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I'm in the midst of getting materials and assembling the control panel with the inverter and such.. So here is my design for the solar array. I'm using Renogy 550w panels. The wooden frame will be mounted to ground screws in lieu of concrete foundations. The solar racking is adjustable as I...

Thanks for the links . . . The 2nd video was new to me--gave me hope about the effectiveness of the panels through glass. Just fun to tinker with it!

Thanks for the quick reply. We just boil water for coffee and pour it through a filter, cook with propane, I'm bald and my partner doesn't use a hair dryer, so we're good on those points. Your recommendation confirms what I've been learning about 48v -- seems like the only way to get simple...

Unfortunately the condo rules don't allow attachment of anything to the window system which, as a part of the building's enclosure, is owned by the association. It's OK by me as I want the exterior to stay looking good for property values. So I'm just tinkering with solar for fun and "edutainment."

What's at the other end, ie, who's sending the signal?

I am wondering if my Solar Charge Controller is rated at 60 amps and the battery system "Recommended Charge/ Discharge Current" is 75 amps, do I have a problem? Charge controller is Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/60-Tr Thanks in advance for your thoughts and wisdom!

Thanks for the suggestion - So do you trust the LiFePO4 battery for indoor use? I guess I'm not familiar with it, so would love to hear how you use this battery. I just ordered my 30w panel by Rich Solar and the Renogy Controller with bluetooth dongle, because I have to know what's going on...

Thanks so much for the info!

Oops, I meant we would size for fall until our cabin is built

Am researching the fuses required for my setup. I'm going to be using the Renogy 10A solar charge controller; in their instructions they recommend a "battery to controller" fuse equal to the controller's amp rating, in this case, 10 amps. If I get a Jackery battery (or other portable power...

Do you know if the Jackery DC input is male or female? It's hard to tell from the photos... Based on the link you sent I assume the Jackery receives an 8mm male into its 8mm female port. Just want to confirm before I order... THANKS!

Hi There-- We are building a cabin and will install a solar system. But first we are staying weekends in our Airstream on our property. My question is, how big of a solar system would I need? Calculation of Watt Hours needed: Desc Avg Watts Hours/Day Qty Total Notes CPAP Machine with...

Good video - thanks for sharing. So it seems I will have a loss of 2/3 of potential power just by having the panel inside. May need to scale back my ambitions.

Forgot to mention that there is no utility power on the property, so it will be an off-grid system that we will expand (if) as needed when the cabin is built.

Thanks @robbob2112 and @DougfromdaUP for the good suggestions. The road to our property closes at the end of November. It's passable usually through January, but February and March it's 3' deep in snow. So we would size the initial system for winter until the cabin is built and then expand to...

Thanks for your advice. I suspected the plastic boxes and automotive stuff wouldn’t cut it. Will check out Midnite Solar. 👍

Yes, that's right - I ordered a 30w Rich Solar panel as it fits in the window nicely.

That might be overkill for my purposes as the one panel is only 30w! But I will look into DC circuit breakers -- thanks!

I'm using the Victron 150/60 TR MPPT Charge Controller. I've also attached a draft diagram of my equipment (except solar panels)

Thanks - that's very helpful.

Home Depot helped me out by destroying 2 of the six panels I ordered while in shipment to their store. Fortunately I inspected each package! So now I only have 4 panels to worry about and will add the others in due course.

Sorry, I didn't see your earlier reply, with great info! It's good to know the Jackery has a built-in charge controller--thanks much! I do expect the results to be 1/3 as I watched a video recommended by @PsychoticEpisode above and understand the reduction in effectiveness through the glass. I...

Here's my solar panel scheme for my off-grid cabin. My solar charge controller is the Victron 5000w 150/60 (150 v max, 60 amps max). I'm using six, 550-watt Renogy rigid panels. To get the current and voltage coming out of the panels to work for the solar charge controller, I came up with a...

While waiting for the Jackery battery to arrive, I put together this info image about how and why I've set my solar "edutainment" system up this way, mostly driven by ease of connection. Looking forward to the battery's arrival (and hopefully some strong sun) to see if I get the 0.6 amps I am...

Regarding battery locations in snowy climates . . . We are building a cabin but are putting in the solar for our Airstream and for use of power tools during the build in the Hunter, New York area. I am planning on purchasing heated batteries (Pytes V5) and placing them in the metal outdoor box...

Hi - I am wanting to experiment with solar energy and put a panel in my condo window. My purpose is to power some nighttime bedside lamps and a reading lamp. Nothing serious, mainly fun...edutainment! I've selected the Renogy 30 watt monocrystalline panel (...

OH, the Inverter is the Victron Multiplus II 48V / 5000w / 70a (SORRY for the incomplete data). The panel specs are listed in the diagram above (550w, 13.1a, 42v, and Short-Circuit Current (Isc): 14.05A) I've updated my diagram with the inverter and battery info. Batteries are heated and the...

Glad you enjoyed!

Here's one thing I've learned, the money I "saved" buying a panel without connectors was immediately spent buying adaptors. I expect to learn the hard way as a newbie -- just thought I would share! In fairness (to me and the manufacturer) my main criteria was getting a panel that fit between my...

Is it better to use a din-rail type of circuit breaker (which I would say are designed for facility use) vs an Automotive Circuit breaker? My use is in an off-grid solar system that requires a permit, in rural upstate New York. Thanks!!

After the inverter, where it converts the 48V DC to 120V AC, how far can the 120V AC travel to the house (or Airstream in this case)?

I read up on it -- now I'm a believer!

I have concluded my solar edutainment project! It's been fun -- I updated my "system graphic" to include prices and the watts received. My next project will be to use USB powered equipment cabinet fans (from ACinfinity.com) and the solar-powered Jackery to bring in fresh air during the winter...

I might also add to my original post, would polycrystalline be better for NYC weather?

How did your battery enclosure turn out? I'm interested because I'm putting solar on my property (also in Upstate New York). I am planning a 4x8' shed (self-built). The only info I was able to find about building solar equipment sheds was to insulate, make it waterproof, and provide temperature...

Thanks for the quick reply and helpful comments! I've revised the diagram to use the combiner box as you suggested, which coincidentally is exactly what I found in an off-grid solar book last night. Do you think this is correct? THANKS!

Thank you for the info. I went ahead and ordered the Jackery. Now I have to research how to get the raw cables from the panel into their 8mm pin input.