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JesseC: A few comments to get you started: using pumps on each circuit is old school, and highly wasteful. I see that is your existing system. My first thought is rip that out and replace. I've done them, as large as 30 plus pumps. These days we use Caleffi or Uponor distribution manifolds...

Good comments. Thanks. Your logic is sound too. What do you think about the concept of using 24v, smallish inverters each feeding individual circuit panels? Multiple smaller panels. Thanks!

Bud: There are 12v, and 24v 3000va Victron units that are UL approved. As far as I know, that is it. I would buy 5000va or 8000va units tomorrow if they were UL approved. Nothing 48v is UL listed. If you read on the Victron site, there are many mentions of them getting approval for their...

PEX has been around roughly 50 years. The first breaking test conducted to pressurize and then put tension on the PEX has been in continuous operation since then with no breakage. I've poured dozens of heated floors in both commercial and residential applications, and use nothing but Wirsbo...

AmpLee: Peter Perkins in Australia (?) is one of the guys who has done a lot of work on the Fit battery BMS. You can find him on the Insight forum. As I understand from Greentec, the Fits in the US were only leased. Greentec got all the batteries when they were scrapped out. I have some...

The new units that are arriving are going to be ETL approved, which will make a difference if your AHJ requires a listed device. Also, Midnite has a batch of the new E-panels made specifically for the DIY line. So, setting up one on an E-Panel will result in a package that is ETL approved...

12voltInstalls: I would assume that your comment is accurate. I didn't refer to my own situation, because our hot water is via integrated heat exchanger off gas boiler, with additional solar hot water panels. It seems bizarre to be considering going back to electric, based off PV, but right...

I don't see any mention of the other loads that will be required. Fans, filters, lighting, etc. This sounds like an exercise in futility. I may have missed it, but is the intent to use the shipping container as the storage for the blasting media, or is the whole operation going to be...

Like you, we have mini splits, and they are in addition to our hydronic heating system. My understanding is that it is advantageous to run them at the slowest possible speed, on a nearly continuous basis. There are many, many devices that actually suffer from non-use. Turning them on and off...

fafrd: tell me why your interest lies in 24v. I'm interested to know. Existing equipment? Specific batteries? Safety? THX

What? Steam expansion? In a closed loop system hot water or glycol that should never be allowed to boil? The expansion tank is designed to accommodate the increase in pressure created when the fluid temp rises. Do you have adequate expansion capacity? Was the tank sized properly for the...

Ampster: Nice set up! Would you mind sharing your impressions of the Skybox? Have you experienced any difficulties with it? Impression of quality? Any details would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'd look into products like the Midnite Solar Kid or Brat that has a circuit for running an outside load of some sort, like lighting. Haven't read up on that for a long time, so may be forgetting something. My recollection is that you can use it as a diversiobn load. I could be wrong.

Yeah, I tried to open that link on the one page that purported to talk about the batteries, but it was non-functional. I did get a response from one dealer who said they expected the unit to sell for about the price of an assembled 8048 Radian. So, should be in the general ballpark of the...

Externet: To answer your question, you would have to provide a bit more info on your current system. But in general, it sounds like you don't want to mess with it, or risk screwing up something that is working fine. That being said, I might be in a similar position, and here are my current...

Google Hugelculture, or however it is spelled. Using the same basic idea to grow plants and food year-round. I've been wanting to try that, by building a large berm around one side of our property. You basically bury wood and plant waste, and it keep the plants warm.

Hedges: Thanks for the link. Well, no surprises there. They want you to buy their expensive batteries.

Sanwizard: that is really a good result!

Ampster: I'm seeing on sites like "Unbound Solar" that the Skybox is showing up as "discontinued". That could support what I've reported, or maybe they just don't want to sell it any longer. I presume the first. I still think it is an interesting device, and the price is not bad. I'd rather...

You may want to consider using solar hot water panels if you intend to do space heating. You mentioned a heated water tank, but not what it is for. The hot water panels qualify for the same tax credits as the PV electric panels, and hot water is very efficient. A drain-back system is...

I would mount the brackets you show holding the rail to the extra tall L bracket, on the same side of the bracket as the foot attachment point. So the load isn't cantilevered.

GXMnow: Thanks for the advice. By the way, I didn't mean to say I hope this was a hijack....I don't know maybe on some level...:giggle:

Hedges: Already have an autotransformer. I cannot afford the backup system from SMA, so that is out of the question. Sunny Boy Storage is interesting, but would likely need two.

Do you have insulation on the back side of your collectors? The standard is 1" polyisocyanurate. Good luck!

GXMnow: I had thought about pulling one cell out of each of these, and going with 7s, even if the intent is to end up in series at 14s. It is a better voltage range for the majority of inverters out there. These are bolted together Samsungs, so a cell will just pop out.

I'm hoping one of the forum members who is familiar with SMA can clarify what the intent might be for the SMA storage unit with autotransformer. I read some posts from Hedges on this topic, but in the end am still confused. I understand the role of the Sunny Island and Sunny Boy. When it...

RyanG222: You seem to be dead set on dehumidifiers, and are discounting some good advice as to other options. Let me phrase this a different way: it would be a good idea to have a load calculation done for your method of construction, and then pick your system accordingly. There will be a...

Fafrd: If you elected to buy the Victron, you would always be able to sell it in the future if your plans changed. They are very popular with the RV crowd. But, keep in mind they are not certified for use in the US. I've gotten to the point where I don't trust any written or verbal...