off grid system

[willsey40]

hi guys on here from new zealand, looking to go completely off grid and the general consensus from the local solar guys is i will need
12 kwh of panels. 25 kwh of batterys. and around 15000 watts of inverter and an auto start generator. all 48volt
The bad bit is its around $50000 to do this, so figured i would have a go myself thru alibaba ( we dont have chinese wharehouses here) so my question is who would you guys recommend i deal with.
Figure i should be able to get EVE grade a cells or racking system easy enough. how much difference is there between panels manufactures, surely not too much

also undecided on either eg4 inverters or growatt or do i just bite the bullet and get a victron quattro, they bout 9grand here but sounds like they are the best and have great customer service.

cant seem to find sol-arc here and i think they similar in price to victron anyways

am sure i have not thought of everything yet but any advice for a newbie be great

cheers jeff

 

[12VoltInstalls]

need 12 kwh of panels

12,000 watts of panels.
12kWh of panels is undefinable as irradiance varies.
12kW of panels and 25kWh of batteries just seems outlandishly huge but we don’t know what your expected continuous usage is or whatever.

I’d be studying up a bit before coining out $50k for 60kWh production. Just seems pretty large but I guess if aircon that can masticate a lot of watts.

Regardless- $50k isn’t a casual build.

 

[LeoThomson]

hi guys on here from new zealand, looking to go completely off grid and the general consensus from the local solar guys is i will need
12 kwh of panels. 25 kwh of batterys. and around 15000 watts of inverter and an auto start generator. all 48volt
The bad bit is its around $50000 to do this, so figured i would have a go myself thru alibaba ( we dont have chinese wharehouses here) so my question is who would you guys recommend i deal with.
Figure i should be able to get EVE grade a cells or racking system easy enough. how much difference is there between panels manufactures, surely not too much

also undecided on either eg4 inverters or growatt or do i just bite the bullet and get a victron quattro, they bout 9grand here but sounds like they are the best and have great customer service.

cant seem to find sol-arc here and i think they similar in price to victron anyways

am sure i have not thought of everything yet but any advice for a newbie be great

cheers jeff

You can easily do it yourself, installing solar panels with a couple of friends can be done in a day if you have done the preparations beforehand. Depending how handy you are you can use a home build battery system, or go with some rack mounted system, which costs more, but is a lot easier and they come with guaranties. As the Chines A grade cells are probably not what we would assume A grade means.

I would put the batteries and inverter in a insulated shed that can be ventilated as the fans can be noisy. Remember that LiFePo4 can't be charged when they are below freezing.

Will has some good video's on how to do the rack mounts and Andy's garage has some video's on larger home build batteries in Australia.

 

[E. Cho]

For me, living off grid for 20 years in rural central Canada the price estimate is quite shocking but you're info is too vague. My comfortable reliable system cost me maybe $5,000 CDN and with very good components.

You don't say how many people this serves nor provide info on your energy use / appliances "needed", nor your lifestyle goals or expectations. You could live frugily and comfortably or you could be a large family living unconciously and wastefully. We don't know how to size a systen with so little info.

Read more about system questions in this and the other DIY forums. Questions like yours have been asked and answered a lot.

Do an energy audit at least. Then ask again for advise?

 

[willsey40]

For me, living off grid for 20 years in rural central Canada the price estimate is quite shocking but you're info is too vague. My comfortable reliable system cost me maybe $5,000 CDN and with very good components.

You don't say how many people this serves nor provide info on your energy use / appliances "needed", nor your lifestyle goals or expectations. You could live frugily and comfortably or you could be a large family living unconciously and wastefully. We don't know how to size a systen with so little info.

Read more about system questions in this and the other DIY forums. Questions like yours have been asked and answered a lot.

Do an energy audit at least. Then ask again for advise?

hi thanks for reply. my energy audit was getting 3 quotes from solar companies in my area. they all come back with similar numbers in regards to size. my main question was in regards to suppliers to trust from alibaba as we don't have wharehouses here

 

[willsey40]

You can easily do it yourself, installing solar panels with a couple of friends can be done in a day if you have done the preparations beforehand. Depending how handy you are you can use a home build battery system, or go with some rack mounted system, which costs more, but is a lot easier and they come with guaranties. As the Chines A grade cells are probably not what we would assume A grade means.

I would put the batteries and inverter in a insulated shed that can be ventilated as the fans can be noisy. Remember that LiFePo4 can't be charged when they are below freezing.

Will has some good video's on how to do the rack mounts and Andy's garage has some video's on larger home build batteries in Australia.

 

[willsey40]

thanks will check out Andy garage

 

[E. Cho]

I made 1 order from GSL Energy via AliBaba and will never do it again and I despised the entire long, convoluted process of misinformation, upselling, horrific lack of technical information, disgusting shipping process, long shipping delays due to BS "unforseen" occurences, excuses and national holidays and so on and not saving that much money. Back then, there were fewer choices compared to now.

Another thing that I despised was having to deal with a single sales person who you are locked to once contact is made, even if you tried to get someone else. This same sales person ends up also doing the tech support, translations and wastes so much time and it is just idiotic, as they try to find information, translate it and worse they rarely answered the F'ing questions that were asked!! A total shit show and F'd Up process! Mind boggling poor communication and process, to be polite.

Good luck getting warranties honoured let alone even understood, as they make you jump through hoops or ignore you, make excuse after excuse and there is little short term recourse. You're stuck and they could care less as they have your money and are thousands of kms away.

If you search these forums for Alibaba you may find someone that had a good experience and hopefully a good contact but the 2 sales women that often get mentioned are usually contacted directly via their emails vs going through Alibaba, such as Jenny Wu.

More orders by others have been placed since mine 18 months ago, so part of the process may have improved and I know more now but I would not do it as a rank beginner and not with expensive components. I just don't trust the warranty process and the tech support is meagre and abysmal, if not due to language, than due to what seems like an induustrial culture of doing the minimum possible. Still to this day, I see the worst user manuals imaginable of maybe 1-2 pages, no guidance, horrific confusing English and on and on. The lack of care and ethics is mind boggling.

I do not recommend it for beginners, nor the faint of heart. You can probably do better locally, even used, or retailers in NZ, Australia or USA, like Current Connected or 18650batterystore.com, who will likely be far easier to communicate with.

Finding a reputable company on Alibaba and then good tech support, information and that one great salesperson, all in one transaction is like winning a lottery. Even Australia's Off Grid Andy still gets bizarre tech support, poor communication and faulty products.

 

[willsey40]

I made 1 order from GSL Energy via AliBaba and will never to it again and despised the entire long convoluted process of misinformation, upselling, horrific lack of technical information, disgusting shipping process, long shipping delays due to BS "unforseen" occurences and national holidays, and so on.

Another thing that I despised was having to deal with sales person who you are locked to once contact is made, even if you try to get someone else. This same sales person ends up also doing the tech support was wastes so much time and is just idiotic as they try to find information, translate it and worse they rarely answered the F'ing questions that were asked. A total shit show and F'd Up process.

Good luck getting warranties honoured as they make you jump through hoops or ignore you and there is little short term recourse.

If you search these forums for Alibaba you may find someone that had a good experience and hopefully a good contact but the 2 sales women that often get mentioned are contacted directly via their emails vs going through Alibaba.

More orders by others have been placed since mine 18 months ago, so part of the process may have improved and I know more now but I would not do it as a rank beginner and not with expensive components. I just don't trust the warranty process and the tech support is meagre and abysmal, if not due to language, than due to what seems like an induustrial culture. Still to this day I see the worst user manuals imaginable of maybe 1-2 pages, no guidance, horrific confusing English and on and on. The lack of care and ethics is mind boggling.

I do not recommend it for beginners, nor the faint of heart. You can probably do better locally, even used, or retailers in NZ, Australia or USA, like Current Connected or 18650batterystore.com, who will likely be far easier to communicate with.

shot fella thanks very much, been getting the idea thru here alibaba pretty dodgy, thru amy wan from luyuan seems to be pretty good re batterys, guess will see how i get on with either candian solar or jinko panels( yet to research that part) and go local for victron inverter, once again thanks for the heads up.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

No Aussie Amerizon?

 

[willsey40]

yup

No Aussie Amerizon?

yup only last year we were allowed to buy from Amazon australia. prices for solar bloody expensive. we at the bottom of the world bro and it all costs. thru on a brighter note we got no borders just a heap of ocean between us and rest of the freaks.

 

[LeoThomson]

yup

yup only last year we were allowed to buy from Amazon australia. prices for solar bloody expensive. we at the bottom of the world bro and it all costs. thru on a brighter note we got no borders just a heap of ocean between us and rest of the freaks.

On the bright side, you are in one of the most beautiful countries on earth with some of the most helpful people I have met anywhere. You could also easily move to Australia, now they have made it easier for Kiwi's to migrate there.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

on a brighter note we got no borders just a heap of ocean between us and rest of the freaks

I have family and friends but sometimes… since virtually every legal place to live in the lower 48 is improved for road traffic, disappearing in the vast dry wasteland wilderness of your continent has some lingering appeal LOL

 

[Johno1066]

No dry wastelands in New Zealand, nor in Tasmania where I have family, actually also have family in NZ.

 

[hwy17]

I'm not that familiar with your geography, is it silly to assume you could drive into a decent size city to pick up from a solar panel distributor? I find they're the one thing worth avoiding shipping entirely if you can. Very hazardous and hard to resolve mishaps. And you can usually find ok pricing from some kind of wholesaler.

 

[willsey40]

I'm not that familiar with your geography, is it silly to assume you could drive into a decent size city to pick up from a solar panel distributor? I find they're the one thing worth avoiding shipping entirely if you can. Very hazardous and hard to resolve mishaps. And you can usually find ok pricing from some kind of wholesaler.

hi mate yeah was wondering bout that, though the solar companys here get em sent the same way,

 

[12VoltInstalls]

hi mate yeah was wondering bout that, though the solar companys here get em sent the same way,

A distributor/supplier-level warehouse may be buying containers and offer a bulk discount for unallocated project sales (like carpet remnants or other surplus items)

 

[toms]

Not sure what the rules are in NZ, but in Australia due to the system of subsidising new installs you can get high quality equipment very cheaply second hand.

If you were in Australia my recommended system would be:

Cells from luyuan: 32 x 280ah (approx $7k)

Two Sunny Island 8.0H inverters ($12k)

Two second hand systems sunnyboy 5.0 including PV, racking, fusing and cabling (3k)

REC BMS system (3k)

Climate controlled enclosure to suit (3k)

Around half the price of your quote for absolutely top quality gear.

That’s 30kwh battery, 10kwPV, 12kw (actual - not pretend) inverter.

You’ll still need a backup generator or secondary system for continuous power.

Let us know how you go!

 

[willsey40]

No dry wastelands in New Zealand, nor in Tasmania where I have family, actually also have fami

On the bright side, you are in one of the most beautiful countries on earth with some of the most helpful people I have met anywhere. You could also easily move to Australia, now they have made it easier for Kiwi's to migrate there.

Not sure what the rules are in NZ, but in Australia due to the system of subsidising new installs you can get high quality equipment very cheaply second hand.

If you were in Australia my recommended system would be:

Cells from luyuan: 32 x 280ah (approx $7k)

Two Sunny Island 8.0H inverters ($12k)

Two second hand systems sunnyboy 5.0 including PV, racking, fusing and cabling (3k)

REC BMS system (3k)

Climate controlled enclosure to suit (3k)

Around half the price of your quote for absolutely top quality gear.

That’s 30kwh battery, 10kwPV, 12kw (actual - not pretend) inverter.

You’ll still need a backup generator or secondary system for continuous power.

Let us know how you go!

cheers fella great advice and thank you. will look into all that stuff. thru we have a very mild climate. maybe two frosts a year and never above 30 degrees Celsius during summer. Would you really need a climate controlled room

 

[LeoThomson]

cheers fella great advice and thank you. will look into all that stuff. thru we have a very mild climate. maybe two frosts a year and never above 30 degrees Celsius during summer. Would you really need a climate controlled room

Depending where you are, you will probably want some heating and cooling, solar production in summer is so high, you won't know what to do with it all so air conditioning will be easy. Heating is a bit harder, but there are options for that as well. Insulation, passive heating, thermal mass, ground sourced heat pumps are all things you might want to look into.