I'm new to solar setup so need advice.

[Toddp]

I have 8 used

Chint Power CHSM6610P-220 with the following specs:​

• STC Power Rating 220W
• PTC Power Rating 199.5W 1
• STC Power per unit of area 12.4W/ft2 (134.0W/m2)
• Peak Efficiency 13.4%
• Power Tolerances -3%/+3%
• Number of Cells 60
• Nominal Voltage not applicable
• Imp 7.38A
• Vmp 29.7V
• Isc 8.12A
• Voc 36.77V
• NOCT 47°C
• Temp. Coefficient of Power -0.46%/K
• Temp. Coefficient of Voltage -0.129V/K
• Series Fuse Rating 15A
• Maximum System Voltage 600V

Mechanical Characteristics​

• Type Polycrystalline Silicon
• Output Terminal Type Multicontact Connector Type 4
• Frame Color Clear
• Backsheet Color data not available
• Length 65in (1,652mm)
• Width 39.1in (994mm)
• Depth 1.8in (45mm)
• Weight 44.1lb (20kg)

Plan on installing them on a 16'cargo trailer making into a toy hauler camper.
I live in a 14' x 70' mobile home and also want to use this trailer for emergency power when we loose power. We have lost power for days before. We don't run central heat and air we use a 12k BTU 110v window unit and a 8k and a 1/4 or 3rd horse well pump.
I plan on using this trailer for a week at time for hunting season in the woods so need to be fully powered off grid. Trying to get a 12k BTU split HVAC with heat for it. Will be insulating it well as well.
I need to know how to configure the solar panels to keep up the power all day long and night.
I don't have to fully power my mobile home but keep a full size fridge, freezer AC and lights going for up to a week if needed.
Need to know what solar controller I should use as well. I plan on buying 4 lipo4 100amh batteries at first then 4 more to add later.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am currently taking out the walks on my cargo trailer insulating it and running electrical.

Toddp

 

[Toddp]

Oh ment to say these are used panels all in good shape that came off a commercial job.

 

[jameshowison]

For charge controller selection try the Victron mppt selector, can use the specs for other brands too. https://www.victronenergy.com/mppt-calculator

You’ll have a total of 400 amp hours at 12v which is about 5KwH of energy. If your AC draws 1000W an hour that is 5 hours run time. But they often pull more than that. So you’ll have to think that one through. Lots of threads on here about that. Ah, I see you said mini-split rather than RV AC, so that will be better, maybe 600-800w after inverter losses. Of corse good insulation will help there (maybe run a basic manual J at coolcalc.com to get load, perhaps a 9000 btu will help (better humidity removal if it runs longer). Roof insulation is often the weak point (consider that a house roof starts at R38 these days!)

If you get your panels in full sun you can expect to generate about 8KwH a day in summer (8 x 220 x 6 hours of sunlight x 0.8 derate for flat angle and temperature). So that’s pretty useful power!

Others will chime in, but I think they’ll ask for a more detailed power audit in watts per hour.

Finally, you might consider 48v rather than 12v as well.

 

[pollenface]

I have 8 used

• Voc 36.77V

I hypothesize 2s4p for 73.54V (voltage will increase as it gets colder)

Need to know what solar controller I should use as well.

Victron 150/35 Smartsolar will do fine in 48v

12/24 voltages require larger controllers which cost more $$

I plan on buying 4 lipo4 100amh batteries at first then 4 more to add later.

assuming 12v 100ah, will give 4.096kwh at 80% depth of discharge

I would double this, also consider purchasing 48v batteries instead of multiple smaller batteries

 

[Rocketman]

If I were setting this up this is the equipment I would use. Note:I am a Victron fan and use it in my RV full time. Do you need 240v? - I assume not.

48v batteries
Your 8 220w panels giving about 1600 to 1700w.
Victron mppt 150/35 in 2s4p
Victron Smartshunt
Cerbo & touch
Multiplus II 48/5000

I would build my own battery with 16 or 32 280Ah cells - but many choose to buy the server rack batteries.

Others will recommend an AIO unit - there are lots of ways to do what you want.

 

[Toddp]

I plan on insulating the roof and walls with the silver radiant barrier then the blue insulation board, maybe even do the floors since my trailer is 8' high. There is also an item I saw that you add to reduce the AC start up power kind of an assist I was looking at like a capacitor item,have to find out what it was.
I may try to go with 48v batteries but they are so much more expy so I can't get that many at a time.
How would I connect the solar panels since they are so high for the best power? Most controllers can't handle over 150v since adding 4 of these pushing almost 38v each that would put the voltage to close to the limit.

 

[Toddp]

If I were setting this up this is the equipment I would use. Note:I am a Victron fan and use it in my RV full time. Do you need 240v? - I assume not.

48v batteries
Your 8 220w panels giving about 1600 to 1700w.
Victron mppt 150/35 in 2s4p
Victron Smartshunt
Cerbo & touch
Multiplus II 48/5000

I would build my own battery with 16 or 32 280Ah cells - but many choose to buy the server rack batteries.

Others will recommend an AIO unit - there are lots of ways to do what you want.

Don't have thousands of dollars to spend on batteries all at once. Will try to buy a couple of 48v batteries and add more as I can afford them. looking at lipo4 lithium since they are longer lasting and better.
4 in series and 2 sets in parallel is also what I thought.
I'll check on your controller and other equipment you stated as well .

 

[Toddp]

I have 8 used

Chint Power CHSM6610P-220 with the following specs:​

• STC Power Rating 220W
• PTC Power Rating 199.5W 1
• STC Power per unit of area 12.4W/ft2 (134.0W/m2)
• Peak Efficiency 13.4%
• Power Tolerances -3%/+3%
• Number of Cells 60
• Nominal Voltage not applicable
• Imp 7.38A
• Vmp 29.7V
• Isc 8.12A
• Voc 36.77V
• NOCT 47°C
• Temp. Coefficient of Power -0.46%/K
• Temp. Coefficient of Voltage -0.129V/K
• Series Fuse Rating 15A
• Maximum System Voltage 600V

Mechanical Characteristics​

• Type Polycrystalline Silicon
• Output Terminal Type Multicontact Connector Type 4
• Frame Color Clear
• Backsheet Color data not available
• Length 65in (1,652mm)
• Width 39.1in (994mm)
• Depth 1.8in (45mm)
• Weight 44.1lb (20kg)

Plan on installing them on a 16'cargo trailer making into a toy hauler camper.
I live in a 14' x 70' mobile home and also want to use this trailer for emergency power when we loose power. We have lost power for days before. We don't run central heat and air we use a 12k BTU 110v window unit and a 8k and a 1/4 or 3rd horse well pump.
I plan on using this trailer for a week at time for hunting season in the woods so need to be fully powered off grid. Trying to get a 12k BTU split HVAC with heat for it. Will be insulating it well as well.
I need to know how to configure the solar panels to keep up the power all day long and night.
I don't have to fully power my mobile home but keep a full size fridge, freezer AC and lights going for up to a week if needed.
Need to know what solar controller I should use as well. I plan on buying 4 lipo4 100amh batteries at first then 4 more to add later.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am currently taking out the walks on my cargo trailer insulating it and running electrical.

Toddp

Oh also forgot I'm getting a 5000 watt sine wave inverter with 10k surge for power. The one I wanted was a 12v but don't know if that company has a 48v or even a 24v for that matter.

 

[Toddp]

I would build my own battery with 16 or 32 280Ah cells - but many choose to buy the server rack batteries.

Others will recommend an AIO unit - there are lots of ways to do what you want.
[/QUOTE]

Can you link those cells your are talking about? I just priced 48v lipo4 they are way out of my price range at close to and even more then $1000 each. How many would I need of those 48v batteries. Even some of those buildable cells are just as expensive if not more to make a 48v battery.

 

[Toddp]

Don't have thousands of dollars to spend on batteries all at once. Will try to buy a couple of 48v batteries and add more as I can afford them. looking at lipo4 lithium since they are longer lasting and better.
4 in series and 2 sets in parallel is also what I thought.
I'll check on your controller and other equipment you stated as well .

Just checked on those 48v batteries and they are out of my price range unless I get one 100ah battery to start. Or 4 of those 12v
I can buy one 48v 100ah battery or two 24V 100Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery or 4 12v 100ah batteries. Would take me 6 months to buy another 48v battery at that price.

 

[Rocketman]

Remember steak is great, but if hamburger is all you can afford - go with that.

To build your own battery you would need:
16 lithium cells
Bms

Look at the 18650batterystore - stateside and seem to have a good reputation.
Research the bms - I use a Overkill bms which is JDB - Jk also seems to have a good reputation.

With the loads you want to run a 48v battery probably makes more sense. If you go with 24v, you will need either a 2x bigger solar charge controller (or two of them) and much bigger wires.

If you go 12v wires will need to be 4/0 heavy wires and then twice as much Solar charge controller as 24v.

You probably need to to a power audit to figure out how what size of inverter you really need.

FYI- I full-time in an RV - 1400w of solar, 544ah lithium battery, Multiplus 12/3000 inverter. This does all my power except - gas water heater, gas heat, some gas cooking, if I want air conditioning I can run off battery for 1 hour then I need to start the generator.

Good Luck

 

[Tomthumb62]

Will try to buy a couple of 48v batteries and add more as I can afford them.

If you can live without the A/C running throughout the night (and thus from battery), then you won’t need nearly as much battery. If you can get enough panels and enough inverters to really crank out 2-3 air conditioning units on high during peak daylight hours, you could get the living quarters cool enough to live without them running once they start sucking down your battery when the sun is lower in the sky or at night.

What I’m getting at here is that anyone who has grown up dependent upon the grid is in for a rude awakening to the cost of living to the same degree of comfort/convenience living off grid. The batteries will start costing you an arm and a leg if you intend to run A/C all night long. Or if in winter you intend to use electric heat, the days are likely too short to produce enough power and store it unless you spend $$$$$$$ on lots and lots of panels and a massive battery bank. Or you know, heat with wood or gas.
Many basic household appliances like fridges, washing machine, toaster or microwave don’t require a super expensive system, because on a daily basis, they use very little energy compared to air conditioning or heating. Insulating your living spaces as much as you can get away with will make a huge difference.

 

[jameshowison]

Just checked on those 48v batteries and they are out of my price range unless I get one 100ah battery to start. Or 4 of those 12v
I can buy one 48v 100ah battery or two 24V 100Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery or 4 12v 100ah batteries. Would take me 6 months to buy another 48v battery at that price.

Pretty sure each of those options gives the same energy storage. Hence the same price. Watts = amps x volts. 48v just allows smaller wires, 12v needs such large wires for anything over 3000w inverter that it is said to be impractical.

 

[Toddp]

I may remove the heat use an alternative method.

 

[Toddp]

I live in central Florida so AC is a must here with the humidity and why I went split HVAC. AS I said also needs to be emergency power for my mobile home.
I'll try to see how to create those batteries.

 

[Tomthumb62]

I live in central Florida so AC is a must here with the humidity and why I went split HVAC. AS I said also needs to be emergency power for my mobile home.
I'll try to see how to create those batteries.

Oof. That’s tough then. DIY batteries are the cheapest option and it’s still not going to be cheap. You might want to do the math first to see if you can actually afford to live off grid. You’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars and double or triple that if you want extra battery for cloudy days. Or move north where it’s cooler, if you can. Mid 80’s to 90’s and 15% humidity up near the Canadian border. Winters are cold though but we heat with wood which costs less than $600/year.

 

[Toddp]

Ok trying to find a good 48v batter over 100ah under 1k no luck yet , seems most 280ah batteries are 12v.

 

[Rocketman]

air conditioner are most cost effective ran with a generator- does your loads need 120v only or a mix of 120v and 240v.

Yea 48v batteries 100ah are about $1400

If you want to build your own each 3.2v cell 280ah is about $140 *16 = $2240 for cells. You will be close to $3,000 by the time you have cells, bms, wire, etc,etc,etc…

good luck

 

[Toddp]

Pretty sure each of those options gives the same energy storage. Hence the same price. Watts = amps x volts. 48v just allows smaller wires, 12v needs such large wires for anything over 3000w inverter that it is said to be impractical.

What about 48v 100ah battery most all I see in 48v ? How many would I need of those?

 

[jameshowison]

Ok trying to find a good 48v batter over 100ah under 1k no luck yet , seems most 280ah batteries are 12v.

To compare apples to apples, you have to look at things in watt-hours, not amp hours.

or first half of this: