Newbie here - Building an off grid system for 1,000 square foot cabin.. Advise on non-Chinese manufacturers?

[Tree912]

Could someone please recommend some companies/businesses based in the US or Canada which are selling complete off grid packages, or A la Carte, which are not manufactured in China? I wondered if there were any companies selling Japanese products, for example.. There's been some real horror stories with Chinese solar components as of late. We are looking for a 5-7k watt medium off-grid package which is reliable with decent warranties. We don't mind spending more on quality.

What are some of your favorite and more reliable brands/companies for Solar cells and associated inverters, controllers, etc.?

The other question is, with recent Lithium accidents becoming more and more common.. What are the risks involved in going Lithium for On-Site storage? Have any of you chosen Non-Lithium solely based on the risk factor? What are the highest efficiency battery alternatives to Lithium? If we do go with Lithium, we live in a zone 8b which means relatively mild winters that rarely would drop below 20F in the night, with highs occasionally getting over 100F in the summer. Can these batteries be stored in a shed without constant temperature monitoring?

Thanks in advance..! I figured talking to folks who have already been down this road might be insightful.

Edit to add: Also curious if anyone has had any success in adding in a single windmill or two for supplemental watt hours during those cloudy days? If so, what brand did you go with?

 

[seneysolar]

Midnite is great for everything except the solar panels. Look at the pre assembled E-Panels if you want something in kit form.

Mission Solar panels would be my choice for assembled in usa panels

 

[DIYrich]

Victron is manufactured in the Netherlands.

Low risk with panels since they are not connected to the internet.

Lifepo4 is safe enough, and can charge down to 32f. Charger can monitor battery temp and limit charging. Battery heaters are also available.

 

[Brucey]

Could someone please recommend some companies/businesses based in the US or Canada which are selling complete off grid packages, or A la Carte, which are not manufactured in China? I wondered if there were any companies selling Japanese products, for example.. There's been some real horror stories with Chinese solar components as of late. We are looking for a 5-7k watt medium off-grid package which is reliable with decent warranties. We don't mind spending more on quality.

What are some of your favorite and more reliable brands/companies for Solar cells and associated inverters, controllers, etc.?

The other question is, with recent Lithium accidents becoming more and more common.. What are the risks involved in going Lithium for On-Site storage? Have any of you chosen Non-Lithium solely based on the risk factor? What are the highest efficiency battery alternatives to Lithium? If we do go with Lithium, we live in a zone 8b which means relatively mild winters that rarely would drop below 20F in the night, with highs occasionally getting over 100F in the summer. Can these batteries be stored in a shed without constant temperature monitoring?

Thanks in advance..! I figured talking to folks who have already been down this road might be insightful.

Edit to add: Also curious if anyone has had any success in adding in a single windmill or two for supplemental watt hours during those cloudy days? If so, what brand did you go with?

One of these, 7kW, 120/240, surge to 20kW, 30W idle and built in Arlington, Washington state.

MidNite Solar Rosie 7048RE 7000W Inverter 120Amp Charger

Introducing Midnite Solar's latest innovation in power technology - the sleek and stylish Rosie inverter, designed and made right here in the United States. Powered by the latest silicon technology, this powerhouse can surge up to 3X its rating, yet remains incredibly lightweight, making it easy...

www.currentconnected.com

And then either a 200A dual mppt Barcelona scc, or a 120A or 90A single mppt hawkes bay, also built in WA.

Midnite Solar Barcelona Charge Controller

The Midnite Solar Barcelona charge controller can intake up to 185V to 550VDC from two independent MPPT channels. The Barcelona can charge up to 200A current, being 100A per MPPT channel. It is perfect for 48V systems and pairs perfectly with the Midnite Rosie. Specifications: 200 Amp 48V...

www.currentconnected.com

MidNite Solar Hawke’s Bay 90 Solar Charge Controller

The Midnite Solar MNHawke's Bay 90 charge controller can intake up to 185V to 550VDC from two independent MPPT channels at up to 90A. It is a less expensive option than the Barcelona for systems that don't need as much current. It is good for 48V systems and pairs well with any MidNite inverter...

www.currentconnected.com

And midnite batteries to suit:

MidNite Solar MNPowerflo5 - 5.12kWh LiFePO4 Solar ESS Battery

MidNite Solar's new server rack battery, the MNPowerflo5! This unit has EVE A+ grade lithium iron phosphate cells. The MNPowerflo5 has a design life of 15 years and 6,000 cycles, making it one of the longest-life batteries in the industry. Up to 16 units can be paralleled, allowing up to 81kWh...

www.currentconnected.com

MidNite Solar MNPowerflo16 - LiFePO4 Solar ESS Battery

MidNite Solar's new Wall Floor Mount battery, the MNPowerflo16! This unit has EVE A+ grade lithium iron phosphate cells. The MNPowerflo16 has a design life of 20 years and 8,000 cycles. These units can be paralleled up to 16 times, allowing up to 257kWh of storage with 16 units. The MNPowerflo16...

www.currentconnected.com

Batteries are made in China, don't know of any domestic battery with US sourced LFP cells.

Current connected should be able to help you with associated breaker boxes etc if not ask here we can help. Make sure you sign up for a free account then you'll see some decent discounts on some of those.

 

[seneysolar]

Victron is manufactured in the Netherlands.

Victron is good stuff but as far as I know they manufacture in India and China.

 

[RV8R]

I have a 300sf Cabin just north of the 49th in BC

I use Rolls AGM batteries ,,, but it is a small simple system.

Here is a thread on my Cabin;

Thread 'Tiny Cabin - What To Do'
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/tiny-cabin-what-to-do.85978/

 

[Brucey]

Victron is manufactured in the Netherlands.

Low risk with panels since they are not connected to the internet.

Lifepo4 is safe enough, and can charge down to 32f. Charger can monitor battery temp and limit charging. Battery heaters are also available.

Victron is based in the Netherlands. Manufacturing of inverters etc is in India.

 

[MikeInKingman]

Home

Sol-Ark® provides future-proof solar energy storage systems and solutions for commercial businesses, industries, and homeowners. Learn more.

www.sol-ark.com

 

[seneysolar]

Home

Sol-Ark® provides future-proof solar energy storage systems and solutions for commercial businesses, industries, and homeowners. Learn more.

www.sol-ark.com

View attachment 275885

Sol-ark is good quality and they indeed are based in TX but the inverters are manufactured by Deye in china

 

[Brucey]

Home

Sol-Ark® provides future-proof solar energy storage systems and solutions for commercial businesses, industries, and homeowners. Learn more.

www.sol-ark.com

View attachment 275885

Yeah you'd be led to believe that when you look at their website (what the award was for wasn't related to solark inverters which are made in China by Deye where they are available for about a third of the price).

 

[ULR]

Yeah you'd be led to believe that when you look at their website (what the award was for wasn't related to solark inverters which are made in China by Deye where they are available for about a third of the price).

But don't buy the cheaper Deye branded inverters, install them in North America, and connect them to the internet to use the remote control or monitoring features. Their server will likely remote-brick them. See this LOOOOOONG (2,636 posts so far) thread:

Thread 'CHINA kills all non Sol-Ark branded DEYE unit in the USA this morning.'

Nov 15, 2024

Ethics-wise you are literally shutting down equipment homeowners paid for and depend on to fit some twisted business strategy.
literally seeing dozens of people call me all morning, and I never even sold Deye

EDIT 11/19/24
After this issue has turned out to be a strategy to disable and "brick" inverters that were not the listed USA partner brand (and hilariously bricked some USA branded units by accident showing their total control over all their hardware) EG4 and Luxpowertek released a joint statement signed by both company owners re-affirming the absolute rights of the end users...

• James Showalter
• Replies: 2,653
• Forum: DIY Solar General Discussion

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