HLB
New Member
So, if you have infinite power, you can have infinite wealth?Nah crypto currency is what I'm going to use it for
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
HLB
Big dreams, small living, off-grid homestead from scratch
- Thread starter G00SE
- Start date
HLB
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Yes they are but then you have to mount them and provide fire safety or optimization etc. That easily doubles the cost of them.
I have around 11 KW of badly placed panels scattered in the backyard at the moment and they still manage to cover about 95% of my needs with around 75kwh worth of battery and a single 12kw inverter in an all electric house in Florida.
Mind you I am still prone to buying more and more LOL
@Quattrohead you make a really good point. I do see a lot of comments about “just get more panels”
And the diy ground mount thread is awesome, but even some of the more budget builds have more money in supplies than actual panel cost
And the diy ground mount thread is awesome, but even some of the more budget builds have more money in supplies than actual panel cost
I just hope it makes my solar stuff pay for itself expansion wise for now. I love tinkering with the stuff but the wife gets a bit ticked when I keep spending on the stuff all the time
It won't take much longer to reach the "end" of all my current projects. I don't "need" to do more so this gives me a reason to do more.
HLB
New Member
Yes, the end of all projects... That is a theoretical point distant in my projections. I am still waiting for the future to arrive so I can get started.I just hope it makes my solar stuff pay for itself expansion wise for now. I love tinkering with the stuff but the wife gets a bit ticked when I keep spending on the stuff all the time
It won't take much longer to reach the "end" of all my current projects. I don't "need" to do more so this gives me a reason to do more.
HLB
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
Making my own power is not just about saving money for me.
It is being in control of my own self reliance and that to me is priceless.
It is being in control of my own self reliance and that to me is priceless.
HLB
New Member
Knowledge, experience, resourcefulness, and perseverance allow for a quality life.
HLB
Always fun to use the tractor. LTL driver said “so what’s the plan”
I said, just set the pallets on the lift gate, I’ll take it from there.
And so that we did. I’m sure happy that I remounted the backhoe yesterday, I don’t think the beet juice alone would have been enough counter weight.
But I am so glad that my trial purchase worked that I already came inside and bought 4 more pallets
I said, just set the pallets on the lift gate, I’ll take it from there.
And so that we did. I’m sure happy that I remounted the backhoe yesterday, I don’t think the beet juice alone would have been enough counter weight.
But I am so glad that my trial purchase worked that I already came inside and bought 4 more pallets
HLB
New Member
Glad you got yours. Mine came in yesterday also. I will post on the https://diysolarforum.com/threads/want-to-purchase-solar-panels-from-china-and-import-to-usa.70717/ thread.
HLB
HLB
Does this make me the @timselectric of panels? Lol 
houseofancients
Solar Wizard
You trying to out do your local nuke plant ?
Holy mozes
Only keeping 2.5 of them.
However my uncle now wants me to acquire 2 more so we can build a solar kiln for forging steel
Ran down to Lowe’s last weekend to get some foam board to skirt the RV.
Ended up not buying any board for the power house as the 1/2” foam was 10 bucks a sheet and any thicker was double.
I come home, checks lowes website (I get 10% off for mil discount and it’s much cleaner than Home Depot) and find 1.5” thick sheets for 11.50 per sheet.
Boom 14 sheets for the walls, front cap, and ceiling to be lined with 1.5” insulation for 150 bucks
Trailer is all cleaned out and I’ll start ripping the walls out this week.
I hope to have the solar equipment inside by new years and the panels hung outside by mid January. I’d like to flip the switch before February.
I need to lop the hitch mount off the tongue and weld a 2 5/16” coupler to it and make a handful of other structural changes as well.
Towed the trailer around the block with the GX to see how she’d do. I’ll need to haul the tractor with my truck so I’d like to caravan with the wife rather than make multiple trips.
The alternative is a 40ft gooseneck flat deck that I’ve been talking myself out of
Ended up not buying any board for the power house as the 1/2” foam was 10 bucks a sheet and any thicker was double.
I come home, checks lowes website (I get 10% off for mil discount and it’s much cleaner than Home Depot) and find 1.5” thick sheets for 11.50 per sheet.
Boom 14 sheets for the walls, front cap, and ceiling to be lined with 1.5” insulation for 150 bucks
Trailer is all cleaned out and I’ll start ripping the walls out this week.
I hope to have the solar equipment inside by new years and the panels hung outside by mid January. I’d like to flip the switch before February.
I need to lop the hitch mount off the tongue and weld a 2 5/16” coupler to it and make a handful of other structural changes as well.
Towed the trailer around the block with the GX to see how she’d do. I’ll need to haul the tractor with my truck so I’d like to caravan with the wife rather than make multiple trips.
The alternative is a 40ft gooseneck flat deck that I’ve been talking myself out of
Picked up one of these 4x8 trailers for a couple hundred bucks.
Going to use the stake pockets to build a 4 framed rack for 3 panels to pay flat in portrait orientation.
3 additional panels will be fashioned via a hinge to close on top for transport.
I will pull it out of the cargo trailer, open the panels via the hinge, and have 6 additional panels for the portable system
Should give me 14 total panels for the cargo trailer. 8 mounted directly to the outside and 6 via this trailer cart
It’s currently 138” long. Gonna lop 15-18” off the tongue and put a pintle hitch on it. Then use 50lb ballasts at each corner when deployed. Between the panels, trailer frame, and ballast, weight should be around 800lbs. I guess I could anchor it too if I needed
Been racking my brain on interior layout for the cargo trailer.
I think I’ve got it figured out. Gonna tape it on the floor and see what the family thinks. Trying to only utilize the front 3ft and the bottom 36” of walls.
If I build the trailer panels like a flat table with the panels resting at 40-48” I should be able to wheel them in and out no problem and have a foot of space in length to spare
I’m going to use those dewalt shelves that were listed in the deals section instead of wood build shelves inside. Figure it’s modular that way/can be emptied and won’t rattle apart like wood.
Found a 7k btu mini split as well. Smallest I’ve found outside of the Mitsubishi/Fujitsu units.
Should work out perfect as I think 9-12k would be excessive
Also picked up a 100a 8 space 16 circuit main breaker panel. Felt it’d be easier to work with than a main lug sub panel
Going to use the stake pockets to build a 4 framed rack for 3 panels to pay flat in portrait orientation.
3 additional panels will be fashioned via a hinge to close on top for transport.
I will pull it out of the cargo trailer, open the panels via the hinge, and have 6 additional panels for the portable system
Should give me 14 total panels for the cargo trailer. 8 mounted directly to the outside and 6 via this trailer cart
It’s currently 138” long. Gonna lop 15-18” off the tongue and put a pintle hitch on it. Then use 50lb ballasts at each corner when deployed. Between the panels, trailer frame, and ballast, weight should be around 800lbs. I guess I could anchor it too if I needed
Been racking my brain on interior layout for the cargo trailer.
I think I’ve got it figured out. Gonna tape it on the floor and see what the family thinks. Trying to only utilize the front 3ft and the bottom 36” of walls.
If I build the trailer panels like a flat table with the panels resting at 40-48” I should be able to wheel them in and out no problem and have a foot of space in length to spare
I’m going to use those dewalt shelves that were listed in the deals section instead of wood build shelves inside. Figure it’s modular that way/can be emptied and won’t rattle apart like wood.
Found a 7k btu mini split as well. Smallest I’ve found outside of the Mitsubishi/Fujitsu units.
Should work out perfect as I think 9-12k would be excessive
Also picked up a 100a 8 space 16 circuit main breaker panel. Felt it’d be easier to work with than a main lug sub panel
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Fossil fuel burning motorbike?
How else will I do a compare and contrast with the 60v 2000w e-bike!?!?Fossil fuel burning motorbike?
To be fair, the xr100 will probably still be kicking when I am not
Excellent bike for the kids to learn a clutch on
Andrewr05
[Replicant 42069]
Made a lot of progress on the power trailer this weekend.
It is now gutted to the studs so I can locate any holes to fill/patch to weather proof it.
I picked up around a dozen boards of 1.5” polyiso to sandwich between the wall and roof studs
I have 1/4” sheathing to go on after the insulation to help with thermal bridging of the studs as well.
Hope to acquire mounts for the roof this week for the panels and then build out the portable rack as well.
The kobalt shelf will house 2-15kwh batteries on the bottom shelf and 2 on the middle shelf.
The top shelf will remain empty with the inverter on 3/4” plywood mounted to the back of the kobalt shelf. The shelf is 48” tall and the plywood will total 66” tall. I will have roughly 6” of gap from the top of inverter to roof and 6” from bottom of inverter to top shelf.
Breakers, chargeverter and subpanel will be to the right of the inverter with the bus bar slightly lower. Once I finish out the interior and the rack I can bolt it to the floor and zip a few steel straps to keep the batteries in place
The middle 2 batteries I’ll transport separate but the bottom ones will be there full time. Going to put a mini split on the front wall as well and seal the ceiling vents this week.
The ground has finally dried enough to drag heavy equipment out again so this week the septic will get wrapped up, might even be able to christen it by Friday
hopefully by next weekend I can document the septic install
Now that the weather is turning I should be able to provide more regular updates as summer draws near
It is now gutted to the studs so I can locate any holes to fill/patch to weather proof it.
I picked up around a dozen boards of 1.5” polyiso to sandwich between the wall and roof studs
I have 1/4” sheathing to go on after the insulation to help with thermal bridging of the studs as well.
Hope to acquire mounts for the roof this week for the panels and then build out the portable rack as well.
The kobalt shelf will house 2-15kwh batteries on the bottom shelf and 2 on the middle shelf.
The top shelf will remain empty with the inverter on 3/4” plywood mounted to the back of the kobalt shelf. The shelf is 48” tall and the plywood will total 66” tall. I will have roughly 6” of gap from the top of inverter to roof and 6” from bottom of inverter to top shelf.
Breakers, chargeverter and subpanel will be to the right of the inverter with the bus bar slightly lower. Once I finish out the interior and the rack I can bolt it to the floor and zip a few steel straps to keep the batteries in place
The middle 2 batteries I’ll transport separate but the bottom ones will be there full time. Going to put a mini split on the front wall as well and seal the ceiling vents this week.
The ground has finally dried enough to drag heavy equipment out again so this week the septic will get wrapped up, might even be able to christen it by Friday
hopefully by next weekend I can document the septic installNow that the weather is turning I should be able to provide more regular updates as summer draws near
