Recent content by sidpost

I tend to think individuals like myself are a "sweet spot" for big company focused technologies like Saltwater batteries. Sure, some big companies dive into the "deep end" of technologies like this for marketing purposes but, the profit margins on homeowner sized systems is going to be higher...

Merry Christmas everyone! Aquion is one of the "big" players in this area right now. Whether their Chinese second act is successful remains to be seen. I forget the name of the "new" company I heard about in the financial news but, with the effects of lithium mining and general issues of...

Perhaps I missed this in my search so, if I did please point me in the right direction as I'm a bit surprised I didn't find anything. I have a friend that keeps talking about Saltwater batteries. I have heard a few financial news tidbits saying some large industrial saltwater batteries are in...

I grew up with Wind Powered water pumps on the family farm so, that is my prior experience. After doing a lot of research, I opted for better solar panels and I am currently "over-paneled" with more battery storage. In the end, I didn't think the winds were steady enough or reliability was...

I have a friend that mentioned a review of MPPT charge controllers and picked up an outdoor-rated model from Taiwan that doesn't have any brand name on it. It looks interesting and I hit the QR Code on it which took me to a video that doesn't mention the company either. It looks like Esmart3...

TEMCO 8AWG 250 foot reels are $153 each. 8AWG will give you a lot of "room to grow" your solar system before amperage limits become a problem. 8AWG probably isn't enough for a whole house system though it would be a lot for a small cabin or travel trailer and most likely overkill for the...

I got two reels of wire and a bag of MC4 connectors so I can make the lengths I need and have some wire for my next project.

When you say "microinverter", it implies a really small solar panel. That being said, worrying about 10/8/6 gauge wire is probably massive overkill. 12 gauge or smaller wire may actually be all you need for a few amps (<3A) and a low voltage (~12~18Vdc) from a small solar panel. Knowing the...

Heat build-up, resistance, voltage loss, run lengths, etc. are all valid concerns up to a point of diminishing returns.

My point was messing with a controller to install an oversized wire gauge you don't really need. Sure, a larger gauge wire is generally better if weight and cost aren't a problem but, you don't really need a large wire to run small amperage levels.

Why use wire that is too big for your controller? Carrying more current than your controller is built to handle isn't going to work out very well for you. Typically, controllers are sized to accept wire that carries the current they support. Connecting batteries with big wire is different than...

Are there good online storefronts or alternative shops (like welding suppliers) to buy wire for my solar panels and related gear? I need two runs (2 wires * 2) with one pair ~25ft long and the other pair ~35ft long plus all the interconnects between controllers, inverters, etc. I will be...

Great advice! I'm am standardizing on 48V components for commonality. 48V switches, fuses, etc. may be overkill but, I also don't have to worry about mixing components with another system or borrowing from the 48V system. I'm debating taking my only 12V system to 24V and going forward, I...

https://www.solar-electric.com/ My friend has used this place with satisfaction.

Victron Energy BlueSolar MPPT100/20 I have experience with the Midnite Kidd charge controller for reference. I don't need the $300+ cost and the more advanced feature set so while looking for an MPPT charge controller I came across the Victron 100/20 which looks like a good relatively simple...