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diy solar

My Solar Shed Construction Starts in a Week

Will Prowse said:
It is a 6x10 Tuff Shed. Total cost was 2,500 bucks. It will have air conditioning to keep my LiFePO4 battery collection nice and happy. I will install a MASSIVE 48v 5kw system in it (this one). It will serve as a backup system for my house if the grid were to fail for prolonged duration. And as a super cool man cave:

View attachment 66
This is how I designed it to fit into my back yard and to match the color scheme of my house:
View attachment 65
I will have the front door facing north, and the south facing roof covered in solar panels. This MPP unit has 2x mppt's, so I will have 2x separate arrays on my property. Will talk about the solar panel array in another post.

The hardest part of this system is temperature regulation. It will be 110 degrees plus here in vegas. Luckily, we have lots of sunshine to run air conditioners off of solar power. If I can regulate the temperature of this shed with a couple of small ground mounted arrays, I will consider it a success.

What I love about sheds is that you can store/charge dangerous chemistries of batteries inside of them without the stress of having your house burned down. I do not use combustible batteries for solar (as many of you know haha) but I have some long range fpv drones I will be building in the following months. I have caught those batteries on fire too many times! And I am scared of them. I will charge them only in this shed.

I will also add lights, security cameras and so much more. I can't wait!

Let me know what you think or if I should add something :)
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You need to make it into a faraday shed, so you will be bullet-proof if the grid goes down! Will it be tied into the grid if there are blackouts? In CA people with solar also had blackouts, which really made me think! Cool shed Will!
 
gnubie said:
Geez, you guys just have no clue. Down here the panels emit light instead of absorbing it.
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The FAR Right Wing are actually pumping the 'Theory' the reason we have 'Climate Change' is Solar Panels DAMAGE THE SUN!

My sister actually called me to ask if it was true when then Governor Rick Perry said it out loud in Texas...
Rick Perry just resign from heading up the EPA.

After being asked why Texas isn't investing in Solar/Wind, Texas Governor Greg Abbott says, "No one knows what solar panels do to the sun and we don't get enough wind in Texas to make windmills work."

I can't remember the congressman's name that said solar panels damage the sun, but there are the three I know about for sure...

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I'm pretty sure the folks in California wished they had gone to some kind of backup solar or wind generation!
I started my homestead Off Grid in '96, I learned some new cuss words and had to do all the early stuff twice, but I haven't paid an electric, water or sewer bill since...

That left room in the budget for expansion!
It costs $63 a month just to have the privilege of paying 35¢ kWh here, Rural Electric rates!
The 'Average' US Home sucks up 30 kWh a DAY!
 
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JeepHammer said:
The FAR Right Wing are actually pumping the 'Theory' the reason we have 'Climate Change' is Solar Panels DAMAGE THE SUN!

My sister actually called me to ask if it was true when then Governor Rick Perry said it out loud in Texas...
Rick Perry just resign from heading up the EPA.

After being asked why Texas isn't investing in Solar/Wind, Texas Governor Greg Abbott says, "No one knows what solar panels do to the sun and we don't get enough wind in Texas to make windmills work."

I can't remember the congressman's name that said solar panels damage the sun, but there are the three I know about for sure...

----------------

I'm pretty sure the folks in California wished they had gone to some kind of backup solar or wind generation!
I started my homestead Off Grid in '96, I learned some new cuss words and had to do all the early stuff twice, but I haven't paid an electric, water or sewer bill since...

That left room in the budget for expansion!
It costs $63 a month just to have the privilege of paying 35¢ kWh here, Rural Electric rates!
The 'Average' US Home sucks up 30 kWh a DAY!
Click to expand...
Yup... when I heard this I about fell over... I thought it was a SNL skit...
 
I would LOVE to see their logic about them damaging the sun... like... mebby ‘cause duh SON is only 3000miles away from our flat erf!
 
Funny how the private wind & solar farms can make money without the state tax breaks, free land, abatments, grants, etc,
There are several school districts using wind farms to generate income for the schools... Non-profits so the tax breaks/abatments/free land & services the fossil fuel companies get, being non-profit evens the field a little...
The fact that schools have to scrounge money might explain why there isn't an education in things like science, and people get duped into believing wind & solar don't work,
-And even solar panels damage the sun and cause global warming.
 
JeepHammer said:
The FAR Right Wing are actually pumping the 'Theory' the reason we have 'Climate Change' is Solar Panels DAMAGE THE SUN!

My sister actually called me to ask if it was true when then Governor Rick Perry said it out loud in Texas...
Rick Perry just resign from heading up the EPA.

After being asked why Texas isn't investing in Solar/Wind, Texas Governor Greg Abbott says, "No one knows what solar panels do to the sun and we don't get enough wind in Texas to make windmills work."

I can't remember the congressman's name that said solar panels damage the sun, but there are the three I know about for sure...

----------------

I'm pretty sure the folks in California wished they had gone to some kind of backup solar or wind generation!
I started my homestead Off Grid in '96, I learned some new cuss words and had to do all the early stuff twice, but I haven't paid an electric, water or sewer bill since...

That left room in the budget for expansion!
It costs $63 a month just to have the privilege of paying 35¢ kWh here, Rural Electric rates!
The 'Average' US Home sucks up 30 kWh a DAY!
Click to expand...
Are you sure they're not far left??
 
Santa said:
Are you sure they're not far left??
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I personally choose to avoid left vs right debates. It's an imposed polarization that just avoids objectively discussing real issues. Nearly all camps have humans, and thus corruption.

@JeepHammer I could not confirm Rick Perry saying that. Do you have a link to a quote? I could confirm that some viewed him as a threat to solar, though their claims end up being emotionally exaggerated too, making it hard to objectively view.

Will, I'd love to see an update on your shed. Pretty cool. I admire your sunny location. I don't admire the heat waves you have to contend with... or the black widows, scorpions, rattle snakes, and things with long scientific names that I can never remember. You'll need to update us on critter invasions as well as how your energy inputs and outputs are working out. :)
 
erik.calco said:
I personally choose to avoid left vs right debates. It's an imposed polarization that just avoids objectively discussing real issues. Nearly all camps have humans, and thus corruption.


@JeepHammer I could not confirm Rick Perry saying that. Do you have a link to a quote? I could confirm that some viewed him as a threat to solar, though their claims end up being emotionally exaggerated too, making it hard to objectively view.

Will, I'd love to see an update on your shed. Pretty cool. I admire your sunny location. I don't admire the heat waves you have to contend with... or the black widows, scorpions, rattle snakes, and things with long scientific names that I can never remember. You'll need to update us on critter invasions as well as how your energy inputs and outputs are working out. :)
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I couldn't agree more. It is all about divide and conquer. I TRY to stay out of politics all together. I have my opinions though and mostly keep them to myself. I live in a town with mostly far-left beliefs and political persuasions. Everyone I have ever heard who discusses "climate change" (actually climate manipulation), is far-left. OK, I'm out with the politics...would love to see an update on Will's shed, but he's probably been really busy with writing his new book and all. ;-)
 
You folks do know that there was serious conversation about installing solar reflectors either earth based or in space to reflect damaging sun back into space. I would think all the solar panels might be helping keep the earth cool.... :cool:
No wind in TEXAS!!!!! That idiuot has never been to West Texas! And there are tons of windmills in White Deer Texas and in the panhandle.
 
Rbertalotto said:
You folks do know that there was serious conversation about installing solar reflectors either earth based or in space to reflect damaging sun back into space. I would think all the solar panels might be helping keep the earth cool.... :cool:
No wind in TEXAS!!!!! That idiuot has never been to West Texas! And there are tons of windmills in White Deer Texas and in the panhandle.
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Oh boy...they're already doing it with Geoengineering and weather manipulation, using chaf, aluminum, etc.
 
Unfortunately, politics creeps into everything...
It's like my budget, what I want to do, and what I can afford are two different things.

As far as someone off grid is concerned, a 'Shed' is insurance and I pretty much find it a requirement.
I went with 'Weather Proof' boxes, for equipment, for batteries, for wiring...
It gets costly and confused. (REALLY practical experience)

Dedicated SPACE is a HUGE issue!
When a guy is working and trying things, the space to do so is mandatory.
You just get 'Root Bound' and can't grow...


UV eats EVERYTHING, we get around 50-60 inches of rain a year, so moisture gets into everything, freeze/thaw cycle splits out everything the moisture can get into, temp swings condense moisture everywhere,
And limiting some of that can be a big deal over time.

Will won't have the moisture issues we have, but the UV will be unrelenting...
Any shade will help, and an enclosed building will be wonderful for his gear.
 
Under Trump, the EPA became the Environmental Pollution Agency, deregulating everything and allowing polluter's to pollute while harming the citizens, in the name of profit... damned ferenghi ! NOT Interested in the Political Bafflegab that has taken over from reality. They are ALL full of it and need to be "transported" (just like the brit's did for Australia) off planet though IMO.

ON TOPIC, a good solar shed should have a roof angled for the panels to get best coverage in Mar & Sep. A Shed roof can do that in most cases but when you get to 45 degrees, things get tricky. (that's 12/12 pitch for a gable roof). Using a "non-grounded" sea container actually acts like a faraday cage and does it quite well too, so if you had all your gear in there, your safe from solar emp's. If the EMP was nuclear, you would not be worried about your solar system ! A wooden framed shed that is wrapped with mesh and properly bonded together can also do the job quite nicely. BTW: Ever notice how you get poor or no signal in a building that has stucco on it (it's attached by wire mesh bonded to the walls).
 
Steve_S said:
ON TOPIC, a good solar shed should have a roof angled for the panels to get best coverage in Mar & Sep. A Shed roof can do that in most cases but when you get to 45 degrees, things get tricky. (that's 12/12 pitch for a gable roof). Using a "non-grounded" sea container actually acts like a faraday cage and does it quite well too, so if you had all your gear in there, your safe from solar emp's. If the EMP was nuclear, you would not be worried about your solar system ! A wooden framed shed that is wrapped with mesh and properly bonded together can also do the job quite nicely. BTW: Ever notice how you get poor or no signal in a building that has stucco on it (it's attached by wire mesh bonded to the walls).
Click to expand...
I did bring up the Faraday cage above, but Will didn't respond.
 
erik.calco said:
I personally choose to avoid left vs right debates. It's an imposed polarization that just avoids objectively discussing real issues. Nearly all camps have humans, and thus corruption.

@JeepHammer I could not confirm Rick Perry saying that. Do you have a link to a quote? I could confirm that some viewed him as a threat to solar, though their claims end up being emotionally exaggerated too, making it hard to objectively view

Will, I'd love to see an update on your shed. Pretty cool. I admire your sunny location. I don't admire the heat waves you have to contend with... or the black widows, scorpions, rattle snakes, and things with long scientific names that I can never remember. You'll need to update us on critter invasions as well as how your energy inputs and outputs are working out. :)
Click to expand...
OMG I lived in Hawaii for about 4 years. Those frickin milipedes were huge!
 
So I took the lv5048 down, and added the lv2424 grid tie that can parallel for split/single/3 phase!

And a update with the back up system. I love it! Tiny 48v system, but super powerful. Those are only 40Ah cells! But they pack a punch in this configuration. Lots of power for the size.

I will be adding the lv 5048 on the wall next to these systems. They will charge each other.
 

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This is the solar array in my back yard. The 3x 270W panels are connected in series. The 3x 100 watt panels in front are for testing equipment for videos. Just finished the array today
 

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It'll be cool if one day you do an entire off grid home from start to finish with solar plumbing, shower, heater, everything, you'll empower the world and free so many of the poor through your excellent videos.
 
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