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diy solar

diy solar

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  • Post in thread: Does Solar Really Pay Off

    Just ask them what their ROI is for that $82K truck they got sitting in the driveway with a $1300/mo payment. Or that $30K Razor. Or that $100K RV. Or that airplane sitting in the hangar at the airport. Debt free at 38, off-grid at 51. Love it.
  • Post in thread: My experience with hybrid water heaters and a warning to stay away from AO Smith hybrid water heaters

    I do HVAC for a living. I repair heat pumps all the time. Guess which one I bought? $2K more in solar panels. I'm keeping my 80 gallon and 5000W resistive elements. I have a timer that turns the water heater on at noon and off at 6 PM. Add 4 inches of insulation to the water heater and you'll...
  • Post in thread: Power Being Turned off for Non payment

    $0 to power company since March. ?
  • Post in thread: Who is still building DIY batteries

    About 210kWh total, all but a Trophy 220aH are diy. 10kWh diy in my work van with 26 ga sheet metal cases. I like to know how it’s built, how to troubleshoot, repair-ability is important to me so NO welded cells, easier to take apart if I need to move it, better cooling, easy to check for hot...
  • Post in thread: Do You Ever Regret Going Off Grid?

    19 months. No regrets with two Sol-Ark 12K’s, 32kWpv, 150kWh of diy LFP. I’m glad that I didn’t choose EG4-Anything” for my house. My 6500ex’s for the shop are getting replaced with Schneider xwpro system, after 3 months of troublesome operation.
  • Post in thread: Sol-Ark not a good company to deal with 12k

    I needed 60-80kWh/daily. Two 12K, 20,640W pv, 143kWh LFE and 10kW Honeywell LP Gen did the trick. Off-grid completely for five months. Power shed cooled to 68-75F with my Fujitsu 9K 33 SEER. No problems other than learning the proper settings and a bad wifi dongle. Sol-Ark has excellent customer...
  • Post in thread: Signature Solar Quality and Warranty Woes

    I don’t have the time for troubleshooting these junk 6500ex’s for Travis, Brent and Colt. These units should have never left the factory and shipped without thorough testing by the factory and Signature Solar. I should’ve known when I pulled up the last year of firmware updates that I was going...
  • Post in thread: HVAC A/C Heat Pump Failure

    We do this for a living. Do you know how many times a customer reset the breaker and it started working perfectly again? 1 out of 10, usually due to brownouts. Do you know how many times they called me back two days later saying it was broke again? 9 out of 10. Do not reset a tripped breaker...
  • Post in thread: 5th day of no sun

    I can usually make it until Dec1-15 before I need to use my wood burner to supplement HP’s. I added 11kWpv, up to 32kW, so we’ll see how it goes this winter.
  • Post in thread: The down side from buying Chinese goods

    Our $2-240 Million Dollar CEO’s in the USA have put the extra company profits into their own pockets for the last 40 years. See how many fly bizjets, drive eight luxury cars and own three homes. They didn’t get there by paying their workers an honest living, keeping manufacturing in the USA and...
  • Post in thread: Laundry and off-grid... Hmmm?

    Our clothes are hung up on inside retractable clothes lines in the winter with a wood burner drying them. They are hung outside in the spring summer and fall. We rarely use ours. Even when we do it’s only a 22.5A resistive load at 240V or 2.5-4kWh.
  • Post in thread: Poor guy lost his cabin to a fire in MPP charge controller

    Where's the before pics of the installation, so we can all learn from each other? That is why I did a ground mount, power shed is 50' from house, everything is mounted on cement board, oversized wiring, undersized breakers/fuses, RF smoke detectors, liquid CO2 fire extinguishing tubes over...
  • Post in thread: TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION ON TO BUILD MY OWN BATTERY BANK, OR JUST BUY THE EG4-LL SERVER RACK STYLE.

    I have over 3,750 pounds of LFP or 210 kWh of DIY and 1 ea nice Trophy 220aH. I don’t tinker with any of them. I built them out of Grade A cells or the best I could find and they just work…Like my two Sol Ark 12 K‘s. I use JK 200A BMS’s…they just work too. I’ve scrapped a lot of Chinese junk in...
  • Post in thread: Colorado utility company locks people out of their thermostats

    Buy 20+ kW of PV, then tell your power company to go pound sand. I have 6.25 tons. I set them all between 66-72F!?
  • Post in thread: EG4 Chargeverter: throttle output due to heat? (new title)

    80% is my limit on anything electronic from China.
  • Post in thread: Who is still building DIY batteries

    The first diy 100kWh with JK BMS’s $17.5k from Aliblabla. Try over $30k and no repair-ability if you go with SS, with about the same warranty and customer service.
  • Post in thread: Information Overload - Where do I start?:)

    Search “the digital mermaid” on YouTube for a lot of information.
  • Post in thread: Who is still building DIY batteries

    Their 105 and 304 grade A cells require no top balancing, build, take them to 3.60V (my OVP), JK goes to 100%, the 2A balance current does it’s job. Then I absorb at 55.7, float at 53.7V from then on out.
  • Post in thread: LIFEPO4 Smoke and Fire Dept

    For me on 10 batteries/2800aH...Power house 50' away from house, cooled to 70F, 40A charge/discharge max per battery, 2ga wiring rated for 115A, BMS's rated for 200A - set to 100A for 5 sec max, 100A 2p dc breaker, 125A class T between cell 8 & 9 to break battery in half, 1/4" ceramic fiber mat...
  • Post in thread: My Signature Solar Experience (not good)

    I sell HVAC products. No way would I sell or install something then ask a customer to pay shipping under my one year warranty. I charge enough that I can eat a little bit of shipping and provide after hours service if needed once in a while. If it becomes a constant problem, then I will not sell...
  • Post in thread: Who is still building DIY batteries

    James at 18650 Battery always does well. I get the 304aH (or 100aH for my work van 24V) grade A cells on the last 100kWh or so. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. No communication necessary. Grade B’s from Aliblabla 280’s, 304’s, all work fine together. Those with higher IR, charge and discharge...
  • Post in thread: Solar power is not just for rich people.

    We have what we have because we started at 17/18 yrs old and worked to become debt free by 38. We built our home and will stay in it for life or as long as we’re able. We only buy a new base model vehicle when we have cash saved and the old one is 15-20 years old. We rarely dine out. Credit card...
  • Post in thread: Utility rate increases

    My system is all in my head. My replacement can figure it out. Good luck.? ?
  • Post in thread: At this point... if you are buying From Alibaba/Aliexpress you deserve what you get.

    Most of us can only check Capacity (at 1A-40A, affordably), IR and Self Discharge over time. You are the second forum member asking for proof of capacity testing with pics. We are hobbyists, enthusiasts, experimenters, tinkerers. We likely wouldn’t be on a DIY’er forum if we had professional...
  • Post in thread: DIY ground mount - laminated posts..

    I have 50kWpv on PT lumber. 18 mo. It’s handled 60mph. Staining it like your deck will help it last longer. I’ll let you know how it worked out in 20 years. It’s 1/3 the cost and no shipping.
  • Post in thread: Which server rack battery has fewest issues: SOK, Trophy, or Jackiper?

    I had the first version of the 220aH Trophy battery. Dan swapped it out after some issues and absolutely no problems with this second version. I would recommend Trophy and SOK/Current Connected. I’ll never buy anything again from SS.
  • Post in thread: Sol-Ark not a good company to deal with 12k

    Our two 12K’s brought in 72kWh yesterday on December 1, in eastern Kentucky, 38 deg Lat. Note: Most of my 12kW goes into my battery. If you’re doing the opposite, then your battery bank is too small. I can run my 80 gallon electric water heater, all four 16-33 SEER heat pumps rated at a total...
  • Post in thread: Sol Ark and EG4 competition?

    I have two Sol-Ark 12 maxxed out on PV 26K+. 18K a/c output total. Each one can charge at 185A, so 370A total and is plenty. The 159kWh LFP always gets recharged fast unless it’s cloudy. We are all electric, 6.25T of hp capacity, 80Gal hwh. No struggling, you just can’t run aux electric heat...
  • Post in thread: These are 280AH cells what do you think is going on with the pack?

    Once you go to JK BMS with 2 A of balance current, True Grade A cells, you’ll never go back to the others.
  • Post in thread: Mitsubishi mini splits off-grid?

    Why do you think Mechanical Aptitude is a dying trait? Maybe because too many people look down on those of us in career fields with two years of tech school. Why would anyone want to be a shop/school teacher? So they can make less money and get berated by their 4 yr degree holding peers? The...
  • Post in thread: Winter 23-24 upgrade plan ideas

    I could power three efficient homes in the summer. On the darkest cloudy days of winter the production is about 4%. If I came close to using my 10kW LP Gen, then I added more PV. It’s really their for emergency repairs on the system. Heat pumps in the winter are used until the outdoor temps get...
  • Post in thread: Signature solar warranty department issues

    I said the same thing 14 months ago. There is no comparison from my two 12K’s running my home to the two 6500ex that halfway run my shop. They are getting replaced with Schneider equipment soon. Good luck and hope it works out better for you. ???????????????????There’s a bunch more for you!?
  • Post in thread: Signature Solar Honest Customer Service Experience

    I wouldn’t expect anything more out of SS.
  • Post in thread: New Property in township with no power ! Help

    We have finally got what it takes to survive on all electric through the winter months. 30-60kWh daily. The online calculators said 16kWpv. Not even close. Total: 52kWpv, 230kWh of LFP. You don’t need need endless money, but you’ll have to do without that new $80,000 pick up truck. I wouldn’t...
  • Post in thread: Who is still building DIY batteries

    James at 18650 always sends a nice container of grade A 304 cells. No top balancing needed. My JK BMS takes care of that on two charge/discharge cycles.
  • Post in thread: Solar south

    We consume between 1000kWh and 1500kWh/month. About 500 kWh less than we were being charged by the power company. (Sol-Ark 12K shunt vs fancy electric meter shunt) We would not make it without our free standing indoor wood burner below 30°F- messy but toasty warm. You need the large PV for those...
  • Post in thread: Would an east facing array outperform a west facing array?

    I have a one string 3.6kW going in now at 165°/60° angled and a two string 7.2kW at 215°/60° angled array- just finished. Let’s just say, REC405 (215°) panels out performed my QCells430 (180°/45° angled) from noon on yesterday after the sun popped out. The steeper angle with the 405’s does not...
  • Post in thread: Electricity Rate Increase.

    I knew this was coming and turned grid power off in early March 2022. They can pound sand. $50K in the last 20 years has overpaid their greedy execs. No contributions from me anymore.
  • Post in thread: 12kW on BOTH Sol-Ark 12K

    Gentlemen: This is why it’s called a 12K. If you have enough new solar panels, even on November 18, 2022, you can max it out. ☀️??. It’s sunny and 35F. I had to turn the Fujitsu mini hp off, open the power shed and cool it down. Internal temps on ac side: 33C, DC: 64C. If we had anymore dark...
  • Post in thread: 18kPV Notice/Warning light and random AC shutdown

    I’ve had issues with my two shop 6500ex since startup three or four weeks ago. I thought I would give Tier2 and SS a try. Never again. Getting Schneider XW Pro 6548’s and 100A SCC from Ben at AltE. Similar price and 2X the customer service. Third times a charm. My two home 12k’s worked right...
  • Post in thread: Class t fuse without holder

    I have all 10 of my 16S 280aH batteries with 125A JJN Class T fuses, mounted using two standard bus bars with ss hardware, between cell 8+ and Cell 9-. Wrapped in Polyamide tape. Typ max current= 37A. I've test blown one fuse. A little pop. That's it. Now you have two 24V batteries. Turn 100A...
  • Post in thread: Repurpose old UPS as Inverter

    I have a Tripp-Lite hospital grade SMART2500XLHG UPS, 2200VA output. It can run off of my 48 V battery bank. It has 4 small 12V, 9aH SLA batteries inside or a 50A Anderson plug. I made a cable to go from my battery bank. It has a 16 amp 120 VAC output. My Dewalt circular saw would not run off...
  • Post in thread: Is there any way to make money from excess power apart from selling back to grid?

    Charge work van. Then make money repairing HVAC equipment in your EV. Manufacture your own 200-400 pound 120V power supplies to load on the truck with a liftgate. Monitor power outages in your area online, then drive around and drop them off for a minimum 24 hr or two day rental fee. Pick them...
  • Post in thread: Are we all getting GRADE B cells??

    I have a 132kWh battery bank. Three out of four of Amy's - Schenzen Luyuan "Grade A" 280aH 16S batteries do not have runners when I charge above 55.7V. One out of four of Hayley's - Dongguan Lightning do not have runners above 55.7V. Sanben's 320aH (really 304aH) and Trophy 220 aH both have...
  • Post in thread: At this point... if you are buying From Alibaba/Aliexpress you deserve what you get.

    When I use three different load testers showing LiitoKala’s 280’s and Sanben’s 320 batches below what is advertised, then test Dongguan’s and Shenzhen Luyuan’s 280’s and all were over advertised. That’s all of the accuracy I need to tell me which vendors not to buy from.
  • Post in thread: Ground mount recommendations

    I just spent two months after work, installing 20,600w or 48 ea QCells at 45° PV array angle on a shale/clay 36° slope, using 48 ea 4x4 post (8’-16’ L), sprayed termite spray, dried them sealed all posts with Black synthetic rubber, dug with post hole diggers/chisel as deep as possible, for...
  • Post in thread: Who is still building DIY batteries

    I install JK BMS, double pole dc breaker, t class fuse between cell 8 & 9. You are right on price. About $2850 for my 304aH 16S.
  • Post in thread: Interesting poll results! Sol Ark VS Signature Solar

    Consider yourself lucky. 9/26/23. Edit: Signature Solar provided great customer service, tech support and we arrived at a fair resolution. I highly recommend them now and what a stress relief! Thank you!
  • Post in thread: Best torque wrench/screw driver

    I have a calibrated elbow after years of using torque wrenches on aircraft. I never use one now on anything. I just know how it feels. Starting out, use a torque wrench.
  • Post in thread: Heating watts vs cooling watts

    My Fujitsu 33 seer can output, 125% of its rated heating capacity all the way down to -15°F.

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