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diy solar

Complete Newbie Questions

Shane15

New Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
6
Hi. I am a solar newbie and I have several questions I would very much appreciate if anyone could help me with them.

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Energy Usage
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Looking at my electric bill for the last year, I see the following kWh usage :

Month Day Low 485 8 Avg 920 30 High 1,608 137

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Solar Calculator
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Using the solar calculator at www.altestore.com/store/calculators/off_grid_calculator
I get the following info :

Energy Usage 30 kWh/day Backup power 3 Days Battery Type LiFePO4 Battery Voltage 24 Volts Battery Bank Capacity 5477 Amp-Hours at 24 volts Sun Hours for 42207 3.06 Solar Array Size 15.1 Kw Watts per Panel 250 w Panels needed 61 Charge Controller Size 628 Amps

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Questions
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1) 61 Solar panels seems excessive. Am I doing something wrong? If I am not, is there anyway to reduce this?

2) Is there a better solar calculator than the one I used?

3) Should I plan for more or less than 30 kWh (my avg daily use)?

4)
Should I go 24 volts or 48 volts?

5) Should I have a larger battery backup than 3 days?
 
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Questions
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1) 61 Solar panels seems excessive. Am I doing something wrong? If I am not, is there anyway to reduce this?
Conservation is the place to start.
3) Should I plan for more or less than 30 kWh (my avg daily use)?
If you only plan for your average and your consumption stays the same your demand will exceed supply.
4) Should I go 24 volts or 48 volts?
For a stationary system of this scale 48 volts is the way to go.
5) Should I have a larger battery backup than 3 days?
Its up to you.
How do you feel about an ICE generator for the times when the sun doesn't cooperate?

I suggest installing one of these https://www.emporiaenergy.com/how-the-vue-energy-monitor-works
That way you can see where the energy is going.
 
Your max usage day of a 137000 watt hours is ~4.5 times your average of 30000 watt hours and ~17 times your minimum usage day of 8000 watt hours.
That is a big difference and its going to be a challenge I think.
 
Conservation is the place to start.

If you only plan for your average and your consumption stays the same your demand will exceed supply.

For a stationary system of this scale 48 volts is the way to go.

Its up to you.
How do you feel about an ICE generator for the times when the sun doesn't cooperate?

I suggest installing one of these https://www.emporiaenergy.com/how-the-vue-energy-monitor-works
That way you can see where the energy is going.
Hi. Thanks. I looked up ICE generator, but I'm getting a lot of different results. What exactly does ICE stand for?
 
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