diy solar

diy solar

Search results

  1. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Well, I guess it's time for a status update. I fired up the system on February 2nd of 2022. Other than a minor issue with the BMS I ended up getting, the system has been working very well. I will be upgrading it to 10-15 kW of solar power for my house and garage.
  2. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Yes, I'm aware that the official plugins are cloud based. I also know that there are at least two different servers; one for Asia and one for the US, and there may well also be one for the EU. I'm looking more at ease of integration than having local control, at least for the time being. I have...
  3. B

    Dc disconnect should be out by the panels or inside?

    I think the combiner box is probably where the two strings will become one; at least that how I would do it. However, I will be putting in a separate disconnect switch inside the building next to where the solar power connects to the charge controller/inverter.
  4. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Yes, I know there are unofficial add-ons for Home Assistant that support the MPP Solar all in one units, but there is an Official Integration for the Growatt brand units I decided to go with.
  5. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Two main reasons; lower cost and native support in Home Assistant.
  6. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Revised my installation plans; I've decided to go with the Growatt SPF 5000 ES and a SolarEdge Midpoint Transformer instead of the MPP Solar LV6048. I'm also going with 24 250 Watt Solar Panels instead of the 270 Watt ones I originally considered. Should have the basics of the system online by...
  7. B

    Axpert VM III 48v 5kw vs Growatt SPF 5000 ES inverter

    I'd go with the Growatt Inverters, since you can parallel them out of the box. Also, the standby consumption those inverters is about the same as the Axpert VM III. Yes, it will cost more, but the safety factor is worth it.
  8. B

    Smart home for off grid

    Honestly, for switches, you're probably not going to beat using the Sonoff Basic or Sonoff Mini, or possibly the Shelly One. I'm not sure what model of outlets to suggest, since I haven't looked into those yet.
  9. B

    Can the electrical grid handle a boom in electric vehicles?

    Maybe, but then you're actually paying even more for the car than what the sticker price is. That and most people that own any kind of car tend to fall for the marketing and buy a "new" car every three to four years anyway.
  10. B

    WatchPower settings for Lead Crystal batteries

    If you have a data sheet on those batteries, follow whatever settings it recommends for best results.
  11. B

    mpp lv6048 and watchpower issues

    I think the LV6048 has a power saving mode, but I'm not sure how well it works. I've heard that some inverters that have that kind of feature poll to check for loads and and that they don't always have it set to check both 120 volt legs, so it seems to not work if you turn something on and it's...
  12. B

    Can Solar & Wind Fix Everything (e.g., Climate Change) with a battery break-through?

    No argument that people (not just scientists) should be allowed to question results, but from what I have seen, most folks that toss out the "climate denier" mantra seem to be willing to take the data we are questioning at face value and seem to be from one particular political party. That's why...
  13. B

    Can Solar & Wind Fix Everything (e.g., Climate Change) with a battery break-through?

    I think you're onto something here. They most likely don't want a consensus, but to force their bad science on us. I suspect a good part of the whole thing is politically motivated, at least in the US.
  14. B

    Reducing the voltage before the mppt

    I'd get another panel and go with 3S2P, personally. That would double the current into your charge controller without negatively affecting your maximum input voltage rating.
  15. B

    Wind power resource site

    I don't know if this has been mentioned anywhere else, but if you're interested in adding wind to your solar system, I think this site is a good resource for finding out if the idea is worth considering. Now, I don't know how accurate the overall information is, so keep that in mind...
  16. B

    The "Meg" Build

    That seems correct to me.
  17. B

    General info on electric vehicles

    Actually, that's one of the really big batteries that Tesla intended for electric power storage.
  18. B

    Battery Cable Length

    Correct. Having the charge current balanced is the key here.
  19. B

    Improving LifePo4 design

    The best option if you want a battery with a specific BMS and other options is to build one yourself, to be quite honest. Battery manufacturers have to consider the intended use cases for what they build and allowing the end-user to swap out random parts would not make it easy for them to gain...
  20. B

    Battery Cable Length

    Actually, audio, like RF, is AC (alternating current) so it's more critical for phasing for the length of leads to be as close to identical as possible. DC is less critical.
  21. B

    Panel performance. 4s2p vs 8s

    Well do I know the feeling of not wanting to (or being able to) cut down a tree; I have a similar issue with a very beautiful Butterfly Tree (aka Butterfly bush) near where I want to place my two solar arrays. I can put one array where it will get full sun, but the second one will be blocked...
  22. B

    Smart home for off grid

    Home Assistant, dimmers, or other means of turning off unneeded lights, energy-efficient lighting (I'm going with LED lights in my house); all of these things are good. Another thing to go with is multiple forms of power, like a combination of Solar and Wind power; my third stage of power...
  23. B

    Newbie comment on rant

    Correct, and as I pointed out, the Senate was actually intended to represent the will of the individual states as a whole, rather than the voters themselves. The same is actually true of the President, whether most people realize it or not.
  24. B

    Newbie comment on rant

    It's my understanding that the House was supposed to be representative of "We the People" as individuals and that the Senate was supposed to be representative of the States; that's why originally they were selected by the government of the individual states, not through an election like the...
  25. B

    Can Solar & Wind Fix Everything (e.g., Climate Change) with a battery break-through?

    I don't have a problem with reducing carbon (or other greenhouse gases) by any means. What I have a problem with is the heavy hand "We know best and if you disagree with how we want to do it, you're a climate denier" attitude so many people involved at multiple levels display. Nice to see a...
  26. B

    Newbie comment on rant

    I have seen the same thing over the past 20+ years. Some folks out there make the excuse that if businesses really wanted to hire people, they would pay them more, but ignore the realities of what those businesses have to deal with when it comes to expenses. Not to mention that most of those...
  27. B

    The Easiest Wind Generator You'll Ever Make

    I was thinking the same thing when it came up in my feed today.
  28. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Well, I've done a bit of research now and have decided on the following strategy: Starting configuration: 1 MPP Solar LV6048 configured as split phase (240 VAC) 16 3.2V 280Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Cells @51.2 VDC (also called 48 volts) 24 270W 35.5v Solar Cells 1 Batrium Watchmon Core with...
  29. B

    The "Meg" Build

    Sort of makes me glad I've pretty much decided on the LV6048 instead of the LV6548. Not that I'm trying to make light of your problems by any means. I hope you figure out what's going on, though I suspect that firmware difference may be part of the equation in some way.
  30. B

    Suggestions for off-grid system

    Good evening folks. I've been following Will on YouTube for a while now, and am finally getting ready to build an off-grid solar system. My basic plan is as follows: 2 MPP Solar LV6048 all in one units connected in parallel for 12KW output 400AH battery bank at least 20 solar panels I need an...
  31. B

    Concerned about New EVE 3.2V 280Ah LiFePo4 Cell Manufacturing Design Change

    I'm not sure I like the looks of that change, to be honest. At least the previous design enabled full contact of the bus bars to the battery terminal.
  32. B

    Anyone have the MPP LVX6048 ? - A few questions

    I'm torn between the LV6048 and the LVX6048. The main issue that I see with the latter is the need to buy the kits to parallel multiple units when the former comes with that capability out of the box. On the other hand, I'm not sure I will ever need to parallel more than three of either of these...
  33. B

    DIY Powerwall Concept

    Anderson Powerpoles are an excellent idea; I make heavy use of them when I build cables for use with my Amateur Radio gear.
  34. B

    New member with ideas

    I'm looking at the MPP Solar PiP LV5048 all in one
  35. B

    New member with ideas

    Initial plan for either the house or the garage: 20 250W 24v solar cells $989.80 32 3.2V 150Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Cell $3,194.12 1 5kw 48v split phase inverter $1,092.50 + $268.00 shipping The solar cells will likely be series/parallel connected with a total of 48 volts. The...
Back
Top