Getting Started in Ghana

[kweks.medic]

Been reading and watching Will's videos. Last one that got me excited was growatt+eg4+solar panels

Read that the growatts can be added to as needs increase.
So my thoughts are to start small and add to my system (as yet to be built) and this is where I could use some help.
There is no grid where I will be, devices are 220-240v, are there other devices that I should get? Fuses etc
I am going to the back of nowhere so a no frills system that will just run.
Eg4
Growatt all in one
Solar panels (Will has links to some 445w)
Others

 

[Rednecktek]

Well, I'll start the default answer to these questions and we can work from there. Here's you To-Do list:

1: Power audit! This will give you some important information on how big your inverter needs to be as well as how much battery capacity you'll need. There is a link in the FAQ section (I think, or someone here will post it shortly) so fill in the blanks and see what it comes up with. You'll probably need some sort of Kill-A-Watt to get accurate measurements. Are you going to be running a 12v system? 24v system? 48v system? What are the specs on your solar panels? VoC? Vmp?

1a: Where do you live? Speccing out a system for Scotland is a LOT different numbers than Arizona due to the amount of light you actually get. Someone here can post the link to the Uber-Sun-Hours calculator site to help figure out how much you'll have to work with. That will be a box in the Power Audit form.

2: Parts list: You don't need a make & model list, just a parts list to start from for reference. You'll need an inverter, a MPPT charge controller, fuses, shunt, buck converter, batteries, wire, etc. Once you have a basic list it can be fine tuned to make & models after that.

3: Budget!: Steak is great but doesn't mean anything if your wallet says hamburger. Figure out what you're able to spend now vs what you'll have to cheap out on now and upgrade later. Availability out there is also going to be a major hurdle so figure out what your options are for suppliers.

4: Tape measure! Figure out where you're going to stick all the stuff you'll need. A dozen 3000AH batteries sounds great until you're sleeping on the floor because there's no room left for a bed. Is there a shed or closet or space that can house all this stuff? Will the server rack batteries fit? Are you going to have to make space? Physics can be pretty unforgiving.

5: Pencil out what you think you need and throw it at us so we can tell you what you've missed (because we ALL miss stuff the first go-round ) and help figure out which parts and pieces you're going to want to get.

A basic list of what you're going to need is:
AIO Unit, the Growatt
Batteries
Wire and crimps based on the amperage load you'll be drawing from the batteries
Fuses for the batteries
Combiner box depending on how many panel strings you're planning on using now or in the future
Bus bars to connect all the wiring together
Shunt to keep an eye on the system
Panels
Mounting for said panels

The power audit will help point you at the size of the fuses you're going to need for the batteries and the panel strings will determine what size fuses you need for the combiner box. Fortunately you can pretty much figure those out last.

I don't know if you've been running on a generator or are starting from scratch, but this just gets you a source. If you want to plug in appliances and such you're still going to need to figure out the AC side of things like breaker panels, breakers, wire, outlets, boxes, etc.

 

[kweks.medic]

Rednecktek

Well, I'll start the default answer to these questions and we can work from there. Here's you To-Do list:

1: Power audit! This will give you some important information on how big your inverter needs to be as well as how much battery capacity you'll need. There is a link in the FAQ section (I think, or someone here will post it shortly) so fill in the blanks and see what it comes up with. You'll probably need some sort of Kill-A-Watt to get accurate measurements. Are you going to be running a 12v system? 24v system? 48v system? What are the specs on your solar panels? VoC? Vmp?

1a: Where do you live? Speccing out a system for Scotland is a LOT different numbers than Arizona due to the amount of light you actually get. Someone here can post the link to the Uber-Sun-Hours calculator site to help figure out how much you'll have to work with. That will be a box in the Power Audit form.

2: Parts list: You don't need a make & model list, just a parts list to start from for reference. You'll need an inverter, a MPPT charge controller, fuses, shunt, buck converter, batteries, wire, etc. Once you have a basic list it can be fine tuned to make & models after that.

3: Budget!: Steak is great but doesn't mean anything if your wallet says hamburger. Figure out what you're able to spend now vs what you'll have to cheap out on now and upgrade later. Availability out there is also going to be a major hurdle so figure out what your options are for suppliers.

4: Tape measure! Figure out where you're going to stick all the stuff you'll need. A dozen 3000AH batteries sounds great until you're sleeping on the floor because there's no room left for a bed. Is there a shed or closet or space that can house all this stuff? Will the server rack batteries fit? Are you going to have to make space? Physics can be pretty unforgiving.

5: Pencil out what you think you need and throw it at us so we can tell you what you've missed (because we ALL miss stuff the first go-round ) and help figure out which parts and pieces you're going to want to get.

A basic list of what you're going to need is:
AIO Unit, the Growatt
Batteries
Wire and crimps based on the amperage load you'll be drawing from the batteries
Fuses for the batteries
Combiner box depending on how many panel strings you're planning on using now or in the future
Bus bars to connect all the wiring together
Shunt to keep an eye on the system
Panels
Mounting for said panels

The power audit will help point you at the size of the fuses you're going to need for the batteries and the panel strings will determine what size fuses you need for the combiner box. Fortunately you can pretty much figure those out last.

I don't know if you've been running on a generator or are starting from scratch, but this just gets you a source. If you want to plug in appliances and such you're still going to need to figure out the AC side of things like breaker panels, breakers, wire, outlets, boxes, etc.

I am starting from scratch: blank slate.
Location: Ghana, West Africa
Budget $5k
48v Off-grid System no grid where I am going
AIO = Growatt 5k ES; noticed output is 220 - 240v. Appliances available in Ghana require 220 - 240v
Storage: 5kwh eg4
Panels: 445w solarever
Lights
Well pump
Refrigerator
Fan, AC later
Being pragmatic, will only power what can be powered. There will be some trial and error to find the sweet spot of combo of appliances that can run together. Modular approach, start with single inverter powered by strand of panels, add second strand of panels and inverter to power other appliances as budget allows

 

[Rednecktek]

Oohh, this is going to be tight but might be doable. So basically the plan is "Make all the system I can on my budget now and see what works"? OK, that works.

The Growatt and the battery are going to be about $3000 right out the gate, which leaves you about $2,000 for the panels and hardware. If you go for the most basic system I'd recommend at least $1,000 of that set aside for the A/C side of things like wiring and breakers and the mounting hardware for the panels, plus the "Krap-I-didn't-think-about-that" things (I'm assuming that the budget doesn't include the appliances themselves?) which leaves you getting as many solar panels as you can for about $1,000.

Your super basic list looks like rough numbers:
Growatt 5k - $800
EG4 battery - $1500
125a Fuse - $30
Wire, breaker box, outlet boxes, lumber/racking, etc - $1,000
Solar panels - At least 3, as many as you can afford- $1,000

Because you're doing such a simple system, the only parts you really need are panels, the Growatt, the battery, and a 125a fuse to get your source, then it's just a matter of getting the power out from there. I don't know if delivery fees to you are going to eat up a significant chunk or not but keep it in mind. Fortunately most everything on the A/C side should be pretty available locally so that helps cut a LOT of shipping and handling if you can get it from a hardware store.

As for the loads, the big power draw will be the well pump and the refrigerator for now, and the AirCon shouldn't be a thought until you've got a few more batteries under your belt. Going with the 5k unit you should have plenty of startup power for those so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. Everything else is more of the small load over time that's going to just chip away at the batteries all night but nothing really spikey.

As for the future, I'd recommend once you're up and going to start with a generator, more battery, then more panels, then more batteries, then more Growatts in that order. From what I understand from coworkers I've had in the past Ghana is usually pretty sunny except when it's not for long stretches at a time so having that capacity is really important.

Just my thoughts though. I'm sure others will be by soon to poke their heads in and help.

 

[kweks.medic]

Oohh, this is going to be tight but might be doable. So basically the plan is "Make all the system I can on my budget now and see what works"? OK, that works.

The Growatt and the battery are going to be about $3000 right out the gate, which leaves you about $2,000 for the panels and hardware. If you go for the most basic system I'd recommend at least $1,000 of that set aside for the A/C side of things like wiring and breakers and the mounting hardware for the panels, plus the "Krap-I-didn't-think-about-that" things (I'm assuming that the budget doesn't include the appliances themselves?) which leaves you getting as many solar panels as you can for about $1,000.

Your super basic list looks like rough numbers:
Growatt 5k - $800
EG4 battery - $1500
125a Fuse - $30
Wire, breaker box, outlet boxes, lumber/racking, etc - $1,000
Solar panels - At least 3, as many as you can afford- $1,000

Because you're doing such a simple system, the only parts you really need are panels, the Growatt, the battery, and a 125a fuse to get your source, then it's just a matter of getting the power out from there. I don't know if delivery fees to you are going to eat up a significant chunk or not but keep it in mind. Fortunately most everything on the A/C side should be pretty available locally so that helps cut a LOT of shipping and handling if you can get it from a hardware store.

As for the loads, the big power draw will be the well pump and the refrigerator for now, and the AirCon shouldn't be a thought until you've got a few more batteries under your belt. Going with the 5k unit you should have plenty of startup power for those so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. Everything else is more of the small load over time that's going to just chip away at the batteries all night but nothing really spikey.

As for the future, I'd recommend once you're up and going to start with a generator, more battery, then more panels, then more batteries, then more Growatts in that order. From what I understand from coworkers I've had in the past Ghana is usually pretty sunny except when it's not for long stretches at a time so having that capacity is really important.

Just my thoughts though. I'm sure others will be by soon to poke their heads in and help.

Wow, feeling more confident by the day.
It is sunny alright.
Would you have recommendations on the fuse and/or any other safety devices.
For my education, please give me more background to the "going to start with a generator, more battery, then more panels, then more batteries, then more Growatts in that order". It's probably all very logical.... Can't connect the dots yet.
My thoughts had been to add strings of panels and growatts as I added more load. If I understood you right, add more batteries and panels (the production side) before adding to the growatt.

 

[Rednecktek]

You'll want a 125a fuse between the battery and the Growatt for safety to start out with. As you add more panels in the future you'll probably end up getting a combiner box to bring all your strings together (so you're not trying to stuff a bunch of wires into a single port) and when you get to the point where you've got your 3rd string you'll need fuses for each of the strings. That'll be a future upgrade so no need to worry about it now.

The A/C side of things is going to require breakers for each of your 220v circuits in the houses and I'm not familiar enough with the electrical code out there to tell you how big each of those need to be, but on the ships I work with (all Asian built and 220v) we use 10a breakers for most things and 15a for the heavier draw machinery so I'm guessing you're going to be somewhere close to that give or take. It really depends on your electrical code and what you're plugging in. A 3Hp well pump will blow a lighting circuit, but a 30a circuit is out of spec for a lighting circuit.

My upgrade list was based on the fact that getting everything up and running now with your budget doesn't leave you with a lot of capacity (only 1 battery) or a lot of generation, so when you get storm season and it's overcast for long periods of time you're going to need a way to recharge your batteries when the sun's not working right. A smaller (3500-ish?) inverter generator should play nicely with the Growatt and give you that secondary supply.

After that you've got plenty of headspace on the controller for more panels, so the next step should be more generation so you can top up the battery faster. Now that you're producing more power than your battery can take, add another battery so you can either run more loads longer or have more capacity to run larger loads like the hot tub.

Keep adding in the batteries and panels as budget and time allow, that lets you add more A/C circuits to feed more things and lets you run larger things and smaller things longer. Build up as you go.

Once you've reached the point where you've got all the solar panels you need for 3 days of no sun (which is the general rule of thumb for sizing batteries) and enough panels to recharge those batteries from almost nothing to full in a day then you'll probably be about the point where you need more A/C capacity, and then it's time to add in the next Growatt.

Then the cycle continues. The goal is to get you up and running now and expand as budget and time allow in the future.

Did that make sense to anyone but me?

 

[kweks.medic]

The hot tub in 90°F temps, now why didn't I think of that??
Makes sense with the sequencing. Owe you big time.
Will keep you posted

 

[kweks.medic]

You'll want a 125a fuse between the battery and the Growatt for safety to start out with. As you add more panels in the future you'll probably end up getting a combiner box to bring all your strings together (so you're not trying to stuff a bunch of wires into a single port) and when you get to the point where you've got your 3rd string you'll need fuses for each of the strings. That'll be a future upgrade so no need to worry about it now.

The A/C side of things is going to require breakers for each of your 220v circuits in the houses and I'm not familiar enough with the electrical code out there to tell you how big each of those need to be, but on the ships I work with (all Asian built and 220v) we use 10a breakers for most things and 15a for the heavier draw machinery so I'm guessing you're going to be somewhere close to that give or take. It really depends on your electrical code and what you're plugging in. A 3Hp well pump will blow a lighting circuit, but a 30a circuit is out of spec for a lighting circuit.

My upgrade list was based on the fact that getting everything up and running now with your budget doesn't leave you with a lot of capacity (only 1 battery) or a lot of generation, so when you get storm season and it's overcast for long periods of time you're going to need a way to recharge your batteries when the sun's not working right. A smaller (3500-ish?) inverter generator should play nicely with the Growatt and give you that secondary supply.

After that you've got plenty of headspace on the controller for more panels, so the next step should be more generation so you can top up the battery faster. Now that you're producing more power than your battery can take, add another battery so you can either run more loads longer or have more capacity to run larger loads like the hot tub.

Keep adding in the batteries and panels as budget and time allow, that lets you add more A/C circuits to feed more things and lets you run larger things and smaller things longer. Build up as you go.

Once you've reached the point where you've got all the solar panels you need for 3 days of no sun (which is the general rule of thumb for sizing batteries) and enough panels to recharge those batteries from almost nothing to full in a day then you'll probably be about the point where you need more A/C capacity, and then it's time to add in the next Growatt.

Then the cycle continues. The goal is to get you up and running now and expand as budget and time allow in the future.

Did that make sense to anyone but me?

It makes sense to me and for now that's all that matters.
So for the last 6 months I have skipped my lunch and dinner to save a bunch. Read and watched so many videos and still put on weight. That's another story for another day.
I have purchased 6 of the Growatts (5k ESs) and a pallet of panels (31 BlueSun 500w) and 24 250AH AGM batteries. Currently on a ship to Ghana. The plan is to power two properties with 3 inverters and 12 batteries each.
I've read that I can use ANL fuses instead of class T fuses. That saves me some money, wondering if it's worth the risk?
Any tips/gotchas to look out for?

 

[Rednecktek]

I've read that I can use ANL fuses instead of class T fuses. That saves me some money, wondering if it's worth the risk?

Those should be fine. AGM's don't really run the risk of arcing across an air gap like LFP's do.

Any tips/gotchas to look out for?

Make sure wherever you put the batteries has some airflow near the roof. If those batteries get hot enough they can/will fart a little hydrogen and you really don't want that hanging around. Remember that the AGM's are only good for half their rated Ah so those 250's are really only good for 125Ah of usable power.

Post pics when you're done, we love seeing projects coming to fruition.