Hi from Central BC, Canada

[MadMac]

Hi guys. Long time lurker, first time poster. I dropped a little over 9 grand on a solar system today. Been waiting for Black Friday sales and they finally started today. I'll do my best to show you guys what I'm going to accomplish at my cabin.

So this is my place from the water...


The whole cabin and both shops are wired for AC. In the back, behind the cabin, is another shed that has been partitioned so half of it is a generator shack and half is storage/shower house. The generator is an old 7.5 kw, 3 cylinder kubota diesel with an auto start module that can be turned on from either inside the cabin or inside the first shop/guest cabin down by the shore.

There are 2 cables buried in the ground down to the Bunkie (the first shop/guest cabin) One of them is just a 14/2 for the switch to turn on the generator and the other is a fat cable for the panel, I cannot recall the gauge. All the power is Distributed from the generator shack....

This is the package that I purchased: https://solarpowerstore.ca/collecti...-houses-and-more-optional-split-phase-120-240

What I plan on doing is building a panel rack and mounting it on the shore line on the left of this picture. That way it's out of the way and exposed to the most sunlight. Gonna be a big array with 8 panels, but that's a good thing, yeah? It comes with 100' of pv cable, which I plan on running into the bunkie and installing the combiner box in there.

Here's where things become a little fuzzy. I was hoping to use the 14/2 switch wire to carry the current from the panels up to the generator shack and install the batteries and AIO up there, so it's close and convenient to the generator and distribution box. I'd just axe the switch, but it will no longer be needed in this set up. But I'm thinking that that cable isn't going to suffice. 14/2 I believe is capable of handling 20 amps and I bet I'mma be over that, but I'm not positive. I should be able to back feed through the panel no problem, but I don't think I'll be able to use the generator as a backup as intended going that route. I really don't want to have to bury another cable, but it's looking like I am going to have to. I have access to an abundance of tech cable, in all sizes, at little to no cost, so that's not an issue, It's just the thought of having to dig a trench up a hill, 300' or so is really unappealing. But, if I must, I must.

A little background, just for some context... I built this place. Everything from the massive water tower in the back, to the 2 boat houses. Been here since the mid nineties and built the cabin around '98. I am a Millwright/welder/fabricator and my entire family is full of electricians. I'm super excited to just have functioning power there without having to fire up the generator whenever I want to have light or something like that. We don't really use it in the winter. It's all set up for winter, we just don't go out there that often in the cold. So the system will just be decommissioned in the winter months and will be put back to just running off of the generator if we ever go out there, either with a transfer switch or a couple of different plugs on the wall.

Thanks for reading and any thoughts would be appreciated. I'll do my best to update this post as I get it installed, but it's winter here now and nothing will happen until the spring once it dries up a bunch.

Cheers.

 

[Blindman]

Hi guys. Long time lurker, first time poster. I dropped a little over 9 grand on a solar system today. Been waiting for Black Friday sales and they finally started today. I'll do my best to show you guys what I'm going to accomplish at my cabin.

So this is my place from the water...
View attachment 121237

The whole cabin and both shops are wired for AC. In the back, behind the cabin, is another shed that has been partitioned so half of it is a generator shack and half is storage/shower house. The generator is an old 7.5 kw, 3 cylinder kubota diesel with an auto start module that can be turned on from either inside the cabin or inside the first shop/guest cabin down by the shore.

There are 2 cables buried in the ground down to the Bunkie (the first shop/guest cabin) One of them is just a 14/2 for the switch to turn on the generator and the other is a fat cable for the panel, I cannot recall the gauge. All the power is Distributed from the generator shack....

This is the package that I purchased: https://solarpowerstore.ca/collecti...-houses-and-more-optional-split-phase-120-240

What I plan on doing is building a panel rack and mounting it on the shore line on the left of this picture. That way it's out of the way and exposed to the most sunlight. Gonna be a big array with 8 panels, but that's a good thing, yeah? It comes with 100' of pv cable, which I plan on running into the bunkie and installing the combiner box in there.

Here's where things become a little fuzzy. I was hoping to use the 14/2 switch wire to carry the current from the panels up to the generator shack and install the batteries and AIO up there, so it's close and convenient to the generator and distribution box. I'd just axe the switch, but it will no longer be needed in this set up. But I'm thinking that that cable isn't going to suffice. 14/2 I believe is capable of handling 20 amps and I bet I'mma be over that, but I'm not positive. I should be able to back feed through the panel no problem, but I don't think I'll be able to use the generator as a backup as intended going that route. I really don't want to have to bury another cable, but it's looking like I am going to have to. I have access to an abundance of tech cable, in all sizes, at little to no cost, so that's not an issue, It's just the thought of having to dig a trench up a hill, 300' or so is really unappealing. But, if I must, I must.

A little background, just for some context... I built this place. Everything from the massive water tower in the back, to the 2 boat houses. Been here since the mid nineties and built the cabin around '98. I am a Millwright/welder/fabricator and my entire family is full of electricians. I'm super excited to just have functioning power there without having to fire up the generator whenever I want to have light or something like that. We don't really use it in the winter. It's all set up for winter, we just don't go out there that often in the cold. So the system will just be decommissioned in the winter months and will be put back to just running off of the generator if we ever go out there, either with a transfer switch or a couple of different plugs on the wall.

Thanks for reading and any thoughts would be appreciated. I'll do my best to update this post as I get it installed, but it's winter here now and nothing will happen until the spring once it dries up a bunch.

Cheers.

 

[Blindman]

Hello, also from Central BC near Vanderhoof.
Got a system from the solar power store about two months ago, have all sorts of issues setting it up and there is no support for MPP at all.
Solar panel power store was not much help

 

[MadMac]

Great news! Hopefully I can figure it out. I'm in PG. Was going to go with a local guy, but they want so god damn much around here. I'm OK with being a little dry piped, but not that much.

 

[MadMac]

Where else does a guy buy from in Canada? We seem to be limited here.

 

[MadMac]

Hello, also from Central BC near Vanderhoof.
Got a system from the solar power store about two months ago, have all sorts of issues setting it up and there is no support for MPP at all.
Solar panel power store was not much help

What are you having issues with?

 

[MadMac]

So I've got this whole system here at the house now and I'm just gathering other parts for the installation. I need a 60 degree ground mount. What is everyone running up here in Canada and where did you get it from? I've bought one from solaronline.ca but he called me and said that he can't ship it for the price on his website. It was already really pricey for what it was and I'm not too keen on spending a sh!t ton for shipping, so I may just build my own. My laziness was what pushed me to purchase this mount in the first place, but my cheapness might bring me back to building one myself.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Hey, MM - further East than BC but share some of the frustration with supplies.
From your OP I expect you sorted out the 14/2 will not be sufficient for the PV - there are good online cable sizing tools for DC - be sure to measure the distances, including horizontal and vertical to the panels etc, DC is sensitive to distance. My advice, if in doubt go up a size, especially if you have access to cheap/free teck cable.
For a tiltable rack, I built my own from unistrut and standard struct fittings. You noted having teckcable available - maybe your in Construction and have access to suppliers for strut as well. Not sure if you mean tiltable (in one axis) or if your trying to be tilting in two axises. I don't recommend two.
I am near the 49th parallel and use 30 degrees from horizontal for summer, and 60 degrees for winter. Could go a bit steeper even to assist with snow sliding if this is going to be used during winter.
As to Solar suppliers near you - I bought some PV panels from Off Grid BC - talked with the owner Sean Goyette and he was super helpful, may be able to assist you with locating a racking system in your area. Other wise, DIY seems to be the best (low Cost) way to get started at least. Be sure to anchor whatever you build from wind up lift. Just saying.
I also used Solar Parts Store, and yeah, they are straight suppliers with no tech support. They have good prices and shipping without US duty to deal with, but no support functions either. You will do better getting help on this forum.
My advice is spend the time to dig though the forum topics related to your issues, and then post your questions to get confirmation of what you need to do.

 

[NEpowerandlight]

I'd install the inverter and batteries in the bunkie. Leave the generator hooked up to the main panel and run the AC power out from the inverter to the main panel connected to a breaker with an interlock.


In the states 14/2 wire is rated for 15 amps 12/2 for 20 amps.

 

[MadMac]

Thanks guys. Was talking with the old timer today and we've decided to put the inverter and batteries in the bunkie. We can back feed the entire system through that panel and won't have to deal with any voltage drop over that long distance. We'll use that existing 14/2 as a trigger wire for the generator and bury a new cable for the ac from the generator to the inverter. I'll just rent a trencher and get it done. Tech is free for me and I'll get some cantruss and just build a mount out of pressure treated and that. According to an online calculator I've found, 60 degrees is my angel for the summer and it'll only be used then. So a fixed angel will work. Shore just happens to face south, so that's good.

I have a bit of a concern with my generator and this lv6548. When the generator is called to turn on, being a diesel, it has a built-in delay and I hope there isn't some weird built-in thing in this inverter where if it doesn't see power right away, it'll shut down or something stupid like that.

I'm sure I'll have all kinds of questions once it comes to setup in the lv6548. I've read through the manual a couple of times and it all seems fairly straight forward. The only thing I'm a little fuzzy on is the battery settings as there seems to be no setting for the li po batteries I have.

 

[OffGridForGood]

According to an online calculator I've found, 60 degrees is my angel for the summer and it'll only be used then.

I expect you mean 60 degrees from Vertical then, for summer.

I'm sure I'll have all kinds of questions once it comes to setup in the lv6548. I've read through the manual a couple of times and it all seems fairly straight forward. The only thing I'm a little fuzzy on is the battery settings as there seems to be no setting for the li po batteries I have.

With MPP - read the section in settings for "USE" - user defined battery settings. Yeah this is a bit of confusion in the manual, but if you search the forum you will see this has been discussed many times. It will begin to make sense after you see the manual settings and then the forum discussions.

From your original posting: did you get two MPP 6548's or one? I ask since as far as I know the 6548 can not (with a single unit) create 120v & 240v; you need two units to do that.

 

[MadMac]

I only bought one for now. I have no need for 240. No dryer, well pump, electric stove, and have a Miller bobcat welder out there. 120 is all I'll need until we decide to retire early and move out there.

 

[Duck1021]

Hi from Surrey BC

My uncle has a place up by Bridge Lake. Been on him for a while to do a solar install to keep his energy expenses down, but he's stuck on using the old camp generator when needed and leaving the place completely shut down when he's not there.

Interested in seeing how your system evolves over time

 

[MadMac]

Thanks for looking. I've purchased a set of heavy metal shelves that can be set up like a bench and plan to use them as battery storage. Pretty excited to get this project going, but it's the dead of winter here right now and project start is a ways off still.

 

[MadMac]

About to start on the install this weekend. Will be doing a ground mount build first. 6 ground spikes, some 4x4's and 2x10's and 4 lengths of cantruss, 14ish feet long. I'll take pictures along the way. Already cut down a tree and did a bit of clearing in preparation for the mount.

 

[MadMac]

Got at it today. I forgot to grab spring nuts and bolts, so I didn't get the panels up. I'm ready for them though.


Then I mounted the lv6548 and the combiner box above it. I put the batteries on a shelf below, tucked back and out of the way.


Now I'm thinking about buying a separate generator for this system, instead of using the big old Kubota that the lv6548 might not like the power from anyway. I'm thinking a propane powered inverter that I can build an enclosure for on the right, underneath the bench, beside the batteries. Does anyone have any suggestions for one? Gotta have the ability to be turned on and off by the lv6548 and be able to be fed by a 100lb propane bottle from outside...

 

[Tomthumb62]

Are you planning on leaving the batteries there all winter?

 

[OffGridForGood]

Are you planning on leaving the batteries there all winter?

He is in Surrey BC - it is like 'the Florida' of Canada, likely will not see below freezing temps - maybe overnight and them back up again in the AM LOL out my way we call that the tropical part of Canada.

 

[Tomthumb62]

He is in Surrey BC - it is like 'the Florida' of Canada, likely will not see below freezing temps - maybe overnight and them back up again in the AM LOL out my way we call that the tropical part of Canada.

Ah that makes more sense. I’m due south of central BC and winters are harsh here. I would consider Surrey to be western BC, a very different climate like you mention.

 

[MadMac]

Sorry, not getting notifications for this thread for some reason. I'm actually in northern BC. I will not be leaving them there all winter. We don't use the cabin in the winter.