never gone longer than two weeks and would not want to...

What he said. I had exposure to the draconian system of kalifornia laws and regulations 15 years ago, and you may not be allowed a certificate of occupancy from your local governance if you are not hooked up to working power/sewage, etc...

I've had a very similar pre-wired setup (the only difference is 24v) in continuous off-grid use for four years. It has performed flawlessly. My brother who lives on the same 40-acre property has Magnum components and his inverter crapped out at the two-year mark. Everything is a gamble these...

I'm 100% off-grid and strictly use LED lighting, powered like @smoothJoey, 120v ac. I do have a single incandescent bulb in the fridge but it's rarely on.

I concur! I've got 280ah of lifepo4 in a wooden enclosure. Built properly, with adequate safeguards, very safe.

When my wife and I bought our land 3 years ago we found a spot that we could get 3g service. We put a stick there and made all our calls from that spot. We looked around and found WeBoost and since then we can make 4g calls without issue (3 Bars 4g!). We have the outdoor antenna about 20' in...

I have a remarkably similar set-up as this and will attest to the seamless interoperability of the equipment. Both Midnite Solar and Schneider are solid companies that manufacture solid equipment.

I am not familiar with the Daly brands and can't offer any insight into the particular BMS you have purchased. That being said, I do believe you should send this back and not use it. The BMS is your battery's last line of defense against over/undercharging etc... Don't rely on an item you "got...

I love this. My TOWMBO is currently soaking in a natural hot spring in 16-degree weather. For anyone that tough, obeisance is deserved!

You're understanding regarding power during extreme cold weather is correct. At the time it was pulling ~1300 watts according to my Kill-a-Watt meter. The defrost cycling is a bit harder to pin down. I've seen it defrost a few times (the first time I thought it had caught fire!) but it...

OK - Took a bit to see that happen. I did catch it during a defrost and it was pulling ~1225 watts during the roughly 2-minute defrost. It ramped down from 950 watts during the heating cycle to ~215 watts for a few seconds and then the heating kicked in and it rapidly went up again around 1225...

Yes. If the amount of incoming solar is sufficient to power the load and achieve float you will be able to.

I've taken the low-tech approach and just set up a Blink camera facing my system and have my wife pull up the video feed on her smartphone. Easy-peasy nice and easy.

I have that particular inverter and switched to LiFePO4 three years ago. You can implement a custom battery profile by accessing the "advanced settings" menu and go to "charger settings" and select "custom". From there you can set the parameters you feel are best.

I'm gonna throw my two cents in and add another vote for the adequacy of a 24v system. I'm off-grid completely and power my home with a 24v based solar setup. I have all the amenities a modern home typically has, and after three years I don't know that I would do anything different.

I know that I'm not comparing apples to apples here but I'd like to reinforce your recommendation to the op here. I have a somewhat similar (although stationary off-grid home) set up in a 24v system and am running with 2400 watts of panels.