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It's a good idea that hadn't occurred to me. There are some issues here in this particular area of this desert that would make it less appealing to me at this point in time. I'm in a flood plane. In a 100 year flood there would be a minimum of 24 inches of flood water above the ground level...

I’m doing a energy audit right now and spending a few hours each day reading. There is a steep learning curve certainly and I am studying as much as time allows. Solar is without a doubt the most expensive way to produce electricity I have seen. I need a reliable backup for these...

Very inexperienced solar person here. But I thought you might want to be aware of this. As I understand it if you put all your arrays pointing in different directions under one charge controller then the output of the panels will be limited by whatever the least performing panel in the...

Thank you for the replies. I’m glad I asked. Great info and I like the ideas. How about putting the cells in a used refrigerator and turn the t-stat all the way up? Running that off the inverter output? Perhaps 24 or 12 volt packs so they would fit inside easily.

Does that mean that if my settings are correct, when my batteries reach my specified SOC and there is a demand from the WattNode, the inverter will then begin to shove power out AC1 in accordance to the WatNode's demand to cover a percentage of what would normally be coming in from my grid...

Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. Lol What I meant and should have said was I am greatly relieved now and can get a decent nights sleep because I can stop worrying if the equipment I bought will work together or not. I have woken up in the middle of the night anxious about that recently on...

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate everyone who replied input. I’m rethinking most things now. Just about everything actually. Much better now than later. I’m glad the roof is an option. Though perhaps not the best option. I’ll know more after talking with the inspector. Uplift...

Sounds like an economical solution. Thanks.

Because of constraints I am flat mounting my panels in two arrays, but not exactly flat. I can't tilt them south but will have to tilt them east or west to give the best chance of water running off them after a rain. The simple least expensive method gives me a tilt of .8 degree east or...

Here are more details. I didn't want to make the post longer than it was, but I neglected to communicate some important information as a result. I am planning on installing the panels tilted approximately 1/2 to 1 degree towards the south to deal with rains. The racking will raise them 4 to 5...

I'm going to use a few bellville washers under the heads of the bolts mounting the L brackets to the unistrut. If your not familiar with them they form a very simple powerful spring. A slightly cone shaped spring steel or stainless steel washer. Mainly used at large buss bar connections to deal...

I’m out of questions. I’m fairly certain I understand what I am doing now. Thank all of you for your patience and excellent answers.?

It only measures total consumption because it employs a single Hall effect sensor instead of two, but is able to determine the overall direction of the flow of electricity and passes that info along. Is that helpful? I’m not certain of all the implications of this is in light of what you...

I sent emails off to the different adhesive manufacturers recommended by the inmates here. Silka got back to me first about a suitable adhesive to glue these sections of unistrut racking anchors down to my container. I received almost immediate replies to each of my follow up emails answering...

Yes that is correct. I am connecting to the grid on AC1 but my power company does not allow me to sell power.

I ran the numbers and also considered the additional labor, materials and time required to add additional strings, combiner boxes conduit ect. For a 4 % increase in efficiency. It doesn't seem worth it to me at this point. I have a lot of work ahead of me already. The Eg4's shut themselves...

Thanks for pointing that out. I haven’t been on top of my containers in a while. No reason to go up there. But I do remember the tin can effect when I was up there. It’s looking like the L brackets will be about 6” inboard from the square steel tubes that the side and top panel are welded...

I don't understand push power. Can you explain further? This is what the spec sheet says in the Solar Specifications section. Max Solar Current Draw 18A Max PV String Current 22A

Is grid connected, sell back not allowed the same as Grid Support Enabled, Sell Disabled or is it a different mode? I‘m looking for where in the manual it tells you how to configure what you recommendEd. About metering. How do I tell if my grid supplier monitors each leg individually or if...

I emailed a adhesive technical support person about this. I'm hoping he will get back to me early next week. I was wondering if I spaced the unistrut that is to be bonded up off the surface of the container up with toothpicks or dowels, allowing for a 1/16 ,1/8" or more of adhesive between the...

Deleted... The last two times I have posted the software double posted. Likely operator error. Not certain what I did wrong.

What would you need to do actual comparison testing of the output of some solar panels mounted in different angles and configurations? Before I commit to permanently mounting my panels in any one configuration I would like to be able to measure the difference in output over the course of a day...

My apologies I only saw your post just now. I'm not sure how to fix not being notified exactly. I did just enable push notifications, I hope that fixes the problem. I fixed my post above so you could see what Schneider tech support said. I have some questions for you on the virtues of...

I'm starting to read up on BMS's as well as understand more about these batteries chemistry I'm beginning to understand (i think) why it is preferable for the charge controller to have direct communications with the battery's BMS. Which brings for the question of If I roll my own bms...

How would I do that? Do I need to hook up my laptop after loading the correct software? Is that more accurate or is there a better way? Battery looks pretty well sealed up.

Thank you all so far for your input. It’s pointed out some serious flaws in my plans. I’ve rethought it. Here is where I am now. On the mechanical end. I’ll purchase spice kits for my short racking rails and making all the rails 8’ so they span the entire width of the container. The L...

If I am understanding, I will have to discharge my batteries to some point, I have no idea what point, lets say for the sake of the conversation 80% just for a number. That to stimulate production from the off brand MPPT? Am I missing something else also? I think that is what you are...

Thanks I will do that. This too. the IMP on these is 11.03 so two p string would be ~22 amps which is right at the max acceptable power for the SSC. I would guess it can only actually use 18 of those amps from the spec sheet. OR am I screwed up in my thinking? What would be ideal...

Schneider has a reputation for building solid industrial equipment. I’ve stumbled on to some of it when I was working. They have been around for awhile too. I have many inductive loads that I would like to run but a very small system with very limited capacity. Though most of the inductive...

I appreciate all the good information and will have some more questions once I reread all the posts a few times and think about their content. A lot of information and insight there. For information my batteries are (2) EG4 power pro’s. They can each supply 200 amps. And have a capacity of...

I’m actually planning on 400 watt panels. Not 36 panels right now, but I hope to expand over time. I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot by using a roofing system that I will have to fight with down the road as I expand. That is if the roof is sufficiently strong to actually mount panels...

Although we have all these loads, we carefully use them to moderate our power usage. We have no choice . We are fairly creative as well as stingy with our power usage. Being in low desert there is only so much you can do other than start from scratch with a different home, real adobe...

I like this forum a lot. Lot of good information. I‘m rethinking my design some as a result. I’ll add some unistrut under the L shaped brackets to increase the bonding area. Below is a stock image of the corrugated roofing panel typically used in a shipping container. If I bond a 10” piece...

Thank you I’ll have a look at that.

I’m in the southwestern desert. Sunny clear sky’s, blistering heat, right up to torrential downpours on and off for a month every year or so maybe. No fog. Very few thunderstorms. Was 113 in the shade one day this week. The rest of the week it averaged 111.

I’m referring to the physical dimensions of server rack batteries that exist among the variety of manufacturers. Will one brand of server rack battery physically fit in a different brand of battery rack? Is there a standard mounting width? Server rack batteries in general physically fit in an...

Thank you both.

San Carlos irrigation project if I remember correctly. Comes from the local reservation. I’ll look at the meter tomorrow and see what I can find out. I edited and rewrote my post with a few more question, if you’re willing and when you have time. The multiple manuals are difficult to sort out...

Is a panel level monitor something you purchase or is it something that you put together yourself?

New to this. My first attempt. I have eg4 48-100 mppt charge controllers. They apparently talk to their power pro batteries. But, their manual warns not to use that function when using their inverters because of communications issues of both the charge controller and the inverters choosing to...

Thank you that is exactly what I was hoping for. You saved me buying 4 expensive fuse holders with fuses.

Unfortunately I was unable to use that link. It would not work. Could you repost it?

Thank you.

I was wondering if I could use the Victron smart shunt wired between the panel and a load of some sort to get an accumulated power output for a day? Would that work? 1 panel is 37 volts 7 amps approximately.

Looks great. Did shading the container roof with panels effect the daily temperature in the container at all?

I like that tool. I have a bunch of used panels that I am not certain of the condition of. But those aren't the ones I will be mounting at the moment. But i do need to sort those out. I'm doing something similar to an RV.. I 'm looking at mounting some new panels on a few shipping containers...

My equipment: 2 arrays, distributed on 3 shipping containers, none of which is a residence, in a particularly hot part of the Sonoran desert. This year, weeks possibly months of 115 with a single day high of 124. Electronics as a rule don’t fare well in these extreme temperatures. Some do...

I think I have it covered. I'll post a picture when I have time of what I intend to do. I started to write it up but a picture will make far more sense.

Yes but how do you tell it that the panels are in pairs -12 north to 168 south, but tilted 3 degrees east-ish?

The 4% efficiency difference I was referred to was the difference between use of EG4 charge controllers vs switching to Victron which has a nominal efficiency rating that is 4% higher. I agree with you that I would pick up efficiency in the winter by tilting my panels. However because of...

I think I have it. I had a mental block on that one. I need to enter the array as being a landscape array with a azimuth 90 degrees from 168 south and a tilt of 3 degrees, etc. I've been trying to deal with it from the portrait perspective because that is how I am able to mount the racking for...

I am considering buying a used xwpro. For now it is going to be used off grid. Do I have any options cheaper than the the insight home for setting parameters, etc. Can I talk to it with a laptop?

Thank you for your replies. I sincerely appreciate your time spent helping me. I left a lot of information off because this a prototype system to figure out what I actually need. Not what I am finally building. The high ambient temperature here in the summer has a lot to do with my choice...

Good to know, Thank you

The thermal expansion coefficient of the aluminum racking will be 2-3 times that of the steel container. It's going to prove interesting. Edit: Turns out that the racking attached to the two side rails of the container will grow and contract .028 inches more than the container it spans...

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Below is a photo of the display of a EG4 PowerPro battery that I have in storage. SOC on the lcd display shows 55%. At the same time there are 3 led’s in a separate display next to the lcd with the 25%, 50%,75% led’s illuminated. This display is not mentioned in the literature and there is no...

That is what I am wondering. This would lead me to think that an isolated wall at the minimum is necessary. Ugh. I really don’t know. I’ll have to do more reading. Were in a remote area. There is very little background noise, which adds to the problem. Thanks for the replies. It...

I’m in a similar situation, solar heat wise. I haven’t found any foam insulation that will withstand the UV combined with the lack of humidity when used outdoors. But I am heartened to hear that it had some feel-able effect. Every little bit helps.

On the cold increasing the power of the PV's. I used an online calculator that asked for lowest temperature that the panels would see to compute the string values. I am hoping it did that properly. But I will check. Thanks for that. Also the EG4 charge controllers spec'd to operate with a...

Thank you I will run the numbers. That is a great calculator. Thanks for the link.

I called back to Schneider tech line and talked to an applications engineer there. Another nice gentleman who also looked into my issue of not being able to completely understand the documentation in the Self-supply and Export Limiting documentation. Here is a summery of the the conversation ...

In the immediate future I hope to get enough solar up to power the 2 Ton ac that cools the container that the batteries I am about to buy will be mounted in. That is my first priority. I'm buying 28 k of batteries which would arrive in a month. It will be October and cooling cost...

I was reading through the manual on the EG4 power pro battery. it states: “Do NOT mix EG4® WallMount 280Ah batteries with any non-280Ah lithium batteries. This will void your warranty.” I bought a pair of these for my system. When I choose to expand my battery system down the road what are...

I’m setting up for dc coupling. Grid tie is not an option in my area. That‘s interesting. Thank you for the description. I’m southeast of Phoenix in the Sonoran desert. Does this describe what you’re hearing? Low frequency vibration rather than higher frequency volume. More like a...

I have a string of 14 panels 7 series 2P that I am planning the mounting of presently. 10 will be mounted 3 degrees tilted east for drainage. ( I understand that this is less than ideal but it's how they will be mounted). The remaining 4 of that string are in a place that they could be...

I called back to Schneider tech line and talked to an applications engineer there today. Another nice gentleman. He also looked into my issue with not being able to completely understand the documentation in the Self-supply and Export Limiting documentation leading to the question of if you...

Good to hear. I was toying with using one as a core for a chiller cooled battery rack. It might cut down on fabrication time and it saves design time since the batteries already fit. Still in the brain storming stage. Thank you for the reply.

Thank you. That's what I wanted to know.

I have a Conext XW PRO 6.8KW ordered. When I get it installed along with everything else I will need batteries that can make full use of it’s features. Especially it’s ability to deal with starting currents of larger induction motors. I intend to test that feature, perhaps often. The flyer...

Thanks for the replies. I had extremely limited internet for the last few weeks while traveling and was not able to check the board . I passed on the panels I was inquiring about in this thread when another source of the original panel I had hoped to use showed up unexpectedly. Turned out...

Thank you for that clarification. Makes total sense.

300 amp hours approximately. 48 v of battery bank to start. Most of the inductive loads would be run during daylight. I have a fairly large AC I might try using it to power after adding a soft start to it.. 2 fridges and a 2 small chest freezers running too. DIY 304 ah the largest BMS I...

What does 1 C and 3 C stand for? 100 and 300? Thanks for the list I’ll have a look. No idea.. Does sound interesting.

I bought some used panels which came with Unirack rails and the L and brackets to mount them pictured below. My plan is to glue them to the steel top of my shipping containers after removing the paint then coat them and the bare steel with self leveling rv sealant or rubberized roof paint for...

That is funny but an incredibly bad idea In real life unless your related to the inspector and he’s especially fond of your side of the family.

I’m confused. I have an XW Pro that I am trying to figure out how to use and get the most out of it. . I can’t sell to the grid in my location it's not allowed and at this point I’m not intending to go off grid. The main function of the system I am assembling is to backup a couple of freezers...

I called Schneider technical support. They did a little checking and said they needed to submit my questions for clarification, gave me a case number and said they would reply shortly when they had an answer. I‘ll post the gist of their reply when I receive the E mail.

Thanks for the suggestion. According to the calculator it makes no difference which direction they are tilted, east or west . The angle is too small aperently To matter.

My equipment. 3 SOK budget server batteries no external communication Schneider xw-pro only speaks Schneiderese. 2 EG4 charge controllers. Talk but not to the other pieces. My solar equipment lacks compatible communications. The batteries have BT communication limited to the bms for...

I have 28 used sharp 235 volt panels. The label on the panels reads thus: Maximum power 235 watt open circuit voltage 37V short circuit current 8.6A Rated voltage 30V Rated current 7.84 A Maximum system voltage 600 v Maximum series fuse 15 amps I am making 4 strings of 7 panels each then...

Thank you

I live in the desert. 104 today but I see many 111-116 days in the summer when it warms up. I'd like to put my batteries in a shipping container outside. If I shade it with solar panels but do not insulate it, pull in outside air with a ventilation fan, I can get the temperature down to about 5...

Watched the Current Connected video. Couldn't really tell how thick the uprights in the rack are without powder coat. Are they .090 or thicker? Or are they 1/16th. Was thinking of using one for the core of a project.

How likely would I be to smoke a eg4 Mppt -48 charge controller if the total isc is one amp more than the max rating on the data sheet? Is the 22 amps max on the data sheet a hard stopping point or is it a firm suggestion. In the desert outside of Phoenix. See 116 days in summer. 19 F at...

Thank you for the link.

Got it. The downloaded manual was the same as the one I had. Missed the instructions on getting to the cell voltages because the manual has some mistakes in it. Once I knew the information was there it was painless to locate it in the manual. It had been pushed into the next section probably...

I’m leaning towards trying to do what is pictured below with my pair of xw pro inverters. I didn’t understand that this was an option when I purchased them. However it would shorten the payback period of my investment. But then in the same XW Pro Self-supply and Export Limiting Solution...

I have the equipment on site already. I reviewed the power study of the kw draw of my ac on the insulated container I have on my property. That study was done in the hottest part of the summer to see how much power I would have to supply with batteries after peak solar hours passes if I placed...

Yes, certainly that is possible.

That would be an amazingly easy way to get the SOC. I like that. The only down side is I would have to go out of the container to read the display. However maybe that isn't that big a deal. Or is it? Does victron equipment readily re establish blue tooth communications with a device such as...

I hope I have successfully designed a small expandable backup system for my property located in the desert. Very hot, lots of sun. I’d like to get an opinion on what I am planning before I spend more money buying the remaining equipment that I have decided on. I presently have 6580 watts...

Anyone know if it exhausts hot air out the bottom or if it exhausts it out the top? I looked through the literature but did not find an answer. I am guessing the hot exhaust is out the screens at the upper sides but would like to know for certain. Not certain if the screens are intakes or...

I’m using 2 xw pro’s and two eg4 100 charge controllers. I have often read in posts that these charge controllers and inverter chargers are loud when operating. Is there any way to quantify that? I realize loud is subjective. However can someone who has similar equipment give me a better...

Thank you both. I sincerely appreciate the help.?. I’m still awaiting an email or call from Schneider on if it self supply works with 2 inverters or not. I‘ll post what I find out. There really is a lot in what you wrote I’m going to leave this till tomorrow when I am not as tired.

I read about it here and went to look at it but it didn't at that time occur to me how it would be helpful in my situation. Now that I understand more from this conversation I will re visit it and take a look.

I do have some healthy loads from April to Oct. When on grid in summer a (40 amp+) 5T ac, a 2 ton mini split ac, ( 20ish amps) that is slated to cool the space the batteries and inverters are going into, a 5000 btu and 9000 btu ac, couple of fridges, couple of freezers, electric water heater...

Which readily available battery chemistry has the best prospects of a long life when used in the desert with average temperatures of 110 to 115 degrees F. What extra precautions should I take to extend the life of the batteries operated at those temperatures. Assuming 24 volt and 200 to 400Ah...

I’m putting it out in a shipping container that I have. Placing it next to a bedroom and getting it right is more of a project than I can do I realized as this thread progressed. Thanks for the heads up on the noise of the eg4 mppt fans. That is going to be awkward. The container I am...