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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    ejflur: In an ideal world I’d have internet and security/game cameras in the winter, but that is not a need, just a want. If we got a “warm” say 20F night, I’d love to be able to go in on snowmobiles and spend a night, but that would be rare (I have zero insulation in my exposed roof and I’m...
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    400bird and @Bluedog225, as my initial note said: “I did an energy needs calc. 4 of the bifacials noted above (have a link to them above) will be more than ample for my current/future needs (1560 W).” Also a 3000w inverter will meet my needs. And with respect to remote monitoring, I want it...
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    @400bird and @Bluedog225 I’m pretty sure I’m gonna go with a pre-wired system. JUST WHICH ONE??? Now if this forum only had a thread on comparisons of those systems I‘d have a big smile on my face. If any you out there have experience with one of these pre-wired systems I’d love to hear about...
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    Yes, it’s really not habitable in the winter, not even for a night. We snowmobile in to check on it, but that’s typically it.
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    Not cheap but I think it would get me where I need to be…. OutBack Power FLEXpower ONE FXR: VFXR3648A, 3.6kW, $4,100 https://www.outbackpower.com/downlo...expower_one_fxr/flexpoweronefxr_datasheet.pdf
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    Thanks 12VoltInstalls for the battery advice. For the prewired, see the picture below: individual components can be replaced and these are typically UL-1741 compliant (tested and certified to the standard) as I understand it. I believe they also typically use less standby power than the AIO...
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    And the main focus: AIO vs Pre-wired component system and then which ones for a 48V system???
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    Thanks Horsefly. Your thread “On Keeping LFP Warm” was very helpful to me last year as it gave some clarity to expected basement temps in cold environments.
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    Bluedog225, absolutely. My panel’s elevated ground mount will have a very steep winter adjustment angle so I assume I’ll rarely if ever have any significant snow accumulation on the panels.
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    12VoltInatalls, just curious, why did you say that AGM will underserve?
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    AIO vs. Pre-Wired System: Selection and Design help for my little off grid cabin

    Looking for Solar Help: 1) Pre-wired vs. AIO system, Manufacturer, etc., 2) then preparing an Electrical One-Line Diagram. My situation: Location, East Idaho, 6300ft elevation, just west of Yellowstone National Park. Purchased and moved the 612 ft2 cabin to my property in late 2018, saving it...
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    Solar slow pump

    OzSolar there are lots of old, out of business manufacturers of these piston pumps out there. I found mine on eBay. Me and a pal rebuilt it, which was not too difficult. It’s kind of cool to have a very needed tool, which is a great piece of equipment AND is so fun to watch work. And the...
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    Solar slow pump

    Brian since you can locate the pump near the pond and your vacuum head could be minimal, did you consider a piston pump like what Dankoff also offers, instead of their slow pump? I think piston pumps are more tolerant of dirty water and they’re just plain coooool. Also, as OzSolar questioned...
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    Water pump for cabin

    For those that don’t have to pump deep, consider going old school. This guy runs off the original 120v motor or a new 12v, just put the belt on the other pulley! I use it on my shallow sand point, installed with a jackhammer.
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    It’s probably pushing 80 years old and the existing metal (2nd roof) is in great condition. Problem is that 128lb/ft2 snow load. I’ve met with 3 licensed (PEs) Idaho Structural Engineers, one who did an extensive analysis. 128 is a BIG-BIG snow number. Not that easy without enormous...
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    Wellbuilt and SolarPrep, Wellbuilt’s idea is definitely a good one, which I considered in the past. However, without getting into to much detail, I moved my cabin to its present location putting it on a new code complaint foundation. Though I haven’t gotten my occupancy certificate from the...
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    Pond pump

    if you want to go old school, find yourself an old piston pump and rebuild it. They are fantastic pieces of old school machinery. This is my “new” (1926) Duro piston pump. Though it runs off the original 120VAC motor (on top), I mostly run it on the 12VDC 100W motor the pulley is connected to...
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    Bi-Facials, installation height matters just as much as the angle of the dangle

    Thanks Jen, I really appreciate your input. I‘m struggling to find an answer to how the bifacials output is effected when so much more of the PV energy is typically interacting on the top surface of the panels. I assumed having snow for half the year would help reflect a lot of light toward...
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    Bi-Facials, installation height matters just as much as the angle of the dangle

    And one other question regarding bifacials from this superb thread.…. Though my imaginary system has not been purchased or built yet, it will be (hopefully by this fall). I think it will have bifacials. Another positive aspect would seem to be that even though I hope to have a steep winter...
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    On Keeping LFP Warm

    Thanks wild01, I hope to never use my small generator (Honda eu2200i) to power my batteries, just PV for them babies), at least that’s the plan.
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    Bi-Facials, installation height matters just as much as the angle of the dangle

    I appreciate this thread. I’m considering bifacials for a pole or rack mounted system but the base of the panels will need to be at least 6ft / 2m off the ground because of very significant winter snow conditions and sluffing. It didn’t think that gain would decrease with increased height, or...
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    On Keeping LFP Warm

    Thanks wild01, now SLV makes sense….. I know the area a little, lived in Gunnison as a baby, went to college in NM in the 80s, and worked near Denver in the 90s. Your SLV has very similar winter COLD conditions to Island Park, Idaho, which is approx 6300ft and next to Yellowstone NP. It’s...
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    On Keeping LFP Warm

    Thanks wild01. SLV? SLC (salt lake)? If so, I think we get quite a bit colder, almost 5 hours north of you. That said, you definetly get far below the MPP temp spec, so your note is comforting….. ?
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    Ken thanks for your insight and information on the battery warm box. I’m starting to lean toward a small AGM system. Then, after I gain some experience, and after winter snowmobile visits verifying my panels remain snow free and the system is working - graduating to a bigger LiFePO4 system...
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    On Keeping LFP Warm

    Unfortunately that IS my biggest worry, at least for now. Almost all the All-in-one charger/inverters I’m considering have modest cold operating temp specs (e.g., Midnight Solar’s MN3024DIY is 5F and the MPP Solar units that Will Prowse likes indicate just 32F…). The problem is I assume my...
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    On Keeping LFP Warm

    Horsefly THANK YOU for the speedy reply and your awesome data. Looks like your basement temps are typically 25F warmer than outside in the winter. Also looks like relatively mild temps last winter. I know we got down to -24F and much colder temps are typical. Is your basement sealed up Well...
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    On Keeping LFP Warm

    Horsefly did you ever get the winter temp data (lowest from inside and out) from this past winter? I’m new to this website and to solar but have an old cabin I moved to a new foundation in a very cold part of the country (Island Park, ID). Though it’s only at 6,200ft elevation, it gets...
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    Need advice on altering system after financial twist

    amberpp1, just curious you said: “a hand driven well didn't work out”. Were you successful installing your driven well (I assume sand point) and it just didn’t produce water or were there installation issues? I ask because I recently installed 2 sand points at my off grid cabin and am able to...
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    Solardad thanks so much for the thoughtful reply. Apologies for not replying earlier as I’ve been traveling. I know my foundation depth is a big positive to capture the heat from the earth and think you’re spot on for me to use a foundation corner. I’ll research the seed warming mats as...
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    MPRanger thanks for the encouragement. I spend a lot of time sleeping outside, so love it as I’m sure you do. I hope to learn a lot bringing Solar to my cabin. I’m starting to think that when I build my final home, it will be solar as well, though grid tied, so this is all important to me. I...
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    MPRanger, its a get away only. Will spend a lot of summer and fall time there with little heating needed. Firewood is very close, not a problem. Winter use will just be rare overnights and I’ll stage firewood for that. The reason I’m not insulating is to keep the beautiful ceilings and roof...
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    A newbie, a beautiful old off grid cabin, COLD wintertime temps and needing some SOLAR power

    Greetings, I’m brand new to the forum; I’m very electrically challenged, but I’m learning…. I’ve really enjoyed watching videos from Will and others, and appreciate the education I’m getting. In 2018 I purchased an old cabin that was about to be destroyed to make way for a new hotel in Island...
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