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Yes! Here is how we did the heavy lifting:

Mine is all Snapnrack parts. Sourced from the local Rexelusa.com. (Gexpro.com) https://snapnrack.com/products/200-ground-mount-system/ Currently supporting 16 REC365AA = 5840 watts. Upgrading this Winter to 16 SILFAB 490 = 7840 watts 2021 prices: $805 for 10 pcs of 21' x 1-1/2" schedule 40...

Yep! I had to move things around, every time I added, as I did not plan far enough ahead. Kept painting myself into a corner, with respect to wall space. Hope I'm done now, just need to add more PV (Winter project # 48847663)

Had an “opportunity” to run the house on the inverter/batteries for the first time this morning! The new solar we have has been operational for a couple of months now. Grid went down @ 01:30. We woke up and waited a few minutes to see if the grid outage was just a blip. After 5 or 10 minutes, we...

We did this to install a 120lb inverter on the wall. Made a lifting frame for the inverter, used the engine hoist, worked great!

Started on the SnapNrack ground mount today! I am pleased to report it was 94 degrees, I am 71, working alone, and no injuries! Took 6 bags for the SW front pillar. It is shallow hole (30”), so not too difficult. One more SE front pillar, and then the rears, which will be difficult. The rear...

I was in the workshop during a storm this afternoon. (separate building from the house) Heard the inverter relays clack. Otherwise, I would not have known the grid was down, as most things in the workshop are powered from the solar equipment, which had switched from grid to battery. Wind had...

Picked up the PV panels (LGE LG425QAK-A6 425 watt) yesterday, looking forward to installing them. Pesky hurricane is impeding progress... The 3rd MPPT charge controller is all wired up and waiting to receive what the LG panels produce.

Son visited for two days - amazing what progress can be made with a young, strong person helping! We only could work mornings and evenings, too hot (96 today) otherwise.

Two recent projects: Outdoor shower: Summer in the tropics, working outside, it will be nice to cool off, and wash off, especially after mowing the yard, which I normally do in months starting with "J". Diesel repairs: My 25 year old Diesel Ford van has almost 300k miles on it. Hoping to...

Picked up the HF meter today! Looking forward to making the first measurements of the heat pump compressor startup. I have a TEK 465, and a TBS1000B, but have few reasons to use them much these days. I do like the old TEK, HP equipment too!

I TIG welded some of the ground mount, all the pipe was hot dip galvanized. The galvanize won't weld, and as you point out, is dangerous (lethal fumes) So I used a grinder and removed the galvanize where I was going to weld. Need pure, clean steel for the weld to work. Grinding does not remove...

Spot the cell phone in this photo!

I can see the point of a contractor wanting to install a system that just runs, and needs no attention. Having to go back wastes time and $$$ Reminds me of our heat pump upgrade. Same deal, HVAC contractors here want to get in, install, get paid, get out. When I could not patch & repair our...

Years ago, I bought a small, but not portable, Diesel generator from these guys: https://www.centralmainediesel.com/diesel-generators.asp

First cold day of the season here (41°f)! Decided to risk opening a Schneider breaker or two by putting the house heat pump in "heat" mode. (Never tried to run the 10kw resistive heat coils from the Schneider inverters before) The Schneider "multi-unit design guide" says a 17kw load can be...

I’m too old to ever receive any ROI, don’t care anyway. We need water, lights and refrigerators after the hurricanes. Solar provides! Sitting here now, it is 88°f, heat pump, pool pumps, well pump are all running off the PV and inverters.

I have had very good luck buying used Square D double throw transfer switches on ebay, for reasonable $$$. If you are not in a hurry, set up a saved search "square d double throw". Here are some I found today: eBay item number:295590601247 eBay item number:125607216207 And the one I bought from...

Installed and operational now on the new batteries! Initial charging was interesting. They had about 50vdc, as delivered from the dealer. Upon activating the charge controllers, the batteries began taking 8kw from the PV, happily gurgling & stinking up the place. Working on a pressure ventilated...

Hi, Have made some progress with the install! All equipment mounted, wiring complete, except MPPT to Mini-PDU. (Waiting on breakers) All conduit run in the building. One more run to do, out to the PV array later in the month. 200ft are roughed in, another 50 to finish. Waiting on delivery...

Finally done w/ this project, and in time for hurricane season! Amazing to me how the system takes watts from the PV and sends the power to the devices, dynamically changing as the load and insolation change. I am learning to detest clouds! Beginning to wish I had more batteries, possibly next...

No long (over 1 day) outages here since I put in the Solar in 2021. But many years ago a hurricane took down the neighborhood power for 2 weeks, we only had the generator at that time, used it carefully and did not run out of fuel. We are on a well, no electricity-no water. Solar runs the...

I like to charge the battery in this saw from the solar, thus I can perform storm cleanup when no grid is available.

I have been working on a sealed battery box enclosure, with a vent to the outside. Was going to make the box out of plywood, but the plywood/CDX prices here are currently insane. Realized I could make the box out of Lexan for just a tiny bit more $$$ than the cost of plywood….. 48vdc fan to...

Yes, Hydrogen is very corrosive! The batteries are inside a LEXAN box, with a fan creating positive pressure into the box. A vent to the outside allows the gas to escape w/o incident!

Yes, sealed Lexan box, fan & vent to push the fumes outside!

Yep. We did a little bit at a time, as budget allowed. Finished w/ the electronics, now need lots more PV panels to AMP this up:

New production record today! It has been near 90°f every day here for weeks. I normally put the pool in service around May, but February / March seem to think they are May / June. So now the pool pumps are powered up. The heat pump AC is cycling like during Summer, both pool pumps on, electric...

I can stop doing solar projects any time I want to, I just don't want to.....

Progress on the shed roof PV project! Made a ramp of 2- 21’ pieces of pipe. Wife tied ropes to the panel, I pulled it up on the roof mounting rails, great! Only 7 more to go, but it is starting to rain, so another day. Hope for better weather later in the week, it was 89°f here today.