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I recently purchased (16) 445w Canadian Solar panels from Solar Steals and wanted to provide an update for everyone. I paid $2,880 with free shipping and no tax, I felt it was a pretty darn good deal all things considered. Shipping took a bit longer than I expected, not the actual shipping...

We’ve completed our first month “off grid” while still grid connected. 6.6kw of “not super efficiently” pointed panels, a Sol-Ark 15k and 15kWh of SOK batteries. We’ve overproduced almost every day and the excess has gone into charging my Tesla via the smart loads output. We made a bit over...

I'm sure there are plenty of other awesome setups, I didn't have much of a plan going into this other than wanting to tick as many boxes for as many scenarios as possible. This is a VERY flexible setup while saving a fair bit of power which I think will help a lot of people out there trying to...

Howdy everyone! The project I’ve been working on lately is a multifunction trailer. Among my business ventures I do low voltage contracting. I’ve chosen to use a trailer rather than a van for many reasons. This trailer is a 12x7 plus a 2 foot v-nose, 8 foot interior height. Certainly not...

We picked up a GEM car a couple years back for cruising around town and trying to get grandpa out for some fun while he still can. It had relatively new batteries when we got it so I reluctantly used those for a while, but whenever we let grandpa use it, he'd forget things due to beginning...

Long story short: I built a big steel pergola four years ago and finally realized I should throw solar panels on it. Scroll down for pictures, it's still a work in progress. If you're bored and into solar like I am, read the back story. Back Story Years back I built this pergola in our back...

Really just sharing an update for those that haven't seen the system and may need a bit of motivation. It sounds like a lot, but it's certainly possible to power your own home without any sacrifices. Initially the system was to be an EG4 18Kpv, that didn't work out so it became a Sol-Ark 15k...

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Bumped into this deal: https://www.ebay.com/itm/124397245729? It appears there other sizes as well, but make sure you use the SPRINGSAVE20 coupon code. Seems like a great deal for smaller systems.

For those of us with hybrid inverters and/or any “sensitive electronics” which is seemingly anything and everything these days, this feels like very cheap insurance. There are many options from many companies, in this case I just grabbed an off the shelf surge protector from Square D that...

Picking up our new to us 42’ Monaco Dynasty tag axle diesel pusher next week. I’ve done many large RV solar power systems in the past, but with this I’m trying to consider everything in detail before I start. I’ve typically done all Victron equipment and Battle Born in the past. Our last 5th...

Forgive me for being lazy, I’m sure I could just call Sol-Ark and get an answer but hopefully this can help someone else long term. Additionally hopefully we can get a solid answer from both companies as the 15k and 18k are popular units. I fully understand you could just parallel two banks of...

Howdy there! I just upgraded our main service from 100a>200a. I would have considered putting the entire house on the 18kpv, but I didn’t have anywhere realistic to put the batteries. So I went with a 100a critical loads panel that has 90% of the home loads in it. Inverter is in the garage...

It doesn’t seem like there is an amazing value generator wise when considering price, noise, fuel consumption, output etc. Is it crazy to think a Honda engine in the b/d/f/h/k series sitting on a simple metal stand and connected to a belt driven power head would provide all of the above...

Probably a super specific question here, but I'm tinkering with using Home Assistant to get all of our smart devices into a single app/control center. As I set up a new "dashboard" or "view" yesterday I added gauges to keep an eye on the pertinent solar data and I thought I was good to go, but...

Anyone planning to go? I’m thinking I’ll head down for a few days and see what’s new and exciting. Wondering if anyone else is planning to attend. Basically a big renewable energy convention. https://www.re-plus.com/

Looking to throw together a little system for a vacation home of ours purely as a backup to the grid. Called Signature Solar yesterday to order a couple Growatt 3000's and EG4 batteries as well as to ask about their Garage Sale items. They happen to have both of those items available in the...

Seemingly a dumb question here, but I don't know the answer. Let's say you have a US based 240v split phase air compressor, or mini split, or clothes dryer etc. Clearly you can use a pair of 120v inverters in split phase, I totally understand that. Now my question is, would a 230v Victron (or...

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Looking to see if anyone knows of any high quality power supplies I can use to power our new mobile network setup. Using a Starlink “standard” gen 3, which is the new version that sits on a kickstand. I will not be utilizing their router for many reasons, but the important part is that the...

Lets start by saying I fully understand this wouldn't be considered the safest way to go, I'm aware of the risks involved across the board. Solar is my primary, but we're coming into winter and who knows, let's say a big storm comes through and knocks out power for a week, solar production is...

I keep going back and forth between using my existing Victron gear and swapping over to the EG4/Sol-Ark to power a transfer switch connected to our main panel. I don't care to go through the permitting process with NV Energy where I live, it's a pain and I won't be making any more power than...

I’ve got a 12x7 contractor camper with an 8 foot ceiling I use for low voltage work during the week and camping trips here and there, today I checked the Victron VRM portal and an all black trailer parked in the 92 degree sun with the mini split set at 72 is pulling 300w to stay cool. Amazing...

I take no joy in writing this, I sincerely wanted to love this new inverter and to support an active business on the forum, but I cannot sit silently and pretend this unit is "flawless" and anywhere near ready for the real world. I am not alone, I have received many messages from other members...

I'll be wiring up the new EG4 18kpv in the next week or two and I'm torn on battery cabling solutions. I almost exclusively use Polar Wire for my battery cabling, it's just a LOT nicer to work with and their ampacity ratings are significantly higher than most off the shelf wire. It's very...

Essentially new Victron CCGX - yours for $325 shipped It'll be shipped via USPS Priority Mail, same day as payment is made.

A long while back I bought many 12v 200ah batteries from Current Connected at a great price. As I went through testing them I had one (literally the first one I tested) test at only 100ah, it terrified me but ended up being the only oddball. No harm no foul, they may have even credited me for...

Generally speaking I'm incredibly happy with my Sol-Ark and SOK batteries, I've just run into one issue and currently can't point the finger either direction so I'm at a bit of an impasse. Hoping to get some valuable feedback from other members with the same setup, or @HighTechLab (I've got a...

https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2024-02-27-california-sierra-snowstorm-blizzard-feet-of-snow Just wondering if any of the members are getting ready for this 'large' storm to hit, we're in Reno and the news ranges from inches to feet of snow with upwards of 70mph of wind. Power company...

As a whole I love my little Chargeverter, I just wish it had some form of communication or a relay to enable/disable, and silent fans, then I'd call it perfect ;) I just snagged a big new GenMax 10,500w tri-fuel inverter generator and I've noticed a "problem" - if I connect the Chargeverter to...

I've got the trailer pictured below, it's a 7x12, very well insulated, dual Victron 3000's, 15kWh battery bank, 48v, mini split up front. The roof has 1,600w of Q.Cells, which generally is far more than I need, but I have two more panels collecting dust. Do I mount them on a hinge just to the...

I've been poking around each aspect of my install to ensure I'm not going to upset an inspector in the near future and when it comes to ESS, I'm confused. Per this well written article, which sums up the codes relating to ESS, I'm trying to define what the "20kWh max each" means...

Sure seems like this should be more than capable of running a 650w load, am I dealing with faulty equipment??

All new, just been sitting on a shelf for a while, was originally for a friends RV project that never came to fruition. Batteries $600 each, SmartShunt $60, Orion $150 Happy to ship anywhere in the 48 states.

I recently ended up with 57.6kWh of lifepo4 batteries cheap, which has me considering backing up my entire house using a Sol-Ark 15k. That said, the inverter would mount outside next to the main panel and unfortunately there is no good place for a big battery setup outside. However, I do have...

Are the 6500ex’s capable of being connected to grid input, but only using it during predefined times? IE, during the summer we will now have time based rates from 1-6pm, I’m planning to have whichever inverters I go with automatically switch to battery power during those hours and again back to...

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Who can identify this battery? Trophy?

Our motorhome has a 2800w Magnum inverter from the factory, I’m still debating exactly what I’ll do system wise but in the meantime, while it’s parked in our storage facility I have limited power available, a single 20a circuit and I don’t want to go popping the breaker as I have no access to...

Running into a few issues with a 48v Growatt 3000TL LVM. First and foremost I want to figure out how to enable settings that allow me to connect to grid power but not prioritize it. My perception of the user manual is that I'm either picking one or the other, grid or solar. I'd prefer to...

Purchased new from Watts247 a few months back, it has seen extremely limited use, works flawlessly. No issues whatsoever. Yours for $525 shipped anywhere in the 48 states. 20+ years of eBay feedback available, something like 7,500 reviews etc.

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I’ve purchased and am waiting to receive my 18Kpv with great anticipation. That said, I’m struggling with parts of the manual that feel, “less than adequate”. If it’s my lack of understanding the product, I accept that. In this case I’m referring to page 56 of the manual that covers rapid...

I’ve got a 1.6kw array on my contractor trailer that spends most of its time parked, very little consumption. It’s not much but generally produces about 10kWh/day in the summer, I’d rather use it than lose it. I’ve got a Sol-Ark 15k in the house. What’s the most elegant solution to use excess...

I suppose this isn’t an online deal, but maybe it’s on their website. They had a 100w panel plus “8.5 amp” charge controller in store for $79.99 today. The link is below, but again, this deal was in store. Not something that fits my needs, but maybe someone on here...

If you had panels with 52.1v Voc and 43.3v Vmp, would you be worried connecting them to a Victron 150/85? I understand this ends up at 156.3v Voc, on a 150v charge controller, but I'm wondering just how "sketchy" this really is. A big part of me wants to think a Victron charge controller isn't...

I couldn’t stand using the factory Magnum 2812 inverter in our bus so I swapped it out for a Victron 3000 that I had sitting on the shelf today, keeping everything 12v for now and will probably swap in a couple 48v Quattro 5000’s over the winter (have those on hand too). The factory setup is a...

I've got a bit of a head scratcher here, at least I think. I've got a trailer that will have (2) Victron Multiplus-II 48v/3000 inverters, they'll be in split phase feeding a breaker panel inside the trailer. Being that this is the "main panel" of the trailer, I would expect to be installing a...

Howdy there! I’ve just finished up my basic cargo trailer setup for work utilizing a 48v 3000TL LVM and an SOK battery. Don’t judge the wiring, it’s all just spare stuff sitting around and at the end of the day it’s just my cargo trailer for work and the occasional weekend camp trip. That...

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Looking for a “smart car charger”, and by that I mean a charger with some form of app that can communicate with my Sol-Ark, or even SOK batteries. Thought process being that I want to dump excess solar into my Tesla, but I don’t want to have to continually remember to go out there and plug it...

So I recently applied for an interconnection agreement with our local power company. It took a few weeks for any type of response, then I was asked to fill out some additional paperwork after they had reviewed my application. I was told they would have a response within 10 business days, then...

Using a Growatt 48v SPF 3000TL LVM with an SOK 48v battery. Manual calls for a set of 4awg wires from battery to inverter. What I happen to have laying around is Arctic Ultraflex from Polar Wire in both 1/0 and 6awg. I don’t think it’s all that realistic to get the 1/0 in there. That said...

I've got a total of (16) Tigo TS4-A-F modules for sale, I purchased all of them on eBay and ended up with more than I need. I did't realize until today that (11) of them don't have the metal "clips" that secure them to your solar panels. This could easily be just DIY'ed and bolted on, or I'm...

6 string solar combiner box from Amazon for sale. Well reviewed, just didn't end up using it. Brand new. $100 shipped to your door. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N96GJFT

I’ve got a chance to snag 10kw worth of used Jinko 385w panels, I’d have to make a 4 hour round trip drive to grab them (obviously not ideal there). I’d be out the door around $2250 including gas. Thoughts?

I've got a good sized pergola I built in our back yard, it was never built with the intention of attaching solar but with the price of panels dropping so much over the last few years I'm considering redoing the roof. So this begs the question, just how bad would my solar production be with...

Without further context, would the differing colors on the back side of these modules bother you, or be an indication of an existing or upcoming issue with the panel as a whole? They are used (obviously), but in theory not all that old. You’ll notice darker modules, and ones that are lighter...

Let me start by saying I don't have any expectation of saving money, I've got plenty of experience with solar, I'm purely wondering if I can do this as I'm thinking I can. Based in the United States, I have a split phase 120/240v grid tied home with 100a service. I have a 60 amp sub panel in...

Any brilliant ideas on how to send excess power from an existing small Victron system mounted to a trailer to my home based EG4 18Kpv? Trailer has 1.6kw of solar on roof, uses very little of it when parked. It has a Multiplus-II 3000/48, 150/35 charge controller and CerboGX. What is the most...

Anyone have any ideas of how to calculate true ROI, including time of use rates? With my Sol-Ark and the PV Pro app I can input a single price, which is better than nothing but certainly skips the nuances I’d like to include. I also have Solar Assistant but haven’t found a way to pull it off...

Looking for educated opinions! It’s looking like I’ll only be able to fit 15 of the 16 panels I’ve ordered on our pergola. That said, I have to split them into two strings instead of 8s2p it’ll be one in 8s, one in 7s. Roughly 10 amps max per string. Probably a total of 60-70 feet back to the...

I’ll be installing my new EG4 18Kpv over the next week or so, and have a code question in regards to PV wiring. Home install, panels on the roof. Using Tigo rapid shutdown. I’ll be running EMT from Soladeck on roof to inverter (through a Wireway). I have (4) 100ft rolls of black 10awg PV...

I assume I know the answer, but has anything changed in recent months/years relating to any of the multiplus/quattro units? The question is effectively 50 amp RV related. As you can imagine the standard 50 amp plug is split phase 120/240, 50a per leg aka 12,000w available. Sure, there are...

I’ve got an excellent condition, almost new Victron 150/85 VE.Can charge controller for sale, or possibly trade. Why sell? It’s in my contractor camper and is far too big for the 1,600w array on the roof and just takes up extra space. Here’s the story on the trailer and pictures of the unit...

After a quick glance at the manual, I’m not seeing anything “against” mounting one of these batteries horizontally, but I would imagine it was designed to be mounted vertically. Anyone know if it’s “approved” to be horizontal? Size wise, it would work well in the belly storage of our motorhome.

Wondering if any of the eg4/Growatt/mpp or even “higher end” Victron/Sol-Ark inverters are capable of reliably working with a mixed battery bank. Basically would any of them work with 10kWh of one brand of batteries while the other had 15kWh or another brand. It’s a made up scenario, but I’m...

We've recently seen some big power outages in the Northern Nevada area due to some storms, fortunately we weren't affected but some friends didn't have power for 5 days right in the middle of the city. That got me to thinking about how I could quickly and easily get us some backup power in the...