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I had similar concerns, so I adapted a 36" chest freezer to utilize as a refrigerator. It draws 75w every 40 minutes and cycles between 35 and 41 degrees. Works perfectly and in the event of an outage we will move the contents of the fridge to that special freezer. Right now it just holds the beer.

Back to the op point - the reason 24v is mentioned is that the amp requirement will be reduced. A 600w inverter will be supplying a huge amp draw at 12v, thats the reasoning behind the limitations. Wire gauge size to the inverter will be 4/0 at 12v, but only 2/0 needed for 24v as the amperage...

Any loads on the inverter? Besides Idle current? What is the idle current? Sounds like it is trying to start under load. I have some solar panels attached to mine just to keep the batteries at full charge to prevent loading when it starts. Mine will spin freely when disconnected, but under load...

Great movie BTW

My 185w panels are set up as 2S3P, I noticed after the last snow a week ago that every other panel had snow on it, which I thought was odd but didnt think any more about it. This morning I noticed it again after another light snow. Walking out and checking the clear panel, I noted it was the...

Four panels is a good start, but I would plan on adding them as you go. I started my solar experience with 4 100w panels, then I bought 6 used 185w panels, then 4 more 100w panels. I kept making experiments and started from one appliance, gradually adding more. For this you also want at least a...

challenge accepted. I did find a guy willing to drive the van, now to see if I can talk the boss into this scheme.

If the two in series are then paralleled with a single, the 22v is pretty much expected. It doesnt sound like the OP is connecting 2 in series, then adding another to the two in series. That controller will work well with 2S2P, so another panel would be good.

LiPo would be a better choice, but for my cold temps I am using AGM, and the fact that I could not afford two LiPo's. The panels allow the freezers to run all day and still fully charge the batteries by noon, and on cloudy days they can still still do all that by 4pm, so I always start the...

I also swapped back to grid in anticipation of power outages, luckily we had none but a few blips. Back on solar since yesterday. I have no heat ability hooked to solar, so LR was 54 degrees yesterday morning, a bit better today at 57 degrees, but colder temps are expected over the next few...

Ones focus on the weather is called the "BOLO Effect" (police jargon - "Be On The LookOut"). I have "noticed" a perceived increase in frequency of thunderstorms and lightning after I put up a 40 ft tower for my radio antenna. I am just "tuned" to that hazard now. With solar (and wind), I am...

The issue was me not following directions exactly, thinking they were just poorly translated ideas. Shutting down the entire system after programming, then restarting the system then enabled the new settings to take over. 14.4v is all it goes to now, and stays comfortably below the 14.9v that...

exactly why and how I am doing it. Need to run two freezers in the house garage, and the system has grown slowly over time, but I realize that I need at least two more batteries. I also built a "rack" in the garage where the batteries (SLA) and the inverter live. Nice documented job, I was...

something along these lines? - https://www.amazon.com/WRAP-Pipe-Heating-Cable-Built/dp/B0002YWMM8

Great, saves alot of work, I will let it roll then and monitor them, thanks again.

All the panels are identical, at least 15 years old. Only happens on the six 185w panels, not on the 4 hundred watt panels (also in series). Switching them sounds like an interesting test, if I can get to that I will try it.If it was a bad panel I doubt they would all be on the same side of the...

Well, the "12v" cells are likely actually 21v , you need to work with the Vmp and the Imp of these units, not the watts. try this calculator - https://footprinthero.com/solar-panel-series-and-parallel-calculator

We really need confirmation of the actual system being used. The one I linked was the only one that mentioned 48v, the amazon one only said 12/24v, so I used the 48v one I found, but no idea if that is the exact unit being discussed.

most of your mppt controllers will need batteries, some of the bigger ones might not, but you will need more than 400w of panels. Startup voltage is high on many of those. You are outside of "cheap" with them. The only micro inverter I am familiar with is hooked to 2 of my 100w panels and feeds...

Similar home grown setup here

I assume you are talking LiPo as Acid wont be much help at those levels. I cheaped out on my second system in the barn with some walmart mighty max 100ah lead acids, for LiPo you would really be looking for cheap 100ah to serial into 24v. You could get lesser ah but you would be replacing them...

something is happening then, as disconnecting the positive feed allows the turbine to spin up just fine, but plugging it back in immediately kills it, even at very slow rpms where I know its not producing any voltage above the battery voltage. I did find an interesting issue today during...

Update for anyone trying this (I have seen a few threads). I obtained 6 185w panels and am running them in series (2s4p) with one of the parallel strings being 4 of the 100w panels in series, which is very close to what the 2 185w panels produce, within a few volts and within 1 amp. I upgraded...

That would do it, when can I hook it up?

Just sounds extremely low to me, maybe fine if thats what it is. Only way to find out for sure is to try it. If you plan on expanding the system though, you may want to consider a larger inverter, the prices of inverters in the range 500-2000 watts is pretty similar, 2500 is a small step up and...

This first display should be what the panels are providing to the controller, the second is what the controller is providing to the batteries. The 30 amp controller can only output a maximum of 30 amps to the batteries, but it will take more from the panels.

I certainly wouldnt buy a small scale wind turbine, but since I had the opportunity to built one myself I decided it would be an interesting project. Even at that I have spent many hours on design and building, and several hundred dollars in parts and equipment just on the turbine itself. It...

Yes, calcium and lime deposits increase greatly with hotter temperatures. I have to empty and vacuum the tank every few years as the sediment accumulates above the lower element, up to about 24" in the tank. I take out a few full buckets of lime pellets each time. I am considering adding unions...

It was a very interesting project, and useful as well, but to provide what I needed I went to solar afterwards, but I kept this project for the barn to supply small loads over the winter, when we have the best wind and when I need the heaters running. At the moment I have the 7 blade Raptor...

Yes, it is wind season, usually lasts into March. Tough though as speeds are not very consistent, with strong gusts that mean the turbine has to be furled most of the time. I think wind appeals to people that like to tinker and solve problems, and solar is just pretty much "set and forget".