diy solar

diy solar

Expedient setup

timselectric said:
No
15a is exactly what is required.
Per the sticker on the panels.
Click to expand...
I don’t doubt you are correct. I was trying to reconcile this statement from the resource.

“panels have a 'series fuse rating'. This is the *most* current the panel can handle without damage and therefore the OCPD current rating must be less than this value. This value is usually quite high compared to Isc and therefor is not usually a factor.)”
 
Brucey said:
Oh for the protection from 150/35 to the power bus I was using MNEDC 60A DC breakers:

Click to expand...
Jeeze. Over current protection between the parallel strings, between the combiner and the mppt, and between the mppt and the bus bar?

Though the lynx covers the last one, I think.
 
Bluedog225 said:
Jeeze. Over current protection between the parallel strings, between the combiner and the mppt, and between the mppt and the bus bar?

Though the lynx covers the last one, I think.
Click to expand...
No, nothing between the PV breaker bus bar and the 150/35 solar inputs. And then yes you can use a 58/70V rated 60A megafuse in a lynx distributor instead of the mnedc60 to the SCC.
 
Bluedog225 said:
I don’t doubt you are correct. I was trying to reconcile this statement from the resource.

“panels have a 'series fuse rating'. This is the *most* current the panel can handle without damage and therefore the OCPD current rating must be less than this value. This value is usually quite high compared to Isc and therefor is not usually a factor.)”
Click to expand...
I don't bother trying to understand incorrect information. lol
 
Bluedog225 said:
I don’t doubt you are correct. I was trying to reconcile this statement from the resource.

“panels have a 'series fuse rating'. This is the *most* current the panel can handle without damage and therefore the OCPD current rating must be less than this value. This value is usually quite high compared to Isc and therefor is not usually a factor.)”
Click to expand...

Fuse should be at least 1.56x Isc (if magnetic-hydraulic breaker, not affected by temperature, 1.25x Isc)

Should also be no greater than max fuse rating on panel label.

In most cases, this means use the value given on label.
(Or none at all, if no more than 2 strings in parallel.)
 
diysolarforum.com

PV 1.56x rule, wires, and Midnite breakers

NEC 690.8(B)(1) has the following exception: Exception: Circuits containing an assembly, together with its overcurrent device(s), that is listed for continuous operation at 100 percent of its rating shall be permitted to be used at 100 percent of its rating. This appears to be an exception to...
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Brucey said:
The Midnite DC breakers are magnetic-hydraulic and temperature insensitive, and fully rated.
Click to expand...

But some are more 100% rated than others.

CBI breakers are guaranteed not to trip below 105% of rating, guaranteed to trip above 130%, while Carling breakers are guaranteed not to trip below 100% of rating, guaranteed to trip above 125%.

They can still hold for a number of minutes with modest overload.

For PV, want to handle cloud edge effects.

diysolarforum.com

Testing Magnetic-Hydraulic circuit breakers

I've built myself a circuit breaker tester. I assembled three transformers into a 3-phase wye auto-transformer, and by means of a breaker and cord/plug it can be repurposed into a current multiplier. A breaker connects X1 to H2 and H3, providing 4.7x current boost on X2 paralleled with X3...
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SeaGal said:
You forgot to deploy the chainsaw first ;)


They look pretty grounded to me :)

Seriously though... looking good - those mounting frames look nice and solid - what are they?
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They are 12 foot galvanized h-beams. Got about 50 off craigslist. I will do something more formal with them. Right now, they are just going to lay on the ground. May get some limestone blocks to get a better angle. Now that I’ve put them out, I may use them permanently with some sort of bolt/anchor for the panel. Just have to keep the weeds down.
 
Bluedog225 said:
Just have to keep the weeds down.
Click to expand...
(y) I installed my ground mounts in the heatwave summer of 2022 and grass growth was no problem at all then, nor last summer. But this year though, it's kept raining all spring and I've had to strim (*) the darn grass so often. Just happy I can charge up the strimmer's batteries for free now!

( * not sure you call them' strimmers' in the USA, but I mean one of those handheld garden tools that has a fast rotating plastic blade that cuts the grass and throws all the cuttings over your PV panels!)
 
SeaGal said:
(y) I installed my ground mounts in the heatwave summer of 2022 and grass growth was no problem at all then, nor last summer. But this year though, it's kept raining all spring and I've had to strim (*) the darn grass so often. Just happy I can charge up the strimmer's batteries for free now!

( * not sure you call them' strimmers' in the USA, but I mean one of those handheld garden tools that has a fast rotating plastic blade that cuts the grass and throws all the cuttings over your PV panels!)
Click to expand...
String trimmer or weed Wacker. Its rare to see the three plastic blade versions these days most use trimmer line.
 
Brucey said:
Could do with some goats. Need to mow and move these panels. Definitely getting some shading.


View attachment 215373
Click to expand...
If you haven't moved them before, you might be in for a surprise.
I had a few laying on grass for just a few days and the grass became part of the back sheet. Was not easy to clean off. (And that was only a few days)
 
timselectric said:
If you haven't moved them before, you might be in for a surprise.
I had a few laying on grass for just a few days and the grass became part of the back sheet. Was not easy to clean off. (And that was only a few days)
Click to expand...
Been a couple weeks. I had them angled but with sun much higher now decided to go flat for longer duration production.
 
Bluedog225 said:
Thanks for this photo. I stopped at Home Depot and got some weed block fabric.
Click to expand...
I did some trimming but wasn't feeling brave enough to trim directly against them. Since mowed adjacent to them and will shift both the strings to the mowed area.

20240516_200720.jpg

20240516_201038.jpg
 
Brucey said:
Could do with some goats. Need to mow and move these panels. Definitely getting some shading.
Click to expand...
Goat rated panels are pretty rare. Durn things like to climb on anything that is around them. I have seem the neighbor's goats up in trees, on rocks, on their tractor and even up on the backyard trampoline.

You might need some weed and grass killer.
 
Brucey said:
Could do with some goats. Need to mow and move these panels. Definitely getting some shading.

20240514_140810-jpg.215373
20240516_200720-jpg.216154
Click to expand...


Brucey said:
Nothing wrong with battery saws, I have a little part time mowing/trimming business and I generally use Stihl kma/ap series battery gear for grass trimming, hedges, polesaw etc. carbon fiber extension pole for that extra reach. Still can't replace the backpack blowers too much weight not enough
screenshot_20220719-182323_gallery-jpg.205075
Click to expand...

Hmmm... "The cobbler always wears the worst shoes" springs to mind ;) :ROFLMAO:
 
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