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Stop using electricity for heating and cooling. You don't need air-con, a fan will do. You don't need hot showers, cold is good for you. You don't need heating, wear more clothes. Cooking can be done on propane. My entire house is now LED (mainly rings to replace my circular florescents). I...

Probably not, I can't ever see the batteries paying for themselves in my lifetime (not long left). About 80% of my house is solar powered. Nice not to have power loss when the grid goes off though. My grid power costs 12c/unit + $1/month utility company fee. Before solar $50/month, after solar...

I've been using second hand CALB blue 200ah. Not swollen but in a 48v 16s configuration I'm only getting 6kWhr of usable storage. I won't be buying any again.

I see Tesla are asking customers not to charge their cars at peak time in Texas as it may take out the grid. https://www.thedrive.com/news/tesla-asks-texan-owners-to-limit-charging-due-to-heat-wave?fbclid=IwAR1CVRUvGGgrbBBtgLoPOwH2vLGt8n6aRMG9TrSSwBoyFlDDzKNRPWAro5k

Still cheap in China. Suspect it's US suppliers gouging everyone. All the big boys around the world are taking the opportunity to raise prices.

I couldn't afford to live in the UK after I retired, so I moved to SEA. 3 bed house, 2-3 adults, 1-2 kids, no insulation or heating 'cos it hardly ever goes below 30c. After spending 2,000 pounds on solar my electric bill is 5 pounds/month (50 units) and my gas bill is 10 pounds (15Kg propane)...

Solar panels are not worthwhile for heating in the UK. Better to buy a wood burning stove.

Measure voltages at series o/p of solar panels, before breaker, after breaker, at inverter. My PowMr worked perfectly first time (5k5 VMPlus), early days as it's only been running for 2 months. For $430 it's great.

Sadly all nonsense. My off hybrid inverter tops up from the grid if more power is required and switches to bypass in overload conditions. Grid tie requires much paperwork and extra expense to comply with the electric company and state rules. Most electric companies require installation by a...

I never understand why people in houses consider anything but 48V. 12V is for mobile homes/vans/campers.

Off topic, I've been in China and the USA. Immigration in China were really nice, in the USA they shouted at me for stepping over a line. Airport security, in China there was none I could see, in the USA they wanted to X-ray my shoes and go through a body scanner. Probably because immigration...

Split your fuse box, Lighting and sockets to the solar. Hot water, cooker, air con to the grid.

I live in a free country, and can do what I like on my woman's land. Obviously I don't live in the western nanny states.

I imagine it's the China version as I purchased it from China.

I live near China (1hr flight $40 or 8hr drive), almost everything on sale is made in China. Shipping from China is between free and $1, no import duty, longest delivery takes 14 days but normally within 7 days. Even the apples in my local stores come from China.

You're making a mistake in your thinking ........ off grid is the way to go. Why do you want to provide power to the grid? 1. The grid doesn't want your power. 2. The grid won't pay much for your excess power. 3. Grid tie costs a lot more money in installation, inverter and permissions. 4. When...

He also wanted a united Europe under German rule. Which is effectively the EU. Back on topic, I agree, almost everything is made in China, but sometimes rebadged/assembled with other stickers on it.

How would someone buying a house with solar already installed know the chemistry of the batteries inside a sealed unit? It's just too much trouble for most people to bother with. Better to buy a different house, without potential problems.

No warranty or support in the country where I live (Thailand), beyond a 7 day return policy from the internet stores. If something goes wrong after the first couple of weeks you chuck it in the bin and buy another one. If something doesn't work on arrival, I usually get a full refund and am told...

Off topic, While factually correct most of the deaths lowering the average age before about 1950 were children. If you lived to age 15, you had the same chance of making 70 as those of us today (excluding war). Socrates (399BC) died age 70, and that was from poison. Oddly enough, While prior...

It's all here. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181002-how-long-did-ancient-people-live-life-span-versus-longevity Study of historic figures vs modern day. "Of 397 ancients in total, 99 died violently by murder, suicide or in battle. Of the remaining 298, those born before 100BC lived to a...

My inverter uses solar power when available, battery when the solar power stops, then grid if the battery runs out. No need for me to switch anything. I thought this was what all hybrid inverters did? I rewired my house so all the lighting and sockets run from the inverter. 2 'grid only'...

Solar is not much use in the UK, it's cloudy and rains all the time, so not much interest. It's much better in the tropics where I get the same amount of sun nearly every day of the year (even in monsoon).

Standard 2.5mm twin insulated wire can take 16A easily, I've wired my panels using that, and it works perfectly. (9x 340W panels in series, max current so far has been 7.5A, panels suggest max current possible 9.5A) If it's outside in the weather run it through a plastic pipe, as the insulation...

I lived in Cornwall until 2009, the last year we had 1 week that wasn't wet and windy. Some of my pals had large solar installations on their homes, financed by the government, that deal is finished now. PS. I also recall those warm childhood summers. Selective memory or climate change? I don't...

And I suspect it wouldn't ....... your government benefits from you living in a state of irrational fear. Fear makes the population much more compliant.

Comparing prices where I live (almost no consumer protection, no warranty, but all delivered COD), What I purchased ...... CALB blue 200AH batteries (2nd hand) x16 (had to buy 18 to get 16 that matched) +BMS = $940, usable storage 6kWhr = $160/kWhr. What I also considered ........ BYD 24V...

I make all my fittings/mounting rails from 2"x 1" box mild steel ($10 for 6m), angle grinder, drill, hammer to shape if required, spray. Mostly I just make 'pinch clamps' to hold the panels down, means I don't have to be accurate with drilling, and can position the panels easily. Saves loads of...