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diy solar

How many systems do you have?

Same here.
Redundancy just means that if something fails, you are not completely down.
While I technically have 3 systems, they operate as a single system.
And if any one thing fails, the rest continue to carry on, while I make repairs at my convenience. (No panic)
 
timselectric said:
Redundancy just means that if something fails, you are not completely down.
Click to expand...

Good point. There is no right or wrong here. Just a curiosity. Multiple batteries, panels and power generation units provide redundancy as well in a single designed system.
 
One of my redundancies is a 300W Morningstar SureSine inverter for the networking/internet gear..It has outlets right on the inverter and have a power strip connected to that. That way whenever I mess with main system(s) I never have to worry about losing connectivity.
 
I have four "small" systems:

1. Trailer with air conditioning out by my shooting range
2. Shop lights and pool pump
3. All of my internet related things (i.e. Starlink, wifi routers, security cameras, etc)
4. A small grid tie output limited system that runs off of batteries (solar charged of course), but only comes on when my HVAC is running. No way I will accidentally back feed the way this is configured.
 
I understand the need for redundancy for a system for an off-grid home that has no backup. I feel quite comfortable using a fixed generator that does two things. Reduces the system size needed for winter production and serves as a backup for component failure. My community ordinance states that a residence must have a reliable power supply to get an occupancy permit. The system with a back-up generator is very cost effective and is much more reliable than the utility. I remember back in the early 1980's before panel prices dropped, when solar systems were sold with gen sets to keep the system price down. They were sized for the gen set to come on every two weeks to fill up the batteries. The prices of panels have changed but the fundamentals of a reliable residential system have not.
 
I have one system, fully integrated, it's just redundant. If a battery fails, the rest keeps running. If an inverter fails, the other one takes over. If a charge controller fails, the others keep going (separate arrays). I've got replacement parts for everything and can do component level repair (and have parts in the drawer). I have multiple battery chargers (the inverters, the R48 rectifier), and multiple generators just in case.
 
Main system 460W 12 V, Trojan 1275 plus battery , Blue Sky solar boost 2000 SCC & Morningstar SureSine 300W inverter. Generator for big loads & backup , Sterling Power pro charge n 50A battery charger. For the yurt that's up 6 months a year we have a nano system, a 160W panel, victron pwm, Sterling power modified sine 150W inverter & a 55AH car battery.This runs 4 x LED lights & charges mobile phones - a dubious use as the yurt site has little signal, most folks just forget about the digital world after a day or so.
Im in the thinking about it, reading and learning stage for a new build 24V with 2 strings of panels and 2 SCCs for redundancy. The idea is to series
12V batteries so that the current 12V system can be brought back online in case of inverter failure, although a cheap standby inverter might be on the cards.
 
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Never thought about this too much as I just keep adding.

8.6kw of panel installed professionally, 24 LGs with Enphase micros and 2 Powerwalls.

2.8kw of panel DIY, tied into the Enphase combiner box, mixture of used panels, mostly LGs

1.6kw of panel on my toy hauler, 24v, all Victron with 3 mppts. Because it sits in my driveway, I backfeed to my house with a dedicated Enphase micro on a timer.

Also have a 15w panel mounted on the bike rack for my truck, tied to a Victron 75/10 as a battery maintainer.

We charge an EV and a PHEV everyday, driving 100-150 miles a day, almost net neutral with the grid. We have been off grid for a few weeks at a time due to a breaker box bus bar issue, had to install a soft start on the AC, but no issues. If we ever move, it will be completely off grid.
 
I currently have only 1 system, my portable 12v 200w pv.
By the end of the month, my barn build should be wrapped and the 2nd system- 48v with 2 multiplus 48/3000 will be built. (thinking 3kw pv to start)
After that will come 2 other systems- one for the yet to be built house- still evaluating power needs for that, and another 12v system down at the garden shed/ future green house to power irrigation from the creek along with some lighting and music.

With the buildings being spread over 5 ish acres, one large system seems impractical, especially with power needs ranging so greatly.
 
Both setups have merits, depending on your needs.
Because my different systems needs change, from time to time. I want them to help each other out, with any excess each one may have, at any given time.
 
Nothing tests your systems better than a full power outage. Those who are off grid do this daily. For others their solar supplements their AC needs to varying degrees.

Recently the power went out. Albeit for a short period of time. Our battery backups did their job.

One thing I realized though was that the fridge roller on one side was broken, making moving it out for an extension cord somewhat difficult or impossible. Will need to troubleshoot this issue to see the best way of resolving it.

I participated in scouting with two of my sons. During this time we took a number of back packing trips. On one hike it was decided not to stop to filter more water because it was thought there would be a source further along the trail. We ended up rationing our water supply for that night and half the next day. We were grateful for the full tanks which were stored in a car at the end of the trail.

This helped to reinforce the value of a good backup in case one is needed.
 
House system- 74 Kwh of battery and 8.4Kw of tilting array with 2 EG4 100A MPPT's and a pair of LV6548's

Truck camper- 24V system with Growatt 3Kw inverter, a Giandel 2400W inverter for vehicle charging thru the GW, 600W of panels with some tilting (soon to be 800W), battery is 7Kw, camper has a 9K btu heat pump (roof air removed)

Work trailer is now 12V with a pair of 100A cheap batteries, Victron 1200W inverter, this trailer is being retired this year

New work trailer being built this winter will have a 48V inverter and probably a Luyuan box for battery

Shop system in progress is 2 SRNE ASP 10Kw inverters with battery bank capacity up to 114 Kw, 8.9 Kw of array

2 heat pumps for house- one 18K btu and one 12K btu

2 heat pumps for shop- both 24K btu
 
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JJJJ said:
Nothing tests your systems better than a full power outage.
Click to expand...

I do not worry about this much. In the past 20 years I have been living here, I have only had one long term outage (several days during that big freeze). The little 2000w inverter generator worked fine for keeping the fridge running and I had some indoor propane heaters that kept it warm enough. All other outages lasted less than an hour. And ever since a new substation went up about a mile away about 4 years ago, I have not had any outages at all.

IMO if we have some massive outage like from an EMP or whatever, we will have much bigger things to worry about.
 
During our last power outage it lasted perhaps 2 hours. We are spoiled in many ways.

In the past 5 years I have had interesting conversations with those whose job it was to support the grid. Admittedly a lot of money has been invested in the infrastructure. But when asked, it was interesting that I was told that the interdependent grid elements depended on some fairly complex gymnastics and software what was not impervious to failure. I am not the expert here. The massive power outage caused by a tree falling in Ohio a few years ago pointed this out this interdependence and vulnerability. One of the reasons for the tree maintenance seen today.
 
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using 4 solar systems
1 - 6KW48V with 2x LFP battery packs ( Powering the house )
2 -1KW 12V with 1x LFP battery pack (Specific load only )
4 - 3KW Grid Tied
3 - Small 12V DC setup with lead acid battery and 165W solar capacity

The 1kw system can be charged using the main 6kw solar if needed. basically the 1kw system powers small loads like laptops wifi...
 
JJJJ said:
One thing I realized though was that the fridge roller on one side was broken, making moving it out for an extension cord somewhat difficult or impossible. Will need to troubleshoot this issue to see the best way of resolving it.
Click to expand...
Consider putting some loads like the fridge on a Critical Loads Panel - I use the Reliance 306c - very handy to be able to switch from one power source to another - and never move the fridge.
 
Using THHN wire, Blue Sea Systems, and Victron hardware for battery disconnect, bus bars, fuses, shunts, and monitoring so far. Paycheck to paycheck...

System #1 - 12V Chins LiFePO4 200 Ah w/ 3000W Giandel inverter and 2600W BP Solar panels to run pool pump & pool heater.
System #2 - 12V Chins LiFePO4 100 Ah w/ 2000W Renogy inverter and 2600W BP Solar panels to charge electric bikes and other solar generators
System #3 - TBD 48V LiFePo4 100+ Ah w/ 5000W Victron inverter (and 5200W BP Solar panels to hopefully handle the house and take it off grid.

Wish I had so much more. The most expensive part so far has been the unistrut, frankly. 48V battery will equal that amount.
 
Currently only one with panels. But have others with just inverters with battery back up.

Rich solar 3000-48 with 4 Renogy panels that were given to me free to haul off. iirc they are 240w panels, and have 4 lifepo4 12v 100ah. its for a small off grid cabin. It runs tv, light, ceiling fan and MIDEA inverter type window ac.


Eg4 3000-48 and have 8 VATRER server rack batteries. No panels on this system as the place is too wooded and we dont want to cut any trees on it. So just using it as a large back up system if power goes out. I recharge it from grid power.
Eventually when we build on some acreage I have and this system will be moved to it. I have around 36 new 400w bifacial panels I will ground mount to supply it.

And have another cabin no panels with 12v 1000 Victron inverter, a 400w inverter and four lifepo4 12v. No panels due to shade here also, so we run either my 1000w generator, or a 2000w generator during daytime for power while also charging/topping off batteries and run the quiet inverters at night.
The 1000w generator will run 5-6 hours on gallon of gas if working hard, or 8-9 hours on gallon if easy on it.
 
Original (2016) grid-tied NEM 2.0 Solar City 5kW array with ABB 4.2kW inverter and added 27kWh of Tesla Powerwalls in 2018.
Added (2024, inside the Tesla system) off-grid 6.4kW array with EG4 6000XP with 28.6kWh of EG4 WallMounts.

We've become a two EV family recently, with a new mini-split heat pump too, and needed the extra production. It may be a challenge to break even, or me owe the PoCo (SCE) a bit. I don't want to over-produce.
 
Recovering EE said:
We've become a two EV family recently, with a new mini-split heat pump too, and needed the extra production.
Click to expand...
I hope - in the near future...gotta dream !
Solar has opened up So many ideas - things that will add to the electrical loads, but another solar array will provide for that load - for 20 years?! wow.
just Wow.
 
In the past I found myself measuring what a new project might co$t in energy over the years, and wonder if I should go ahead with the project or not.
Now I just calculate how many panels would 'take care of that' and hardly think about it after that...such a different state of affairs when the energy needed could be (nearly) free.
Chinese supplier was today offering 710W Jinko panels for $63.13 USD per panel - oh you have to committ to a 40-foot seacan load to get that price. but just think - that is 9-cents per W for the panels.
a typical panel will collect 1000 x it's rating over a year - ie 1kWh per watt for 9-cents, ie less than the average N.American utility rate (yes you need racking and stuff too, not free)
But the point is, I am not some utility scale company, just a small player and they offer these prices.
I have seen reports of utility scale panels suppied at 1.29 - cents per Watt.
 
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