4 panels up! Tilt adjusted to 34 degrees or so, 31.8 would be year round optimal but didn't like how the support geometry was working past this tilt. Fence holding, so far.
Going down mountain roads with regen is bliss. Beyond getting power back you don't have that coasting faster faster faster, braaaaake.....coast faster faster faster, braaaaake....just modulate pedal and enjoy the regen power gain, nice and smooth... And of course no brake pad wear. I'm over...
Hit two (small to most) milestones today, 5kWh generated (Woohoo $0.85!) and my first > 1 kWh day! Hey, it's just 2 100W panels, be nice :) Fun part about not having massive battery or grid tie: hitting absorption and running around in a panic trying to find what to discharge power to so I...
...when you keep tracking your new charge controller shipment hoping it'll arrive when there's still some sunlight out and the time keeps slipping later and later.... :(
Helper at work!
Helper running away...
...another...
Got one more after this but was racing against sunlight...I made 4-5 trips to Lowes today (Measure 8 times cut 14 times)...and still managed to underbuy for the bolts to hold the mounts to the strut *sigh* oh well, it'll be a 3 panel...
Yes but for where I intend to put these >200W panels (2) starts to become too large. I'm looking at hanging them on a fence that faces true south in the back yard and has a walkway next to it that larger panels would likely be too intruding to be wife approved...although I keep pondering 2 400W...
eBay has a SAVETWENTY code, not sure how far and wide it goes but it is applying to at least some (All?) LiFePo4 batteries... So a Redodo 24v 100ah $659.99 (Same price on Amazon) is $559.99+tax free shipping... (Max is $100 off)
Yeah not looking to do something quite that big/bulky since this fence is in a walkway area, trying to preserve space and not cut into walkway more than 24-30" or so at my desired tilt. Was really just looking for reputable sturdy kits vs. the minefield of testing one out from Amazon. I was...
Stage 1 - The Beginning of another addiction.
2x 100w EcoWorthy panels
1x PWM Charge controller
Mount: Whatever I thought about leaning it on, usually small poolside tables that I turned thru the day to hit 1kWh/day, aka, manual 1 axis tracker with 1 hour resolution.
Price out whole home solar...
Stage 3 - Hey look I sold some stuff on eBay, SOLAR FUNDING!
2x JJN 200w Bifacials
1x Victron 150/45 MPPT upgrade, need more volts for 'the plan'
2x JJN 41" angle brackets
1 Raspberry Pi2, USB to VE Direct cable, VenusOS install for VRM integration==stats everywhere.
...realization, I need a...
Santa tossed in 4 EVE LF304's in my stocking, along with an antigravity generator evidently...
Wanted a clean 12v build from the 4 EVE batteries so used a SFK kit. Went together pretty easily but wiring those terminals can be a PITA...had wires too long and just not enough room to fold them...
Luggage rack an option then mount them to that? :) Would something in the MPP lineup do what you need? They seem to be pretty flexible but may be a bit big in a vehicle...but it does tie together solar input/grid input, MPPT, inverter, charger in one simple box.
Got the other panels in so ready to figure out the mounting. Gonna do the low profile unistrut on the fence face to get a relatively flat surface for the mounts and it'll allow me to position them anywhere along the strut...
Getting the supplies ready while waiting for the helpers to come...
What torque should be used for the EVE LF304 with the new dual bolt matte finish welded terminals? Am putting together a 4 cell 12v, waiting on some proper lugs for wiring the BMS so just have them at about 4nm right now for testing. I did some searching but wasn't clear what these terminals...
These 2 100W panels are enough to charge my lawnmower battery twice and the leaf blower battery once with a 50aH 12v LiFePo4 battery (640Ah). So ya "solar works", but you have to understand the physics and temper your expectations...then control yourself as you spin out of control financially...
You download the OS image, put in a microSD card on your desktop then just burn the image to the microSD card and put it in the Pi and boot it then just connect to it via a web browser on your network at http://venus.local and you're on the remote console. It's pretty simple...
Just schedule a test drive, it's not like they charge for it. Although that was a bit of expensive trip for us...I took the family to test drive the Bolt when it came out to see how it'd work for us...was pretty tight in back with 3 kids....so I asked the wife if we could stop by Tesla and test...
If you're looking on Amazon the BougeRV stuff seems decent and they offer 12/10/8 AWG without connectors, connector one end and crimp your own included or connectors on both ends. Cable is actual PV wire, can't comment on connector quality yet. Strands are tinned copper. Happy so far with mine.