Critique these parts before purchase.

[Resident2021]

Hello, all I will be doing a school bus conversion and need a solar system to live with in Washington state. I have watched tons of videos and have extrapolated these parts from them.
Appliances I will want to use are a small 12v fridge 45w a microwave 800w laptop 200w a hot shower system that draws 9.8amps 12v for 15-40 mins. Diesel heater that draws 12 amps on start and levels off to 2-5 amps with electric fan running.
Last but not least a keurig coffee maker that says it draws 1500w on startup and uses 200-400w to maintain.
& a few led lights.

The bus will be a runner and driver and it has 2-8D led acid I can use plus I have a 2200w peak inverter generator for emergency use.

Battery: ampere-time 200ah $900.00
Inverter/charge controller: Giandel PS-2200KSC $320.00
Solar panels: X4 HQST 100w 12v B07HQBN9WH $300.00

Thank you.
Tony

 

[MisterSandals]

Solar panels: X4 HQST 100w 12v B07HQBN9WH $300.00

I wouldn't mess with 4x tiny solar panels. You probably have a lot of roof and need a lot more solar panel.
Have you done an energy audit to see how much energy you need to harvest and how much you need to store each day?

Check out craigslist for big cheap panels. eBay for panels in your area too. LOTS of places listed on this forum.
If you provide a rough location (city) i can do a little searching for you and anybody else could point you to their favorite sources.

Giandel PS-2200KSC

I recommend getting an MPPT SCC, especially if you get more solar panels (i'd be wildly surprised if you did not need more). 20A charging is 240w... not even enough for your 4x 100w panels.

 

[Resident2021]

I wouldn't mess with 4x tiny solar panels. You probably have a lot of roof and need a lot more solar panel.
Have you done an energy audit to see how much energy you need to harvest and how much you need to store each day?

Check out craigslist for big cheap panels. eBay for panels in your area too. LOTS of places listed on this forum.
If you provide a rough location (city) i can do a little searching for you and anybody else could point you to their favorite sources.

I recommend getting an MPPT SCC, especially if you get more solar panels (i'd be wildly surprised if you did not need more). 20A charging is 240w... not even enough for your 4x 100w panels.

Cowlitz county, So 200-340w panels? the used 250's 24v on ebay are $40.00 each I could get 4 of those. They say output is 10a or less.
The Rich 40a MPPT should handle that. The Rich 2000w pure sin to replace the Giandel.
$120.00$135.00$300.00
That is only a $40.00 cost increase.

I have not done a harvest, I would like to cater my life style to the system and not the system to my life style. The hope is to use less.

 

[MisterSandals]

The way you've worded things, it appears you do not understand how panels are formed into arrays and what requirements that puts on selecting a compatible SCC. Do you know how and why one would connect solar panels in parallel vs series? You've selected a PWM controller on your first guess and your second guess is an MPPT controller.

I don't mean for all that to be condescending but rather point out that you need to make your equipment selections based on other equipment, your daily requirements and patterns of use (day power use vs night power use changes battery requirements for example).

The folks on this forum are here to help you make good, informed decisions.
And its perfectly natural that you have a budget, time, effort and other constraints so that all counts too!

I have not done a harvest

I'll assume you meant audit. This is REALLY an important first step.

System Energy Audit and Sizing Spread Sheet

To get the spreadsheet, click on the orange button at the top of this page. This sheet is intended to help you plan your system. Fill it out down to the last decimal place, look at the results..... and then make your best guess;) Notes...

diysolarforum.com

I would like to cater my life style to the system and not the system to my life style. The hope is to use less.

The amount of effort and cost to have more than enough and to last a few days when the sun isn't shining
is not always a luxury. Being "solar rich" does not suck and it doesn't need to break the bank.

 

[MisterSandals]

Cowlitz county, So 200-340w panels? the used 250's 24v on ebay are $40.00 each I could get 4 of those

If those are local and/or include/preclude shipping that is pretty darn good.

Just so you know, its NOT JUST WATTS, you have to fit these on your roof space (Tetris) and
have to match them to your solar charge controller. The Voc of the panels is the key metric that
matches to the max input voltage of your SCC. For MPPT SCC, you'd probably want panels in
series as much as possible (unless you have shading issues) which means adding Voc for panels in series.
This keeps the amps as low as possible for simpler/cheaper wiring and fusing from array to SCC.

You're doing a good job asking before buying, many have not been as smart and its usually an expensive mistake(s).

A quick search (portland was my quick guess as closest big city):

270w solar panels - electronics - by owner - sale

Used 270w 40v panels

portland.craigslist.org

170w solar panels - electronics - by owner - sale

used excellent condition. Bp3170n

portland.craigslist.org

 

[Resident2021]

Thank you, for the input thus far and you are correct I have no Idea on how to put an array together and what the correct devices are to use the array.
I see now the complexity of just buying components and expecting them to work is beyond my scope. So tell me this if I order a complete system form a manufacturer like some recommended on the DIY solar site. I could afford a 600w system with a 2000w inverter, and that with the 200ah ampere time battery. That said kit has 3 200w 12v panels 58.7 x 26.8 x 1.4 in. I could mount those on top of the bus length ways or cross ways with room to spare.
With the best sun conditions, could I run the fridge all day and night? Run the microwave 3 times for 3 mins each time? Run the keurig once in the morning and then leave it on for 4 hours? Take one hot shower? Charge the laptop once, and run a few lights?

I have all said appliances already, that is why I listed them. The coffee machine is not necessary I could just boil water and use a press or something. I would like to keep everything else in some state or another just to save cost. The item I have not bought is the potable electric shower.

Tony

 

[chrisski]

Really recommend you do an energy audit.

I have a 12 volt system and don’t run the microwave. I’ve got enough panels and batteries, but it draws 155 amps when it is on. That’s a lot for batteries. I take a hot shower using my propane heater, definitely not electric.

Charge the laptop: probably. I had planned for 250 watts, but found it only drew 125 watts.

Lights: Definetly if they are all LED. I spent a bit of time and money changing out three small incandescent bulbs drawing three ands and am at an out 1/2 amp when they are powered on.

Kuerig: I have a Keurig B-130 that is 700 Watts and shuts off when its done. For the one you mention, I recommend a killawatt meter to see how much it uses. I can use mine as much as I want, but yours the heater inside would draw more energy than I want.

Once you do your energy audit and find out how many watt hours your coffee maker and other items draw, you can decide if its worth it to you.

Which brings up another point. All kits I looked at are short on certain things. Like wires, mounts for the solar panels, some had one battery but enough solar for four. All these things add up. So keeping asking questions. A lot of people get these kits on tight budgets and find they’re really halfway there. Many of those kits end up on E-Bay, unopened with people expecting to resell them at a few dollars off what they bought it for.

 

[MisterSandals]

Check out the sister site: https://www.mobile-solarpower.com

There are quite a few blueprints with links to what to buy for just about any size system. Most
can be tailored to your situation and requirements.

Also look at the "more..." menu for awesome videos for all levels and topics. Highly entertaining and informative.

And yes, as chrisski recommends, an energy audit is step one.

 

[Bill Taylor]

Resident2021-
What you are doing here is normal. Almost everyone gets in over their head before they realize what they are doing. These guys on here are patient and smart and willing to help you. Listen to them grasshopper. You will find the way. You are in the right place, and you are among friends