diy solar

diy solar

Recent content by crossy

  1. crossy

    Hail damage in Texas.

    Meanwhile in the UK we use sheep. Baa. https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/how-solar-panel-diversification-is-working-for-a-sheep-enterprise "Agrivoltaics" is definitely a growing idea, if you don't completely cover the area with panels you can grow shade-loving plants underneath.
  2. crossy

    Hail damage in Texas.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-town-rejects-solar-panels-amid-fears-they-suck-up-all-the-energy-from-the-sun-a6771526.html A US town has rejected a proposal for a solar farm following public concerns. Members of the public in Woodland, North Carolina, expressed their fear...
  3. crossy

    Wondering why're many people still building 12/24v system ?

    IIRC the first RN sailor recorded to have died from electric shock was killed by a "48V" bus-bar. Apparently, he got trapped between the bars and had broken skin (reducing his body resistance), cooked slowly! Take care with any 'lectric and remember all those amps lurking inside even a 12V pack.
  4. crossy

    Continuing DIY or give up DIY to buy already assembled battery?

    My original "cheap and cheerful" DIY pack of used golf-cart LiFePO4s is on its last legs, even being treated gently :( I just ordered two of Luyuan's 280Ah battery packs. But ordered as kits to avoid assembly and testing fees (I asked Amy for the cheapest solution), this I'm quite capable of...
  5. crossy

    Charging voltage

    Let's try a different tack. Which inverter do you have? Which BMS do you have? Do you have inverter - BMS communications connected and enabled? "Charging voltage" per-sé doesn't really have any meaning as your pack will be charged in constant-current mode for most of the time, only when...
  6. crossy

    Solar in USA or Germany

    Yeah, I'm used to the UK system of single-phase being taken from the star point to one leg/phase (3-phase 4-wire).
  7. crossy

    Solar in USA or Germany

    Yeah, I wasn't totally clear. The 220V comes between 2 phases of the 3-phase supply, so there's no actual neutral so both wires are "hot", a bit like the US 120-0-120 system with the "0" not brought to the home.
  8. crossy

    Solar in USA or Germany

    IIRC the Philippines is 220V 60Hz (3-phase, 3-wire) which may limit your choice even further :( Any particular reason not to want to use Chinese equipment, not everything that comes out of the PRC is junk.
  9. crossy

    About DIY 48V, is the above configuration correct?

    4S of 42V Voc panels is 168V !!! Magic smoke time :( 3S (126V) is the most you can do on that 145V input, so you'll need another panel to do 3S 5P.
  10. crossy

    What was your worse DIY solar mistake ever?

    Yup ^^^. I've done all the usual, shorting a couple of LiFePO4 cells with an uninsulated spanner (large roll of heat shrink acquired), getting hold of both ends of a panel string (panels come up to voltage very quickly with even small amounts of light) etc. etc. I admit that just last week, I...
  11. crossy

    Charge 48V (FLA and LFP) batteries from main 48V LFP battery bank?

    It really depends just how "DIY" you want to go. Plenty of DC-DC boost converters on Ali-Express for pretty small money. Set the output to your chosen float voltage and the current limit to what you want to charge at and away you go. Something like this: -...
  12. crossy

    Just how terrible is a brass bus bar

    Handy-dandy visual from BlueSea https://www.bluesea.com/resources/108/Electrical_Conductivity_of_Materials# As they note: - Perhaps the most interesting fact revealed by this chart is how low most copper alloy materials rank in relative conductivity. One might easily assume that alloys such as...
  13. crossy

    150V Mppt surge protection

    I wouldn't go that low. The "300V" is the operating voltage, keep that above your max panel Voc at least. EDIT why not consult with Midnight for their recommendation?
  14. crossy

    150V Mppt surge protection

    The Voc max figure for your MPPT is the "continuous" rating, don't exceed it for "long" periods (10s of milliseconds). Lightning surges are very, very fast (often sub-microsecond) but also very big (several kV) meaning they actually carry a lot of energy. It's these fast pulses that can punch...
  15. crossy

    150V Mppt surge protection

    There's nothing to stop you using a 450V or 500V arrestor other than that they will possibly be "failing" (clamping "on") sooner than the higher voltage ones due to them wearing. Also, these trigger voltages aren't very tightly controlled at manufacture, don't go too low or you may be replacing...
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