48V vs. 12V, DIY vs. OTS, Current Connected & More

[Over9000]

I have a 12v system I built 4yrs ago. It works well but falls a bit short in the cloudy snowy central NY winters. That being said I would never build a 12v system again. For the simple fact that when you spend a bit more on a 48v system you can input way more PV wattage typicaly with the same charge controller. But since you state you only have room for 500w of pannels that's really limiting. Is this a weekend cabin? Why do you need a 2,000w inverter?

I'll be running < 500W typically but in an extreme case, I can temporarily pull about 1600W. Its for an outbuilding.

 

[dopeassjackson]

500w of PV or 500w of AC power?

 

[Over9000]

500w of PV or 500w of AC power?

500 PV power.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

IF there’s a cheaper, simpler, or better way to do it I haven’t figured it out yet…. The wiring was the biggest hassle making 12v to 24…..but overall, I’m really happy with how it turned out. So far they are staying balanced with no balancer. I still might add one but I’m hesitant to increase the complexity of the system.

Right now, the batteries mentioned and that I use are on sale for $335 each (12V, 280Ah), which is a great deal almost feels free compared to a few years ago. I’m even considering grabbing two more as backups at this price.
My Setup:
• Batteries: 4x 12V 280Ah (Eco-Worthy w/ Bluetooth) – $335 each
• Configuration: 2S2P to make 24V (14,336Wh total) – $1,400
• Inverter: LV2424-hybrid – $600
• Solar Panels: 4x 360W bifacial – $120 each locally ($480 total) mounted vertically on my deck. I bet I barely harvest 1000w in the peak hours of the day.

• Total Cost: ~$2,500-2700(including wiring & fuses)
• Backup Generator: Champion 4000W – $900 (for winter charging)

My cabin gets very cold in the winter, and I didn’t have any battery issues this year. The Eco-Worthy batteries are rated to cut off charging at 19°F, which I think helped them stay operational longer than my previous SOKs. Most of the winter is around 32°F, but I’d say half of it drops to 19°F or below, so that extra charging window made a difference.
This setup easily powers my entire cabin 8 months out of the year, with the generator covering the darker months (Dec–Feb).

great to hear have you updated your thread lately?

 

[ScrodusGargleRotten]

great to hear have you updated your thread lately?

Where have you been! I thought they threw you of the boat.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Where have you been! I thought they threw you of the boat.

doing my normal thang... shot off at the mouth and got my Peepee spanked.gonna leave it at that.

 

[42OhmsPA]

View attachment 290920

2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter for Vehicle,Home,RV,Truck,Off-Grid Solar

TOPBULL 2000W Inverter converts 12V DC to 110V/120V AC with 4000W peak power, using pure sine wave technology for low-loss, high-quality AC power. Get 5% off！

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Have you read the site rules?

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Have you read the site rules?

View attachment 290920

2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter for Vehicle,Home,RV,Truck,Off-Grid Solar

TOPBULL 2000W Inverter converts 12V DC to 110V/120V AC with 4000W peak power, using pure sine wave technology for low-loss, high-quality AC power. Get 5% off！

www.topbullshop.com

quick ninja edit that stuff before you get you private parts spanked for a week like I did!