diy solar

diy solar

What happened to the 24v DIY system web page?

Cool, I have my batteries, and my inverter will be here Monday. I went with the 24-volt 4k Giandel. The last time I looked at that 24-volt blueprint Will still had his long hair. He might have been still in that class C; it's been a while.
 
On the topic of 24V being useful or not, it is the second most common voltage in the marine industry. Most recreational stuff is 12V, most commercial stuff is 24V, and dual purpose is 10-36VDC. The system I’m building for my boat will be 2p4s, mostly because then I don’t need converters for anything.
 
On the topic of 24V being useful or not, it is the second most common voltage in the marine industry. Most recreational stuff is 12V, most commercial stuff is 24V, and dual purpose is 10-36VDC. The system I’m building for my boat will be 2p4s, mostly because then I don’t need converters for anything.
Yeah, I used 24-volts in all my boats. I know a fellow in Flordia who installed a 48-volt marine power plant in a 32-foot Endeavor with 300ah at 48-volts in Battle Born batteries. With solar panels on a sunny day ln a brisk breeze, he could get to hull speed with a combination of sail and electric motor on the panels alone.
 
Where did the web pages go for the 24v 1kW off grid system? I was using that as a basis for my system.
The OP asked for 24v 1kW. I see 24v 2kW and 24v 4kW. Is that all there is AND is that where they were originally located?
Thanks
 
I'm gonna throw my two cents in and add another vote for the adequacy of a 24v system. I'm off-grid completely and power my home with a 24v based solar setup. I have all the amenities a modern home typically has, and after three years I don't know that I would do anything different.
Of course 24V is sufficient for many systems.. PLUS you got access to many 24V (trucks) devices without a converter.
It's less complex and thus .. less prone to fail and less dangerous, 24V and feets in water is ok, 48V ... is not.

48V is ok only if power is needed and in a way ... it's more of a constraint to go 48V (imo at least).

Ps : i'm using a 48V system in my workshop and i got small systems working under 12V, a distant wifi camera with their own battery / Pv system, a water pump to automatically transfer water to an other tank, each time..... i used a small inexpensive car battery to build those small systems cause they store sufficient energy for those needs.
 
Of course 24V is sufficient for many systems.. PLUS you got access to many 24V (trucks) devices without a converter.
It's less complex and thus .. less prone to fail and less dangerous, 24V and feets in water is ok, 48V ... is not.

48V is ok only if power is needed and in a way ... it's more of a constraint to go 48V (imo at least).

Ps : i'm using a 48V system in my workshop and i got small systems working under 12V, a distant wifi camera with their own battery / Pv system, a water pump to automatically transfer water to an other tank, each time..... i used a small inexpensive car battery to build those small systems cause they store sufficient energy for those needs.
What you're saying is you can "right-size" each system to its use case. If you're NOT powering a whole house, or something that needs quite a bit of power by itself, then a 48v system might not be indicated. To better illustrate this point, Will wasn't using a 48v system back when he was living in an RV and building up his channel/following. Honestly, I think he has lost sight of his roots a little bit, by all of a sudden abandoning support for the smaller 12 and 24 volt systems a lot of folks are still very interested in...obviously. Then again, maybe he's just expanding his own needs and interests, and that's a good thing.
 
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I have a 12v 800ah Victron Based system, and I'm upgrading to 24v 600ah... (2)-24v 300ah or Eg4 2 24v 200ah to start and next year add a 3rd.
 
What you're saying is you can "right-size" each system to its use case. If you're NOT powering a whole house, or something that needs quite a bit of power by itself, then a 48v system might not be indicated. To better illustrate this point, Will wasn't using a 48v system back when he was living in an RV and building up his channel/following. Honestly, I think he has lost sight of his roots a little bit, by all of a sudden abandoning support for the smaller 12 and 24 volt systems a lot of folks are still very interested in...obviously. Then again, maybe he's just expanding his own needs and interests, and that's a good thing.
Yes that's my point, i kind have the same feeling as you, expanding needs ... is not always good if those needs are not ... "usefull", specially if you are a "source of inspiration" for others.

Now it's maybe the "American way" to oversize, cause "if we can why not doing it", petrol can gave this state of mind that we are supermen, but it will eventually wear out with petrol production decrease.

I think that today human as reached a point of no return in destroying the planet (in human history) and it's a good time to start going smart and not overgrown way, to think "optimisation". Let's be simple and realistic, reuse what can be reused and share with others that got far less and needs it, let's come back to simple human pleasures ... building a house in the woods with near nothing, experience a cold hard work day then come back in a nicely heated small house... those things, let's alternate pleasure and more difficult situations.... being in a comfort zone for too long, is really bad for us. I was in IT for 20 years, i stopped working at 45 years, i lived in my tent (i have money, it was a choice) for 2 years while i was buidling my workshop and now my house. Workshop was partially an experiment for concepts that had to be applied to the house (earth-to-air heat exchange, insulated slab, earth to water exchanger, pressurised interior, straw and dirt insulation.... etc

What i mean is that i learned a lot from this "tent" life period and still today i shower outside with water from 5°C to 25°C and i love it, still today my bedroom temperature is 15°C and this way i far more enjoy simple things, a hot thea, a hot shower, a nice meal (i'm vegetarian)... i kind feel like Robinson Crusoe in a way.
 
Ive stuck with 24 volt systems for quite a number of reasons,

1) Im super energy effecient with only device I would need 48 volts maybe...(deep well pump)

2) code.... 48 volts must be in conduit, batteries must be in steel box, all wiring must be in conduit
.........24 volt does not need to be in conduit.....largely does not to be code on the DC side

3) refrigeration 12/24 volt DC refrigerators are common, 48 volt DC refrigeration is non existent

4) energy use......I do not need my 4kw. inverter for anything household except the vacuum and the deep well
.........I do quite well on a 1500 watt inverter I have a very good stereo music system which will rip your ears off on only a few hundred watts....Carver 100 watts/channel runs just fine on Exeltech XP-1100 inverter (which has the least EMI/RFI of any inverter)......yes EMI/RFI is pollution also has the highest MTBF of any inverter (Mean Time Between Failure)

5) environment......We are trashing the planet at an alarming rate

6) born in the backwoods of Alaska, learned very early how to survive on very little, with the way s##t is going to hell in a hand-basket we all may be in need of downsizing a bunch...
 
Ive stuck with 24 volt systems for quite a number of reasons,

1) Im super energy effecient with only device I would need 48 volts maybe...(deep well pump)

2) code.... 48 volts must be in conduit, batteries must be in steel box, all wiring must be in conduit
.........24 volt does not need to be in conduit.....largely does not to be code on the DC side

3) refrigeration 12/24 volt DC refrigerators are common, 48 volt DC refrigeration is non existent

4) energy use......I do not need my 4kw. inverter for anything household except the vacuum and the deep well
.........I do quite well on a 1500 watt inverter I have a very good stereo music system which will rip your ears off on only a few hundred watts....Carver 100 watts/channel runs just fine on Exeltech XP-1100 inverter (which has the least EMI/RFI of any inverter)......yes EMI/RFI is pollution

5) environment......We are trashing the planet at an alarming rate

6) born in the backwoods of Alaska, learned very early how to survive on very little, with the way s##t is going to hell in a hand-basket we all may be in need of downsizing a bunch...
I don’t think any codes require steel boxes for 48v battery, nor conduit for 48v wiring.
Please provide the codes that cover this.
 
Very clear in the code anything over 50 volts is high voltage.......needs to be code...no exposed wiring, that includes batteries.
 
I don’t think any codes require steel boxes for 48v battery, nor conduit for 48v wiring.
Please provide the codes that cover this.
NEC typically kicks in for voltages > 48VDC, which is why things like lawn/garden lighting and so forth is 48VDC.

The question is whether the AHJ and insurance company would treat a 48v nominal battery as 48V, or consider it to be closer to its true voltage of 56V. If the latter, then NEC applies.

That said, the requirement would be to protect the wiring, not necessarily in conduit, though conduit is often the easiest way to do so. This is similar to what’s required for 110/240VAC. Surface mounting Romex isn’t kosher (need to use MC), but running romex through wall cavities when properly secured is acceptable.
 
I have no dought that California codes are enforced far harder than North Carolina, here roor top solar wiring must be in steel conduit, in NYC plastic is accepted.
 
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