midwestsolarnoob
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I have actually. And your customer service is very helpful!Can't forget about us!Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance!
I have actually. And your customer service is very helpful!Can't forget about us!Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance!
This is wonderful to hear! Thank you!I have actually. And your customer service is very helpful!
Having started with 8, 100 watt Rich Solar panels I ordered off Amazon in 2018, they work fine. But seriously after being 6 years in this game I would not touch a 100 watt panel if my house depended on it. The 8 panels use to be my source for charging lead acid batteries when I was just learning. I had them proudly on my roof when nobody in the hood had solar. I thought I was something. Now I have 12, 305 watt Canadian Solars. I put those 8 panels on my shed and bought a cheap Powmr charge controller and they charge a 24 volt battery that run a 2000 watt inverter for lights and charge power tool batteries In the shed only. if I could give away these panels away I would (and I tried). Unless you spending $20 a panel or less, You wonāt be happy with the money spent later.Hi guys! Iām planning on ordering panels within the next month. Ive gone over several solar set up ideas on paper for the build. With this idea being the one that makes the most sense. Iām planning on my buying 16 100w panels. Basically I have the space to do 4 x 4 panels on a diy roof rack or roughly 160ā x 80ā. My mobile application is a Shuttle Bus weāre converting to a tiny home for traveling around the country. Roof is formed fiberglass which Iāve posted photos before. Reasoning for 100w panels is the generic 40ā x 20ā form factor. Almost all of them Iāve looked at are about that, give or take an inch. Iām also leaning towards the 100w panels for their smaller surface area per panel which should help with durability. And a 100w panel is a a lot cheaper to replace than a 400w. So my questions are as follows. And any advice is welcome as this will be my first solar build. Iām also leaning 24v for battery bank
1. What 100w panel brands are good enough for a mobile build? Renogy, Rich Solar, Eco worthy? Or any others brands worth mentioning?
2. Will I run into any problems with 16 panels?
3. Should I use 1, 2 or 4 charge controllers?
I guess my biggest concern is having problems on the road. I want to buy good panels but not over spend for a name.
Thanks for the help! Iāll definitely be looking for more help the farther into this build I get.
For 1000W AC a 24V system is plenty, keeping things nice and cool at about 50A-ish.Iām in between 24v and 48v. 12v is so easy to find components for but would be limiting on inverting to AC. Plus I like the idea of using smaller gauge wiring for the higher voltage. I could probably squeeze by on 12v, highest power using device will be a mini split heat pump. Which is only 300-1000 watts. I like the idea of having the extra power capability tho
So as far as inverters go Iām between a victron multiplus and giandel 4kw. Iām not sure yet exactly which way I want to go. It depends on in the room we have available in our build. It might be easier for me to mount up the Giandel and maybe add a quality 120v to 24v charger. But if I have the room Iāll probably stick with victron.For 1000W AC a 24V system is plenty, keeping things nice and cool at about 50A-ish.
Worth considering
Might be worth investing in an inverter of 3200W ish and thicker wires from the get-go, so you could later just add more 24V batteries(assuming you're going with an off-the-shelf battery) and power up to 2500W AC devices for a decent amount of time.
Xijia 3200W 24V inverter is one of the better ones, but you'll need to do some research on it and find a good seller in the US.
Check out John Daniel on YT. This guy is the real deal, probably the best on YT IMO. Great character too. He gets straight to the point, raw data, no BS. Sometimes, I wonder if he has Croatian roots
The thing is, once you get the hang of basic solar panel system design theory, you want to hear more from someone who knows a thing or two about hardware, runs, and evaluates these devices to the point of failure.
He has multiple videos on the Xijia Inverters, he uses the 12V version of that inverter.
Here's one to get started
The PV
The thing is, it's highly likely that you'll need to connect your panels in 2s per SCC to have high enough PV voltage at all times to get some charge into the battery, be it 24V or 48V.
The Hyundai ones might have enough Vmp for 4P configuration @24V, yet if shading isn't that much of a concern to you, you could use 2 panels in series per each SCC/side of the bus. It would work just fine, either the NE 370W or Hyundai ones.
The system voltage.
In my opinion, the 48V off-the-shelf batteries are way overpriced when making the comparison with the price of the cells these days, at least here in Europe as far as I can tell.
So, unless you need over 3000W AC or the price for a 48V 100Ah(minimum) is reasonable at your end, I'd stick with a 24V battery.
As previously mentioned, you can manage a 2500W AC Load with a good 3000W+ Inverter, thicker(2/0)cables, and enough battery juice.
Giandel is also a well-known brand with a decent-quality HF inverters, but the Victron with its LF inverters is in a league of its own. Their equipment just works, is durable, has a lot of features packed within its ecosystem, and last but not least, going Victron saves you money and headaches in the long run.So as far as inverters go Iām between a victron multiplus and giandel 4kw. Iām not sure yet exactly which way I want to go. It depends on in the room we have available in our build. It might be easier for me to mount up the Giandel and maybe add a quality 120v to 24v charger. But if I have the room Iāll probably stick with victron.
As far as batteries, probably going to DIY 8S 24v battery packs. Iām an automotive technician so Iām used to DC voltage. But I may get EG4 server batteries as I really like their set up for the price. They have some cool features and safe guards.
Will is great! He does an amazing job explaining solar in a way that's easy to understand to everyone. Plus, he has a whole library of videos on solar topics. Great content, and there's a lot to learn from his videos! I know I didIāll have to check that YouTuber out! Iāve watched a lot of Wills videos and enjoy learning about all this stuff.
Nothing to it, happy to helpIām not sure yet on parallel or series connections for panels! Iām just soaking in as much advice as possible lol thanks for the all info! I really appreciate it
I pulled the trigger on 10 of the NE Solar 370w panels from SS. They seem like theyāre solid panelsGiandel is also a well-known brand with a decent-quality HF inverters, but the Victron with its LF inverters is in a league of its own. Their equipment just works, is durable, has a lot of features packed within its ecosystem, and last but not least, going Victron saves you money and headaches in the long run.
Especially if you plan to go with Victron SCC and Shunt where Victron allows for a noticeable expansion of features within its ecosystem. Obviously, as you've said, It depends if you have the room for it. But from an investment point, Victron is worth it.
In general, I would recommend asking more about Victron Multiplus here on the forum before buying one. As always, ask questions, ask a lot of questions!
There are quite a bit of advantages to DIY batteries, Yet, if the price is right for EG4 server batteries and alike, the simpler the better.
Will is great! He does an amazing job explaining solar in a way that's easy to understand to everyone. Plus, he has a whole library of videos on solar topics. Great content, and there's a lot to learn from his videos! I know I did
John Daniel focuses more on hardware so to speak, the one he tested and uses daily, Inverters, batteries, and so on. From a more technical and or real-world usage/performance perspective, that works well and does not break the bank so to speak. Such content is invaluable after figuring out the theoretical part of a solar panel system design.
There's a ton to be learned from him as well, regardless of whether one is going for the equipment he talks about or not.
Nothing to it, happy to help![]()
Nice. These will do so much better than 100W panels in every way possible.I pulled the trigger on 10 of the NE Solar 370w panels from SS. They seem like theyāre solid panels