diy solar

diy solar

Best way to run AC power 500 ft from array to cabin

Just need to consider MrAlaskanNoobs endurance
consider MRSAlaskanNoobs endurance during all those Alaskan winters”
Fixed it for you

IMHO this was sorta like those impossible, drama-filled reality shows building fancy things in Alaska on the tundra like my brother-in-law watches. I haven’t had a TV plugged in for 3+ years but I’ve seen it at their house.

I don’t intend that as a critical or demeaning way, but it is highly unusual
Others observed that as well
absolutely have to post pictures. I've never even heard of a system put together like you plan to do.
 
Still cheaper than 2 pig's plus their constant power losses from being powered up. Also, the wire is 3 wires, not 4.
 
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Still cheaper than 2 pig's plus their constant power losses from being powered up. Also, the wire is 3 wires, not 4.
Cheaper even still would be to run the existing panels in series, on relatively smaller high voltage DC wires, into a solar charge controller that they hadn't purchased yet.

The issue isn't that it can't be done, it's just that it's one of the most inefficient (both electrically and on your wallet) ways possible to do it, considering that the power source is high voltage DC already.
 
Cheaper even still would be to run the existing panels in series, on relatively smaller high voltage DC wires, into a solar charge controller that they hadn't purchased yet.

The issue isn't that it can't be done, it's just that it's one of the most inefficient (both electrically and on your wallet) ways possible to do it, considering that the power source is high voltage DC already.
Off the shelf high voltage charge, controllers are hard to find greater than 500 VDC.
 
I would not put the batteries, inverters, and charge controllers at the PV site, that would require a building to house the stuff and be kept above freezing to charge the batteries. Wire to the cabin could be cheaper to purchase than (you still need that to get power to the cabin) building the shed. The material to build the shed has to be ATVs in. The other problem I see is it is a snowing blizzard and the inverter tripped and you need to go 500 feet in the weather and see what happened.
 
I would not put the batteries, inverters, and charge controllers at the PV site, that would require a building to house the stuff and be kept above freezing to charge the batteries. Wire to the cabin could be cheaper to purchase than (you still need that to get power to the cabin) building the shed. The material to build the shed has to be ATVs in. The other problem I see is it is a snowing blizzard and the inverter tripped and you need to go 500 feet in the weather and see what happened.
I've already raised the concern and the stated plan if they choose this option is to have a heated structure at the pv array.

@MrsAlaskanNoob @AlaskanNoob is the plan to have the thermal loop run from house to pv array and tap it at both ends?
 
1000' of insulated pipe would not be cheap plus the trench to put it in.
I think the whole point is the pipe is not insulated.
Depending on the mode it either pulls/pushes heat to/from the ground.
At least that is my recollection.
 
My power from the power company's pig transformer 220 split phase is over 500' run on 4/0, not copper wire, and have no problems with running my 1000 sq foot house.
Nothing at all wrong with the concept of running back to back pig transformers, provided they can be had cheaply enough.
 
Nothing at all wrong with the concept of running back to back pig transformers, provided they can be had cheaply enough.
As long you do not get one with PCBs. You also need to buy more PV and storage to run those PIGs 24/7.
 
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@MrsAlaskanNoob @AlaskanNoob here is a slightly different option for ac transmission.
The ac output can be up to 440 volts.
You would need a step down transformer at the house but no discrete transformer would be required at the array.

UPDATE: I highly doubt this will be feasible as it takes 300 volt DC input.
 
It seems that @AlaskanNoob and @MrsAlaskanNoob indeed left the topic. It's kind of a shame that they didn't just ask how to do it and let the chatter happen, or at least just not get bent when they started at least three threads trying to solve the same problem. I have learned that you will get a few pages of chatter no matter what you post about, then the thread will settle down and really get going.

In any event, perhaps this thread will help someone in the future, so I think I'll go ahead and add this: If I were trying to solve this problem, I would strongly consider the direct solar water heating and run it in the loop with the underground geothermal tubing. His WSHP with 30*F water will return 18*F water to the loop (from the manual), which will cause the freezing discussed above. Running the loop through a (maybe large) solar heater might get his return water above freezing for a large majority of the year, helping to keep the ground thawed.

Also, I think wood heat is not optional here. Asking the WSHP to heat the house and provide hot water with very little heat coming in is probably not going to work well. My WHSP in Florida keeps the water crazy toasty from about April to October, but that is because it is trying to dump heat, not scavenge it.

I would probably also use the track hoe to remove the trees from the house to the solar barn, use the trees for firewood, and put a few poles in the ground to run above ground wire (that might just be available from a local utility for free).
 
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