diy solar

diy solar

Canadian solar questions

seashell

New Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2021
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3
ok, we live in Northern Canada - as in I am 12hrs from Alaska. So, that being said, I use about 500kw of power per month.
I have 24 - 2Wx320ah batteries (enough to make a 48v system) with a total of 7680AH. I have 4 - 400w solar panels. and yes, I have a generator already. We have 5 hours of sunlight (looked it up)
I am trying to figure out how to put it all together, what MPPT charger/controller I need, an inverter etc.
How do I figure this all out?
 
There are "all in one" systems that include battery charger, inverter, and solar charger controller. The battery charger would allow battery charging from AC output of the generator. So an all in one solution might be what you are lookng for. I will not try to address which one might be good for you. Look at some of the reviews on them and start learning.

But if I was piecing something together, I would start by getting a solar charge controller and connecting those panels so they can charge the battery. You will likely need more panels in the future. With many panels, you normally would want to connect 2 or more in series. This makes the voltage go higher but keeps the amps "low" so that you don't need large fat wires to the charger. So you need to look at the Voc (open circuit voltage) of the panels and then figure what voltage input you need/want on your charge controller. I have a 40 amp charger that will take 80volts in and a 60 amp charger that will take 150v in. I have 2 panels in series on the 40a and 3 panels in series on the 60a.

After you can charge the battery, you need to find a way to use the power. Direct DC lighting or other direct DC loads (like a DC frig) would allow you to use that power from the battery and then recharge it. Once you have your DC loads taken care of, maybe add an inverter. The inverter will run off of the battery and the charger will keep the battery charged. When you have good sun and the battery is fully charged, the charge controller will provide most of the power as you use it, while keeping the battery near full charge.

Suppose you don't have enough sun or do not have enough panel power to make you happy. You can add a charger that the generator can power. That charger will help the solar charger to keep the battery up.

Hope that is somewhat helpful.

Dan
 
the plan is to add a wind turbine as we live on a hill in northern alberta. I have lived here for most of my years, and going back through my grama's calendar (she kept weather notes on them) there were maybe 30 days in the past 25 years that the wind didn't blow. The plan was to add 16 panels in total (6400 w to charge the batteries). Hubby is looking at changing the lighting to 12v in the house switching out the fridge isn't an option at this point.
 
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