Hello, Wife and I want to build an off-grid setup in Ontario Canada

[Tony S]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Tony and years ago my wife and I downsized our house.
We recently started talking seriously about getting off-grid and would like to be 100% off-grid with our setup - if at all possible.

I might be biting off more than I can chew.
Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Grin
FYI - I've been watching videos for months and reading what I can. But some of this is still a little over my head and that is why I'm here.

My hope is that we can get away with 12 panels or less.
(I've asked the MRS to get the last year or two of Hydro bills, so I can put all the info in a spreadsheet to see our usage during the S/F, S and W time frame.)
Everything in our house is electric except the oil boiler for heat, yet the circulating pump is electric, and the MRS does not want a gas stove and/or dyer.
I have grand hopes / ideas of having an adjustable array to get the most out of it - due to where we live.

I'm looking at either a Growatt or MPP inverter. (NOT sure if there are any issues with using either of them here in Ontario Canada?)
I'm leaning towards using GYLL LiFePOWER4 in a tower. (Unless someone out there shows me that we be better off going with something else.)

I already have a NEW shipping container or what they call a one-time use, that I plan to use for the entire setup.
My hope is to have the wires from the inverter run into the house to the current electrical panel.
WHY not have the setup in the house? Our house is too small to put the setup inside. We don't even have room for an inverter on the wall, much less the batteries.
(NOTE: I do plan to insulate and heat a small section of the container. Lets say 1/8 or less and it will have a sealed door inside to better control the temperature within that space.)

I also need to find out how cold the batteries can get and if I need to vent the room where everything will be installed from time to time?
However, what if the heating system goes down?
I need to have an understanding of how long I will have before I need to be concerned about the room getting too cold?
To know when I might have to shut the array down to protect the batteries?

FYI - I do plan to start a thread and post my ideas and progress as I move forward with this.
But for right now I need to learn and do my best to retain as much as I can. ( Grin - My age and 4 bad concussions don't help. LOL )

Thanks for your help and advice. I look forward to meeting you, learning, and sharing all I can.
God Bless
Sincerely, Tony

 

[Bobert]

The first thing you need to do is determine how much energy you are going to need. If you search power audit or energy audit there is plenty of help on this forum on how to do that. If you don’t know how much energy you will need you don’t know what components you can “get away with”

 

[Tony S]

The first thing you need to do is determine how much energy you are going to need. If you search power audit or energy audit there is plenty of help on this forum on how to do that. If you don’t know how much energy you will need you don’t know what components you can “get away with”

Thank you Bobert.
Am I wrong in thinking that the peak usage, per day, month and year, would be found on the our Hydro bill for the last year or two?
BTW - Our Hydro bills also break down usage for peak and off-peak times as well.

 

[Shannonsman229]

I'm fixing to mount my 6 batteries on my server rack. I would highly recommend the 5000es (us) this can be set up easily with a midpoint Transformer in an off-grid situation. Your wire is going to be less cost as 10 gauge wire will suffice up to 100 ft run to your solar panels. The inverters are stackable so you can expand if needed.

 

[Bobert]

Thank you Bobert.
Am I wrong in thinking that the peak usage, per day, month and year, would be found on the our Hydro bill for the last year or two?
BTW - Our Hydro bills also break down usage for peak and off-peak times as well.

Peak useage is not particularly relevant in calculating the size of your system A proper energy audit will help you determine how many watts you will need at any given time and how many watts you will need in an average day.
From that point you decide what your goals are and compromise with how much money you are willing to spend. Most folks are try to meet multiple goals with solar like energy independence, less noise, cleaner energy, saving money the list is nearly endless. In the interest of economy most people who have or install solar practice some form of energy management. For instance I love ice my wife bought me a portable ice maker. We take it camping I use a relatively large solar array with the travel trailer (2100 watts) but a relatively small battery bank (5120 watt hours lifepo4) if I run the ice maker overnight my wife will not be able to make coffee in the morning but if I turn in the ice maker at noon my batteries are fully charged and I can make ice on solar energy that otherwise would be wasted. Our standard of living is no less when we are camping (laundry is harder to do) but on solar we think about what we use and we only use fraction of what we do at home. Get a watt meter live at the container the way you want running on the generator and find out how much energy You actually use. Calculate the things you want to add and see what you come up with. Guessing on power consumption will be costly.

 

[onokai]

I suggest the 1st thing is make sure your consumption is cut down-like LED lights and the like-good insulated home
take the gtwo yaers of power bills and total thep up devide x 24 months and that gives you your monthly average them turm that into a daily use number. This gives you a target to shoot for for your daily use and how much your solar system needs to put out energy wise.

 

[Shannonsman229]

I suggest the 1st thing is make sure your consumption is cut down-like LED lights and the like-good insulated home
take the gtwo yaers of power bills and total thep up devide x 24 months and that gives you your monthly average them turm that into a daily use number. This gives you a target to shoot for for your daily use and how much your solar system needs to put out energy wise.

That is great advice. I was able to find a 50 gallon heat pump water heater for $450 from Facebook works like a champ on efficiency(heat pump only) mode.

 

[Tony S]

Thank you everyone.

I wish we had the space inside the house to mount the inverters and batteries.
Everything will be outside of the house. (Tomorrow I'll try to take a picture of the new shipping container we have.)

BTW - To help cut back on usage - we switched to LED lights throughout the entire property (house, barn and porch) 5+ years ago.

Currently our heavy load items are; Dyer, Hot Water Heater, Oven/Stove, Window A/C - which we are planning to switch out with a new high energy mini-split unit within the next two years. But I might have to revisit the heat pump water heater idea again. Some time ago I had looked into them. The one I was looking at claimed to be able to run in floor / baseboard heating too. When I called them they said they no longer recommend it for that. But hey, it would still be the way to go for hot water during the warmer months and we could run a heat exchanger off our new boiler for the winter months.

I installed the boiler myself. If only I felt as competent to handle the entire off-grid solar project. Grin

 

[Tony S]

Here my the idea of my shipping container layout.
NOTE: If I'm able to use 12 panels or less I plan to mount them on the one side of the container.

 

[Pierre]

Here my the idea of my shipping container layout.
NOTE: If I'm able to use 12 panels or less I plan to mount them on the one side of the container.

View attachment 92355

Any reason for wanting to mount the PV panels on the side of the container and not the roof - snow build-up ? Over panelling with your weather conditions is a consideration.

 

[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? Being as this is a new build, throw together a wish list of what you want and estimate on the high side.

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 PVwatts.com or JCR Solar Uber-Sun-Hours calculator sites 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. If you're looking at the All-In-Ones check for correct voltage outputs (120v or 240v Split Phase for North America, 220v Single Phase for European type areas) and make sure it has enough capacity for a little bit of growth and fudge factor.

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.

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 compartment 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.

 

[Bobert]

Here my the idea of my shipping container layout.
NOTE: If I'm able to use 12 panels or less I plan to mount them on the one side of the container.

View attachment 92355

Just a thought. shipping containers tend to be to hot in summer and to cold in winter for the batteries and equipment. Have you considered bolting on a mini insulated building on the end of the container so that it is easier to heat the batteries in winter and vent the equipment in summer. If you place your batteries in an old freezer or cooler you can keep them warm with minimal heat in winter and open the door once freezing temperatures are past that way you can get to your equipment without thawing a 4’ wide door and climbing Ofer a bunch of stuff and you will free up a bunch of container space.

 

[Tony S]

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? Being as this is a new build, throw together a wish list of what you want and estimate on the high side.

MRS is getting me the Hydro bill info today and I will start there.
I was leaning towards 48v. But in all honesty I still have not grasped what would be best for us and our life style.

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 PVwatts.com or JCR Solar Uber-Sun-Hours calculator sites to help figure out how much you'll have to work with. That will be a box in the Power Audit form.

I though it was under my profile name - Ontario Canada. [ EDIT - LOL @ me and my poor memory. Where I am was also in the title. LOL ]
I've read some other threads - before I posted and a guy named Steve here in Ontario has shared a lot of great info.
One of which was the times and best angle for a solar array in our area.
I think I also found something that gave the amount of sun we can rely on in this area. (I'll have to see if I can find that again.)
But then again I've never been good at retaining everything I read and having 4 bad concussions, doesn't really help in the memory department at my age. Grin & lol

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. If you're looking at the All-In-Ones check for correct voltage outputs (120v or 240v Split Phase for North America, 220v Single Phase for European type areas) and make sure it has enough capacity for a little bit of growth and fudge factor.

I'll know more as I dive deeper into this project and learn more from everyone here who is willing to help.
At first I was leaning heavy towards a Growatt 5000us even if I only needed 3500 now.
But I must say - I've gotten all confused "overwhelmed" watching so many Will Prowse and DavePoz videos in the last few months.
Now I'm wondering if a 6500 MPP might be better. (I'll see as I know more about our kW usage.
I also like the GYLL LiFePOWER4 and tower setup.
As for the panels I have NO clue at ALL!! (Because we have so little sun vs FL or California - I thought it might be best to get higher watt and maybe even better panels to have fewer of them and still be able to run our property 100% off-grid.)
Only time, more research, leaning and help will tell - what is going to be best for our situation. Grin

[ EDIT - When I plan to build something, even with my DIY EV, I try to plan to have as many options as possible for another owner in the future.
With that said - I want to plan for ALL OPTIONS - off-grid, generator, and even with power from our Hydro company - should someone want it after us. ]

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.

I hope to get everything for around 15k. (At our current monthly electrical charges - it will take 10yrs to get our money back.)
My other reason for building this off-grid setup in and on a container - is so we can take it with us - should we move.
Just take down the panels and the racking system and store them securely inside and transport the container to it's new home. "Should we move."

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 compartment 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.

Already no room in our house for the solar system equipment! That's another reason why I plan to use the new Shipping Container.

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.

Thank you and everyone else for all your help and support.

It is greatly appreciated!

 

[Tony S]

Just a thought. shipping containers tend to be to hot in summer and to cold in winter for the batteries and equipment. Have you considered bolting on a mini insulated building on the end of the container so that it is easier to heat the batteries in winter and vent the equipment in summer. If you place your batteries in an old freezer or cooler you can keep them warm with minimal heat in winter and open the door once freezing temperatures are past that way you can get to your equipment without thawing a 4’ wide door and climbing Ofer a bunch of stuff and you will free up a bunch of container space.

I plan to fully insulate the solar equipment room. (Lord willing - I also plan to make YouTube videos of the progress.)
FYI - This is NOT where the container will be. TOO MUCH SHADE...

I like the freezer / cooler idea. However, I'm not sure if the batteries need to vent or not. (I'll have to look into that.)
[ EDIT - And I don't mean vent like car batteries. Maybe wrong choice of words... ]
NOTE: The vents near the corners at the top of the container.
I was thinking I could use to 2 in the back to provide cross ventilation, using the smallest fresh air/heat exchanger, during the different seasons to help control the temps - while also ventilating the room.
This way I only have to invest in insulating and sealing up about 4' deep and all the way across that back of the container. (See idea of layout - in post above.)

 

[Shannonsman229]

I hope to get everything for around 15k. (At currently prices for our monthly electric charges - it will take 10yrs to get our money back.)
My other reason for building this Off-grid setup in and on a container - is so we can take it with us - should we move.
Just take down the panel and the racking system and store in securely inside and transport the container to it's new home. "Should we move."


No room in house for solar system already! That's another reason why I have the new Shipping Container.

View attachment 92384



Thank you and everyone else for all your help and support.

It is greatly appreciated!

I live 15 minutes down the road from signature solar I was able to pick up this system. 6 of there 48 volt 100 amp hour eg4 batteries, 57 panels 235w used Canadian solar, midpoint Transformer, 3 5000es(us), all of the wire and mounting materials for round 16 k.
This is overkill for my 1100 square foot mobile home. The great thing about this setup is I can expand if needed. And I can also live comfortably. I have soft start I am installing on my air conditioner.
Your best bet who's going to be this set up on a 15K budget. The shipping and insulating your solar room in your container of course will eat into your budget a little. Utilizing Unistrut for your portable rack would be the best for breaking down and relocating if needed. If you call Signature solar ask them about the garage sale items see if they have any garage sale items that have full warranty but have had the main board replaced or serviced. They also have batteries in the garage sale Section.
If you are completely going to stay off grid with this setup the midpoint is the way to go. I ended up tying the grid in for backup. Cloudy days or hot summer nights here in Texas I can deplete my battery Bank and the inverters will charge them from the grid while running my inverter house loads. I returned my midpoint Transformer and purchased a new open box 15 KVA isolation Transformer. Now that this is incorporated I can safely power my house 120 volt loads with the grid as backup. If purchased new these Transformers run $1,500 I pick mine up for $550 purchased from eBay picked up locally.
The great thing about this setup is you can stack up to six of these inverters while running up to 16 batteries.
I'm not sure on shipping to Canada with the batteries. At my work we do not ship outside of the country. But a lot of people purchase are incubator have them delivered to a border Warehouse and pick them up from there. I'm not sure how all that works. Hopefully this helps.

 

[Steve_S]

I've seen this a couple of times now and so finally gonna chime in.
Lots to cover and some things brought in "too early" to add confusion.
Have a peek at About My System but it is presently quite out of date as I am reconfiguring the powerhouse & installation therein. Some info there may help, do look into the "spoilers" too ;-)
Your target plan is reachable but it will require some serious thinking & planning when considering an electric stove/oven, Dryer, Tank Water Heater and such. No BS, Conservation is and always be far cheaper than generation & storage. Plainly put, all "Energy Pig Devices" must be thoroughly considered.

When looking at your consumption, the Hydro One bills break it down nicely (lot better than some!)
Look at Nov. Dec. & Jan. for the winter segment & Jun, Jul, Aug to work out your daily average... Yeah some spreadsheet / calculator work to do...
That is your "current usage" and then think of which energy pig devices are running during that time... sorry, gotta say it but it will give you a sense of what to look at. Because Hydro One has Weird TOU scales pending on the class/region, as I recall they used to break out usage with the TOU shown, I dunno if they still do that. Haven't had a cursed bill from them for over 5 years. Man it feels good !

Sea Can / Container.
I hafta say it like this and sorry but, there is a lot of BS about how best to do things with Sea Cans and the irony is, in every different climate zone the issues are different, so the end result is, "Local Practical Experience" is best with everything taken with a Good dose of Salt. Let me tell ya, that some advice can cost you a boat load of coin and you don't know till it's done and you're shafted.

You can certainly use a SeaCan with careful consideration for the electrical components, the "shell" being steel and then mounting panels thereto. You "must" have clearance beneath the rack for the snow to fall & for you to be able to get there & clear the snow. A Minimum of 3' but 4' is better and you "will" have to shovel. No Ifs, Ands or Buts about it. Those pocket Vents SUCK ! and they will never help with condensation inside and yes, it is gonna happen, and it will fall from the ceilings and dribble down the walls.

I based my rack off the side of my SeaCan with 4' Clearance to ground. It works and does what it should but it is limited to that config because of the Door Swing... Imagine the Blue Air generated if the door smashed a panel.... "HINDSIGHT" building a proper roof 12:12 pitch (45 deg)it could have gone the entire 20' length BUT also continued 4' forward on the door side, creating a covered entry over the main doors. That would allow for 16 60-cell Panels to be installed. This would have also acted as a Thermal Break preventing direct solar contact with the SeaCan roof and allowing hot air to be vented off in summer. This would have also facilitated "external" insulation on the "can" roof surface. Insulation is also a bit tricky for us, the best is to 1st prevent direct solar contact of the metal, often a foam sheet insulation (or Roxul Board Insulation is great ) with siding over that is the simplest way to go with air channels to vent condensation. Internally, Roxul of foam but never use fiberglass or anything that will wick moisture.
A SeaCan GOTCHA ! Make sure that where you are installing the Can, that you remove the top soil at least a good 1' deep, level it, pack it, then lay down commercial grade weed cloth, or road cloth, then fill will A Grade crush gravel and pack it "hard" and again making sure it is "level". Put 16x16 to 18x18 6" thick cottage blocks in place for the 4 corners to set the Can onto. Be prepared to use a serious hydraulic jack every year to level up if you don't and guess what, it does not take that much before the doors are cocked & no opening/closing with smiley faces. Frost Heave is a PITA.

Two links that will give you optimal angles & sun hour info, just fill in the details and voila. Screen Capture them and save the info as JPG for yourself, you'll need to look at it a few times. ;-)
Solar Angle Calculator
Solar Irradiance

A few things to ponder upon.
- On-Demand Hot Water.
- Induction Cooktop
- Possible Air Fryer Oven (can be coupled with induction top)
- Heating system options which may include cooling as well.

Hope it helps, Good Luck

 

[Tony S]

I live 15 minutes down the road from signature solar I was able to pick up this system. 6 of there 48 volt 100 amp hour eg4 batteries, 57 panels 235w used Canadian solar, midpoint Transformer, 3 5000es(us), all of the wire and mounting materials for round 16 k.
This is overkill for my 1100 square foot mobile home. The great thing about this setup is I can expand if needed. And I can also live comfortably. I have soft start I am installing on my air conditioner.
Your best bet who's going to be this set up on a 15K budget. The shipping and insulating your solar room in your container of course will eat into your budget a little. Utilizing Unistrut for your portable rack would be the best for breaking down and relocating if needed. If you call Signature solar ask them about the garage sale items see if they have any garage sale items that have full warranty but have had the main board replaced or serviced. They also have batteries in the garage sale Section.
If you are completely going to stay off grid with this setup the midpoint is the way to go. I ended up tying the grid in for backup. Cloudy days or hot summer nights here in Texas I can deplete my battery Bank and the inverters will charge them from the grid while running my inverter house loads. I returned my midpoint Transformer and purchased a new open box 15 KVA isolation Transformer. Now that this is incorporated I can safely power my house 120 volt loads with the grid as backup. If purchased new these Transformers run $1,500 I pick mine up for $550 purchased from eBay picked up locally.
The great thing about this setup is you can stack up to six of these inverters while running up to 16 batteries.
I'm not sure on shipping to Canada with the batteries. At my work we do not ship outside of the country. But a lot of people purchase are incubator have them delivered to a border Warehouse and pick them up from there. I'm not sure how all that works. Hopefully this helps.

Thank you.

FYI - I plan to do as much if not all of the install myself. As a retired mechanic who was also a mechanic in the US Army; I think I can do it once I figure out what I don't understand or am overwhelmed about the solar system. And I know I can with the help of others, like yourself, who chime in with helpful advice.

 

[Tony S]

I've seen this a couple of times now and so finally gonna chime in.
Lots to cover and some things brought in "too early" to add confusion.
Have a peek at About My System but it is presently quite out of date as I am reconfiguring the powerhouse & installation therein. Some info there may help, do look into the "spoilers" too ;-)
Your target plan is reachable but it will require some serious thinking & planning when considering an electric stove/oven, Dryer, Tank Water Heater and such. No BS, Conservation is and always be far cheaper than generation & storage. Plainly put, all "Energy Pig Devices" must be thoroughly considered.

Steve, Let me first say thank you for chiming in. A post of you helping someone was one of the first post I saw when I came here.
I noticed then that you were close by and I did take a peek at your setup then.
(But, I need to make some time to thoroughly go over it. I spent most of that time looking at the pictures and not really studying it.) GRIN
I also looked at the seasonal adjustment info you provided somewhere. (Might have been the same thread.) Not sure - Old age & Concussions.
Anyways, Thank you so much for taking the time to help me and others and for sharing what you do. BTW - I see a setup similar to yours when driving the Hwy.

I understand conservation is key and as for the "Energy Pig Devices" the MRS does not like Gas/LP and thus we have to use an electric stove from time to time. However, we don't use it that often. Mainly for heating up M&M and/or Pizzas as neither of us likes to cook much. LOL
We do however rely on our Microwave a lot. (I might have to look into a better one and maybe even one that is a combo of Microwave and Convection to help reduce the demand vs the oven.
HOT WATER - I would prefer an LP on-demand setup. But again the MRS does not want LP in the house. So, I might look into those Heat Pump models some more. Either way, I plan at some point to add in a heat exchanger to work with the new oil boiler I installed Nov 2020 to help in the winter time to keep hot water ready for when we need it. (That should help reduce the solar demand during the winter months, when we have more cloudy days.)

EDIT - As for A/C. In the next year or two we plan to get rid of our one window A/C unit that came with this place and install a nice Energy Savings Mini-split A/C and heat pump setup.

When looking at your consumption, the Hydro One bills break it down nicely (lot better than some!)
Look at Nov. Dec. & Jan. for the winter segment & Jun, Jul, Aug to work out your daily average... Yeah some spreadsheet / calculator work to do...
That is your "current usage" and then think of which energy pig devices are running during that time... sorry, gotta say it but it will give you a sense of what to look at. Because Hydro One has Weird TOU scales pending on the class/region, as I recall they used to break out usage with the TOU shown, I dunno if they still do that. Haven't had a cursed bill from them for over 5 years. Man it feels good !

Thanks, I'm going to look at the Hydro info that the MRS sent me after I'm done here. I'll post what I find later. BTW - It must be nice to be fully off-grid. Some day soon for us!

Sea Can / Container.
I hafta say it like this and sorry but, there is a lot of BS about how best to do things with Sea Cans and the irony is, in every different climate zone the issues are different, so the end result is, "Local Practical Experience" is best with everything taken with a Good dose of Salt. Let me tell ya, that some advice can cost you a boat load of coin and you don't know till it's done and you're shafted.

You can certainly use a SeaCan with careful consideration for the electrical components, the "shell" being steel and then mounting panels thereto. You "must" have clearance beneath the rack for the snow to fall & for you to be able to get there & clear the snow. A Minimum of 3' but 4' is better and you "will" have to shovel. No Ifs, Ands or Buts about it. Those pocket Vents SUCK ! and they will never help with condensation inside and yes, it is gonna happen, and it will fall from the ceilings and dribble down the walls.

I based my rack off the side of my SeaCan with 4' Clearance to ground. It works and does what it should but it is limited to that config because of the Door Swing... Imagine the Blue Air generated if the door smashed a panel.... "HINDSIGHT" building a proper roof 12:12 pitch (45 deg)it could have gone the entire 20' length BUT also continued 4' forward on the door side, creating a covered entry over the main doors. That would allow for 16 60-cell Panels to be installed. This would have also acted as a Thermal Break preventing direct solar contact with the SeaCan roof and allowing hot air to be vented off in summer. This would have also facilitated "external" insulation on the "can" roof surface. Insulation is also a bit tricky for us, the best is to 1st prevent direct solar contact of the metal, often a foam sheet insulation (or Roxul Board Insulation is great ) with siding over that is the simplest way to go with air channels to vent condensation. Internally, Roxul of foam but never use fiberglass or anything that will wick moisture.
A SeaCan GOTCHA ! Make sure that where you are installing the Can, that you remove the top soil at least a good 1' deep, level it, pack it, then lay down commercial grade weed cloth, or road cloth, then fill will A Grade crush gravel and pack it "hard" and again making sure it is "level". Put 16x16 to 18x18 6" thick cottage blocks in place for the 4 corners to set the Can onto. Be prepared to use a serious hydraulic jack every year to level up if you don't and guess what, it does not take that much before the doors are cocked & no opening/closing with smiley faces. Frost Heave is a PITA.

Steve, I'll have to update you on my plans for my container layout and ventilation ideas. I'm looking into using a small fresh air heat exchanger all year around to help control the temps inside the container.

Two links that will give you optimal angles & sun hour info, just fill in the details and voila. Screen Capture them and save the info as JPG for yourself, you'll need to look at it a few times. ;-)
Solar Angle Calculator
Solar Irradiance

A few things to ponder upon.
- On-Demand Hot Water.
- Induction Cooktop
- Possible Air Fryer Oven (can be coupled with induction top)
- Heating system options which may include cooling as well.

Hope it helps, Good Luck

Now I have the links for a quick reference to that info of yours that I had found earlier. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Tony

 

[Shannonsman229]

Thank you.

FYI - I plan to do as much if not all of the install myself. As a retired mechanic who was also a mechanic in the US Army; I think I can do it once I figure out what I don't understand or am overwhelmed about the solar system. And I know I can with the help of others, like yourself, who chime in with helpful advice.

I know I had a lot of help on my system from @timselectric . If you need anything feel free to p.m.

 

[Tony S]

I know I had a lot of help on my system from @timselectric . If you need anything feel free to p.m.

Thank you.
I'm not use to a forum like this. In a person's profile, is it private if one writes in the box that comes up under "Profile post"?