Getting ready to order panels-- U.P. of MI

[gray webber]

Dang Gray, nice job on that box. I had not considered leveraging the heat from the other components when setting this up. This is basically what I was thinking as well. If I could some how generate enough electricity to keep the heaters/components/starlink up and running in the winter months it would allow me to throw up a a camera or two on the property which would be really neat.

What is the black lining? Is that velcro? I am with you using SLA or AGM for this climate. I over discharged it a few times and it now can barely keep the camper heater running overnight.

Because we don't really plan on being up there more than a few days the batteries do not need to charge to full each day. If it took two weeks that would be fine. I will likely get a plug in charger and just fill the generator tank on my way out of camp and let that thing charge it with whatever it can when I don't have to listen to it. Then I can grab maybe 4-6 panels, mount them at 90deg and leave them.

Here is a bit of math. The larger two battery box would go 30 days without any recharge on the 280ah battery. This set up with direct power from batteries into heating units can allow the inverter to be off saving power. On a very very very bad day with 4 panels I have seen a min of 800
watts in. I’m trying not to over state this but today was horrible weather, I’ll post a picture of the single panel from this 9 AM. When I left about 3pm that panel had placed about 300 watts in. (1 panel) Most cloudy winter days average about 1.6 to 2.4 kWh charge. I had a couple test days of over 6.4kwh with two panels. I’m not worried a bit about maintaining battery charge. If you go 6 panels you will have no issue at all.
AGM and FLA are a huge waist of money and they don’t work.
I may power a yard light for security if all works out good.
If you have an auto gen start for low battery voltage then that would be another safe guard.
The black strips are polyurethane seals.
I have a messy wood shop where I cobble the boxes together.

 

[beckkl]

I think I found it....

REC SOLAR TwinPeak REC350TP2S 72 - 350 Watt REC SOLAR Panel

REC Solar's TwinPeak REC350TP2S 72 solar panels are premium solar panels with superior performance. The REC TwinPeak 2S 72 takes the power output of 72-cell multicrystalline panels to groundbreaking new heights with it's twin panel design. This reliable solar panel is ideal for commercial PV...

upsolarsales.com

Quite a deal for those local. I wanted bi-facial but this would be worth it not to have to pay for shipping

 

[gray webber]

I think I found it....

REC SOLAR TwinPeak REC350TP2S 72 - 350 Watt REC SOLAR Panel

REC Solar's TwinPeak REC350TP2S 72 solar panels are premium solar panels with superior performance. The REC TwinPeak 2S 72 takes the power output of 72-cell multicrystalline panels to groundbreaking new heights with it's twin panel design. This reliable solar panel is ideal for commercial PV...

upsolarsales.com

Quite a deal for those local. I wanted bi-facial but this would be worth it not to have to pay for shipping

Yes, it’s a nice price on them. No shipping is great savings. Just get 6? Hell , 8.
Thanks for the heads up. I can let my buddy know if this option. If I decide to get a few more to over panel then maybe I’ll pick a few up. My wife and I have a home in Iron Mountain too so just a short run to BR.
Thanks!

 

[Notes]

beckki, yes UP Solar.

 

[gray webber]

Yes, it’s a nice price on them. No shipping is great savings. Just get 6? Hell , 8.
Thanks for the heads up. I can let my buddy know if this option. If I decide to get a few more to over panel then maybe I’ll pick a few up. My wife and I have a home in Iron Mountain too so just a short run to BR.
Thanks!

Picture is of the single panel at 9am
It’s tilted. I did not clear it at all today. Had no real sun. Went back at 6pm and charge was .7kwh. One panel uncleared in horrible weather. At 10am it was only 27watts. It was 23f today.

 

[beckkl]

I am curious to see how much snow would collect at 90deg

 

[gray webber]

I am curious to see how much snow would collect at 90deg

Look at the garage door it’s leaning against. It is vertical. Zero snow? Different material.
I will tilt it vertical Sunday when I get back there. just to see what watts it will gather even with the sun now at 37 degrees at Solar noon.

 

[beckkl]

My thought right now is 6-8 panels at 90 deg lifted above the snow line. Braced like an SOB to combat wind. I'd love to get 3-4KWH a day even in the dreariest of winter days, consistently, without me having to worry about clearing snow off the panels.

 

[WYtreasure]

My thought right now is 6-8 panels at 90 deg lifted above the snow line. Braced like an SOB to combat wind. I'd love to get 3-4KWH a day even in the dreariest of winter days, consistently, without me having to worry about clearing snow off the panels.

The snow is like sand at the beach. I know I'm not sharing anything you don't already know. It gets everywhere you don't want it to be and then sticks there.
Ground mount panels and a push broom works. I don't want to elevate my array much because of the wind. Something else you already know about.

Picture is of the single panel at 9am
It’s tilted. I did not clear it at all today. Had no real sun. Went back at 6pm and charge was .7kwh. One panel uncleared in horrible weather. At 10am it was only 27watts. It was 23f today.

Are you saying those numbers are Good, Bad, Surprising or none of the above?

 

[beckkl]

.7kwh with snow on it all day?

 

[gray webber]

The snow is like sand at the beach. I know I'm not sharing anything you don't already know. It gets everywhere you don't want it to be and then sticks there.
Ground mount panels and a push broom works. I don't want to elevate my array much because of the wind. Something else you already know about.

Are you saying those numbers are Good, Bad, Surprising or none of the above?

I am running another vert mount test on a bifacial 445 tomorrow. Today I got .6kwh from one panel mounted vertical with No bifacial access gain (fastened to a garage door) in horrible weather (heavy clouds and snow all day. One issue. My battery filled and SCC went into Resting mode before the full day of charge was done????? .7 or.8???? Not sure. Running another test tomorrow.
My thought is 6-390 to 450 bifacials mounted vertical during winter snow months will produce your needs.
I’ll report out my findings tomorrow.
One key thing to keep in mind.
My test panel is mounted tight to a door so no back side power is collected. Properly mounted should bring 15-30% more power.

 

[gray webber]

.7kwh with snow on it all day?

Much of the snow slid off after noon. I should have taken a picture then but was busy with other shop projects. If you read on you will see I’m doing more real life tests only in vertical. Did one today in pure crap weather and doing another tomorrow in average winter weather.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Just saw this. I haven't moved forward. We originally were going to throw a few bedrooms in a pole shed we built until we realized we'd rather wait a bit and build a small cabin by the river. Not sure what the heck we were originally thinking. My plan now gets a bit trickier because I am much more limited as to where I can put the panels because most of the area by the river is denser forest. However, there is a small section I think I can get some panels in. Because of how we use the property in the winter, I think I can get away with just charging the batteries with the generator and using the solar in the summer. Most of the power usage is in the summer anyway. I plan on having the amish build a shed for me where I will store the batter/charger/inverter and plug our camper into that until we build a cabin. Because we are only up about a weekend a month, and would rarely burn through the battery (48v 304AH), I can let a small array slowly charge it over the three weeks.

I have seen arrays 600 feet from a house before.

Got to use some serious copper or micro inverters but it can be done.

 

[gray webber]

I have seen arrays 600 feet from a house before.

Got to use some serious copper or micro inverters but it can be done.

Wire?
I have two choices—one: mount a combiner box at the panels and run a 6ga wire (30a) to the SCC in the camp 80ft away or two: run panel wires 10ga (12a) to the combiner box 80ft into the camp. I’m going with 4 -10ga to the camp for 2-2s panels so I have full control in the camp. I applied the voltage loss to the wires and found:
10ga can get 90ft at 12a normal
8ga can get 160ft
6ga can get 280ft
Just the charts I saw. 3-4% voltage drop.
I’d guess 4ga could be 400ft?
In any case a person could go to a high voltage SCC like 200 to 250 volt and have 2-3s panel strings needing 4 wires for 6 panels.
This would reduce wires for 6 panels to 4.
I have a 150 volt unit , this requires a max of 2s for my near 50 volt panels due to the cold here that could drive an 3s string over the max voltage. My Midnight Solar May handle 3s but it’s so close I don’t want to chance it at -15f that we can get that May drive VOC over the cap. Too costly to risk.
Using flex conduit and THHN stranded wire is about $250 for my run.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Wire?
I have two choices—one: mount a combiner box at the panels and run a 6ga wire (30a) to the SCC in the camp 80ft away or two: run panel wires 10ga (12a) to the combiner box 80ft into the camp. I’m going with 4 -10ga to the camp for 2-2s panels so I have full control in the camp. I applied the voltage loss to the wires and found:
10ga can get 90ft at 12a normal
8ga can get 160ft
6ga can get 280ft
Just the charts I saw. 3-4% voltage drop.
I’d guess 4ga could be 400ft?
In any case a person could go to a high voltage SCC like 200 to 250 volt and have 2-3s panel strings needing 4 wires for 6 panels.
This would reduce wires for 6 panels to 4.
I have a 150 volt unit , this requires a max of 2s for my near 50 volt panels due to the cold here that could drive an 3s string over the max voltage. My Midnight Solar May handle 3s but it’s so close I don’t want to chance it at -15f that we can get that May drive VOC over the cap. Too costly to risk.
Using flex conduit and THHN stranded wire is about $250 for my run.

Yes sir you have the jest of it.

You can run the array as far away as you like. Just cost $.?

 

[beckkl]

I am running another vert mount test on a bifacial 445 tomorrow. Today I got .6kwh from one panel mounted vertical with No bifacial access gain (fastened to a garage door) in horrible weather (heavy clouds and snow all day. One issue. My battery filled and SCC went into Resting mode before the full day of charge was done????? .7 or.8???? Not sure. Running another test tomorrow.
My thought is 6-390 to 450 bifacials mounted vertical during winter snow months will produce your needs.
I’ll report out my findings tomorrow.
One key thing to keep in mind.
My test panel is mounted tight to a door so no back side power is collected. Properly mounted should bring 15-30% more power.

It sounds like you are seeing some very measurable "bonus" from the bi-facials, which is good to know. I may send an email to the gentleman that runs upsoloarsales to see if he has any intention of carrying some.