I'm in no position to bash any company where I'm so new to the world of solar, so please don't take this like I am.
To me, Renogy just seems under staffed, and mistakes are seeming common when I read up how others have been having issues lately. I ordered a Rover Charge Controller with the...
Pump it is!
I’ve seen situations with a tote stacked onto another tote providing adequate pressure, then noticed the bottom tote looked extremely bloated! I didn’t want to get into building too robust of a structure to support that much weight either.
I do have a steep hillside at the back...
We're on Grand Manan Island, it's in the middle of the Bay of Fundy, closer to Maine than New Brunswick. A couple times every winter we have some gusts above 90 knots, and quite strong steady winds. I lose a couple bundles of architectural shingles every year, even tarred down in summer...
Hey all,
Looking for some advice on gearing up camps properly to a meaningful amount of solar. We are a remote island who does have some installers that come from nearby cities, but tend to talk people into Lead Acid setups. These camps are not tended all the time, and the next one i'm helping...
It may simplify things if I consider this a Solar Pergola, with the potential to "close it in" during winter. Go with more of a post and Beam design, focus the panels moreso on the roof itself.
Hey all,
I have had a Fronius Primo 10.0-1 doing its thing for 7 months now. It has produced over 10,000 kwh in that amount of time, some 70-80 kwh days this summer, so fairly content with it. I had about 14 kw of pv initially going to them from a diy ground mount, to help out a bit on some...
Hey there. Another Canadian here! Did you go ahead with a pallet order yet? Getting ready to figure out what I want this week from santansolar. Thinking a used pallet of some kind, that way if I get dinged on duty charges coming across the border, it won’t sting as bad as buying new.
That...
Agreed on those points. They are snowbirds who travel 3000 kms away and make no use of the rv from October until April/May.
Seeing an lv6548 package with sok server rack batteries and 3600 watt of panels for 10k CDN. Still gotta do some math on max PV voltage where we’re a colder climate...
Hey there. I’m doing this currently, waiting for temps to warm up so I can get my concrete poured. I did take a U-turn on things though, utility didn’t have sol-ark 15k as one of their approved inverters, so had to go with the Fronius 10.0-1. I Ended up with a package deal from...
Did you ever find a Canadian Supplier for Unirac? I'm just starting the search now, I have to find a Canadian Supplier in order to apply for the Canada Greener Homes Loan.
Update:
Haven't had much opportunity to work on this, but I did manage to get 1/2 of my battery assembled, and the other 4 modules have arrived that I'll likely just set on top of the existing to save space. Had to swap out my Renogy 60A Charge Controller after a mixup on their end (they...
Thanks for bringing this up. I'm in New Brunswick, and had a hard time pulling the trigger on overseas equipment. I actually went with Frank Z's A123 LifePo4 used Bus modules. $100 plus shipping from Ontario, packs were well balanced, I bought 4. Only trouble is, they're 12s8p, a bit harder...
It's alive!
Just looking for some input on my BMS settings. I currently have 8 36v 12s8p LifePo4 modules. They use the A123 They are well used, haven't actually done full capacity tests yet to see what they'll still do.
New, they're rated for 736 Watt Hours, I'd have to guess they're...
I had some PV Disconnects in a kit from them that were not usable on my grid tie. Inspector at the time was happy with me using the PV Disconnect on the Fronius Inverter instead. Even though it would have been a bit more to ship, I really should have gone with Solacity, they were so great to...
I finished the bus bars and wiring. Bus work is basically the same on the other side. Plenty of chances to wire up accessories, and large terminals to bolt the Charge Controller and Inverter. With another pallet on top, I can build onto this the very same, just keep wiring each the same. Next...
Hey everyone. This is my first attempt at a Solar Power System (Hence the 36v!). I’m too stubborn to give up on it, so I’m going to be updating my progress as I go.
Equipment purchase so far:
8 - A123 used Hybrid bus modules. 96 LifePo4 Cells, 12s8p. Originally rated just shy of 750 wh...
This is interesting. Was intrigued by the 120/240v split phase a long time ago, but like you, was confused if they were for North American market or not. Glad you got it working! Have you tested the limiter to make sure you're not backfeeding to grid at all? Some utilities meter's will...
Hey everyone,
I'm on month 1 of my Ground Mounted Grid Tie setup doing it's thing. Been quite impressed with it, and wondering if i've been a bit pessimistic with my math on my install.
I bought 28 Jinko Bifacial 455 watt panels, and using 26 of them (I wanted a couple extra in case I had...
Following from New Brunswick. I got in on the Delta h6 Inverter deal for $400 usd. Should be here in the next couple days. One of those buy it now, figure it out later kinda deals. I have around 6 kw of Silfab panels already, and now just starting some research as to what battery...
Yep I'm in New Brunswick. I work for the utility as well as a PLT, bit of irony there for sure.
I just looked back on some e-mails prior to doing my netmering application, and it may have just been a timing issue on some inverters going to market. A few hybrid inverters I tried initially had...
Being surrounded by the ocean, we tend to change out our crimped Copper to Aluminum connections within a 5-7 year period on Home services. To the point we really only crimp aluminum to aluminum connections now. Anything mixed gets a Bolt On Connector. Galvanic corrosion is very much a thing...
I've been doing some research into my ADD/ADHD, and the term "hyper focus" has come up a few times. This next idea, is most definitely that.
It's quite, quite, outside the box, but i've had a pallet of Silfab B-Grade panels sitting around for about 6 months outside. I sold 4, so I have 17...
I also should mention we're in New Brunswick, Canada. Actually closer to Maine than New Brunswick, but cold enough temps that affect max allowable string voltage as well.
Hey there,
Just starting my search for the same. Did you get your system passed? If so, a one-line would be awesome so I can compare.
I'm pretty much to the point where i'm overthinking every single aspect of the build. Our local inspector is very, very picky, so trying to do this as proper...
For the moment, I’ve placed 6 crudely on there with z brackets and large self taping screws. I’ll straighten them out when I have more time to work on them. Still waiting on my charge controller so no real urgency yet.
I left the pieces coming off the frame in tact, and it made for a couple...
I just poured concrete for the posts yesterday, so from this point I'll be updating as I go. Aside from combiner box and some lumber, everything is now on site to start in. I ended up going with 24 Jinko Bifacials for panels, and i'll be mounting the Fronius inverter at the ground mount...
Alright, Black Friday got the best of me:
Fronius Primo 10.0-1 Inverter
Fronius Quattro Rapid ShutDown
Kinetic Racking & Hardware
12.7 kw Jinko 455 watt bifacials(28)
300' of both Black & Red PV wire,
Time to Grid Tie! My electrician has never done a grid-tie before, and I have a good enough...
I actually just received this equipment last week. Had some hiccups along the way and i've not yet been able to install anything (our concrete plant is a bit troublesome in colder temps, hardly starting it all up for 1/2 yard.
I ended up not going with an RSD at all. Where I am going with a...
Really haven't had any issues. I wanted a full year of data, which I now have, and want to experiment a little bit with some high elastomeric paint/any kind of high reflectivity surface to see if there's much of a boost. I did put them a little too high up for snow removal,but really don't...
My newly installed Fronius 10 kw grid tie just did a similar thing actually. I don't have the datamanager to track things exactly, but I've just been going out near the end of the day and checking the daily log. Had an output of 11.2 kw 278 Vac at one point. I have bifacial panels at a...
Good Points, SolarPrep!
I do have a heated garage space, as well as a baby barn already. The roof space over the garage is south facing, and initially was going to be where the panels would be mounted. However, my grid-tie system will be going there instead. Baby barn roof is behind the...
We're using 2018 CEC, I just breezed over the section on Rapid Shutdown Systems, it does a little blurb on labelling properly in the field, but nothing really stating the Quattro wouldn't be admissible. However, on the e-mail from SolarPowerStore they did say string level rapid shutdown will...
That sounds on par with what Frank was advertising. Instead of 3 kw with 4 of them, he was referring to them being closer to 2.5kw. I’m still piecing together everything for a capacity test.
Hey there,
Working away on my first system for a Park Model RV. I’ve ordered my components, and I picked up my pallet of solar panels. I ordered 21 B-Grade Silfab panels, 265 watt a piece. I was sent 4 - 260 watt, 7 - 285 watt, and 10 - 300 watt.
I’m going to be hooking up 3s3p for the...
I’m just about to apply for the Canada Greener Homes Loan. I’m 100% an over-thinker, so just seeing what people think of this for a setup:
Panels: Pallet of 30-480 watt Bi-directional Q.Cells Duo. These seem massive to work with! I don’t love the short wires, but can make due.
Mounts...
What did you end up finding for a suitable disconnect? Up here in Canada, finding an approved Nema 3r, 60A disconnecting means of any kind is hard to find that can fit #2 conductor. I always see it stopping at #4 or #3.
I'm using 100A Fused Nema 3R switch close to my meter, will have to get...
Hey Alfaeric.
First time posting here. I'm trying to come up with a solution for A123 cells as well (40v 12s8p modules, 4 of them just to start out, around 2.5 kw usable). I'm finding shipping/duty costs to Canada (remote island in New Brunswick) to be a bit extreme with a lot of other...
I think the plan is to move the batteries into a seacan at some point. Currently the lead acid ones are in an insulated hatch toward the front of the rv.
I initially don’t love the idea of trackers here, we have high wind gusts approaching 100 knots from the North on multiple occasions most...
Thanks for the reply! Very informative. I will not be one of the clever folks trying to do much with it. Lol. I’m having a 6 kw grid tie system installed, just had my energy audit completed this week. I was thinking of a way to utilize my pallet of 265-300 watt Silfab panels and delta h6 to...
Hey all,
Is there such a thing as a hybrid generator? Think of it like any other all-in-one charger/inverter that we all have grown to love, with mc4 connectors for solar to run easily to it, and battery. Sounds an awful lot like a solar generator, sure.
But, what if the 2 wire...
I bought them with the bms on them, but removed them. I do think someone could figure out how to get them “woken up” but ultimately there were 16 of these modules in series to form a larger higher voltage hybrid bus battery. The larger case had a fan and some other bms equipment originally. I...
Here they are with the attached bms. I’m also just discovering Fangpusun “clones” of outback and Victron equipment. Seems skeptics, but haven’t read anything horrible yet.
Was planning on an outback flex max, 60 amp. Then might have to shake the dice on an xyz or Reliable 36v inverter...
End of October, 1:45 PM. The property gets a sunrise from the ocean side and a later sunset than most. One of the higher points of the island so very little obstructions, just......a ton of wind.