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Best off grid Solar option

Cbohaker

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Joined
May 8, 2022
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Good morning, I am looking for an off the grid mobile solution. I currently live in a town that fortunately never looses power but my concern is that with recent global events I will need a solar option for if the grid goes down. I am looking at the bluetti ac200max with 3x350 watt solar panels or the echo flow delta pro with 1x400 watt panel. Please note that this system would not be used all the time.. it would be used for camping and if the grid goes down. Any suggestions on other options or ideas would be greatly appreciated! We don’t have a lot of money but I don’t want to invest into something cheap.. we need something durable that will last years. Thank you in advance.
 
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Your first step is to calculate how much power you expect your solution to provide. If you can get this in watt hours, the solutions will be narrowed down significantly.
Also note that an even number of panels is often a better (more flexible) solution.
 
I would say the main things we would be running off grid would be a fridge, large chest freezer, egg incubator, kitchen blender, grain mill and a couple of box fans. Granted the only things that would be running consistently would be the fridge and chest freezer. The fridge says 3Amps and the chest freezer says 2Amps.
 
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You need to quantify that in terms of power (watt hours) that you need.
Anything else is a guess. Do you want me to take a wild guess at what refrigerator you have and how much power it uses each day?
 
You need to quantify that in terms of power (watt hours) that you need.
Anything else is a guess. Do you want me to take a wild guess at what refrigerator you have and how much power it uses each day?
I’m ignorant when it comes to this stuff. What is the best way to calculate my total used watt hours on these appliances?
 
I just purchased the Kill A Watt P4460, so I will report back with my findings.
Note that seeing how much your fridge uses at any one moment is insufficient because it cycles on and off, may have defrost cycles. So something you can use to monitor over several hours or even a day is better. Then extrapolate these for however long you expect to store power to handle (a day, 2 days?...)

Then for solar, you will need enough solar to replenish that amount each day. That will depend on your location and amount of sun.
 
Note that seeing how much your fridge uses at any one moment is insufficient because it cycles on and off, may have defrost cycles. So something you can use to monitor over several hours or even a day is better. Then extrapolate these for however long you expect to store power to handle (a day, 2 days?...)

Then for solar, you will need enough solar to replenish that amount each day. That will depend on your location and amount of sun.
Okay, I will have it run for a few days on each appliance. Do you feel like the bluetti ac200max with 3x350 watt solar panels or the echo flow delta pro with 1x400 watt panel would be able to power the appliances that I stated above? If you were to estimate/guess usage? My yard has full sun all day. The sun comes up and right over my house until it sets so I should have full sun most of the day. Thanks for all your input today by the way, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.
 
The sun always shines where you are at? Must be lucky, here in the Midwest, the last month has been over 5 day stretches with no sun. dreariest spring I've ever seen in 50 plus years.
 
Okay, I will have it run for a few days on each appliance.
Try 24 hours, that makes it easy.

would be able to power the appliances that I stated above?
We won't know until you measure what your needs are.
If you were to estimate/guess usage?
fridge, large chest freezer, egg incubator, kitchen blender, grain mill and a couple of box fans.
Wild ass guessing:
fridge 1500Wh per day
freezer 1000Wh per day
egg incubator 500Wh per day
blender (120V x 4A x .1 hours) = 48Wh
grain mill (120V x 4A x .25 hours) = 120Wh
box fans (120V x 2A x 5 hours) x 2 = 2400Wh

5568Wh per day
Guessing 5 solar hours (5568Wh / 5h) = 1113W of solar panels

This is a wild guess, substitute your numbers as you measure them.
 
The sun always shines where you are at? Must be lucky, here in the Midwest, the last month has been over 5 day stretches with no sun. dreariest spring I've ever seen in 50 plus years.
Ha, not all the time but during days when the sun is out I think the solar would do really well. Wow.. well I hope you have some sunny days ahead!
 
Try 24 hours, that makes it easy.


We won't know until you measure what your needs are.


Wild ass guessing:
fridge 1500Wh per day
freezer 1000Wh per day
egg incubator 500Wh per day
blender (120V x 4A x .1 hours) = 48Wh
grain mill (120V x 4A x .25 hours) = 120Wh
box fans (120V x 2A x 5 hours) x 2 = 2400Wh

5568Wh per day
Guessing 5 solar hours (5568Wh / 5h) = 1113W of solar panels

This is a wild guess, substitute your numbers as you measure them.
I’ll start my measurements on Tuesday when the meter arrives. It will be interesting to see how close your guesses are. Thanks again
 
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