Looking to go off grid in Rockies
- Thread starter Jamesm067
- Start date
Horsefly
Solar Wizard
You'll probably need to ask more specific questions, and maybe provide more details (e.g. your loads and how much they will be used each day).
I will say that if you are near Silt, you have a great store to pick up your solar panels without paying shipping. The Solar Panel Store has a New Castle address but is physically right between Silt and New Castle (the New Castle name sounds better than "Silt" IMHO
). I got my Canadian Solar panels there in 2017. They sell other stuff as well, but you can usually find better prices with free shipping for most components except for panels.
I will say that if you are near Silt, you have a great store to pick up your solar panels without paying shipping. The Solar Panel Store has a New Castle address but is physically right between Silt and New Castle (the New Castle name sounds better than "Silt" IMHO
). I got my Canadian Solar panels there in 2017. They sell other stuff as well, but you can usually find better prices with free shipping for most components except for panels.
Rednecktek
Solar Wizard
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, same as different areas of Colorado. Someone here can post the link to the 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.
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.
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, same as different areas of Colorado. Someone here can post the link to the 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.
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.
WYtreasure
It's not happy hour, I'm just like this.
Welcome to the show.
While all the smarter folks are asking impotent questions, maybe you could post some pics of the lay of the land from your array and/or turbine location.
I just like scenic pictures but who knows, they might help.
While all the smarter folks are asking impotent questions, maybe you could post some pics of the lay of the land from your array and/or turbine location.
I just like scenic pictures but who knows, they might help.
That's a rude thing to say.
Aren't typos fun?
Rednecktek
Solar Wizard
Can I download a little blue pill for that?
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
Welcome to the forum.
Rule 1 DO NOT BUY ANYTHING until you have a PLAN in Hand ! No such thing as a once in a lifetime deal, they happen all the time.
Rule 2 MAKE A PLAN, failure to Plan IS a Plan for Failure. (if married possible divorce too).
Rule 3 There is no such thing as a Dumb Question, except for the question Not Asked ! ask lots of questions be sure you understand everything.
The truest Axiom: Conservation is far cheaper than Generation & Storage. An Energy-Efficient build will save you more over the years than most realize and the home comfort factors into this as well.
Solar Systems are NOT that hard to figure out & setup. Wind Systems are a LOT more complicated and far more involved with equipment requirements & maintenance as well. Solar & Wind CAN Coexist with diligent planning. Wind is NOT Appropriate for many places and mountain regions really can chuck a wrench into those plans. My advice is to consider the Wind option for later down the road.
Before starting anything you will need to do an Energy Audit to work out how much power you will use daily. Then you need to figure out how many days of storage you want available. Like building a house, the energy usage & storage requirements are the Foundation of the System that you build upon to support your needs. Once you know how much battery is required, then you size the Solar Controller(s) to support charging the batteries and the amount of solar panels to feed the SCC's. The Inverter/Charger set to the appropriate battery voltage supports the AC required.
Choices: 120V or 240V ? With current costs there is no longer a premium for 240VAC over 120VAC, therefore the simplest choice for future proofing is to wire for 240VAC which still provides 2 legs of 120V. Consider the average North American house uses a 240VAC/200A Main Panel current yet many are wired for only 100A. The Excessive's have monster 300A+ service, that's their problem.
Limits: Solar & Battery can be as big as you want, provided your wallet supports it.
Assuming you want 240VAC/200A service. That is 48,000W (48Kw) or 1,000A off a 48V Battery Bank. This would require 4x 12,000W Inverters paralleled so as to pull 250A Max Each from a very large battery bank. This should show you how far things can get really quickly.
Your energy audit. There are different ways to do this, a spreadsheet with your appliances & devices and a lot of crunching. Using an existing power bill to see current usages (only works really if converting existing household to Solar). IF Building new and starting with fresh appliances etc that is yet another game to work it out.
ABOUT THE BUILD:
Consider if roof mounting solar or mounting on ground mount the solar apsects of the property. The advantages & disadvantages of Roof vs Ground Mount (which can often be an adjustable type for seasonal optimization).
Any outbuilding or such you may want to power OR maybe use as a Powerhouse (many of us do that, have separate powerhouse) because it is much easier (and cheaper) to run VAC over distance than DC which should be kept as short as possible.
House Build Efficiencies that can be done during construction the reduce operational loads on the home such as heating & cooling should also be considered and factored in.
Hope it helps, Good Luck
You'll probably need to ask more specific questions, and maybe provide more details (e.g. your loads and how much they will be used each day).
I will say that if you are near Silt, you have a great store to pick up your solar panels without paying shipping. The Solar Panel Store has a New Castle address but is physically right between Silt and New Castle (the New Castle name sounds better than "Silt" IMHO
That is the store that I originally was going to buy panels from. The purchase process went sideways and I chose to not deal with a rude retailer. I found the same exact panels locally (in Denver) for quite a bit less (almost $50!) with no drama. This was in 2020.
WYtreasure
It's not happy hour, I'm just like this.
Well, I'll start the default answer to these questions and we can work from there. Here's you To-Do list:
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
I think those are a couple of great posts to lead you down the right path.
Unless you are determined to build a typical home, you may want to consider an earth home. Mowing the roof is pretty fun.
Generators are a pain in the butt when building a home. Consider getting some power generation early in the game.
Plan ahead, communicate with all contractors all the time, be ready for changes.
Pick your spot to sit down with a beer and evaluate each days accomplishments.
Horsefly
Solar Wizard
Wow. I actually had a great experience with the Solar Panel Store guys. I ordered and paid for them over the phone about three weeks before I was to pick them up. When I got there they had just lowered the price some, so the owner gave me a refund for the difference. I was still finalizing the ground mount design, and they all stood out next to my car for 45 minutes discussing it with me. In the end they gave me the idea on how to finish it.
