Most reacted posts

Oooh I really like that idea @KITROBASKIN . I ended up not getting a larger inverter because I don't have an immediate need for it and it didn't make sense to buy a larger inverter on sale before I need it to save $50 when I might choose to buy a different model to meet different needs in the...

Thank you @Vigo for this basic primer. I really appreciate the framing and information you offered, as well as your support with just trying to get something that works for my basic needs. I start a new job teaching middle school in a month and want to get the whole house/yurt set up before then...

Sorry for the confusion @rmaddy . The panels were hooked up in the yurts previous location. When I bought the yurt they were laying against a tree unhooked. Now I'm trying to hook everything up. Currently I have most things wired up in the yurt (still a few things to connect) and still need to...

@Q-Dog holy moly, that photo is incredible! I cant imagine having that kind of set up, that is intense! @Hedges Thank you so much! I am planning now to stick with 24v and can upgrade to 48v in the future if needed. @gotbeans Thank you for always being thorough in your responses, and your...

@Philip53 thank you for letting me know about trophy, I had never heard about them before. They look great and I agree with your assessment about the battery investment. It looks like Dan only has 48v batteries, which I think would mean connecting my panels to be 48v and getting new scc correct...

Thank you for educating me on this point @Tomthumb62 . I had not considered the idle draw seriously but have since learned about the power save feature on my 1000w inverter and have decided to stick with what I have since it seems to work well. I think if I do upgrade I'll seriously consider...

@KITROBASKIN Thank you so much for writing this thoughtful reply. It is wonderful to meet another educator on the forum - my hat off to you! I teach 7th grade social studies :) I love your ideas for using all of the batteries as they do still have some life in them. I have never heard of an A...

Thank you @ncsolarelectric and @FilterGuy for this helpful information - two votes for Victron! Good to know they are compatible with my system. Very good reviews too! I've read a few that mention firmware updates - would I need an internet connection to use this charger long term? I don't...

Ooooh yes! Im sure I could come up with a few creative ways to keep those dogs happy in the battery house! I like all of the ideas I have learned today about temperature, batteries, etc. This is kind of thrilling, I might need to update to 48v in my future home just so that I can have another...

@rmaddy and @FilterGuy I'm hoping to order the controller(s) tomorrow and would love your last take on which way to go, one 100|50 controller or 2/3 75 | 15 for 2 or 3 panels. What would you do?

Hi there! I just bought a used yurt with a used solar system. The charge controller is not reading properly (the screen turns off randomly and does not give reliable information) and I think needs to be replaced. I will also need to replace the batteries before winter. I'd like the new charge...

I can definitely appreciate that, thank you for sticking with me as I figure it all out :) Right now the panels are each on their own temporary stand until I get the system figured out, so I can still move them around. Seems like I'll probably be ok either way but it's hard to make the decision...

Thank you for providing this insight @Vigo and @rmaddy ! I hooked up one panel without a fuse and learned that my charge controller is not working properly so I will need to replace it before I can use the system. I would love your recommendations, keeping in mind that I will wire the panels in...

I have 4 6v Trojan T-105 batteries currently, wired in series to run 24v. I will likely need new batteries soon and I'm open to getting the same or something else, what do you think?

Thank you @rmaddy . The entire setup, including all cables and connectors, came with the yurt so I'm trying to use what I bought with minimal buying of new materials. It includes the 30 feet of 6AWG so keeping that is free. You would put a fuse between each panel? Right now the panels feed into...

Hi there! I just bought a used yurt with my first ever solar system and I'm trying to get it hooked up. The panels (3 @ 330 watt each) have MC4 connectors and the cable running to the yurt charge controller is 6 AWG. What is your recommended way to connect my 6 AWG to the panels? My idea is to...

Safer in terms of getting more energy to the batteries and having more energy to rely on or safer in terms of less risk of harm to people and equipment? Also, am I right that with multiple controllers each connected to one solar panel I wouldn't need fuses or a combiner box? I read the pdf...

Aha! This is good to know. So I can wire my 3 24v panels in series (72v) to a 48v MPPT and 48V battery? I thought the voltages need to match but it sounds like that's not true? If this is the case I can upgrade my battery to 48v and a 48v MPPT and be all set?

Ha! Thank you! It's a beautiful life but figuring out what to do with my solar situation is a challenge

Greetings solar wizards! Im a teacher who lives in an off grid yurt in northern Vermont, and need to pick new batteries for my solar system. I want something low maintenance that will be reliable. I'm leaning towards a lithium option and would like to increase my available power. What...

Wow sounds like that's the direction I should go next. Any downsides? A link to one that you recommend?

Yeah it goes between the charge controller and the batteries. I can change it to a breaker, or... Is it necessary at all? Should I just run the 6awg into the charge controller and then from there straight to the batteries? If the disconnect doesn't help I can take it out. Oh interesting, sounds...

These are really good questions @chrisski . I am not sure what my power requirements are, but I have been using a 1000 watt inverter for the past 18 months with 6 year old Trojan T-105s and have not had any power issues so I think its pretty limited. I have used a kilowatt meter on a few of my...

@rmaddy I've been doing some more research. I've learned that the maximum series fuse rating on my panels is 20 amp. With an lsc of 10.49 I think that means I can hook up one panel without any fuses and would only need fuses once I connect the second and third panels, is that right? Trying to...

Hi @Hedges ! That is a interesting product from EG4, I never saw that before. I think I will go with lithium, Im not really seeing much benefit from the lead acid options at the moment given my use. Would it be bad to put 2 24v lithiums in parallel to double the amp hours available for more...

Good idea @Vigo . I got all my headlamps out to take a few photos. This is how the system was built when I bought it (was not hooked up), and I'd love to make safety improvements while also just having a working simple system. You can see the wires aren't all connected yet but basically the...

Very nice! How does your battery compare with my 2 24v 200ah EG4 lifepower batteries? I'm wondering if I should use 2 or 4 of the little heating pads. I ordered 4 with 1 thermostat but can order another thermostat if needed. Did you use a aluminum plate? I'd love to read about your set up if you...

Very cool @Sam Cho TX ! Reading that website makes my head spin, Im not sure my level of knowledge in this area is strong enough for those products. Im hoping to find a rather simple solution to plug and play. Thank you for your amazing and thorough post here @gotbeans ! I am leaning towards...

Greetings! My old battery system needs to be replaced and I am trying to decide between a small 24v battery upgrade and a larger system upgrade. I have a separate post about finding batteries but wanted to post here now that I'm considering a whole system upgrade. Can you help me design a system...

Thank you for this helpful information @Supervstech . I just took a photo of the DC disconnect fuse box and will call the "breaker" a disconnect switch from now on. The DC disconnect has one red wire that runs down to the batteries and one that runs up to the inverter - it's a huge box! Just to...