diy solar

diy solar

Sourcing panels help

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Indefatiguable

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Nov 18, 2021
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Hi all.

I've been speccing and soucing a system I plan to put on a boat. Have 48v310ah lifepo4 diy planned, powering an electric motor kit from thunderstruck ev.

I was intending to use 8x renogy monocrystalline 100w panels (as I already own 4) but some budget room opened up and am considering going with all new panels.

I would ideally like to run a lower amount of larger panels - especially if I could get the panels to charge the lifepo4 (via 150/50 48v victron most that I already have) run only in parallel.

My problem is I cannot seem to find any vendors for this class of panels online, and amazon isn't cutting it.

Can anyone point me to a reputable vendor / info site? It'd make this whole thing way easier.
 
Locally in the Phoenix valley, Craigslist has some amazing deals. Try other things like Facebook Marketplace. Shipping bigger than 100 watt panels is pricey, so this will be hard to find.

When I see 800 watts of panels on a 310 ah 48 volt system, 800 watts does not seem like enough panels. What are your power requirements.
 
I wonder what this buying online for basic solar equipment fixation is about, really.
Where do you live, Ethiopia? I mean, even there, there have to be local hardware stores/DIY-outlets/Walmart-like thingies that stock panels, inverters, all sorts of electrical stuff.

For crappy used panels, local scrap yards will serve you better than any Craiglist.
For new, good, reasonably cheap ones... go to your hardware store and load them in your car, man :·)
 
Don B. Cilly said:
I wonder what this buying online for basic solar equipment fixation is about, really.
Click to expand...
Where do you live and what do you have available? I mentioned I’m in the Phoenix Valley of 6 million people and I am having trouble finding anything. Home Depot has started stocking and also the local camping stores but it is $$ and the other equipment is not quality. PWM SCCs and not MPPTs.

Craigslist is awesome for local listings for used panels, but down the road in Vegas, nothing.

If you are living in a place that has good stuff in a brick and mortar store, I am jealous!!
 
Ah yeah. Here in Wisconsin the thought of buying solar equipment in a store isn't a thing. I'm likely the only person in county (and maybe neighboring counties) who does anything but full grid power.

Pertaining to power requirements, firstly this is a part of a hybrid system incorporating wind, hydro (prop drag regen), and solar. I need ugh - as much as is reasonable yet also none lol. A full battery at sunset would be plenty, the motor is just for power setting the anchor and tight quarters maneuvers. I am an excellent zephyr sailor - and better weather router. Motor pulls 2.88kw cruising, I do not expect that level of generation.
 
Just start calling electrical supply houses the sell all kinds of electric equipment .
That’s where my panels came from , $ 135 i bought 24 then the price jumped to 167
I just drove over and picked them up .
 
Aye I'll give it a try.

Just filled out contact form for local solar installer. Literally 97 question form all so they can pre qualify leads to overcharge. Very schmarmy.
 
Could you use 'regular sized hard panels'? Pretty easy to find and at good prices, minus shipping.
 
Yeah my original plan was 8x 100w panels, just want to run numbers on a larger panel (similar output) array. Less panels total means less failure points in a salt marine setting, plus all new. Still very feasible to go this route.
 
Don B. Cilly said:
I wonder what this buying online for basic solar equipment fixation is about, really.
Where do you live, Ethiopia? I mean, even there, there have to be local hardware stores/DIY-outlets/Walmart-like thingies that stock panels, inverters, all sorts of electrical stuff.

For crappy used panels, local scrap yards will serve you better than any Craiglist.
For new, good, reasonably cheap ones... go to your hardware store and load them in your car, man :·)
Click to expand...
Many of us live in rural areas and Craigslist can often have very good solar related equipment even new. Otherwise ordering online is the only option unless you want to travel 200+ miles to a city that would carry such equipment. I've never seen panels, inverters, etc stocked at any store near me.
 
Indefatiguable said:
My problem is I cannot seem to find any vendors for this class of panels online, and amazon isn't cutting it.

Can anyone point me to a reputable vendor / info site? It'd make this whole thing way easier.
Click to expand...
Most of my original panels were ordered from solar-electric.com. One of the "original" online solar distributers in the USA.
 
chrisski said:
Where do you live and what do you have available?
Click to expand...

It says so right under my "name", Ibiza. But I often go to Mallorca, 70 (nautical) miles away, two hours' ferry.
Now, Mallorca isn't exactly a big place. Palma, the main (well, only) city, has some 500,000 people.
It's a smallish island. There are at least ten places that sell solar equipment. The best is probably Bricomart.
See https://www.bricomart.es/energia-renovable/
OK, we get lots of sun and grid electricity is quite expensive, but... :·)
.
 
Yeah I'm super jealous.

You listed the distance to the best big box store to buy solar panels at in nautical miles. Hopefully I get this boat done and will see for myself someday, but your part of the world sounds cool af bud.
 
Don’t bother with a solar installer you have to go to a supply house that is where they get them from
 
These are the first hits I get try here ?
 

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Yeah those are the ones I came up with too, I'll give them a call post Xmas, project isn't funded until Jan anyway. Thanks bud
 
Indefatiguable said:
You listed the distance to the best big box store to buy solar panels at in nautical miles.
Click to expand...

Yeah well, there's two ways to move between the islands. Boat and plane. Planes are not the best for carrying solar equipment - especially panels - and anyway they work in nautical miles too. Actually nautical miles are the only measurement that makes sense in geography, the rest are just meaningless conventions.

Still, I find it strange that places like Walmart, Home Depot and the like wouldn't stock all sorts of solar equipment. It can't be that small a market, can it?

Also, used panels. Wrecker's yards here usually have lots - piled up, waiting to be "recycled". Mostly poly, but I'll bet a lot of them still work. People throw them away because new, more efficient ones are so cheap...
Not in the big city, mind you, but in smaller towns they still have open-sky yards.
.
 
Don B. Cilly said:
Wrecker's yards here usually have lots
Click to expand...
My google-fu is horrible right now. What do I search for to find these? Got to be some around Indianapolis. 2 hours to Louisville, Dayton, Cincinnati, parts of Illinois ... sometimes the search is fun. Sometimes it hurts my head.
 
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