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Thank you @Hedges and @HRTKD , you've given me a path forward for tomorrow. I feel optimistic that you've guided me toward finding the culprit and an easy fix. I'll check the voltages versus the app, check for resistance everywhere, replace something if I find something out of whack. I'll...

When I disconnected them and charged them each on their own, they both started at 9.8v and ended at 13.37v, so I think they are both behaving the same. I have them back on the solar charger today with no loads, but the 3" of snow on the panels this morning means they're not generating any current.

My system is (or was, I dismantled it): 2 100w HQST solar panels in series 50' solar cables victron MPPT 100 | 30 SCC 2' 12 gauge solid conductor wires, positive fused with 40 amp automotive spade-type fuse 2 battleborn 12v 100 Ah batteries wired in parallel 6' 2 gauge 130 degrees C stranded...

Yes, that push button "light bulb" switch turns on or off all 4 ports simultaneously. What I've never understood is why they sometimes turn on when I don't expect it. There may be a mode accessed with the switch below it that runs them like a security light or something. The documentation is...

I need one of these portable evaperative coolers. Could you share which one you use?

Haven't seen a video but Fiap in Germany has several kits. A lot larger scale than hummingbird scale! If your German is not good you can select other languages on the top of the page. https://www.fiap.com/wassergaerten/pumpen/aqua-active-solar.html

You may want 2 fans, 1 in front and 1 in back so you can have good airflow thru the van, one for intake and the other for exhaust, if you have room on the roof for 2 holes. You left off your cooking appliance(s) such as induction burner, and/or microwave. I have a 3 qt instant pot and make steel...

Great, if ever I am in the UK now I know where I can charge my phone! That's an awesome leap from 1.5kW to 22kW. My utility only permits new systems up to 50% of prior year's use, sigh. Looking forward to the pictures to make me even more jealous.

This is great, that article took me to a spreadsheet they published where I can input my array and it tells me if it's acceptable for the SCC I have, including the 30% over-panelling. Thanks!

Yes, thanks, that helps a lot! I knew I wasn't following what was being said. Learning a lot of terminology on here, among other things!

Curious how one would over panel in this instance. Lets assume they're starting with 2 100 watt panels in parallel. Later upgrade to 2 additional 100 watt panels so the array is then wired 2S2P. Adding one more 100 watt panel would get you to 25% over panelled, but how would you add 1 more panel...

Here's a resource I thought I'd pass along. Stopped in this week to make sure they were real and to pick up some solar wire for my new project. They had stacks and stacks of solar panels for 20 - 33 cents a watt. They have lots of other stuff too. Looks like it's a warehouse for a commercial...

Not enough details to really come up with the right thing, but how about this: 12v portable compressor fridge/freezer (single compartment, run as fridge) Truckfridge TB51A (1.8 cu ft / 51 l) $599 2 x 100 watt solar panels HQST wired in series $162 for the pair Renogy Rover Elite 20A MPPT Solar...

This article covers how one guy did it. I think using MC4 connectors would have been the better choice for his electrical connections. Finding hinges with countersunk holes and using flathead machine screws might have avoided the clearance issue. But overall a very nice build...

You might look at window sash locks to latch the panels closed together. You could look at slide bolt latches (barrel bolts) to secure the two panels flat and open. Hope you show us some pics when you finish!

The user manual explicitly states do not wire the panels in series.

I have that HF 100 watt system. Let me answer generally first for all interested readers, and then about your specific application. If you knew absolutely nothing about solar and wanted to learn what lowest end solar panels are and what a lowest-end PWM charge controller is, this might be the...

Thanks @Picasso for your input. I didn't know about the Skybox product. I think with a delay start on one piece of equipment I might be able to run with a 5kW inverter instead of the 8kW Inverter in the Radian. Or do you know if they make a Skybox with 8kW inverter? I willl look at Iron Ridge...

@danphillips Yes I currently do use a honda 4000 watt generator. It can only power one building at a time. And I have to be around to start it up. I've dragged it 300 yards through mud and slush at 2am during a blizzard to keep a building from freezing. That lead me to consider other options!

Thanks Elmer, I have built 5000 sq ft of greenhouses, lots of steel bows and purlins, with pier footers, so I do feel comfortable building a solar array. My electrician has never done any solar but he can read a schematic! I have been intrigued by the Sol-Ark inverter and mentioned it to the...

Hi Solar people, the other side of the spectrum from DIY solar is DIFM solar, Do It For Me. I continue to wonder where along that spectrum I want to be. The grid goes down at least 10 times every year. When it d=goes down it's several hours at least. Rural living is great but the grid has no...

You're also gonna need some fusing and disconnect switches for your project, @salzbj01 . Also be careful that you connect the battery bank to the charge controller before you connect the solar panel(s) to the controller. I agree with @SolarRat that a single 300+ watt panel would be a swell way...

from the battle born website: Are there any temperature restrictions on your LiFePO4 batteries? Yes, our batteries do have temperature restrictions. The batteries will no longer accept a charge once the temperature drops to 24 degrees F, but they will continue to...

If you're doing 12v lighting or using other 12v appliances, yes, you will need a DC - DC step down converter and a 12v fuse block. I don't think those solar panels are going to work for your 24v system, but I'll leave that for the myriad of experts on this forum.

Lithium batteries do not vent. Sealed lead acid requires no maintenance and doesn't vent under any normal circumstances. Plain old LA requires some periodic maintenance to make sure there's enough fluid in them. Here's a video on how one guy vented his batteries in his off grid cabin.

I recently installed an older model Nest thermostat that cost $169. It needs WiFi to work, and lets you control it from a phone app or a web browser. You could turn up the heat an hour before arrival, so if you have it at 50 normally, you just turn it up as warm as you want just before you start...

Hi @salzbj01 do you have adequate security to prevent theft at your remote cabin? I ask because around here ground mount solar panels at properties that are rarely occupied have been known to go missing. Might be better to get them up on the roof if the orientation works, just for security...

I just got a new Williams wall furnace installed last month. It's warm and silent. Having heat when the grid is down is essential in my area. But there was the one time it was -26F and the gas company disconnected my entire county for 5 days, then you wanted electric heat and a wood stove for...

Alas, New Mexico is a landlocked continental climate state located in the USA. You may be thinking of old Mexico.

It was 3 degrees F in Taos when I woke up this morning. Two days ago the winds were so strong it twice blew out the wall furnace pilot light. Now the sun is up and it's a balmy 5F! Van dwellers aren't in Taos from November through May. But the other 5 months it's doable.

I think you left off running the air conditioning too! I spec'd out the projected power loads for a school being built in Africa that was totally off grid. She wanted 2 small buildings air conditioned with up to 3 days of no sun! I kept a straight face and said that may not be practical.

I'd put a min max thermometer in there and monitor how low it goes. I thought you were in southern NM so you shouldn't see 5 degrees F?

So now that you're through the math, maybe it's time to look at alternative way to keep the batteries warm. You could put them on a thermostatically controlled heat mat. Will did a video on that. Or if they're just AGM or FLA you can keep them reasonably charged and just let them be cold.

I tried to get 2 battle born b-stock batteries from them last year and they were sold out so quickly I didn't get any. I anyone wants one I'd advise a 6 AM purchase! I did get black friday pricing last year at $850 each for the 12v 100AH batteries.

1" RMax is rated 6, 1.5" rated 9.6 if one could find it. I think any kind of rigid insulation would be a nightmare for a 71 year old post-stroke person to install in a van. But at least the five cats might not tear it out!