Anyone else turn off PV on purpose?

[HalfBaked]

Plenty of sun here lately. Also no need for A/C or heat this time of year. Batteries have been balanced and hitting 100% every day for a few days.

Yesterday before sunrise, SOC was 94%, should be sunny for the next few days, so I turned the panels off. 84% soc this morning, trying to stay out of the "knees" so panels staying off today too.

Feels wasteful, but what else to do?

 

[GXMnow]

Invite over a friend with an EV that needs to be charged?

 

[HalfBaked]

Invite over a friend with an EV that needs to be charged?

That's an idea, but live in the sticks, don't even know anyone with a hybrid, much less an EV. Considered selling power to neighbors, but would require a thick ¼ mile cable.

 

[JamesRich]

I've got the same problem. Built a solar system on my camper that I don't use often enough especially with winter coming. Don't want the batteries sitting on full all the time.
James

 

[Q-Dog]

Heat in the morning, A/C in the afternoon?

 

[HalfBaked]

Heat in the morning, A/C in the afternoon?

Maybe with the doors open? Just don't need anything this time of year. I know it's a temporary problem, but it feels wasteful.

 

[timselectric]

You are making a problem, where there isn't any.
A full LFP battery is the best place to be.
Don't over think it.

 

[HalfBaked]

Ok. But what about those tender knees!

 

[timselectric]

Ok. But what about those tender knees!

They aren't tender.

 

[HalfBaked]

They aren't tender.

Setting a reminder to follow up in 15 years

 

[timselectric]

There are so many misconceptions around LFP batteries and solar storage.
Just keep them between 2.5v and 3.65v per cell. (The BMS does this for you)
And I will see you in 20 years.

 

[timselectric]

Actually, Will just explained it again.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

Get an ebike, use more electric cooking appliances, get a hot tub, dump that load in to a water heater, charge up power stations for camping and emergencies.

In summer my batteries are full by 10AM usually so I run my microwave and washer and charge the ebikes and run the evap cooler off the excess.

In winter they charge by noon and I run a dump load to a small IR quartz heater and recharge any low power stations to have for those low sun days and to run my electric snowblower.

Some days if everything is full I just sit and smile at the read outs and be thankful for a system that works.

 

[TacomaJoe]

On my trailer, I converted to LiFePo4, kept the original FLA converter and used solar to top them off. The solar will keep them at 100% so I've been turning the panels off to keep below the knee. Run them up on occasion to balance. I may dial back the SCC for the winter.

 

[Crowz]

I had set mine to stay around 90% but after everything I have ran across recently on the effects or lack of effect of staying fully charged I changed over to fully charged.

 

[v_green57]

Bitcoin mining?

It's all the rage, man.

 

[Watts Happening]

Get an electric car

My 75kWh Tesla battery is an excellent place to dump power

 

[sunsurfer]

hot tub

 

[Crowz]

hot tub

Another hot tub vote. As an owner of one it has to be the single largest waste of energy ever devised by man.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

Another hot tub vote. As an owner of one it has to be the single largest waste of energy ever devised by man.

If you were sitting in one with an ice cold beer right now you wouldn't be saying that!

I actually agree and a traditional hot tub is a huge waste of energy. I made a Japanese soaking tub out of a 75 gallon cattle trough and use passive solar to heat it and it is actually for bathing and is emptied after use.

 

[OM617YOTA]

I have a modest system, and yep, I've turned off my panels, just so the batteries cycle a decent amount, instead of cycling 100%-75-100-75 etc.

One of the weird ways I burned up extra power was running an electric hot plate and boiling water for weed killing. Cooks the weeds, and completely non-toxic. Labor intensive, though.

Thought about an EV or PHEV, but the numbers don't work, and I don't like any of them enough to buy one even though the numbers don't work. If the Edison guys build a pickup truck, I'll buy one.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

If the Edison guys build a pickup truck, I'll buy one.

I like those Chinese mini truck EVswith the tilt bed. Wish they were sold over here, I could charge that up off my small system and only need it a few times a month for hauling stuff around the homestead.

 

[OffGridForGood]

no, never turned off the PV, with the exception of safety, while upgrading some wiring and fuses.

 

[Crowz]

If you were sitting in one with an ice cold beer right now you wouldn't be saying that!

I actually agree and a traditional hot tub is a huge waste of energy. I made a Japanese soaking tub out of a 75 gallon cattle trough and use passive solar to heat it and it is actually for bathing and is emptied after use.

There is a bunch more energy use than just heating the thing. The jets, heat and circulation pump combined are beyond belief power hungry.

 

[OffGridForGood]

There is a bunch more energy use than just heating the thing. The jets, heat and circulation pump combined are beyond belief power hungry.

when you realize you need a 60A 240 breaker to supply it, time to ask youself "Why"?